Massachusetts Bay 



representatives amounts to between 130 and 140, 

 of which Boston sends four. 



The number of souls in this province is supposed 

 to amount to 200,000; and 40,000 of them to be ca- 

 pable of bearing arms. They carry on a consider- 

 able traffic, chiefly in the manner of the Rhode 

 Islanders; but have some material articles for ex- 

 portation, which the Rhode Islanders have not, ex- 

 cept in a very trifling degree: these are salt fish, and 

 vessels. Of the latter they build annually a great 

 number, and send them, laden with cargoes of the 

 former, to Great Britain, where they sell them. 

 They clear out from Boston, Salem, Marblehead, 

 and the different ports in this province, yearly, about 

 ton of shipping. Exclusive of these articles, 

 their manufactures are not large; those of spirits, fish- 

 oil, and iron, are, I believe, the most considerable. 

 They fabricate beaver-hats, which they sell for a 

 moidore apiece ; and some years ago they erected a 

 manufactory, with a design to encourage the Irish 

 settlers to make linens; but at the breaking out of 

 the war the price of labour was enhanced so much, 

 that it was impossible to carry it on. Like the rest 

 of the colonies they also endeavour to make woollens; 

 but they have not yet been able to bring them to any 

 degree of perfection; indeed it is an article in which 

 I think they will not easily succeed; for the American 

 wool is not only coarse, but in comparison of the 



* See Appendix, No. 2. 



[135] 



