travels in North America. 37 



This Pafieboard Money did not laft long, and they made Ufe 

 again of Cards, on \yhich thçy grayed new Devices. The 

 Intendant iigned all that were of four Livres Value and above, 

 and only niade a Flourifh upon the others. In latter Times 

 the Governor General £gned all that were of fix Livres or 

 more. In the Beginning of the Autumn, all the Cards were car- 

 ried to the Treafurer, who gave for their Value Bills of Ex- 

 change upon the Treafurer General of the Marines, or his 

 Clerk at Rochforty on the Account of the Expences for the next 

 Year. Thofe which were damaged or defaced were burnt, after they 

 had taken a proper Account of them. So long as thefe Bills of Ex- 

 change were faithfully paid, thefe Cards were preferred to Money ; 

 but when the Bills were not paid, the Cards were no longer carried 

 to the Treafurer ; fo that in 1702, M. de Champtgny g-àvc him- 

 felf a great deal of Pains to no Purpofe, to call in thofe he had 

 made. His SuccefTors were obliged to make new ones every 

 Year to pay Officers, which multiplied them to fuch a Degree, 

 that they fell to no Price, and nobody would receive them any 

 longer. Trade was hereby entirely ruined, and the Dilbrder 

 went fo far, that in 17 13 the Inhabitants propofed to lofe half, 

 on Condition that the King vs^ould take them again and pay the 

 .other half : This Propofal was accepted the Year following, but 

 the Orders given in Confequence, were not entirely executed 

 till 1717. An Order was then made to aboliih the Money of 

 Cards, a-nd they begun to pay in Silver the Officers of the Co- 

 lony. The Augmentation of one fourth was alfo abolillied at 

 the fam.e Time : Experience having made it appear that the 

 Augmentation of the Species in a Colony, is not the Vv^ay to 

 keep it in it, which was the Thing propofed ; and that Mo- 

 ney can never circulate greatly in a Colony, but when they pay 

 in Merchandize for all they have from the Mother Country. la 

 Faâ:, in this Cafe, the Colony keeps the Species, inilead of which, 

 if it has not Merchandize futiicient to anfwer the whole Demands 

 upon it, it is obliged to pay the Surplus in Money, and hov/ 

 v/ill it come back again ? 



In fhort. Madam, you will be furprized to hear, that in 1706, 

 the Trade of the oklefl of our Colonies was carried on Vvith a 

 Fund of only iix hundred and fifty thoufand Livres, an.* Things are 

 not much changed fince that Time. Now this Sum difperfed 

 amongil: thirty thoufand Inhabitants; cannot fet them at their 

 Eafe, nor afford them Means to purchafe the Merchandize of 

 France. So the greateft Part of them go naked, efpecially thofe 

 who are in the diflant Settlements. They do not even fell the 

 Surplus of their Merchandize to the Inhabitants of the Towns, 

 becaufe the latter are obliged for a Subfiftence to have Lands 

 in the Country, and to improve them themfelves. 



Whea 



