524 A. D. 1666. 



Another good law was made for encouraging the coinage of gold and 

 filver [18 Car. II, c. 5] whereby both natives and foreigners were en- 

 titled to receive out of the mint an equal quantity of gold and filver 

 coin for what crown gold or {lerling filver they (hould bring thither, 

 and in the fame proportion for over or under finenefs, without any ex- 

 penfe whatever ; the charge of which coinage was now to be defrayed 

 by a tax on wines, fpirits, vinegar, cyder, and beer, imported. 



The ifland of Antigua, one of the Caribbees in the Wefl-India feas, 

 about 20 miles in length and almoft as broad, by reafon of its having 

 no frefh-water brooks, was for a long time deemed almofi; uninhabit- 

 able ; and it was probably for that reafon that fome Englifh families 

 from the neighbouring ifland of St. Chriftophers, who had fettled there 

 about the year 1632, foon deferted it again. Lord Willoughby de 

 Parham, having obtained a grant of it from King Charles in the year 

 1663, now planted a colony on it, and it has profpered extremely, 

 being the befl: Englifh colony of the Caribbees next after Barbados and 

 St, Chrlfi:ophers. It is noted for the bell: harbours in all the Caribbee 

 iflands, though fomewhat dangerous coming into them without a flsiilful 

 pilot. It is much troubled with hurricanes, often doing much hurt on 

 fhore, as well as on the adjacent feas. It is now well fortified at proper 

 diftances ; and by means of tanks, or cifi;erns, they make a tolerable 

 ihift to fupply themfelves with rain-water. They raife and fend home 

 to Britain great quantities of fugar, rum, and melafl'es ; and many of 

 the planters make very confiderable fortunes, and fettle in Britain. Yet 

 for want of a fufficiency of frefh water, their fliipping are obliged to take 

 in their water at St. Chriftophers, which is a confiderable inconveni- 

 ency. 



The moft extenfive and dreadful conflagration, that ever happened to 

 the city of London, broke out this year on the 2d of September, burn- 

 ing no fewer than 13,200 houfes, and moft of the churches and cor- 

 poration-halls ; the damage, as has been ufually computed, amounting 

 to ten million fterling. So vaft a lofs of merchandize, treafure, plate, 

 and houfehold iiirniture, and fo immenfe an expenfe for rebuilding the 

 •city in a more beautiful, convenient, and fubftantial, manner than it 

 ever was before, was undoubtedly a great ihock and obftrudion for 

 lome time to the commerce of I^ondon : yet the noble city, by re- 

 doubling its diligence, did in a few years recover its priftine foreign 

 and domeftic trade, and has fince fo very much iucrealed in both, as 

 t-o be, beyond all doubt, at prefent the greateft commercial city in the 

 world. By the aid of two ads of parliament, it was fooner and more 

 beautifully rebuilt than could have been reafonably expeded, confider- 

 ing the great neceflity there was for difpatch for accommodating mer- 

 ■cliants and traders. 



