164 



A. D. 1788. 



* The lumber, rice, and other articles of provifion, were imported 

 ' prior to the commencement of the laft free-port aft, which took efFedt 



* in September 1787 ; and it is to be obferved, that thefe articles were 



* imported from the River Mifliflippi.' 



An Account of foreign veffds and their cargoes chared out from the 

 free ports of 'Jamaica, under thefanSiion of the free-port aEis, in the following 



years 



* 



Shipping 



Negroes 

 Bread and flour 

 Beef and pork 



( pickled 

 Butter 



C vessels 



(^tuns 



n°. 



bar. 



bar. 



quint. 



bar. 



firkins 



the accounts it was impofTible to 

 even the fpecies, of Britifli man- 



From the manner of making up 

 afcertain the quantity and value, or 



ufadures exported in this trade, though they were undoubtedly very 

 confiderable. We may alfo very well believe, that in both the kinds of 

 trade carried on with foreign fettlements, there was much more bufinefs 

 done, than came under the cognizance of the cuflom-houfe officers. 



From thefe accounts we find, that, however fome particular iflands 

 may at times have been diftrelFedfor provifions, the Britifh Weft-Indies, 

 taken generally, had for the moft part a redundance for the fupply of 

 other countries. 



The committee of council for trade added to their Report a view of 

 the information obtained concerning the ti-ade of other European na- 

 tions to Africa, of which I fhall give a very concife abftraft. 



The number of flaves exported by each of the European nations en- 

 gaged in the trade has already been given. 



The Portuguefe, the firft of the modern nations who found the way 

 to the coaft inhabited by the Negroes, belides the flaves carried from 

 the weft coaft of Africa to Brazil eftimated at about 20,000 annually, 

 carry about 4,000 from Mozambique to their fettlements in India. It 

 appears that the flaves are coJleded by fadors refident upon the coaft, 

 and ready for fhipping, whereby their velTels are enabled to make two 

 voyages in the year between Africa and Brazil. They carry Negro feamen, 

 the very fight of whom, even if they cannot underftand their language, 

 is a great comfort to the flaves : and all the feamen are interefted in the 

 prefervation of the flaves by means of a premium allowed for every one 

 who arrives fafe. They do not crowd their vtfTels now fo much as form- 

 erly, and confequently carry more of their flaves alive to a market. 



* Report, part iv, m. 24. The accounts of the free- port trade in Dominica and Granada include 

 '-mly the later half of the year 1787 : and there is no account from New Providence in the Report. 



