Chap. III. of the ENGLISH AMERIC A. 
will unlefs clearly explained, v/hich is what I fhall next 
attempt, as defiring to inculcate iifeful Truths, capable 
of influencing Men’s Pradlice, and not to write para- 
doxical Difcourfes for my own, and other Peoples 
Amufement. In order to untie thefe Knots, we muft 
confider that the People in Virginia live exadly as we 
do, or rather more freely, in that generous, open, hof- 
pitable, and confequently expenfive Method, that pre- 
vailed here in the lafl: Age. But as they are fupplied 
both with NecelTaries and Conveniences, with the Inftru- 
ments of Labour, as well as the Means of Luxury, from 
England •, it follows of Courfe that they muft employ an 
infinite Number of Hands to provide thefe. For it is 
generally known that thefe Demands muft be fupplied 
from thofe Handicrafts and Mechanics that have moft 
Hands in their Service ; fuch as Weavers, Shoemakers, 
Hatters, Ironmongers, Turners, Joiners, Taylors, Cut- 
lers, Smiths, Bakers, Brewers, Ropemakers, Hofiers, 
and indeed all the Mechanics in England ; their Manu- 
fadlures being good Merchandize in Virginia. The 
Commodities fent thither, befides Linnen, Silks, India 
Goods, Wine, and other foreign Manufactures, are 
Cloth, coarfe and fine Serges, Stuffs, Bays, Hats, and 
all Sorts of Haberdafhers Ware ; Hoes, Bills, Axes, 
Nails, Adzes, and other Iron Ware j Cloaths ready made; 
Knives, Bifket, Flower, Stockings, Shoes, Caps for 
Servants, and, in ftiort, every thing that is made in Eng- 
land. 
But if they employ thefe People they muft feed them 
likewife, and pay them their Wages ; and not only 
them, but thofe who take the Pains to go between the 
Planters and thefe Workmen ; by which I mean the 
Agents, Merchants, or Faeftors ; who, though fewer in 
Number, yet have their Servants and Dependents; who, 
from the Nature of their Employments, expeft to be 
paid at a better rate. Neither is this all, for when things 
are made and brought to the Factor, they are never the 
nearer to the Planter in Virginia., but muft be put into 
the Hands of a new fet of People, who are to be paid 
for the Carriage of them ; fo that now I think the moft 
common Capacity may underftand how the Labour of 
every Head in any Plantation muft be worth four times 
as much to the Community of his Mother Country, 
as if he wrought at home ; for if he fpends fo much, 
and pays for what he has, both of which are undeniable, 
his Labour muft produce fo much. This fhews the Be- 
nefit of Plantations to their Mother Country ; and I hope 
there is no need to fay that this fhews how much Regard 
and Refpeeft is due from thofe who manage the Affairs 
of the Mother Country, to thofe who live and labour 
for her in the Plantations. But becaufe it is not impof- 
fible we may err a little in the Meafure of thefe Compu- 
tations, and as I am far from deflring to magnify thefe 
Advantages beyond the Truth, I fhall lay it down as 
a thing ‘certainly to be depended upon, that every 
white Perfon in Virginia., one with another, is worth to 
this Nation ten Pounds, which will make the Value of 
the whole Plantation equal to an Annuity of 1,200,000/. 
to Great Britain, 
This I think is already, in a great Meafure, demon- 
ftrated ; but as I am very fenffble that many People will 
ftill think full Satisfadion is not given upon this Head, 
if they are not fhewn how this, or at leaft the greateft 
Part of it, is received ; that we may not do things by 
halves, my next Care fhall be to remove this Difficulty 
likewife. In_ order to this, we muft conftder that the 
Pradic of this Colony, as well as that of Maryland^ 
confifts almoft entirely of Tobacco ; for though the 
Country would produce feveral excellent Commodi- 
ties fit for Trade, yet the Planters are fo wholly bent 
on planting Tobacco, that they feem to have laid afide 
all Thoughts of other Improvements. This Trade is 
brought to fuch Perfedtion, that the Virginia Tobacco, 
efpecially the fweet-feented which grows on 7 'ork River., 
is reckoned the beft in the World, and is what is gene- 
rally vended in England for a home Confumption ; the 
Other Sorts, called Oronoac, and that of Maryland, are 
hotter in the Mouth, but they turn to as good Account, 
^eing in demand in Holland, ~ Denmark, Sweden, and 
G^Tniany ; it is therefore from this Commodity that we 
are to look for the beft Part of that vaft Suiti whidh wd 
have mentioned; and if we proceed diligently,- and with 
Attention, I dare fay we fhall not fearch in vain. 
In Time of Peace, I am perfuaded from feveral dift 
ferent Calculations, and from the Comparifon of the In- 
formations I have fought and received from fuch as are, or 
ought to be, beft acquainted with thefe Matters, that- 
there is very little lefs than one hundred thoufand 
Hogfheads of Tobacco exported every Year from this 
Colony ; that between three and four hundred Ships are 
employed in this Trade ; and upwards of four thoufand 
Seamen. If we take things upon this Foot, then the 
hundred thoufand Hogfheads of Tobacco will produce 
about the Sum at which I have fixed the Produce of this 
Colony to the Nation ; but it may be faid, that if we 
take Tobacco for the Commodities and Manufadtures 
that we fend to Virginia, it differs very widely from an 
Annuity; and that inftead of receiving 1,200,000 /. from 
the Perfons inhabiting this Plantation, we return them 
the moft valuable things we have, to 60,000,000 of 
Pounds of Tobacco, which in itfelf is no Neceffary of 
Life, and which we might very well do without ; Thus 
we are all at Sea again, and it is my Bufmefs to fet us 
once more affiore ; and if I am able to clear up this laft 
Mift, I hope there will, for ever after, be fair Weather 
for the Plantations. 
In anfwer therefore to this Objedlion, which feems to 
deftroy all, and to demoliffi entirely that Strudture v/hich 
I have been erefting, I fay, that ftridfly confidered, it 
makes more in favour of the Colony of Virginia, than 
all that I have been faying for it ; and this I fhall be 
able to make as plain as any thing can be made, in a 
very few Words. It is, I think, generally agreed, that 
Sir Walter Raleigh firft brought Tobacco into England, 
or rather, as I apprehend, had it brought over to him 
from this Colony; and we find the Ufe of it much re- 
commended by the learned and worthy Mr. Hariott, 
whom he fent over thither. But we muft not infer from 
thence that Virginia Tobacco was always ufed here, fince 
the contrary is very certain ; for, as the Reader has been 
told, it was Sir George Tardly who introduced the plant- 
ing and cultivating Tobacco in that Country by the Euro^ 
peans, in the Reign of King Jatnes I. 
Yet before this Time the Praftice of taking Tobac- 
co was beconie fo common in England, that King James 
wrote a Book againft it. I do not concern myfelf in 
the Controverfy, whether he was right or wrong in 
his Oppofition to this Pradtice; but I mention it to 
fhew that it was become common, and that the Faffiion 
of ufing it was growing ftrong. We had m.oft of our 
Tobacco then from Brazil, and fome from the Spanijh 
Plantations ; the Price of it Was from four to feventeen 
Shillings a Pound, and if we had come to ufe as much 
of it as we do of the Virginia Tobacco, and had paid for 
it at the rate only of five Shillings, this fingle Article of 
Luxury would have flood us in upwards of feven Mil- 
lions every Year. I very readily allow that this would be 
a very ablurd and improbable Suppofition, fince it can- 
not be imagined that in fudi a Cafe, the common Sort of 
People either could or would have fmoaked Tobacco ; 
but then let us confider what a Number of People there 
are to whom the Dearnefs of this Commodity would 
have proved no Reftraint ; and let us fuppofe that we 
fhould, in this Refpedl, have been no wiki' than our 
Neighbours, which I look upon to be a very modeft and 
rational Suppofition, we might then, inftead of forty thou- 
fand Hogfheads, have confumed ten or twelve thoufand, 
which would have amounted to a Million or upwards, 
and confequently fo much ready Money is hindered from 
going out of the Nation by the bringing in of Virgmia 
Tobacco, which, viewed in this Light, is equivalent to 
the importing of fo much Silver. 
But to proceed, befides the Money faved to the Nation 
by the Ufe of this Tobacco, we export one way or other 
fixty thoufand Hogflieads, whiph, at five Pound per 
Hogfliead, amounts to 300000 /. exclufive of the Duty 
of this Tobacco, which is not drawn back. I might 
have taken another Method of Reafoning upon this Sub- 
jeft, by fhewing that whatever Exchange of Commodi- 
ties contributes to the Maintenance and Employment of 
a certain 
