A. D. 1763. 373 



for ready money. Many more merchants, wlio were in good circum- 

 ftances, would have been obHged to flop pavment, if the Lombard 

 houfes in Amfterdam and Hamburgh had not aflifted them with large 

 advances of cadi, and if the magiflrates had not wiiely interfered, by 

 protecting from arreft the merchants who could make it appear by 

 their books, that they really pollened fufficient funds for the difchargc 

 of their debts. On this trying occafion theBritifh merchants acted with 

 the mod: honourable liberality, by giving larger credits to their corref- 

 jjondents in the hour of their diftrefs, than they had ever done in the 

 leaion of their profperity, and even fending large remittances for their 

 lupport, which they were enabled to do, by the no-lels-liberal determin- 

 ation of the bank of England, and the principal bankers, to fufpend the 

 payment of their own bills. Thcfe generous meafurcs fo far reflored 

 public credit, that in a few weeks bufmefs went on nearly as before. 



The failures were by fome afcribed to the large funis owing by the 

 Britifh and French armies, and by others to the vafl quantity of bafe 

 money iffued by the German princes during the war, for which the 

 merchants had expected to receive the value, or at leafl: a confiderable 

 part of the value, it was iffued for. It is reafonable to believe, that both 

 thefe caules co-operated, and that even the peace, by fuddenly drawing 

 off the trade enjoyed by thofe neutral places during the war, might be 

 inftrumental in producing a derangement in the affairs of thofe con- 

 cerned in it. 



The king of Pruflia, in order to encourage manufadures in his eled- 

 oral dominions, prohibited the importation of filks, chintzes, and cot- 

 tons, and even went fo far as to order all fuch goods already in the 

 country to be exported, under a penalty of 100 crowns for every ell. 

 If his own people were able to fupply the demand, fuch regulations were 

 not impolitic, though the later part was furely too harOi. 



The expulfion of the French from North America was not produc- 

 tive of that perfcdt tranquillity that was expeded. The Indians, efpe- 

 cially thofe who had been in the French intcrefl:, and whom our people 

 feem to have neglected and defpifed, more than was coniiltent either 

 with humanity or good policy, were greatly alarmed at the chain of 

 garrifons eflablinied in their country, the intention of which they ap- 

 prehended to be no lefs than the extirpation of the antient poffeffors. 

 In coniequence of this apprchenfion, a very extenfive confederacy was 

 formed among them ; and the back fetllements of Fennfylvania, Mary- 

 land, and Virginia, were attacked at the time of harveft; with an unani- 

 mity and effect, of which Indians were not fuppofed capable. In feveral 

 engagements our leaders were abfolutely out-generalled by the Indian 

 chiefs; and, though at the end of the campaign they were rather 

 checked, we had no reafon to boafl; of our fuccefs. All the itinerant 

 traders, who, fuppofing themfelves perfectly fecurc, were difperfed 



