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employment to British ships and native sailors 

 in the carriage of it, if they were able to contend 

 for the freights against the indulgences granted 

 to their opponents ; or as to their being of great 

 and continued consumption, therefore of indis- 

 pensable necessity. Since the year 1806, the 

 timber trade of the colonies, but of the Canadas 

 in particular, increased in an extraordinary 

 degree, until the state of the country at the 

 commencement of hostilities with America not 

 only checked its further progress, but, from 

 very obvious causes, reduced it below the 

 standard of former years. This diminution, 

 however, must be considered only accidental, 

 and totally unconnected with the resources of 

 the trade, which, according to the most discreet 

 methods of calculation, is not only adequate to 

 supply abundantly the demand of the British 

 West India islands with square timber, planks, 

 deals, staves, and whatever comes under the^ 

 general name of lumber, but to furnish a large 

 proportion of the same for the use of Great 

 Britain. This ability it was, and perhaps with 

 many may be still the fashion to consider pro- 

 blematical ; but let the return of exports from 

 1806 to 1810 be examined, and it will be rea- 

 dily seen, that in these four years they advanced 

 from about 100,000 to nearly 575,000 tons 

 from all the provinces, of which nearly one-half 



