150 A V I E W O F 



her of barges which navigate the rivers and canals, 

 befides the cargoes fent coaftways. 



But thefe fupplies, though great, are far from 

 anfwering the demands of a kingdom, whofe villa- 

 ges are rifing to the magnitude of cities, and where 

 the fliipping is continually upon the increafe. * The 

 forefts of the Baltic, Poland, Germany, and North 

 America, load fome hundred ihips annually for the 

 Britifli ports, though burthened with infurance and 

 high freight, which muft unavoidably enhance the 

 price, f Here therefore the produce of the Scottifh 

 mountains and vallies will always find a good mar- 

 ket, and an inexhauftible vent. Inftead of a petty 

 traffic from one ifland to another, in little open 



boats, 



* Ship building in England would have been carried to a ftill 

 greater extent, had we not found a powerful rival in North 

 America, which we encouraged in the growth of the materials, 

 the purchale of their fhips, and allowing them a free trade with the 

 Weft Indies. " Of 679 veflels which* were required to tranfport 

 the great Weft Indian cargo cf 1772 to Britain, much more than 

 two thirds had been built in our colonies. To fo great an extent 

 had we refigned the mo ft ufeful of all our manutattures to our 

 colonifts, contrary to the retnonft ranees of the wifeft men of their 

 time. We have been fufficiently folicitous about the manufactures 

 of wool, of hats, and of iron, in the colonies ; but we have cared 

 little, during the laft century, for the more important manufaC" 

 ture of ihips. This had been a melancholy remark, were it not 

 that we derive confolation from reflecting, how much the public 

 wildom may convert misfortunes into benefits. We may now re 

 gain the bufmefs of fhip-building to no fmall extent, which our 

 imprudent kindnefs had given away : Our fafety requires, that we 

 ought to retain every advantage, which alignal revolution has hap- 

 pily thrown in our way. " Mr. Chalmers's Opinions on inter eft ing 

 Subjects nf Public La ! w and Commercial Policy ; arijing from Ame- 

 rican Independency. See alfo, Lord Sheffield's Obfcrvations on the 

 Commerce of the American States, 



f The timber imported from Holland, Hamburgh, and the 

 Baltic, comes chiefly from the interior parts of Germany, Poland, 

 and Ruffia, by means of large rivers, and is become both fcarcer 

 and dearer of late years, as appears from the report of fundry 

 merchants and fhip-builders, to the houfe of commons. The coafts of 

 America begin alfo to feel a fcarcity of timber ; what we now receive 

 from that country is brought down the rivers in floats to the ports, 

 from whence there is a voyage of 3000 miles. All thefe circum- 

 ftancee are in favour of Britifh timber. The Scots build their buffes 



