A. D. 1782. 719 



allies, as they had acquired nothing, but loft many of iheir moft valuable 

 trading fettlements, and almoft all their trade, which, to u nation pof- 

 fefling lb little land, is their all. This unfortunate war had likeways, 

 by expofing their internal weaknefs, and by obliging theni to rely on 

 the afliftance of France, funk them into the condition of a province of 

 that kingdom, and thrown them down from the rank they had hitherto 

 held among the powers of Europe. Perhaps America, tliough the firfl 

 caufe and principal theatre of the war, fuftered in moll; refpe«5ts lefs than 

 any of the other belligerent powers. The Americans li:id no dillam 

 territories to proted, or to lofe : and, though deprived for a while of the 

 uie of fome of their towns, they in fact loft not an inch of ground. The 

 enormous expenfe of the armies, fent over to fubdue them, in reality 

 enriched them with a profufion of hard money, infinitely beyond what 

 was ever feen in the country before : and their merchants were great 

 gainers by the flour, provifions, and lumber, they were allowed, when 

 the Spanilh colonies began to feel the hardfhips of the war, to carry to 

 the Havanna, for which they got principally gold and filver in return *. 

 But a long continuance of the war muft have alfo become very diftrcfT- 

 ing to America. The cultivation of the foil required the whole labour 

 of a people, not yet fulTiiciently numerous to Ipare great numbers from 

 produdive induftry, and whofe export trade confifted moftly of rough 

 produce, or fuch as had undergone only the firft ftage of manufadure. 

 Therefor, in fuch a community the long-continued iupport of a great 

 army muft have become productive of ruinous confequencts. The 

 fplendid and decifive vidory gained by Rodney lin the Weft-Indies, 

 and the brilliant defence of Gibraltar by General Elliot, we may pre- 

 fume, had their ftiare in dilpofing to peaceful counfels the enemies of 

 Great Britain, who, alone, and unallied, had fuccefsfully oppofed her fleets 

 to thofe of all the principal maritime powers of the world, while her com- 

 merce, if compared with that of her enemies, might be laid to be but 

 little deprefled. Peace being thus the with of all parties, the pro- 

 vifional articles for a treaty with America were figned at Paris on the 

 30'" of November ; and from that day, though the diplomatic formal- 

 ities fj)un out the negotiations for many months, the war may be laid 

 to be at an end. 



It has already been obferved, that during the American war the quant- 

 ity of Britifli goods, really carried to, and conlunied in, America, was 

 not very much diminlflied by the interruption of the dired intercourle 

 with that continent, [ice above, p. 591J But belidcs the goods, which 

 the Americans obtained by the circuitous trade of the neutral iflands, 



• So lucrative was tills tradf, that, if hdlf ihcir iflands were indebted for a cun(idetable part of 



vffTcls were taken, they were (till able to carry it their fupplies from ttie year 1 780 till the leimina- 



on with very great advaata^'e. Ii wjs to the t.ip- tion of the w jr. 

 lUres of fonie of thofe veffeli, that our WcC.-India 



