A. D. 1731. 175 



of their fifheries ; feeing our own fugar colonies are unable to fup- 

 p]y the great quantity of melaffes which thofe two trades demand ; more 

 efpecially as from the French iflands they receive in payment filver and 

 cacao, as well as melalTes, (but feldom fugar or rum) which filver comes 

 ultimately to Great Britain to pay for the balance of trade : and the 

 northern colonies diftill the melafles into rum for the above purpofes. 



By this trade the northern colonies are enabled to make fuch confi- 

 derable remittances to England in ready money, as they could procure 

 nowhere elfe but by their traffic with the foreign colonies, as well as by 

 indigo, cacao, fugar, and rum, both from Britifh and foreign colonies ; 

 for enabling them to pay for the great quantities of our manufadlures 

 which they yearly take of us. 



If the northern colonies were not permitted to fupply the French 

 iflands with lumber, they could have them, though fomewhat dearer, 

 from their own colonies in the bay of Apalachy ; and our horfes would 

 be of little or no ufc, if not bought up by the French, who, befides, could 

 have them (as alfo mules) from the coafts of New-Spain and New- 

 Andalulia, and from the Dutch ifland of Cura^oa. 



The Britifh fugar ifles employ no fliips but for their own fugars and 

 fome few other commodities, and what afliflance they atford to the ne- 

 gro trade : whereas, for every fhip which they ufe, the northern colo- 

 nies employ ten at lead, and not only ufe great quantities of Britifli 

 goods themfelves, but moreover fupply the Indian nations behind them 

 with vail quantities thereof, whereby they afford employment to a 

 much greater number of hands in Great Britain than the fugar iflands 

 can do. 



The late great improvements in the Dutch and French fugar colonies 

 are owing to their induftry and frugality on one hand, and, on the 

 other, to the notorious luxury and extravagance of the people in our fu- 

 gar ifles, who, inftead of endeavouring to regain their former trade bv 

 lowering their prices, would now gain it by force, by the help of an ad 

 of parliament compelling all the fubjet^s of Great Britain, both at home 

 and in America, to take off their merchandize on their own terms, for 

 the fupport of the luxury and extravagance for which they have been fo 

 long famous. The high prices of their fugars have been the means 

 of lofmg their former European markets ; and if they are to be 

 railed dill higher, th<^y will lofe all that is yet left ; fo that in the 

 end the fiibjecls of Great Britain alone muft; fupport thofe people in 

 luxury and indolence. Barbados was formerly wont to trade with the 

 French and Dutch, and, by taking off their fugars, prevented their 

 feeking for other markets, whereby the Barbadians gained the fugar 

 trade almofl; entirely into their own hands : but they loft it again in the 

 year 171 5 by laying a duty on foreign fugars, &.c. too high to be fup- 

 portcd. I 



