A. D. 1775; 



s^y 



appellation of The thirteen United colonies. But the events of 



the war which enfued, except as they affeded commerce and our re- 

 maining colonies (for the thirteen revolted colonies were in fadl from 

 this time completely detached from the Britifh empire) do not come 

 within the plan of this work, but belong to the province of the general 

 hiftorian. 



As more fuitable to the nature of this work, it may be proper here to 

 take a review of the principal branches of the commerce of the Ame- 

 rican colonies before they were diflevered from the mother country, as 

 it may be ufeful for a comparifon with the commerce of the United 

 ftates of America in their independent condition. 



The foil of the New- England provinces fcarcely furnifhes provifions 

 fufficient to fupport the inhabitants. Their induftry has therefor been 

 chiefly diredled to the fea, to fifliing, navigation, and the various branches 

 of bufinefs fubfervient to them. The cod, lalmon, mackerel, fturgeon, 

 and other fpecies of lifli, which frequent their coafts and their rivers in 

 prodigious fholes, aft'orded employment to great numbers in taking, 

 curing, and packing them. The New-Englanders alfo frequented the 

 banks and coafts of Newfoundland and the fifhing grounds in the Gulf 

 of St. Laurence as far as the coafts of Labrador. Belides their own fifli- 

 ing they procured from the Newfoundland fifhermen a part of the fifli 

 taken by them in exchange for rum of their own manufadure, and 

 other articles of American and Wefl-Indian produce*. The fifli, after 

 being forted in their harbours, were fhipped off to the countries, for 

 which each quality was befl: adapted. The befl were carried to the 

 fouthem parts of Europe, and the proceeds were generally remitted to 

 Great Britain in bills of exchange to pay for the goods they had occa- 

 lion for. A fmall quantity of the befl lllh was allb brought to Britain : 

 and the inferior forts were deflined to give a relifh to the plantains and 

 yams, which conftitute the principal part of the food of the negro llaves 

 in the Wefl-Indies. After the peace of 1763 they incrcafed their whale 

 fifliery in the feas between their own coafls and Labrador, in confe- 

 quence of the encouragement given to it by the great redudion of the 

 duties on their oil and whale fins (by the ad 4 Geo. Ill, c. 29) fo much, 

 that inftead of 80 or 90 floops, which had formerly gone upon the w'hale 



• The following account of rum exported from the colonies now forming the United ftates (chief- 

 ly from Ncw-EnghnKJ) to the provinces of Nova Scotia, Quebec, and Newfoundland, affords a fpe- 

 cimeit of the extent of that trade during a few years preceding the revolution. 



West-India rum, gallons 

 American rum, ditto 



For this account I am indebted to Mr. Chalmci'i Oplnkns on Amerkjn inJe^nJcnct, p, I37. 



