A. D. 1727^ 13^ 



Madagafcar, under forfeiture of their {hips, furniture, and ladings, and 

 of double the value. This ad to continue for fix years only; and the 

 South-fea company was thereby limited to four fhips annually, and to 

 carry to Madagafcar nothing but the neceffiry provifions, &c. folely for 

 the purchafe of negroes. About this time, the Sourb-fea company adu- 

 ally employed upwards of 30 Ihips and floops, befide their great annual 

 fhip, in their negro trade to the Spanidi ports of America, and in mak- 

 ing returns for the fame. 



By another flatute of this fame year and feflion, for enlarging the 

 time for hearing and determining claims by the truftees for railing itio- 

 ney on the eflates of the late directors of the South-fea company and 

 others, the net produce of thofe eftates is direded to be applied folely 

 for the benefit of the company. 



In this year William Burnet Efquire, the worthy governor of New- 

 York, having duely confidered, that the main fupport of the French co- 

 lony of Canada was the fur and peltry trade with the Indians ; and that, 

 moreover, their towns of QLiebec and Montreal were chiefly fupplied 

 with European merchandize by our merchants of New-York, at a much 

 cheaper rate than they had them from France, he rightly inferred, that, 

 if the traders of New- York were totally debarred from carrying their 

 goods to Canada, they might thcmfelves diredly, or at firft hand, fup- 

 ply the Indian tribes near the lakes of Canada with Englifh merchan- 

 dize : for that end he obtained an ad of the alTembly of New-York, for 

 opening a mofl profitable trade diredly with thofe Indian nations, who 

 till now had dealt entirely with the French of Canada. For which 

 purpofe the New- York aflembly was at the expenfe, this very year, of 

 building and fortifying a trading place at Ofwego on the eafl: bank of 

 lake Ontario, where they continued to keep a garrifon (till they were 

 aflaultcd and driven out by the French from Canada in the year 1757, 

 that fort having been too (lightly built) and had upwards of 300 traders 

 there, M'ho conftantly met the Indians from Canada, arid from the great 

 lakes wcfl; and north from lake Ontario, and fouth from lake Erie. This 

 was a promifing ftep towards acquiring all the inland trade of North- 

 America, by eredling fortified truck-houfes on the farther lakes in, and 

 well of, Canada. But in fucceeding times the French in thofe parts 

 were, through our fiiameful fupinenefs, fufFered to make gradual in- 

 croachments on the boundaries of that and our other northern pro- 

 vinces of America, till it became very near too late to put a ftopto their 

 career. 



By a flatute [13 Gca. f, c. 3] for redeeming fundry annuities trans- 

 ferable at the bank of England, and the annuities payable on (landing 

 orders, &c. all the redeemable annuities transferable at the bank, and 

 thofe aflignable at the exchequer, which were not fublcribcd into the 



Vol. in. S 



