A. D.I 675. 575 



Jamaica, where they had lands afligned to them in the parifli of St. 

 Elizabeth. 



It is faid that the Dutch, after obtaining poflefHon of Surinam, ren- 

 dered it much more he»ahhy than formerly, by clearing the woods and 

 draining the marfhes. From the mouth of the river Surinam, fituated 

 in fix degrees north latitude, plantations, extending above 100 miles 

 up the river, are cultivated by above 800 families, many of whom are 

 French proteftant refugees. Befides the capital, now called Surinam, 

 they have New-Zealand, New-Middelburg, and other towns. The pro- 

 duce is fugar in great quantities, coffee, efleemed fuperior to that of 

 Martinico and Jamaica, gums, dying woods, cotton, ginger, flax, fliins, 

 tobacco, &c. Surinam, which is the only colony poiTefled by the Dutch 

 on the continent of America, is faid to be the joint property of their 

 Weft-India company, the city of Amfterdam, and the lord of Somelfdyk. 



In this fame year a commercial treaty was concluded at Adrianople, 

 by Sir John Finch, between King Charles and the fultan Mahomet IV, 

 whereby all former treaties, froniQueen Elizabeth's time downward, were 

 confirmed, and certain new capitulations were fuperadded, fuch as 

 freedom for all Englifli fubjeds to refide in, and trade to, Turkey ; to 

 have confuls of their own appointing in the fea-ports ; to enjoy all the 

 privileges and immunities which either the French, or the Venetians, 

 or any chriftian nation, enjoyed, and to pay no higher duties than they 

 do ; that the Dutch merchants of Holland, Zeeland, Frifeland, and 

 Gelderland, trading to Turkey, ihall always come thither under the co- 

 lours of England, and fliall pay the dues to the Englifh ambaflador and 

 confuls, in the fame manner as the Englifh merchants do ; and the mer- 

 chants of Spain, Portugal, Ancona, Florence, (hall alfo come under the 

 flag of England, and pay the fame dues as the Dutch. The Englifh 

 merchants, and all others who are now to come under the colours of 

 England, may, with all poflible fecurity, trade, fell, and buy, all forts 

 of merchandize, not prohibited, not only in Turkey, but they may 

 likewife trade to Mufcovy by fea or land, and may bring their mer- 

 chandize from thence to Turkey; and the like liberty is now allowed the 

 Englifli with refpeft to Perfia, &c. 



The bufinefs of the protedion of the flag had occafioned much con- 

 teft between the ambafladors of England and thofe of France at the 

 Porte, the later having alio fometimes got it inferted in their treaties 

 and capitulations, that the Dutch and the other nations, who as yet had 

 concluded no commercial treaties with the Ottoman Porte, fliould come 

 and trade under the flag and proted:ion of France : but now, in this 

 treaty, that privilege is afcertained to England alone. The cafe is much 

 altered fince the time we are now treating of; the Dutch, particularly, 

 having long fince had the privilege of ambafllidors and confuls of their 

 own refiding conftantly in Turkey. There are in this treaty 67 arti- 



