240 HISTORY OF TH 



beirig obliged to wait for purchafers at an 

 nient diftance from the Weft India fhipping 



While this is the requeft offome perfonsy others, 

 of more extenfive capitals, wiJh to employ veficls of 

 any fize within 1 20 tons* limiting the higheft bounty, 

 however, to 80 tons, as it ftands at prefent. Who- 

 ever is acquainted with mercantile affairs will fee 

 the utility of this indulgence. VefTels of 120 tons, 

 when not engaged in the fifheries, could be let out 

 in freights to foreign parts, or in the coafting trade, 

 and thus advantageoufly employed throughout the 

 year, to the mutual conveniency of the owners and 

 earnen.. 



We fhall elofe this fubjecl: with a conjectural eftr- 

 mate of the increafe of the weftern bufs fifhery, fup- 

 pofing the bounty at 50 fhillings per ton. Hitherto 

 we have feen nearly 300 veffels employed in this fiftr- 

 ery, though labouring under numerous difcourage- 

 ments ; and lately a ftrong rivalfhip from Ireland 

 and Sweden, who had, formerly been their beft cufto- 

 mers. Let us now fuppofe the bounty extended to 

 50 fhillings, every reftriftion removed, the paffage 

 ihortened, the natives of the Highlands bufily em- 

 ployed, the navigation aft in full vigour, the adven- 

 turers relying on the ftesdy protection of government* 

 and in high fpirits 5 there can be no great hazard in 

 Hating the number of bufTes which in a few years 

 may be engaged in the weftern tifhery at 500. 

 And, though it is propofed to admit into this num- 

 ber, vefiels of fo fmall burden as 15 tons, yet this 

 deficiency in tonnage will be qualified by the fize of 

 other veflels, which of late it hath been the practice 

 to build upon a large conftruction. Taking there- 

 fore the average number of men in 500 bufles from 

 15 to 80 tons burden, at 14 men each, the amount 

 will be 7000, a nurfery which merits every fup- 

 port that the public can beftow. And it is alfo 

 a confideration worthy of remark, that this nur- 

 fery is, of all others, the moft rapid in its progrefs. 



Veflels 



