274 
of which they have, or with good Reafon might have, 
complained *, fuch as heavy and exorbitant Salaries to 
their Governors, large Sums levied upon them, without 
being applied for their Service, and the Difficulties they 
are under, in obtaining fpeedy and effeftual Juftice, when 
Perfons in public Stations are inclined to extend their 
Power too far, with a View to promote their private In-^ 
tereft. They Ihould likewife have all poffible Encou- 
ragement given them for recovering their foreign Trade, 
and beating out the French and other Nations who have 
interfered in it ^ fince, in regard to both Heads, it ought 
to be confidered that the public Benefit, that is to fay, 
the enriching the Subjeds of Great Britain by the Balance 
of Trade in general, is the great Point to be held in View j 
from the attaining of which, all other incidental Advan- 
tages, fuch as advancing the Revenue of the Crown, 
enriching particular Families, and raifing private For- 
tunes, would certainly and neceffarily follow, without 
their entering at all into the Motives, upon which Laws 
for the Good of the Plantations are ena( 5 led. For if it 
could be once brought about, that either the old Markets 
for Sugar were retrieved or new Ones opened, there is 
no doubt that Jamaica and other Hands, where there are 
Lands, fit for that Purpofe, uncultivated, would be more 
fully planted, the Inhabitants become more numerous, 
and their Demands from Great Britain confequently larger 
than they are at prefent- On the other Hand, the fame 
Care, the fame Diligence and Alacrity are requifite, with 
regard to the Colonies on the Continent ; but, at the 
fame Time, it ought to be remembered, that whatever 
is done to promote the Welfare and Trade of the Sugar 
Colonies, muft neceffarily tend to the Benefit and Ad- 
vantage of the Plantations on the Continent, which fup- 
ply the Sugar Colonies with Lumber, and other Things 
requifite for the carrying on their Trade •, and if, befides 
this. Ways and Means could be found to open new 
Channels for the Benefit of thefe Colonies alfo, it ought 
moft certainly to be done. 
We have fpent a great deal of Time indeed In furVeying 
thus far the Englijh Poffeffions in the JVeJi-Indies ; but in a 
Work of this Nature Time could not well be fpent bet- 
ter *, they are, if I may be allowed the Expreffion, the 
pacific Conquefts of this Nation. Territories acquired, 
and for the moft part, at leaft, acquired without ffiedding 
Blood, which fliews that Induftry is as capable of render- 
ing a Nation powerful, as a Thirft of War j and that a 
Book I. 
martial is not a more noble than a trading Spirit. What 
is gained by one War is frequently loft by another ^ and 
even while it is kept, the Expences created by a difpiited 
Title are greater than the Value of the Poffeffion ; but 
what becomes ours, by this Method of planting, remains 
always ours, and paffes without Debate to our Pofterity, 
the very Power by which we acquire it fecures its Conti- 
nuance, and the longer we hold fuch Acquifitions the 
more valuable they are rendered, and the more effedtually 
annexed to our Empire. They are Out-works well gar- 
rifoned, which yet put us to little or no Expence ; they 
are diftant Dominions, and yet clofely conneded to us 
by the Commerce Vvffiich they create, they are continu- 
ally drawing People without Prejudice to their Mother- 
Country, becaufe the more populous they grow the 
greater their Demands from hence, confequently the 
quicker our Trade here, which vfiil always bring over 
hither People from other Countries. 
We may therefore fafely affirm, that nothing can be 
of fuch Confequence to Britain as the Improvement of 
her Colonies ; and v/hich, at the fame Time, is a Con- 
fideration that muft powerfully recommend this to our 
Attention, that it lies wholly in ouf Power. We may 
be difappointed in our Views, with refped to other 
Branches of Trade, by the Intrigues of our Enemies, or 
from the want of a right Difpofition in our Friends, but 
with regard to this great Branch of our Commerce, no- 
thing can injure, nothing can difappoint, us, nothing can 
abridge or defeat our Succeffes therein, if we are not 
wanting to ourfelvcs. We can from our Plantations 
bring moft of thofe Commodities that are requifite for the 
Suppoit of our foreign Commerce ; and this is, as well, 
or rather better, than if we had them here at Home s 
we can, from our Colonies, fupply ourfelves with thofe 
Neceffaries, for want of which only Foreigners could di- 
ftrefs us, fuch as Iron, Plank, Hemp, Pitch, and Tar, 
and if we fo pleafed there are few Things we might not 
fetch from our Plantations *, fince, it is certain, that In- 
dico. Cochineal, and Silk, might be had from our 
Southern Colonies, and many Things from our Northern 
Settlements, that have never been fo much as talked of, but 
might be eafily difcovered •, if Men well verfed in Mine- 
rals and Metals were fent thither. In a V/ord, the Plan- 
tations were an Honour of the laft Age, and it Ihould be 
our Study to make them the Glory of this. 
I , 
l^he Discoveries and Settlements 
SECTION XIX. 
An Hifiorical Account of the British Settlements in America f7''0?n the Ref oration of 
King diaries IL to the Revolutio7t. 
I. A fiiccinSt Account of commercial Affairs at the Kings Return, and of the Ctrcumflances that favoured, 
the Jettling new Colonies. 2. Khe State of the Country now called Carolina, from the SCtme of tts frji Df 
covery to the grantmg of it to the Lords Proprietors by King Charles II. and thence to the Surrender of 
that Patent. 3. A fhort Defcription of the Country of Carolina and the principal Places in that Colony. 
4. An Account of the Produce, People, Commerce, Shipping, and Importance of this Colony to the Britifh 
Nation. 5. dlhe Grant of the If and of Antego to Lord Willoughby, the planting that If and, its Pro- 
duce, Commerce and Shipping. 6. I he Conquefi of Nova Belgia from the Dutch, the Grant of that 
Country to the Duke of York, whence is derived its prefent Name f New Y.ork, and a Defence of our 
Hitle to that Plantation. 7. An Account of that Country, its Situation, Climate and ProduB. 8. Of 
its Lrade, Interefs, and Importance to Great Britain. 9. Fhe Grant of the Eaft and Weft Jerfeys to 
fever al Proprietors, and the Extent, ProduB and frade of thefe Plantations. 10. The Settlement of the 
If and of New Providence and the Bahama Iflands, their prefent Situation, and the Advantages that may 
be expeBed from them. ii. An account of the Charter granted to the for faci- 
litating the Difcovery of a North-wef Pafage, and of the Settlements that have been made under ^ it, 
12. Lhe Motives upon which were founded the Grant of the noble Country of Penfylvania /o William 
Penn, Efq-, Charles II. 13. An Account of the Extent, Climate, Soil, Produce ^ and State of 
that fourifding Colony. 14. Lhe Commerce, Interefs, and Importance of Penfylvania to Britain. 
1 3. Remarks and Obfervations on the foregoing Events. 
\ AT the Time King Charles II. returned to the Pof- derftood, and by very few better than the King himfelf, 
‘ A feffion of his Dominions, the Nature of Trade who had a Head mighty well turned for the comprehend- 
ed the Importance of the Plantations were generally un- ing whatever related to Maritime Affairs *, had improve 
