A. D.I 765. 425 



nion, that the fifliery ought to be carried on only by fliips from Great 

 Britain, and not at all by the refident fifliermen *. 



The Britifh conlul and merchants at Lilhon complained that 

 their commerce labom-ed tmder many obftruclions and oppreflions. 

 The woollen trade had fallen off to about a half of what it was 

 ten years before, partly owing to new duties, and partly to the 

 competition of the I-'rench and Dutch woollen goods. The import- 

 ation of fine hats was funk to about a tenth part of the number 

 in former years, occafioncd partly by an importation of fine hats from 

 France, and partly by mamifaftures lately fet up in Portugal. About 

 60,000 quintals of dried cod-lifli were now imported in about thirty 

 veflels from Newfoundland ; but formerly the annual importation ufed 

 to be 80,000 quintals. The decrcafe may be afcribed partly to the ad- 

 vanced price of fifli at Newfoundland and New-England, partly to addi- 

 tional duties. iinpofed at Lifbon, and partly to the arts of the Lifoon 

 company of fiflimongers. The filk trade from England was growmg 

 confiderable, when fome manufadures of filk ft;arting up in Portugal, 

 and large importations from Spain and Italy, reduced it greatly. The 

 trade in filk liockings was at this time pretty equally divided between 

 England and France. 



Portugal being obliged to import half the corn confumcd in it, is 

 fupplied from Great Britain and the Britifli-American colonies, the Me- 

 diterranean, Holland, Dantzik, Spain, and France ; but the importers of 

 com complained loudly of a law prohibiting them from carrying it to 

 another port, if the marketfliould happen to be glutted, when they ar- 

 rive in a Portuguel'e harbour. The Britilh- American colonies had 

 driven a very profitable trade with Portugal, till the late parliamentary 

 refiriilions took place. The importation of butter, beef, and pork, from 

 Ireland was now as great as ever, becaufe they could be got from 

 no other country'. The ufe of Britilh printed linens, formerly pretty 

 general, was ngw almofl aboliflied by fome arbitrary proceedings of the 

 cullom-houfe officers. 



About twenty years before this lime there ufed to arrive in Lifbon 

 fix. or feven hundred Englifh veffels annually, they being then in a great 

 meafure the carriers of the trade of Lifiion in the Mediterranean. But 

 the Dutch, Danifli, and Swedifli, veflels, being generally larger than the 

 Engliih', and tlie port dues, of late monllroufly advanced, being fo con- 

 trived as to fill heavieft on the fmalleft veflels, the Englifli carry-, 

 ing trade was fo much difcouraged by thefe circumfiances, and other 

 opprcllive meafiu-es, that fcarccly four hundred Engliih vellels in a year 

 now entered the port. 



• It is worthy of remark, however, that he haj it appears, tliat the want of a permanent govcm- 

 acknowlegfd, thnt tlic rcfiH-jiit lilhcrmcn coiilJ nunt upon the illand wis the cliief, if not tbcoDly« 

 Rinna^r the lifhtry to butter iulvantujje ; and thence caiife of the cnoroiitics he complained of. 



Vol. III. 3 hi 



