A. D. 1751. 283 



and the experience of the traders to that extended coaft, will determine 

 the validity *. 



1751. — In the year 1751 Dr. William Douglas, of Boflon in New- 

 England, publiflied there his Summary, hiftorical and political, of the 

 lirfl planting of the Britifli continent colonies of America ; in which he 

 gives a very juft and concife view of the entire country, ufually known 

 by the general name of New-England, as at prefent divided into four 

 feparate governments, viz. the firft and principal one, known by the 

 name of the province of the Mallachufets-bay, of which Boflon is the 

 capital city, contains 200,000 white inhabitants : the government of 

 which province is in the crown, but the property is in the reprefenta- 

 tives of the people. The fecond province is Connedicut, containing 

 100,000 white people. Thirdly, Rhode-ifland, containing 30,000 white 

 people ; in both which later provinces the government and property 

 are in the reprefentatives of the people. Fourthly, New-Hampfhire, in 

 which both government and property are in the crown, contains 24,000 

 white inhabitants. The total white people in all New-England then 

 was 354,000. Dr. Douglas had lived many years in that country, 

 and is allowed, by all we have converfed with from thence, to have 

 given a true account of the number of people of New-England at that 

 period. 



We have, in its place, fhewn, that the Danes had antiently a colony 

 in the country, by them properly called Groneland, i. e. Greenland, 

 and by others, Old Greenland, lying north-weft of Norway, being a 

 largely extended country, fituated north of Davis's ftraits, in a very in- 

 holpitable climate, and, for aught we yet know, may be properly a part 

 of North- America. That inhoipitable country, however, we find, by 

 an ediift of Frederic V king of Denmark, dated at Copenhagen the 

 26th March 1751, is again replanted by Denmark. The edid: exprefs- 

 ly prohibiting all perfons, as well natives as foreigners, from reforting 

 to the colonies eflablifhcd by us, (fays that king) in our country of 

 Greenland, which we have granted to a general and privileged company 

 exclufively, we being hereditary lord of that country, upon pain of 

 feizure and confifcation, againft all fuch as fliall trade thither in preju- 

 dice of the faid company's right. The limits fliall extend 15 miles on 

 both fides of each colony, including therein all the places lying between 

 the Weftern ifles, and the bay called in the maps Blackbirds-bay. 

 This fettlement is chiefly intended for the whale and leal flfhery, and 

 for peltry. Of its progrefs we may poffibly learn more hereufttr. 



The South-fea company having propofed to the government to ac- 

 cept an intereft of 4 per cent on their capital flock of L3, 662, 784 : 8 : 6 till 

 chriftmas 1757, and then to ftand reduced to L3 per cent per annum. 



• 



The tot.U value of the imports of England in tlic year 1750, was L7, 772,039, 3:;d cf llic ex- 

 ports (not including gold and bullion) L 12,699,081, \_IVhit-Morlh'i Slalf."] M. 



N n 2 



