^^S A. D. 1670. 



country, therefor, there can be no plantations, properly fo called, and 

 much lefs any towns or villages. Our people therefor muft be fupplied 

 from England with bread, beef, pork, flour, peas, and other neceffaries *. 

 With the poor favages of the country there can be no other commerce 

 but by barter : thus, for inftance, the company for one beaver's fkin 

 give half a pound of gunpowder, four pound weight of lead-fhot, two 

 hatchets, half a pound of glafs beads, one pound weight of tobacco, 

 eight fmall or fix large knives, one large and two fmall powder horns : 

 for twelve good winter beaver fkins, a gun of the beft fort ; for eight 

 ditto, the fmalleil gun ; for fix ditto, a good laced coat ; for five ditto, 

 a plain red coat ; for four ditto, a woman's coat ; and fo in proportion 

 for kettles, looking-glalles, combs, &c. Arthur Dobbs, Efq. (fince go- 

 vernor of North Carolina) in his account of this country, (4to, 1744) 

 gives us the particulars of one fiile in the year 1740, wherein were 

 17,780 beaver fkins, and 49,600 fl^ins of all kinds, 2360 pound weight 

 of bed feathers, i 60 caftorum, 610 whale fins, and 120 galloris of whale 

 oil. And, as he fays, there are two fales every year, and that this com- 

 pany referves three fifths of their beaver fkins for their fecond fale, but 

 no other fl<:ins, then the fecond fale mufi: have 26,670 beaver ikins, and 

 both the fales mufi: have had 44,450 beaver fkins, &c. 



Although the French at Canada did not at firft pretend to a property 

 in the countries about Hudlon's bay, yet in a few years after the com- 

 pany was eftabhflied, (viz. in 1674) they began to be jealous, and very 

 troublefome to our people there, and they built a fort within eight days 

 journey of our fettlement on Prince Rupert's river. They alfo endea- 

 voured, by underfelling us in their barter with the Indians, to ruin our 

 trade and intereft with thofe favages : for the nearefl; parts of Canada 

 are not 150 miles diflant from Rupert's river. 



Carolina foon furmounted the ufual difficulties and difcouragements 

 attending new plantations, and gradually became a very confiderable 

 colony. Mr. John Lawfon, who had been furveyor-general of North- 

 Carolina, and publifhed the Hifi:ory of Carolina (4to, 1718), has made 

 fome good remarks on the excellency and fertility of its climate, and of 

 its happy fituation. He obferves, that the befl filver mines of the Spa- 

 niards lie directly weft from Carolina, and although none of that fort 

 be hitherto dilcovered in that province ; yet there is ftill a probability 

 that fuch hereafter may be found, when the hilly parts weilward fhall 

 be more frequented and planted; that none of our continental plan- 

 tations are to be compared to Carolina for its vaft quantities of naval 

 ftores, fuch as pitch, tar, turpentine, rofin, mafts, yards, planks, boards, 

 timber of many Ibrts, and fit for many uies, pipe-ftaves, lumber, hemp, 

 flax, all foris of Englifh grain, and alfo Indian corn f . Their flocks of 



* Some hy ihat barley, oats, and peas, have been fowed there with fome degree of fuccefs. y/. 

 f Rice, now its grand ttaple, was not then introduced, or only jull attempted, yf. 



