120 



1734, — 

 1740, 



1745' 



1761, 



1768, 5779 r-3 8 



111 number of Negroes it appears to be confulerably reduced; and, 

 indeed, there feems at prefent but too much reaibn for the popular 

 opinion, that this town has paffed the zenith of its glory, having 

 loft two fuch capital fupports of its trade, as the Negroe-con- 

 trafts with the Spaniards, and the coafting-intercourfe with Spanifli 

 South- America; in which it ufed, a few years ago, to employ a 

 o-reat number of fmall veflels. It is likewiie feldom vifited by the 

 fmall-craft, which ufed formerly to croud hither in fhoals, laden 

 with bullion and other valuable articles. So that it has at prelent 

 very little bulinefs but what concerns the home-confumption of 

 the ifland ; on which account, feveral of the merchants have, fince 

 the commencement of peace, betaken themfelves to planting, as a 

 more gainful employ than trade carried on under the prefent di- 

 flrefled circumftances. War, fo fatal to fome ftates, has ever been 

 the beft friend of this town, by augmenting the confumption and 

 demand of merchandizes ; by filling it with new acceflions of 

 people and wealth ; and by laying open that profitable traffic in 

 thefe feas which in time of peace is too ftriclly watched. From 

 the earlieft lettlement of this ifland, its trade was ever moft flou- 

 rifliing while war fubfifted with the Spaniards; which has admi- 

 niftered fuch conftant opportunities of fharing in their gold and 

 •iilver, as well by private commerce as by open hoftility. For this 

 reafon, their proverbial faying of, " Peace with England, and war 

 *' with all the reft of the world," was not ill-founded. Yet I ven- 

 ture to hope, that, by fleadily cultivating a better correlpondence 

 with the free Indians on the Southern continent, the trade of this 

 town is very capable of receiving a vaft enlargement; which mJiy 

 effedually preferve it from decay, and make it leis dependent on a 

 flare of war for its fupport. 



In this town are two houfes for refining fugar;.but the quantity 

 they annually confume in this manufadure I am not informed of. 



The 



