26 A.-^D. J783-. 



head. To add to the mifery of the inhabitants, the town of Rofeau (or 

 Gharlottetown) was fct on fire in the night of Eafiier Sunday in the year 

 1 78 1, not without ftrong fufpicion of the conflagration being occafion- 

 ed by the governor, who is accufed, like Nero (and perhaps more jufl- 

 ly), of enjoying the fight, and refi.raining the humanity of his foldiers 

 from giving aflillance to the Britifh inhabitants. Their lofles in build- 

 ings and valuable goods were efi:iraated at ^200,000 : and the town, 

 thus reduced from about 1,000 houfes to half the number, has never 

 fince recovered its former condition. Under thefe complicated diftrefles 

 it is no wonder, that the ifland declined, and that about thirty fugar 

 plantations were abandoned by the proprietors. 



July 2^ — A proclamation by the king in council was iflued for per- 

 mitting Britifh fubjeds to carry in Britifti vefl'els all kinds of naval ftores, 

 fpars, and all kinds of lumber, horfes and all other kinds of live fliock, 

 and all kinds of corn, flour, and bread, from the^United ftates of Ame- 

 rica to the Weft-India iflands; and to carry rum, fugar, melafl'es, coffee, 

 chocolate nuts, ginger, and pimento from the iflands to the United 

 ftates, on paying the fame duties, and conforming to the fame regula- 

 tions, as if they were cleared out for a Britifli colony. 



This order was confidered by adminiftration as an indulgence, both 

 to the iflands and to the United ftates : but it was not received as fuch 

 by either of them. The Weft-India planters cried out, that the iflands 

 muft inevitably be ruined, if there were not as free and unreftrained an 

 intercourfe between them and the continent, and as free admiflion of 

 American vefl'els, as there was when the later was under the Britifli do- 

 minion ; and the Americans were fo much offended by it, that the af- 

 femblies of three of the ftates adually made a requifition to the con- 

 grefs that they would prohibit all commercial intercourfe with the Brit- 

 ifl:i colonies *. 



* It is worth wliile to fee how very difFereiit • improving the arts, and finding employment for 



were the fentimeats of Mr. Jefl'erfoii of Virginia, ' their idle poor, it would render them much 



written in the year 1781, during the tftrangemeiit ' ftronger, much wealthier, and happier. Thia, 



produced by the war. ' It fliould be our endea- ' I hope, will be our wifdom. And, perhaps, to 



* vour,' fays he, * to cultivate the peace and friend- ' remove as much as poflible the occafions of mak- 



* fhip of e-«ery nation, even of that which has in- ' ing war, it might be better for us to abandon the 



* jured us mod, when we fhall have carried our ' ocean altogether, that being the element whereon 



* point againft her. Our intercft will be to thro\*' ' we fliall be principally expofed to joftle with 



* open the doors of commerce, and to knock off ' other nations ; to have to others to bring ivhat li'S 



* all its fiiackles, giving perfedl freedom to all per- ' Pi all '•jd ant, and to carry [aTtv?)'] ivhat tve canfpare. 



* fons for the vent of whatever they may chufe to • This would make us invulnei-able to Europe, by 



* bring into our ports, and afking the fame in ' offering none of our property to their prize, and 

 ' theirs. Never was fo much falfe arithmetic em- ' woiJd turn all our citizens to the cultivation of 

 ' ployed on any fubjefl, as that which has been ' the earth ; and, I repeat it again, cultivators of 



* employed to perfuade nations, that it is their in- ' the earth are the moll virtuous and independent 



* teieil to go to war. Were the money which it ' citizens. It might be time enough to feek em- 

 ' has coll to gain, at the clofe of a long war, the ' ployment for them at fea, when the land no long- 



* right to cut wood here, or to catch fi!h there, ' er offers it.' \_Notn on Virginia, f. 189, cd. 

 ' expended in improving what they already poffefs, 1787.3 



* in making roads, opening rivers, building ports, 4 



