A. D. 1763. 371 



moreover agreed to pay 5000 more every year, to the Algerines, for 

 permitting only fifteen Venetian ihips to trade freely in the Mediter- 

 ranean. Thefe fifteen fliips mull carry on a very great, and a very 

 lucrative trade, to enable them to pay fo heavy a tribute *. 



The Genoefe, the antient rivals of the Venetians in commerce and 

 maritime power, were alfo fo much funk from their former condition, 

 that they were not able to keep the ifland, (or, as they affected to call 

 it, their kingdom) of Corfica in fubjedion, the confequence of which 

 was, that they made over their title in the fovereignty of it to France. 

 The event, which is foreign to the plan of this work, is fufficiently 

 known. 



The lords of trade and plantations, in their report to the king upon 

 the advantages to be derived from the territories vefted in Great Britain 

 by the peace, obferved, that hitherto the Britifh fifliermen had been 

 excluded from the fifliery of the River St. Laurence, and of the coafts 

 and iflands of the Gulf of St. Laurence, by the treaty of Utrecht, which 

 gave the French the fole right to that mofl valuable fifhery called by 

 them the * peche fedentaire' (fedentary filliery) : but that, fince thefe 

 coafts had fallen into our hands by the redudion of Quebec, the cap- 

 ture of whales, fea-co\xs, feals, &c. was already carried on by Britilh 

 fubjeds to a greater extent than it ever was by the French ; and the 

 extenfive trade <vith the Efkimeaux Indians for oil and furs, hitherto 

 enjoyed by the French, mufl now fall into our hands by the annexation 

 of Labrador to the government of Newfoundland. The iflands of St. 

 Pierre and Miquelon, referved to France by the treaty, being deftitute 

 of wood and water, and incapable of raifing provifions, could never en- 

 able the French to carry on a profpcrous fiflicry ; but they might be the 

 feat of a mofl pernicious contraband trade, if not watched with the ut- 

 moft vigilance. The fur trade, if we except that of the Hudfon's-bay 

 company, and fome fkin trade in the p^rovinccs of New-York and Caro- 

 lina, had hitherto been almoft engroiled by the French, who, contrary 

 to the flipulations of the treaty of Utrecht, took pofleilion of all the 

 great lakes communicating with the River St. Laurence, whereby all in- 

 tercourfe between the Indian tribes and the Bricilh provinces was cut off. 

 By the total ceflion of North America the whole of this trade mult now 

 be free to :he fubjcds of Great Britain, who being relieved from the in- 

 terruptions of the French and the French Indians, would undoubtedly 

 carry the trade to an extent hitherto unknown, whereby a demand mull 

 be created for valt (piantitics of Britilh manufactures to be exchanged 



" From Chandler's Travels I find, that in the ftationary among the Venetians, who about fioo 



MoJitenaneau the Venetian vclfc^s are generally years ago were the grcatell maritime power in 



remarked and ridiculed lor their flow falling ; and Europe, while other nations, whi- ihcn had Icarcc- 



of coiirfe they mnft fall a facrifice to cverv hoililo ly any Ihipping, have been continually improving 



vcflcl of fulticient force, that can get fi^^ht of iu it. 

 tham. Surely nautical fcicncc mull have remained 



3A 2 



