A. D. 1717. 59 



' The American treaty, for reflraining depredations in thofe parts, 

 concluded in 1670, encouraged feveral others of the privateers or fea- 

 men to fall into this employment of cutting wood, to which, it was 

 now generally fuppofed, they had a right by the faid treaty. 



' And Sir Thomas Lynch, then governor of Jamaica, tranfmitted to 

 the lords of the council, his reafons for encouraging this trade, viz. 



' I) That the Englifh had done fo for divers years. 

 ' ' II) It was in defolate and uninhabited places. 



' III) That it feems a pofleflion granted by the American treaty. 



' rV) It might give a right to feclude the Dutch and French, if wc 

 (hould break with Spain. 



' V) The Spaniards had not, to that time, made any complaints of it. 



' VI) This employ makes the reducing of the privateers more eafy. 



' VII) And, that it will employ 100 fail of fhips annually, and bring 

 in more to his majefly's cuftoms and the nation's trade than any co- 

 lony the king hath. 



' Although at fir ft they found the logwood by the fea-fide, they were 

 afterward forced to go four or five miles up into the country for their 

 refrefhment, where they planted Indian provifions, and built houfes to 

 keep themfelves from the fun and rain. That, in all the time of their 

 working, they had never feen any Spaniard, or other perfon, although 

 they had gone fix or feven miles farther into the country, to kill deer, 

 &c. That Sir Thomas Lynch, governor of Jamaica, in 1672, wrote all 

 this to the earl of Arlington, fecretary of ftate ; and that this kind of 

 pofl'eflion is held in the Weft-Indies to be the ftrongeft that can be, 

 viz. felling of wood, building of houfes, and clearing and planting the 

 ground. That the depofitions of many Englifti concerned in this log- 

 wood trade were, in fubftance, as follows, viz. that our king's fubjeds 

 have been ufed, for fome years, to hunt, to fifti, and to cut logwood, 

 in divers bays, iflands, and parts of the continent, not frequented or 

 poflefled by any of the fubjeds of his catholic majefty, and without 

 any molellation ; which cutting of logwood there, had been approv- 

 ed of by the committee of the king's privy-council. Which allow- 

 ance gave trefti vigour to the logwood-cuuers : although about that 

 time the Spaniards began to interrupt them, and to difpute their right 

 to that liberty which they had fo long quietly enjoyed. For it is an 

 imdoubted fait, that from the publication of the treaty of 1667, until 

 about two years after the conclufion of tlic American treaty in 1670, 

 the logwood-cutters had never been in tlie leaft difturbed, either 

 diredlly or indirectly. Nor does it appear, that the SpanilTi governors 

 took any umbrage at, or made any complaint about, it ; much lefs did 

 they pretend to an cxclufivc right, or that it was contrary to the laws 

 of iheir commerce. That the Englifli w!io were fettled at the Laguna 

 dc Terminos, in rcfentment for the Spaniards having taken two 



H 2 



