368 



A VO TAG E TO 



Book IX. 



the fanftion of the laws. For as no regifter fhip goes 

 from Spain to St, Domingo, the iOand, for want of 

 a due culture of the lands, being incapable of niakino- 

 ^ny returns, the colony muft neceifarily perifh, un- 

 lefs fupplied with goods from the ricighbouring plan- 

 tations. 



There cannot be a more convincing proof of 

 the vail conrmerce carried on by France through the 

 channel of this colony, than the number of fliips 

 which come annually to its different ports : no lefs 

 than one hundred and fixty fmall and great, that is, 

 from one hundred and fifty to four or five hundred 

 tons, come to Guarico ; and this may ferve to give 

 fome idea of thofe deilined to Leogane and Petit 

 Guave, and others of lefs note : all thefe fhips come 

 loaded with goods and provifions, and every one re- 

 turns with at lead 30 or 40,00c dollars, in fiiver or 

 gold. Thofe only v/hich go from Guarico, exclu- 

 five of the cargo which confifts of the produds of 

 the colony, carry to France every year half a mil- 

 lion of dollars and the fame computation, which 

 is not in the leaft improbable, being made for each 

 of the other two chief ports, and as much for all the o- 

 ther fmialler ports, the total will be two millions of 

 dollars per annum : and this was precil'ely the fum car- 

 ried in the fleet which the Lys had the good fortune 

 to join with in her return. 



It is eafily conceived that not one fourth part of 

 the cargo of fo miany fhips can be confumed in this 

 colony and its dependencies y and confequently it mull 

 find a vent among the Spanifh fettlements, as the Ha- 

 vanna, Caraca's, Santa Martha,. Carthagena, Terra 

 Firma, Nicaragua and Honduras. Accordingly Spa- 

 nifh barks put into the little bays and creeks near 

 Guarico, and carry on this clandeilme commerce, when 

 by regifler they are authorized to go to the ports per- 

 mitted. 



The 



