A. D. 1732. 185 



this colony was at firfl much retarded, as it was alfo by frequent alarms 

 from the Spaniards ; and, it muft be confefled, in part alfo, by an ill- 

 judged, though well-meant, Utopian fchenie for limiting the tenure of 

 lands, and for the excluiion of negro flaves, both which miftakes have 

 fince been reftified, By the planting of Georgia, Carolina has felt the 

 benefit of being able to run out (as they term it) much land, which, till 

 that new frontier barrier was eflablifhed, they had no inclination to do, 

 whereby thofe lands have been raifed to five times their former value 

 about Port-royal, and toward the river Savannah. Georgia, therefor, 

 cannot fiil to be of great fervice to us on many accounts. The Britifh 

 navv may, in its bays and harbours, in cafe of a war, fafely lie in wait 

 for the Spanifh galleons, or for the French from Miflilippi, in going to 

 Europe through the dangerous gulf of Florida, while the neighbouring 

 Spanifh port of St. Augufline is almoft choaked up with land. The 

 truftees of Georgia eredcd a fort in the nation of the Upper Creeks, 

 almoft 400 miles from the fea, and not above 40 miles from the neareil 

 French fort in Millifippi, whereby all that trad of country is kept pof- 

 feflion of for us. 



Georgia produces a great variety of excellent plants and drugs ; 

 orange trees in fome parts of it : great plenty of horfes and black cattle 

 are already raifed ; and the Saltlhurgcrs of Ebenezer long fince raifed 

 more corn than they confunicd. There is plenty of wild fowl, and alio 

 fifli on its coafts. And llnce it has fallen under the government of the 

 crown, it gradually increafes in people and improvements more and 

 more. 



The court of Spain was this year put upon a projecft for creding an 

 Eaft-India company, to trade to the Philippine illes diredly from Cadiz, 

 by the Cape of Good Hope. And though it concerned all the other 

 European nations trading to India, yet it more efpecially concerned the 

 Dutch, to oppofe it, as it is diredly contrary to the huer part of the 5th 

 article of the treaty of Munfter, in the year 1648, between Spain and 

 them ; and as the fame article was lately fuccefsfully made ufe of againft 

 the Oftend company of the Spanifli or Auftrian Netherlands, it may be 

 yet more llrongly oppoled to the eredion of this new company, viz. 

 ' it is ftipulated and agreed, that the Spaniards fliall confine their navi- 

 ' gation in the Eall-Indies in fuch manner as it is at prefent potTeifed 

 ' by them, without having it in tlieir power to extend tlie fame any 

 ' farther : as, aHo, the inhabitants of the Netherlands fiiall abflain 

 ' from frequenting thole jilaces which belong to the Callilians in the 

 ' Eaft-lndies.' Now the Eaft-India trade, as then poflefled by Spain, 

 was pracflifed folely from New-Spain to ilie Philippines, and back to 

 the pore of Acapulco ; but no Kaft-lndia trade at all from Spain by the 

 way of the Cape of Good Hope ; wherefor the Dutch at this time moft 



Vol. 111. A a 



