2-^ A. D. 1749- 



thxn in mj of the preceding ones, viz. that 671 fliips had airrr- ' " rre 

 fimm tbe K(»th, England, and HoUand, ^th all kinds of mer^ e, 



and a great quantirr of wines, Inandies, &c. tcovn. France, Spam, the 

 Rfaine, and the MofeDe : on tbe other hand, 682 ihips had, within the 

 ^metear, iailed from thence, laden with com, hemp, hides, boards, 

 mafb, &c. 



Tlie eminent antbor of a pamphlet, entitled. Farther coniiderations 

 upon a redodioa c£ the land-tax, [fi. 34] gives a remarkable account of 

 the iocreaib of the tcHmage of the Britiih navy, in three dine rent 

 periods, tiz. 



fci the year 1 71 5 it was - - 167,596 tons. 



In the year 1727 it was - - I7~,S62 



And in 1749 it was increafcd to - 22^,21^ 



An aA of parliaiuent (of this fame year) for enlarging and maintain- 

 ing the haifaonr of Ramlgate, Sec. gave great hopes that our mercantile 

 flopping would find a mncii iaier retreat, in cafe of florms. Sec. than 

 anT tb^ hare hitfaeno enjoyed on the coafls of Kent and SofTex. Its 

 preamble iets tarxh, * diat fiieqnent lolles c^ the lives and properties of 



* bis tD2ge&j'i {lib^GSs happen in tbe Downs for want of a harbour be- 

 ' tveen tbe nordi and footh Fordands ; the greateft part of the fhips 



* employed in tbe trade of this natiiHi being imder a neceiEty, at going 



* out upon, as well as in returning from, their voyages, to p>ais through 



* tbe Downs, and frequently by contrary winds being detained there a 



* long time, during which they (efpecially the outward4x)nnd fhips) are 

 ' e^x>ied to viokzu: ftorms, and dangerous gales of wimi, without hav- 

 ' ing any fu£cient harbour to lie in or retreat into, or from whence 



* tbey can receive any affiflance : and as a harbour may be made at 



* Kamfgare, convenient for the recq>tion of dips of 300 tons burden, 

 > and from whence larger ihips in diftreis in the Downs may be fap- 

 ' plied with ]h1ocs, anchors, cables, and other afliflance and neceilaries ; 

 ' and by the iinaller flaps takii^ flieiterin this harbour, the larger fhips 

 ' may take tbe anchorage which at prefent is occupied l^ the iinaller, 

 ' and by that means their anchors wiU be fixed in more holding ground, 

 ' and the ihips not be fo e^>oied to the Ocean.' A great number, there- 

 for, of honoorable and eminent perfcms are hereby appointed truflees 

 £ar i mp r o v in g the harbour of Ramfgate, and a duty of fi^ience p>er ton 

 on all mercantile ffaipping was hereby laid for this end ; and two very 

 fine piers have been run onta good way into the &a, at the prodigious ex- 

 penie erf near Lfc.coo flerling, vhidi, however, in the opinion of 

 many, fuppoied to be competent judges, has not hitherto anfwered ex- 

 pedaticm ; yet as the vail fcheme of this new harbour is not yet com- 

 pkted, it iieems but reafonaUe for us to fuipend, till then, our abfolute 

 ^<;terminatioii hereof 



Dr. BnJching, in his New geography of RoiBa, gives us the amount 



