398 



A. D, 1796. 



About the end of November Captain Spranger with three fhips of 

 war attacked a fmall fettlement or fadory, belonging to the French, at 

 Foul point in the ifland of Madagafcar, deftroyed the buildings, and 

 carried off fome veflels found in the harbour. The place was ufeful to 

 the French colony of Mauritius in furnifhing fome proviiions obtained 

 by barter from the neighbouring natives of Madagafcar. 



December 28"" — The king in council declared it lawful for all Britifh 

 veflels, and alfo the veflels belonging to the fubje6ls of any friendly power, 

 freely to enter the port of the Cape of Good Hope, and to trade with the 

 inhabitants, with as much liberty as had been allowed by the Dutch 

 government, and to irnport and export all kinds of goods, except arms, 

 artillery, and ammunition, and the produce and manufactures of the 

 countries to the eaftward of the Cape, the imports and exports of which 

 are referved exclufively to the Eaft-India company. 



The following is an Account of the vefTels belonging to the Britifli 

 dominions, with their regiftered tunnage and ufual number of men, on 

 the 30"' of September 1796. 



England 



Scotland 



Ireland 



Colonies 



Guernsey, Jersey, &c. 



Mann , 



Total , 



There were built and registered in the several ports of the British dominions, 

 in the course of this year, 



823 vessels measuring 94,972 tuns. 



The net revenue of the customs, paid into the exchequer in the course of this 

 year, was 



from the custom-house in London ^3,564,724 O O 



from the custom-house in Edinburgh 48,000 O O 



the West-India duty of four and a half per cent 39,033 2 1 



Total net revenue of the customs of Great Britain ^3,651,757 2 1 



There were coined in the mint, in the course of this year, 



9,945 pounds of gold, value ^464,680 2 6 



and no silver. 



