Vlll 



tention towards giving an increased conse- 

 quence to her remaining possessions, with the 

 design of drawing from them some of the sup- 

 phes she had been accustomed to receive from 

 the countries just separated from her dominion. 

 This greatly brightened the prospects of the 

 colonists, and gave a fresh spur to their in- 

 dustry, whereby both agriculture and com- 

 merce were considerably extended. But un- 

 fortunately the hopes thus excited were soon 

 repressed by the great advantages given to the 

 people just protruded upon the world as an 

 independent state, and against whom it was 

 not in the power of the colonies to contend 

 successfully in the great market, that of sup- 

 plying the West India islands with provisions 

 and timber, owing to the commercial regu- 

 lations being formed so eminently favourable 

 to their opponents. The importance of these 

 provinces should be estimated less by their 

 territorial extent than by the resources they al- 

 ready offer, their capabilities of improvement, 

 and the great increase that may be given to 

 their commerce, which even now will be seen, 

 on an examination of their export and import 

 returns, to require something more than 300,000 

 tons of shipping. Ships thus employed and 

 navigated by British subjects secure the ad- 



