BOOK II. CHAR IX. 2^7 



proved Ikill in every branch of plantation-occor.omy ; and (in the 

 W'eflern diltrid) to the importation of Negroes immediately into 

 the ports of Savannah la Mar and Montcgo; as well as to tl)e na- 

 tural excellence of the canc-land in that diiliriil. 



Oh revifing what has been laid in refpe»5l to the fhipplng whicli 

 load at this ifland, and their tonnage, I perceive I lliall be thought 

 to have greatly under-rated them. Errors on this head may vcrv 

 well happen, for want of an average-table, as no two fucccflive 

 years are perhaps equal in the calculation, and as the number and 

 quantity are yearly increafing, 



Mr. Leflie, in his account publiflied in the year 17^9, fuppofeJ 

 the annual produce of fugar equal to feventy thoufand hogflicadi;, 

 of fifteen hundred pounds weight each ; which was certainly a 

 miftake. From this pojiulntiim lie endeavoured to (heA-, that five 

 hundred fail, weiglit fifty thoufand tons, and manned hy at leaf!: fix 

 thoufand feamen, were at that time loaded with the produce of the 

 colony ; and he deduces the advantages to Great-Britain in the fol- 

 lowing manner : 



Seamen maintained, 6000 



Perfons fubfifted in Britain by the building and outfit of 



this fliipping, 14000 



Maintained and enriched by the imports into Britain, zooco 



Mouths fed by the return of Britifli manufiiclures, merchan- 

 dizes, and commodities, 40000 



Ditto, by retailing thefe products, computed at loooo 



In all (exclufive of inhabitants in the illand), 90000 



Whoever is well informed of the growth of Jamaica will rea- 

 dily difcern, tiiat this detail, inftead of being conformable to the 

 ftate of it at that period, was, in fa£l:, only an anticipation of what 

 has fince happened. But, to fpeak of the prefent time, the produce 

 in fugar is augmented by many thoufimd hogflieads; rum and me- 

 lafl'es in proportion. Coflee makes a very capital article of export ; 

 and indigo begins to be confpicuous. Several new ports are opened, 

 whofe trade is in a very promifing way. The progrefs, in fhort, 

 fmce the time Mr. Leflie wrote, has been aflonifhingly great ; in- 

 fomuch that I do not know, whether the following computation 

 is not ftill rather too diminutive; viz. 



G g 2 Shipping 



