Tea with refpeEl to the Export of Gold and Silver. 289 
cloth, lead, and other commodities, to that country, and bring 
from thence raw silk, filken and cotton manufactures, and por- 
celain, as well as tea ; but if the queftion was fairly anfwered, I 
apprehend it would be acknowledged, that near the fum juft 
mentioned of one hundred and fifty thoufand pounds, in silver, 
is laid out for TEA. 
If to this we add two millions of pounds weight of tea, paid 
for at only twenty pence a pound, to France, Holland, Swe- 
den, Denmark, and Prussia, it amounts to ^166,666, ex- 
clufive of what Ireland and America take off. All this we 
mu ft reckon as paid for either in gold or filver. I am per- 
fuaded our whole export for this pernicious article, is between 
3 and £400,000. We who talk fo familiarly of millions, may 
imagine this to be a trifling sum ; but thofe millions do not 
all confift in fubftantial gold and filver, and ^300,000 is a 
very large part of our annual ballance. 
It aught to be confidered further, that we have other ne- 
ceflary branches of foreign commerce, which require great quan- 
tities of gold and filver. Russia and Sweden takeoff at leaft 
£ 400,000, but thefe countries furnifh us with iron and naval 
ftores, on which agriculture and commerce depend ; and there- 
fore our gold and filver are exchanged to our advantage ; the 
ufe of fuch returns producing effects, to all intents and purpo- 
fes, the very reverfe of what we experience from the ufe of tea, 
which I am now endevoring to difcountenance. 
The gold and filver we fpend in travelling in France and 
jtaly, is no mean objed ; I am perfuaded it is not lefs than 
P p £150,000* 
