A. D. 1702. 723 



die cuftoms on their merchandize, the 15 per cent on muflins only 

 excepted. 



' XIII, XIV, XV, and XVI) Nothing to be tranfaded in the joint 

 trade without the concurrence of both companies : and only fervants 

 and free merchants, or other corporations, the bank of England ex- 

 cepted, may be licenced to trade for themlelvcs in the company's 

 fliips, &c. 



' XVII) The queen grants that the general courts of both compa- 

 nies and their fub-managers fliall have the fole government of their 

 torts : may coin foreign money in India ; and the old company may 

 convey to the new one Bombay and St. Helena. 



' XVIII, XIX, XX) The old company, at or near the expiration of 

 the faid feven years, fliall transfer into the new company their moiety 

 of the joint flock to their refpective members. And iliuU alfo, fome 

 time before the expiration, afllgn to her majefty all the debts due to 

 them ; which debts (he engages to re-affign, in ten days after, to truf- 

 tees, for anfwering the old company's debts, and afterwards for the 

 benefit of their members. And they alfo covenant to refign their 

 charter, in two months after the expiration of the faid feven years, 

 into the queen's hands : whereupon the new company Ihall thence- 

 forward be called The united company of merchants of England trad- 

 ing to the Eajl-Indies ; whofe affairs fhall thenceforth be conduced 

 by their own fole diredors, agreeable to their charter of the loth of 

 King William. And laflly, the queen promifes that this indenture 

 fhall be conftrued in the mofl fltvourable fenfe for the advantage of 

 both companies *. 

 Thus a prudent flop was put to much contention. 

 Upon advice received by General Coddrington, governor of the Lee- 

 ward iflands, that war was declared by England againft France, he at- 

 tacked the French part of the ifland of St. Chriftophers, and reduced it 

 with very little trouble ; ever fince which time that fine ifland has been 

 folely poflefied by Great Britain. 



Poflibly the origin of the prefent great production of the fine rice of 

 South-Carolina might have happened about this time. What the ano- 

 nymous author of the Importance of the Britifh plantations in America 

 (London 1701) has faid thereon is well worth recording, though he has 

 not given us the exact year of its origin. It is a feafonable lefFon for 

 men never to defpair of many more new productions in our colonies, 

 and is therefor lubmitted to the honourable fociety for the encourage- 

 ment of arts, manufadures, and commerce. ' A brigantine' (fays that 

 author) ' from the ifle of Madagafcar happened to put in at Carolina, 

 * having a little feed-rice left, which the captain gave to a gentlemai. 



* The remaioiiig articles are merely temporary. ^. 



4 Y 2 



