35' 



A. D. 1628. 



The ifle of Barbuda was alfo fettled on by the Englifti, conduc- 

 ed from St. Chriflophers by Sir Thomas Warner, &c. At firfl they 

 were fo harafled by the the Caribs from Dominica as to be obliged to 

 defert it : yet the Carib natives being afterward greatly diminiflied, the 

 Englifh again planted on it. It is about fifteen miles in length, and is 

 :he only proprietary government of all the Englifh Caribbee ifles, its go- 

 vernor being in the nomination of the heirs of Chriftopher Coddring- 

 ton, Efq. who was governor of Barbados in the reign of Queen Anne, 

 and who fettled this ifle and a good eflate in Barbados for the fupport of 

 his college in the lafl named ifle, for the inflruftion of negro children. 

 The breeding of cattle for the other EngUfli ifles is the principal em- 

 ployment of the inhabitants ; and they alfo raife plenty of corn and 

 other provifions for the ufe of thofe iflands, but no fugar. 



It was about this time that the Dutch Eaft-India company's fhips dif- 

 covered the fouthern continent, firfl: named Carpentaria, from its dif- 

 coverer, and afterwards New Holland, lying to the fouth of the ifland 

 of Java; other parts of this country had the names of their difcoverers 

 given them, viz. De Witt's land and Nuyt's land. Neverthelefs, after fo 

 many years difcovery, neither the Dutch nor any other nation have as 

 yet made any kind of advantage or improvement from it ; nor has any 

 fettlement been hitherto made on that country in all this time. An- 

 other generation may poflibly difcover whether it be only a huge ifland, 

 feparated from the continent next the fouth pole, and may poflibly 

 make fettlements thereon. Some pretend that there is fome myftery in 

 the Dutch company's not making a fettlement on this terra aujlralis or 

 fouth pole lands ; the mofl: probable account of this matter feems to be 

 no more than that the Dutch Company have already as much territory 

 as they can well manage ; and that thofe new lands are thought fo very 

 barren that it is not likely they would anfwer the charge and trouble 

 of forming colonies thereon *. 



We have feen that King Charles revived the office of the king's ex- 

 changer of gold and filver, which had been long in difufe ; and a pamph- 

 let was this jear publiflied by his authority, intitled, ' Ccnnbium regis^ 

 ' or the office of his majefty's exchange royal; declaring and juftifying 

 ' his majefty's right thereto, and the conveniency thereof;' wherein it 

 was fhown, that the prerogative of exchange of bullion for coin has 

 always been a flower of the crown, of which inftances are quoted from 

 the time of King Henry I downward : that King John farmed out that 

 office for no fmaller a fum than 5000 marks: that the place or office 

 where the exchange was made in his reign, was near St. Paul's cathedral 

 in London, and gave name to the flreet flill called the Old change ; that, 



* It t8 fcarcely neceffary to inform the reader that the country here mentioned U that on wliich the 

 Britilh government has fettled a colony of convifts. M. 



