A. D. 1731. 169 



' pleadings therefor and writings muft henceforth be in the Englifli 

 ' language (excepting in the court of admiralty) and not in Latin or 

 ' French, and all deeds and other writings in a common legible hand 

 ' and without abbreviations.' [4 Geo. Ill, c. 26.] Strange, that this 

 was not enacted long before. 



The fecond penny, paid for penny-pofl letters and parcels, when 

 carried beyond London, Weftminfter, and Southwark, and their re- 

 fpedive fuburbs, and as far as within ten miles thereof, and not pafling 

 by the general poft, and from thence tranfmitted by the penny-pofl, 

 which had before been voluntarily paid by the perfons receiving them, 

 was now legally confirmed ; becaufe in many cafes the letter-carriers are 

 obliged to travel on horfeback to places at a confiderable diftance from 

 London. [4 Geo. Ill, c. 2,3>-^ 



This fame year the Danifh or Norwegian colony, which was fent to 

 replant Old Greenland in the year 172 1, returned home, the climate 

 being found fo cold, and the country fo barren, that even Norwegians 

 could not live in it. Yet it feems the clergyman, who went out with 

 this colony, having converted about 600 of the native favages to the 

 chriflian religion, generoufly determined to remain with thofe poor 

 people for the benefit of their fouls. Rara avis in terris. 



At this time the ilates-general of the United Netherlands had a dif- 

 pute with the court of Denmark, about renewing the tarif, which fome 

 years ago expired, for regulating the toll to be paid by Dutch fhips 

 pafling through the Sound. There is a proverb in Holland, that the 

 keys of the Sound are at Amfiierdam. Yet thofe keys (i. e. a ftrong 

 fquadron of fliips of war to be fent annually to keep that paffage open) 

 being very coflly as well as hazardous, it was amicably made up on the 

 fame terms as before, and as we and other nations pay. It feems evi- 

 dently the true interefi: of the court of Denmark to adl with great 

 moderation towards the mercantile fhipping of the feveral nations of 

 Europe pafling this Sound ; feeing that any new and extravagant 

 demands might unite fo many powerful opponents as would be able 

 to call in quefiion the very foundation on which that toll has flood, 

 though for fo many ages paft. 



The king of Portugal this year gave permiflion for one fliip to make 

 only one voyage to Surat and the coaft of Coromandel, and back to 

 Portugal, exclufive of all others ; for which end a company was efla- 

 bliflied, whofe capital was limited to 600,000 cruftdoes : and the fub- 

 fcribers were, fome time after the return of the fliip, to be paid back 

 their principal and their dividend of the profits. 



Hereupon the Britifli conful at Lifl)on gave warning to all Britilh 

 lubjeds living in Portugal to avoid Ix-ing anv wav concerned in this 



Vol. III. ' ' Y 



