A. D. 1797. 40^ 



Trinidad and the main land, is a vaft land-locked harbour, capable of 

 containing, perhaps, all the veflels in the world. 



The few inhabitants, a mixture of Spanifh and Indian blood, applied 

 to the cultivation of cacao, which grew here in greater perfedion than 

 anywhere elfe, till the year 1727, when a violent north wind, which is 

 everywhere fatal to thofe trees, deftroyed the whole of them. Since 

 that time the indolent and fuperflitious people have fcarcely applied to 

 any branch of induftry, but fupport themfelves by raifing a little Indian 

 corn, by the almoft fpontaneous production of a large fpecies of plant- 

 anes, keeping a few meagre cattle, killing wild cattle, and catching fi(h. 

 The court of Spain held out invitations to the Roman-catholics of all 

 nations to fettle in Trinidad : but very few accepted the offer. In the 

 hands of an induftrious people the ifland is capable of becoming one of 

 the moft important colonies in the Well-Indies *. 



In the beginning of February the king of Spain publiflied an edid, 

 ftridly prohibiting, on the expiration of three months after the date of 

 it, the importation of any goods manufadured in Great Britain, or 

 which have paid any duties to the Britifh government. The officers of 

 the cuftoms were alio flridly enjoined to admit no goods from neutral 

 countries without certificates from the ports, where they were (hipped. 



In purfuance of this line of policy, a proclamation was ilfued by the 

 governor of Cuba, that he would not admit into the port of the Hav- 

 anna any neutral veflels coming from England ; which entirely fruftrat- 

 ed the voyages of a number of vefl^els configned to the merchants of the 

 Havanna. 



The French diredory went ftill farther. They ordered (2"* March) 

 their fhips of war and privateers to feize, and carry into the ports of the 

 republic, all neutral vefl^els having onboard any goods belonging to their 

 enemies ; and direded that the goods fhould be condemned as lawful 

 prize, and that the flipulated freight, with a reafonable allowance for 

 demurrage, fhould be paid to the veffels, which (hould thereupon be fet 

 at liberty. They added, that this order (hould be withdrawn as foon as 

 the hoftile powers fhould duely refped the flags of the neutral veflels 

 employed in carrying French property. 



In fpite of all thefe efforts to crulh the Britifh commerce, it ftill con- 

 tinued to flour ifli, 



February 21'' — A new commercial treaty was concluded with Ruflia, 

 the preamble of w^hich fets forth, that the king of Great Britain and 

 the emperor of Rulha, being defirous of promoting the commercial 

 profperity of their fubjeds, judged it proper to afcertain, and colled iu 

 one point of view, the reciprocal rights and duties agreed upon for fa- 

 cilitating the exchanges between the two nations. 



* 1 am indebted for the moft of this brief account of Trinidad to Mr. Raynal. [//]/?■ //j'V- et fot. 

 r. vij/.;. j8i, 1^6.] 



