I 
5 8 Whale-Oyl. Shipping. 
699. them isboyled to Oyl; the Lean is eaten 
by the Slaves and poor People : And I was 
told by one that had frequently eaten of it 
that the Flefh was very fweet and whole- 
forae. Thefe are faid to be but fmall 
Whales : yet here are fo many , and fo 
eafily kill’d, that they get a great deal of 
Mony by it. Thofe that ftrike them buy 
their Licence for it of the King : And I 
was informed that he receives 50000 Dol- 
lars per Annum for this Fifhery. All the 
fmall Veffels that ufe this Coafting Traf- 
fick are built here ; and fo are fome Men of 
War alfo for the King’sService. There was 
one a Building when I was here, a Ship of 
40 or 50 Guns: And the Timber of this 
Country is very good and proper for this 
purpofe. I was told it was very ftrong, 
and more durable than any we have in 
Europe : and they have enough of it. As 
for their Ships that ufe the European Trade, 
fome of them that I faw there were Eng- 
lijh built, taken from us by the French dur- 
ing the late War, and fold by them to the 
Forlugefe. 
Befides Merchants and others that Trade 
by Sea from this Port, here are other pret- 
ty Wealthy Men , and feveral Artificers 
and Trades-men of moft forts, who by 
Labour and Induftry maintain themfelves 
very well ; efpecially fuch as can arrive at 
the purchafe of a NegroSh.vt or two. 
