FRANCE. 157 



gentlemen in France are rather doubtful of 

 this, and affert, that the planters and mer- 

 chants yet lie under fuch a want of money 

 and credit, that the one cannot improve 

 their eftates, nor the other fpeculate fuffici- 

 ently in (hipping ; and I believe there is 

 fome truth in both thefe circumftances. 

 The trade and fimery of Newfoundland, 

 contrary to the expectations of all Europe, 

 have not near arrived at their former height, 

 which is attributed to the French not find- 

 ing the little ifle given them in exchange 

 for Cape Breton to anfvver the purpofe they 

 expected. Certain it is, they have not, to 

 this day, near recovered this trade; and the 

 general opinion, even in France, is, that 

 (he never will. The Levant commerce of 

 France, not fo much from being rivalled, as 

 from the continued diforders in Turkey and 

 Egypt, has not like wife been recovered. 

 Their trade to the Baltic is much lefs than it 

 was before the war. But the beft fitisfac- 

 tion I can give the reader on this head, is 

 to infert a paper given me at Paris, which 

 I have the greateft reafon to believe very ac- 

 curate. There is an annual return made to 

 the Miniftry of the {hips and feamen in nil 



the 



