438 A. D. 1766. 



carried by numerous caravans from Morocco, Algier, Tunis, Tripoli, 

 and Grand Cairo : and he advifes, that the Britifh confuls at thefe pla- 

 ces fhould be direded to fend intelligent perfons along with thofe cara- 

 vans in order to learn the nature of the trade ; a plan, apparently, as 

 well adapted as any to obtain the knowlege of the interior parts of 

 Africa, now fo much the objed of public curiofity. He adds, that for 

 tbefe laft fifty years there have been annually fliipped from Africa 

 about 70,000 of its prime inhabitants ; from whence it may be conclud- 

 ed, that that continent mufl: be extremely populous to fupply fo confi- 

 derablc an annual drain. 



February 19^*" — Corn being fcarce, the importation of it from the 

 Britifh colonies in America for a limited time, was permitted by an ad of 

 parliament. Oats and oat-meal were alfo allowed to be imported ; and 

 all exportation of corn, meal, flour, bread, and flarch, was prohibited for 

 a limited time. [6 Geo. 7//, cc. 4, 5.] 



The lords of trade, having fully confidered every information produc- 

 ed to them upon the affairs of Newfoundland and the territories an- 

 nexed to it, reprefented to the king, that an illicit and deflruclive trade 

 was carried on there with the French fettled at Miquelon * and St. Pi- 

 erre ; that the concurrent fifliery of the Britifh and French fubjeds had 

 produced many difficulties and embarrafTments ; and that a flate of in- 

 habitance, unreflrained by any form or conftitutions of civil govern- 

 ment, had operated to the total fubverfion of that policy, upon which 

 the fifheries dependent upon that ifland were originally eftablifhed, and 

 defeated the great national advantages of the ftatute of 10th nth Wil- 

 liam IIT, principally by fetting up excluiive claims to all the places on the 

 (liore which are ufeful for curing the fifli ; and fuch claims of property, 

 if they are permitted, are alore fufficient to banifli from the coaft 

 the fhip-fifhing, which Commodore Pallifer conceives to be the only fpe- 

 cies of the fifhery attended with the great national advantage of breed- 

 ing a hardy race of feamen, capable of manning the navy in cafes of 

 emergency. 



The fifhery upon the coafl: of Labrador was embarrafTed by claims fet 

 up by the antient French proprietors for fifhing ports, and by others, 

 who had engaged in fifhing fchemes upon the: ftrengrh of temporary 

 grants made to them by the gov rnor of Qiiebec, before the limits of 

 the governments were afcertained, who all complained loudly of the re- 

 gulations pubhfhed and enforced by Comm'., Jore Pallifer, to whofe go- 

 vernment of Newfoundled that country \\a.s r.-inexed. According to 

 Commodore Pallifer's accounts, the cod-fitherv -s more abundant, and 



* Miquelon about this time received a confidcr- from the Fa u(h province of Nova-Scotia, who 

 able iucreafe of inhabitants, by the IcccHion of fe- built a kind of town upon the ifiand. 

 vcral hundreds of French Acadians and Indians 



