4i8 A. D. 1641. 



coppers, and the true way of covering their rollers with cafes of iron. 

 But they were much improved in the goodnefs of the fugar and in the 

 method of making it in the year 1 650, when he left that ifland, info- 

 much that a plantation of Major Hilliard's, of 500 acres, which, before 

 they began to plant fugar, he knew could have been purchafed for 

 L400 fterling, was, at his landing there in the year 1647, worth 

 Li4,coo. Moreover, Colonel James Drax, whofe beginning on that 

 ifland was founded on a ftock of L300 flerling, raifed his fortune to 

 fuch a height, that our author has heard him fay, he would not return 

 to fettle in England for the remainder of his life till he ihould be able 

 to purchafe a land eftate of Li 0,000 a-year, which he hoped in a few 

 years to accomplifh. And Colonel Thomas Modyford had often told 

 him, that he had taken a refolution not to fet his face for England un- 

 til he could make his voyage and employment there worth Li 00,000 

 flerling. Thefe inftances in fuch early times are fufficient clearly to 

 fliew the vaft importance of our fugar plantations to the nation. The 

 firfl planters of fugar finding fuch immenfe profit, it encouraged many 

 people to go thither from England, which alfo encouraged the merch- 

 ants at home to fend more fliips with provifions, tools, clothing, and all 

 other necelfaries, in exchange for the produce of that ifland. And this 

 being the firfl: of our colonies which cultivated fugar plantations, it 

 greatly hafl:ened the improvement of our other iflands, which foon af- 

 ter followed it in planting fugar to very great advantage. And as it 

 was impofllble to manage the planting of that commodity by white 

 people in fo hot a climate, fo neither could fufficient numbers of fuch 

 be had at any rate : neceflity, therefor, and the example of Portugal, 

 gave birth to the negro flave-trade from the coafl: of Guinea ; and it is 

 almoft needlefs to add, that fuch great numbers of flaves, and alfo the 

 increafe of our white people in thofe iflands, foon created a vaft demand 

 for all neceflaries from England, and alfo a new and confiderable trade 

 to Madeira for wines to fupply thofe iflands ; which were fo far from 

 draining their mother-country of her cafli, that they annually fupplied 

 her with confiderable quantities thereof, as the trade thither was then, 

 and many years after, left open to all nations, till after the reftoration 

 of King Charles II, when the parliament obferving the great detriment 

 that fuch an open trade did to the kingdom, it was abfolutely confined 

 to our own people by the feveral ad;s of navigation ; in confequence 

 whereof the ports of London and Briftol foon after became the great 

 magazines for fugar for fupplying all the north and middle parts of Eu- 

 rope, and the Portuguefe fugars of Brafil were reduced from L8 to 

 L2 : 10 per hundred weight. 



Barbados and the otb^r Caribbee iflands continued proprietary colo- 

 nies till after the refl:oration, when King Charles II purchafed them, and 

 made them regal governments. Moft of the rich fugar planters always 



