404 Of Capt. John Phillips. 



The Bays and Harbours about it, are very nu- 

 merous and convenientj and beinir deeply indented, 

 makes it eafy for ai^y latelligence quickly to pafs 

 from one Ha- bour to another over Land efpeciHlly 

 the principal, St. Johns and Tlacentia^ when the Ap- 

 pearance of an Enemy makes them apprehend Danger. 



They are able to cure and export about icoooo 

 Quintals (\oo Weight each) of Fifli, annually, 

 which returns to England in Money, or the neceC- 

 fary Commodities of Portugal^ Spain apd Italy. As it 

 therefore expends abundance of Rum, Moloilus and 

 Sugar, the Produft of our Colonies,, and 



employs a Number of Fifhermen from home every 

 Sea(bn,by whofe Induftry and Labour only this Fifh 

 IS purchafed, it may very well be reckoned an ad* 

 vantagious Branch of Trade. 



But the pirefent Defign of this Digrefllon being 

 not to give an exa£t Defcription of the Country 

 or Fifhery ^ but rather how it accidentally con- 

 tributes to raife, or fupport the Fyrates already 

 rais'd, I fhall obferve, ' 



Firft, That our Weft Country Fifliing-Ships, viz. 

 from TopJJoamy Barnfiable and Brifloly who chiefly at- 

 tend the Fifliing Seafons, tranfport over a conii- 

 derable Number of poor Fellows every Summer, 

 whom they engage at low Wages, and are by their 

 Terms to pay for Paffage back to England. When 

 the Newfoimdland Ships left that Country, towards 

 ^Winter, in the Year 1720, thefe Paffengers mufterM 

 I TOO, who, during the Seafon of Bufinefs, (the 

 Hardnefs of their Labour, and Chilnefs of the 

 Nights, pinching them very much) are moftly fond 

 of drinking Black Strap, (2i ftrong Liquor ufed 

 there, and made from Rum, Mololfus, and Chow- 

 der Beer ;) by this the Majority of them out-run 

 the Cooftable, and then are neceliitaled to come 

 under hard Articles of Servitude for their Mainte- 

 nance in the Winter j no ordinary Charge, indeed, 



when 



