{ 149 ) 



was imported from France. In effect, in this cafe, 

 the colony keeps her money at home, whereas in 

 the fuppolition that fhe has not merchandize fuffi- 

 cient to pay for all that fhe receives, fhe is obliged 

 to pay the balance in filver, and how fhould it be 

 otherwife ? 



In a word, Madam, you will be furprized when 

 I tell you, that in 1706, the trade of the moft an- 

 cient of all our colonies was carried on in a bottom, 

 or capital of no more than 650,000 livres, and 

 things have fince been pretty much in the fame fi- 

 tuation. Now this fum divided amongft thirty 

 thoufand inhabitants is neither capable of enriching 

 them, nor of enabling them to purchafe the com- 

 modities of France. For this reafon, moft part of 

 them go ftark naked, efpecially thofe that live in 

 remote habitations. They have not even fo much 

 as the advantage of felling the furplus of their com- 

 modities to the inhabitants of cities, thefe being 

 obliged, in order to fubfift, to have lands in the 

 country, and to cultivate them them ft Ives for their 

 own account. 



After the king had taken Canada back again out 

 of the hands of the companies, his majefty expend- 

 ed confiderably more on ic for feveral years than he 

 has done fince ; and the colony in thofe times fent 

 into France to the value of near one million livres 

 in beaver yearly, notwithstanding it was not fo po- 

 pulous as at prefent : But fhe has always drawn 

 more from France than fhe has been able to pay, 

 doing juft as a private perfon would, who with a 

 revenue of thirty thoufand livres, mould fpend at 

 the rate of upwards of forty thoufand. By this 

 means, her credit has funk, and fo has brought on 

 the ruin of her trade, which, fince the year 1706, 

 K 3 con- 



