544 "^' ^' '670. 



nation ; which he more particularly exemplifies in the Dutch : yet cer- 

 tainly, in fome few lefler points, he pufhes the fubjedt too far ; and is 

 for introducing fome Dutch cufloms, which would not fuit the genius^ 

 laws, and conftitution, of Britain ; fuch as traiisferring all bills of pri- 

 vate debts ; gavel-kind, or dividing the eflate of a father equally to all 

 his children. Such points feeraing fitter for a republic, like Holland, 

 wholely made up of merchants, than for a great monarchy with an im- 

 menfe fund of land. Yet, upon the whole, his foundations, obferva- 

 tions, and informations, are juft, and very ufeful. 



In his preface, he afferts, that our exports of native commodities to 

 Spain and Portugal are more than tripled fince the year 1640, 



That in the Ruffia trade, the Dutch had in the preceding year twen- 

 ty-two fail of great {hips, and the Englifh but one. 



That in the Greenland whale-fifliery, the Dutch and Hamburghers 

 have annually four or five hundred fail, and the Englifh but one fhip 

 laft year, and none in the former one. 



That the Hollanders have the great ti-ade for fait from Portugal and 

 France ; and inimenfe fiiliing for white herrings upon our own coafts. 



In the Eaftland (i. e. Baltic) trade, thcEnglifli have not half fo much 

 to do as formerly ; and the Dutch ten times more than they formerly 

 had. And 



He fays, that the Dutch intereft of three per cent, and the narrow li- 

 mited companies of England, have beaten us out of thefe and fome 

 other trades, which he could name *. 



He juftly remarks, that in all probability the Dutch would have long 

 fince engrofl^ed the trade of red herrings, but for two ftrong reafons, 

 ifl:, that the fifh for that purpofe mufl; be diredlly brought frefli on 

 fliore (as at Yarmouth), which the Dutch cannot do, becaufe the her- 

 rings fwim on our coalls, and are at too great a diftance from theirs ; 

 2dly, they mufl; be fmoked with wood ; which cannot be done on rea- 

 fonable terms but in a woody country, which Holland is not. And the 

 like maybe faid of our pilchard trade, which mufl; be cured and prefled 

 upon the land, which the Dutch cannot do. 



Neither can the Dutch gain firm footing in the Newfoundland and 

 New-England fiflieries, as being managed by our wefl-country ports, 

 properly fituated for it. 



England (fays our author), has no fliare in the trade to China and 

 Japan ; to both which the Dutch have a great trade f . 



As to our Norway trade, it is in great part loft to the Danes, Hol- 

 fteiners, &c. by means of fome clauies in our ad of navigation "|..' 



* He means here the Ruflia, merchant-advcn- % Thofe northern nations bring their own pro- 



turers, and Eaftland, companies, y/. diice in tiieirown (hips, which they navigate cheap- 



f Since liis time Britain has long had the largeft cr than ours ; and therefor the greateil ftiare of 



trade to China of any European nation, yl. that trade miift naturally reft with them, ^. 



