A. D. 1775. 575 



1775 was 497,7.3!^ ; and the whole number exported during the fame 

 time was 137,114. The numbers imported in the fecond 34 years ex- 

 ceed thofe in the firft 34 by 38,751 ; and the numbers exported in the 

 later period were not equal to the half of what were exported in the for- 

 mer one ; a proof, according to the legiflature of Jamaica, that the Uip- 

 ply of the Spanifh market depended on the overflow of the Jamaica 

 market : and, as the large number imported in 1 774 were all fold with- 

 in the ifland, they were confident, that they had fully refuted the com- 

 plaints of the flave-merchants of England. 



The king of PrulTia, having eftablifhed two annual fairs in new Pruf- 

 fia, gave orders to his fubjeds no longer to refort to the fairs of Leipfic. 

 He alfo built fome frigates, and, making merchant-men of them, fent 

 them to Spain for fait to be fold in new Pruffia and Poland. His op- 

 preflion of the unhappy city of Dantzik flill continued, and, in con- 

 lequence, the emigration of the inhabitants ; fo that the ruin of that 

 once flourifliing city was now nearly completed. 



About the fame time theemprefs of Ruflia relieved her fubjecfls from 

 ieveral taxes, which were found oppreflive to trade. She alfo lent fome 

 fliips to a merchant, in older to commence a trade on the Black fea, as 

 fhe wifhed her fubjeds to carry on an extenfive trade upon that fea, the 

 climate of which is fo much more favourable than that of the Bal- 

 tic. But it is worthy of obfervation, that of the three leas, which now 

 wafh the fhores of her European dominions, that on the north coaft is 

 frozen up during a great part of the year ; and the other two are in- 

 land and land-locked, and, moreover, both have very narrow out- 

 lets, which are commanded by foreign powers, who may fometimes not 

 be dilpofed to be fo complaifant as the Porte was to the ten veflels, 

 which were fl;opped by the governor of the fort at the Dardanelles. 



May — The fervants employed in the coal-mines and falt-works in 

 Scotland being, by the ftatute law, adftrided for life to the works to 

 which they belonged, and fuch a fpecics of flavery being deemed a re- 

 proach to a free country, it was enaded tliat after the i' of July 1775, 

 young people, who fhould learn thofe bufinelTes, fliould ferve a proper 

 apprenticefhip, and at the expiration of it be free ; and that the grown 

 people, already engaged in I'uch works, fliould be at liberty to leave 

 them after ferving faithfully during a number of years (from thne to 

 ten) proportioned to their ages, whereby the emar.tipation, though 

 complete, would be gradual, lb as to give no fudden fliock to the 

 works, or inconvenience to the proprietors. [15 Geo. Ill, c. 28.] 



In order to encourage that great nurl'ery for hardy fcamen, the New- 

 foundland filhery, parliament oftercd premiums of ^^40 to each of the 

 firft 25 velfels, of £20 to each of the next 100 vellels, and of /^'lo to 

 each of the next too, which lliould on or before the 15 of July in each 

 year land on the coails of Newfoundland, bctwecu Cape l^iy and Cape 



