402 A. D. 1764. 



it appeared, that the vcflel had intentionally parted from the fleet ; and 

 therefor it was determined by a fpecial jury, that the underwriters were 

 not liable for the lofs (May 14th.) This decifion, as being a precedent in 

 a matter of great commercial importance, is worthy of this brief notice. 



It may be confidered as a convincing proof of the increafing profpe- 

 rity of London, that a,piece of wafte ground in Picadilly, which a 

 brewer had bought fome years before at the price of ^^30 for putting 

 his cades and lumber in, was now fold for;(^2,5oo. 



For fome years the French Eall-India company had been very rapid- 

 ly declining, notwith Handing a dividend of 40 livres on each fliare and 

 other advantages allowed them by the king ; who now alfo made them 

 a prefent of 1 1,835 flares belonging to himfelf, and empowered them 

 to make a call on the proprietors for 400 livres on each of the 38,433 

 remaining fliares, which raifed them to 1600 livres, and in confidera- 

 tion thereof to raife their dividend to 80 livres a (hare, and to reduce fuch 

 proprietors as (hoiild refufe to anfwer that call to five eights of the new 

 fhare. At the fame time he relieved them of the burthen of the ifles 

 of France and Bourbon, the diredtion of which, like that of the other 

 colonies, he committed to the department of the marine*. 



July 7th — The king of Denmark defirous of drawing a trade to his 

 Weft-hadia pofleflions, eftablifhed free ports in his illands of St. Thomas 

 and St. John f , on the following conditions. 



European merchandize to be carried thither only by the king of 

 Denmark's European fhips furnifhed with pail]5orts, and to pay two per 

 cent ad valorem on importation. American produce to be admitted in 

 veilels of any nation, and to pay five per cent of the ufual duty ; and 

 fuch vefiels may export any goods free of duty. But no veflels are per- 

 mitted to go from thefe iflands to St. Croix for a cargo. — Produce im- 

 ported into thefe iflands to be carried to Europe only in the Danifli 

 paflport fliips, and to be landed only in Denmark or the Danilh provin- 

 ces Thofe foreign productions to be exempted from foreign duty ; but 



the produce of St. Thomas and St. John to pay five per cent. — Frauds 



to be puniflied by confifcation.and fines Foreign fugars, brought from 



thefe iflands to the Danifli flates, fliall remain only till they can be ex- 

 ported again, paying a duty of one per cent. 



The Spanifli governor of Yucatan having given fome trouble to the 

 Britifli logwood-cutters at the Bay of Honduras, and even driven fome 

 of them away, on pretence that they had no certificates of their being 

 Britifli fubjeds, and that they made too free with the produce of the 

 country, proper remonflirances were made to the Spanifli court, who ex- 



* I'tiis new arrangement, made an annual faving -j The Duiiifh iflands in the Weft-lTidies are 



of two millions of hvres to t!ie company, without mollly owned, cultivated, and inhabited, by Biitifh 



afFertlng their cxclufive commerce with the iflands planters and merchants. Their ncwfpnptrs are 



in the fmallcft d-gree. \_Raynal Hijl. phil. et pol, printed in Danifli and Englifh, every article being 



V. i\,p. 322.] txprclTed twice. 3 



