368 A. D. 1763. 



nent of Europe, the decifion of difputes refpeding prize fliips, the time 

 fixed for executing the feveral cellions of territory, &c. 



The peace, though it was differently received by the different parties, 

 who, in all free governments, take oppofite fides upon every queftion of 

 great importance, muft be allowed to have been very advantageous to 

 Great Britain, in fo far as it completely accompliflied the object, for 

 which the war was profeffedly undertaken, the perfect fecurity of the 

 Britifli colonies in North America from the encroachments of the 

 French ; who, as well as the Spaniards, were now far removed from 

 their neighbourhood, and from any power, or opportunity, of giving 

 them the fmallefi; uneafinefs on the fubje6l of difputable frontiers. 

 Though many iflands taken from the enemy in the Weft-Indies were 

 reftored, yet Great Britain retained at the peace a number of newly-ac- 

 quired iflands ; perhaps more than the population and capital of the 

 mother country were capable to people and cultivate immediately with- 

 out fome inconvenience. The arrangements in Afia were very favour- 

 able to our Eafl-India company. And in Africa we obtained the ex- 

 clufive trade in gum fenegal, an article of great ufe in many manufac- 

 tures : nor was the increafed demand, which the fettlement of the new 

 tropical territories would occafion for negro flaves, negledled by the ad- 

 vocates for the terms of the peace, in enumerating the advantages re- 

 fulting from it. 



Befides, it ought to be remembered, that, though Great Britain was 

 enabled by a progreflive increafe of commerce, even during the heavieft 

 preflure of hollilities, to carry on the war at an expenfe, which, not 

 very many years before, it would have been fuppofed utterly impoflible 

 to fupport, and in a triumphant manner, which to a nation of mere 

 warriors, fuch as the antient Romans, might have been even lucrative, 

 yet neither the fupplles of men nor money could hold out forever. 

 A peace was therefor neceffary, that the flrength and refources of the 

 nation might be allowed to recruit, independent of the interefts of hu- 

 manity, and, I may add, of commerce, which required that the world 

 fliould repole from the toils of war, and the horrors of llaughter and de- 

 vaflation. 



The lieutenatits of the navy made a propofition to the lords of the 

 admiralty for keeping in employment two hundred and fifty of the 

 frigates and armed fhips, to be commanded and manned by 1500 offi- 

 cers of the navy and 17,500 feamen, to be paid by the government, 

 and to be fent upon the whale fifliery at Greenland and Davis's ftraits. 

 Eftimating by the profits made by the Dutch in that fifliery, they cal- 

 culated the profit to the nation at/^ioo,ooo yearly, befidesthe advantage 

 of keeping up a nurfery of feamen, and having fo many hands actually in 

 the fervice of government ready upon any emergency, without difl:refs- 

 ing the merchant fervice. The project, however, was not approved of; 



4 



