912 Deane Phillips 



made effective — especially since it would have been fatal to a trade 

 which had now become a vital necessity to the continental colonies. It 

 was not until a considerably later time, when the restrictions were 

 revived under Grenville's ministry, that the act really was enforced 

 (114). The trade during the period in question therefore continued 

 practically unchecked, and New England still succeeded in furnish- 

 ing all the West Indies with horses as well as other supplies. 



There is little doubt that during this time horses were a very impor- 

 tant source of income to the New England colonies. They are invariably 

 mentioned first among the products of Ehocle Island in the reports 

 made by the various governors to the Lords of Trade in London (115). 

 The extent of the shipments is noted also by most of the contemporary 

 writers of the period — ^' vast quantities of lumber and horses sent 

 out by the New Englanders " (116), as one writer has described it. 

 Some' idea of the importance of the trade may be gained also from 

 the complaints of the British planters, already mentioned, because of 

 the supply furnished to their competitors, the French (117). The 

 reports of the governors of New York during this period indicate that 

 this colony also was exporting some horses at this time (118), but not 

 in sufficient quantities to threaten the leadership of New England in 

 the trade. 



CONTRABAND TRADE DURING THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 



During the years from 1755 to 1763, the period of the struggle between 

 France and Great Britain for supremacy in America, the trade of all 

 the islands of the "West Indies suffered more or less. The French 

 sugar planters especially, because of British dominance on the sea, were 

 often in serious difficulties. Nevertheless, plantation supplies con- 

 tinued to be sent out from the continental colonies to both British and 

 French islands. The trade with the French islands was of course con- 

 traband, but through various devices it continued to be conducted on 

 a very considerable scale, and by this means French sugar and molasses 

 still found aji outlet and the needed supplies were obtained. 



Some of this trade with the enemy on the part of the continental 

 colonies was carried on directly under the protection of flags of truce 

 granted by the colonial governors for the ostensible purpose of exchang- 



