TEEATIES AND CONVENTIONS. 17 



board vessels which they shall be permitted to send to the said island 

 restored as above, and which shall serve for that use only, without be- 

 ing restrained on account of their religion or under any other pre- 

 tence whatsoever, except that of debts or of criminal prosecutions: 

 And for this purpose, the term of eighteen months is allowed to His 

 Britannic Majesty's subjects, to be computed from the day of the 

 exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty : but as fhe liberty 

 granted to His Britannic Majesty's subjects, to bring away their 

 persons and their effects, in vessels of their nation, may be liable to 

 abuses if precautions were not taken to prevent them; it has been 

 expressly agreed between His Britannic Majesty and His Catholic 

 Majesty, that the number of English vessels which shall have leave 

 to go to the said island restored to Spain shall be limited, as well as 

 the number of tons of each one ; that they shall go in ballast; shall set 

 sail at a fixed time; and shall make one voyage only; all the effects 

 belonging to the English being to be embarked at the same time : it 

 has been farther agreed, that His Catholic Majesty shall cause the 

 necessary passports to be given to the said vessels ; that for the greater 

 security, it shall be allowed to place two Spanish clerks or guards in 

 each of the said vessels, which shall be visited in the landing places 

 and ports of the said island restored to Spain, and that the merchan- 

 dise which shall be found therein shall be confiscated. 



XX. In consequence of the restitution stipulated in the preceding 

 article, His Catholic Majesty cedes and guarantees, in full right, to 

 His Britannic Majesty, Florida, with Fort St. Augustin, and the Bay 

 of Pensacola, as well as all that Spain possesses on the continent of 

 North America, to the east or to the south east of the river Missis- 

 sippi. And, in general, everything that depends on the said countries 

 and lands, with the sovereignty, property, possession, and all rights, 

 acquired by treaties or otherwise, which the Catholic King and the 

 Crown of Spain have had till now over the said countries, lands, 

 places, and their inhabitants; so that the Catholic King cedes and 

 makes over the whole to the said King and to the Crown of Great 

 Britain, and that in the most ample manner and form. His Britannic 

 Majesty agrees, on his side, to grant to the inhabitants of the countries 

 above ceded, the liberty of the Catholic religion: he will, consequently, 

 give the most express and the most effectual orders that his new 

 Roman Cotholic subjects may profess the worship of their religion 

 according to the rights of the Romish Church, as far as the laws of 

 Great Britain permit. His Britannic Majesty farther agrees, that 

 the Spanish inhabitants, or others who had been subjects of the 

 Catholic King in the said countries, may retire, with all safety and 

 freedom wherever they think proper ; and may sell their estates, pro- 

 vided it be to His Britannic Majesty's subjects, and bring away their 

 effects, as well as their persons, without being restrained in their 

 emigration, under any pretence whatsoever, except that of debts or of 

 criminal prosecutions: the term limited for this emigration being 

 fixed to the space of eighteen months, to be computed from the day 

 of the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty. It is more- 

 over stipulated, that His Catholic Majesty shall have power to cause 

 all the effects that may belong to him, to be brought away, whether 

 it be artillery or other things. 



