BOOK ir. CHAP. VII. o,y 



fume a large proportion of what are bred here. Tliere fecms no 

 remedy for this, but, by an a£l of legiflature, to encourage the 

 ifland-breed, and throw gradual rellraints upon the importation ; 

 by which means, beef might poflibly, in courfe of a few years, 

 return to a more moderate price ; which would be a very dcfireable 

 event to the inhabitants, and even to the breeders themfeives; to 

 whom the certainty of demand, and largenefs of confumption, 

 would make amends for the diminution of price; and thus might 

 be laved many thoufand pounds now paid for foreign faked beef, 

 which is neither lb wholefome, nutritious, nor pleafing to the 

 white fervants, fcldiers, and others, as frefli meat. The high 

 price of fowls, and the other fmall articles, is to be lowered by 

 the introdu(5lion of more fettlers, by encouraging a traffic in fuch 

 articles, and particularly enlarging the annual plant of corn, the 

 icarcity of which is the fole caufe why eggs are in general fo cheap, 

 and poultry fo dear ; for, when corn is Icarce, fowls will devour 

 more of it in value than they yield at the market. The greater 

 abundance there is provided of thefe foods, the more money will 

 be faved to the ifland in various ways; and it would confequently 

 grow more populous and thriving, and better able to maintain 

 families ; a matter of the utmoft concern to all who wifh to fee 

 it fiourifh ; marriages, the beft fource of well-peopling it, and 

 from which fome men pretend they are at prefent deterred, from 

 the expenfivenefs of houfekeeping, would be greatly promoted ; 

 nor would many ufeful perfons emigrate from the colony, if they 

 could live in it at as cheap a rate in general as in Europe. To live 

 otherwife in an ifland, fo fertile and fo capable of affording not 

 only the comforts, but the luxuries of fuftenance, in the greatefl 

 profufion, is a reproach to induftry and policy; but to adminifter 

 fit and prafticable remedies will redound equally to the honour of 

 legiflature, and to the public welfare. Spanilh Town covers a 

 large extent of ground,^m_any of the houles having great areas, 

 and IcvefaT lots beine vacant or unbuilt. TheiE' cTrcutinrtances 

 render iTtBe more healthy and pleafant; and a variety of trees in 

 conflant verdure, being fcattered among the buildings, more ef- 

 pecially in the Ikirts, it has the rural appearance of a village. 

 The town feeins, however, to~ be rather on the decHite, not having 



yet 



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