300 
Tloe Discoveries and Settlements Book L 
Means might be found to increafe their Commerce with 
England direftly, by prbmoting their Inclinations to fur- 
nifh us with all kinds of Naval Stores, and with Iron. 
There was, as to Pitch and Tar, a conliderable Bounty 
given, and it is very remarkable for many Years this 
produced no Effedt, which might poffibly countenance an 
Opinion that the Friends to the Plantations were too fan- 
guine in their Notions on this Head j but Experience af- 
terwards fhewed the contrary. For the Circumftances of 
the Public making it neceffary to try how far this might 
be pradlicable, it very foon appeared that the thing could 
be eafily done ^ and upon fending over Perfons well ac- 
quainted with the Methods of making Pitch and Tar, the 
People in the Colohids foon fell into it, and fuch Quanti- 
ties were imported, as not only fupplied our Wants, but 
enabled us alfo to fiipply thole of our Neighbours and 
then upon a Suppolition that the Trade was elfedlually 
eftablifhed, the Bounty was difeontinued. The Confe- 
quence of this was, that the Importation of thefe Com- 
modities from Ruffia^ Swede?!, and Norway, was revived ; 
for the People of thofe Countries building large bulky 
Ships, peculiarly proper for tranfporting thofe Commo- 
dities, by navigating thefe Ships cheaper than we can do 
ours, are thereby able to underfell our Countrymen in the 
Colonies, by three or four Shilling in a Barrel •, fo that 
to keep this Trade there grew a NecelTity of granting 
a new Bounty upon Pitch and Tar from America, or 
laying a new Duty upon what was imported from the 
North. 
We may fay the fame thing with regard to Iron, of 
which, at prefent, we import very near double as much 
from Sweden, as is fold to all the reft of Europe, for 
which we pay modiy in ready Money ; and yet no Quef- 
tion can be made of its being very prafticable to bring 
the bed: Part of the Iron we want from our Plantations, 
which has been hitherto prevented by Notions fo frivo- 
lous, that I do not care to mention them. Hemp and 
Flax have been fudiciently indded upon already, and to 
thefe we may add Pot-afhes •, fo that the Reader will ead- 
ly difeern that there is no Difficulty at all in the W^ay of 
enabling the Northern Colonies to pay us for our Ma- 
nufactures, and prevent their fetting up Manufactures 
themfelves, but our fetting heartily about it. The fame 
Thoughts may, in a great Meafure, ferve for our South- 
ern Colonies, in which Tar may certainly be made as 
good as any in the World ; but then there are other 
things peculiar to thofe Colonies, fuch as the planting 
Coffee, Tea, Cocoa, Indico, and the Shrub that produ- 
ces Cochineal j but above all, we ought to think of Silk, 
for Reafons that fhall be given when we come to treat of 
the Colony of Georgia: At prefent we diall only fay that 
there is this great and extraordinary Conveniency attends 
the Cultivation of the lad mentioned Commodity, that as 
it is proper for the fame Soil and Climate, as Hemp and 
Flax, fo they may be both carried on together ; ' the Silk 
Harved, as they call it, being over before Hemp and 
Flax are ripe. 
As to the Sugar Idands, though they have already a 
Staple Commodity of very great Value, yet this diould 
not hinder us from conddering how that Commodity 
may be dill rendered more ufeful, I mean to the Planters 
and to US; and how far other things are capable in the 
fame Countries of being improved. It was the Opinion 
of Sir Jofiah Child (and I think the SubjeCl well condder- 
ed it is not eafy to produce a better Opinion) that Su- 
gar may be as much made the Commodity of this Na- 
tion, as the Gold and Silver of Peru and Mexico are the 
peculiar Treafures of Spain. The Reafons he gives are 
very drong, but it is very certain that we have not fallen 
upon the right Method of bringing his Doclrine into 
Fradtice ; dnee indead of exporting one half of the Su- 
gar we bring home, as we formerly did, we do not now 
export above a fixth, and this not from falling off of 
the Demand, but becaufe new Markets have been found, 
at which Foreigners can buy cheaper. To alter this all 
Heads fhould be fet to work, and all Arts tryed ; and 
till thefe facceed, it imay not be amifs that the Inhabit- 
ants of the Sugar Colonies would try to bring fome other 
Goods to Marker. 
. Thus much for the find Head, now for the fecond ; 
It has been computed, by fome, that there is a Million 
and a half of white People in our Plantations, which Com- 
putation has been judged by others fomewhat of the 
highed ; perhaps it may be fo, but without all doubt it 
veould be our Intered to have two Millions of white Peo- 
ple there ; nor do I think that there is any Reafon to fear 
that this would either drain the Britijh Dominions, or at 
all indanger the Dependancy of the Colonies. I am, on 
the coritrary, very firmly perfuaded, that the Increafe of 
P eople in the Colonies, as it would certainly increafe our 
Trade, fo it mud neceffarily increafe the Number of our 
People at home ; and that the Methods proper to be 
taken for the better peopling our Colonies, and improving 
them, would infallibly render them more dependent. 
But to come clofely to the Point, and drew how this 
may be done. Give me Leave to obferve, that though 
the general Propofition that the Number of the People is 
the Riches of a Country be true, yet it is true only 
of indudrious and ufeful People ; and it is in this Senfe, 
that the Number of the People in Holland is quoted as an 
Example ; fo that if there be in any Country Numbers 
of People ufelefs, they are fo far from contributing to the 
Wealth of that Country, that they are in Fa<d theCaufes 
of its Poverty. Now, it is certain, that though this 
Nation might become more powerful and more rich, by 
being more numerous than it is ; yet there is not any 
more probable Method of bringing this about than by 
employing our ufeful Hands, which perhaps may be 
eafier done Abroad than at Home. We have vad Num- 
bers of Vagabonds throughout the Kingdom, who many 
of them live by Pity, but mod of them by the Folly of 
better People than themfelves ; there cannot therefore be 
any Cruelty in fending thefe People where they mud 
work, and confequently maintain themfelves and be ufe- 
ful to others, We have many People convibted of fmali 
Crimes, and from the Ignominy of the Convidion and 
Punidiment rendered defperate ; it would certainly be a 
great Charity to provide for thefe. We find Multitudes 
releafed from Time to Time out of Prifons by Ads of 
Grace, which fet them at Liberty, dis true •, but, at the 
fame Time, leaves them at little better more than the 
Liberty of darving ; and who can fay, that it would not 
be highly laudable to find out fome Means for giving 
thefe People Bread as well as Freedom ? I humbly con- 
ceive, that if a proper Fund was affigned for fending 
thefe People abroad, not like Tranfports or Negroes, 
but like unhappy Englijhmen, with due Pro vi don for 
their comfortable Maintenance in their Paffage, and a 
proper Reception in the Places they are fent to, this 
might be found an effedual way of eafing our Poors- 
Rates, docking our Colonies, and enlarging the Trade 
of the Nation. 
But in doing this, great Confideration is to be us’d,' 
there ought to be nothing in it ot Shame, and as little of 
Force as may be. The Terms ought to be fuch as may 
encourage People in Didrefsto accept them, and the ac- 
cepting them might be in the Nature of a Superfedeas 
to all Criminal Profecutions, not of a Capital Nature. 
They diould be fent Abroad for a Term of Years, or till 
they could repay a certain Sum of Money to the Corpo- 
ration intruded with the Management of this Scheme, 
and condderable Rewards fhould be given to fuch as be- 
haved well, and gained a competent Settlement during 
the Time limited tor their remaining abroad ; and if to 
this certain honorary Preferments were added, it would 
be fo much the better. Thefe are the Outlines only of a 
great Defign, worthy the Attention of the Legidature, 
who perhaps may think a Tax on public Diverfions a, 
reafonable Fund for fuch a Service, there being nothing 
more jud than that Luxury diould contribute to relieve 
Necedity, and that thofe who are able to be idle diould 
be made willing to help thofe that mud work. 
Such, at lead, are my Notions of thefe Matters, and 
of the Means by which our Plantations might be im-^ 
proved, and the Advantages we derive from them in- 
creafed and extended. If what I have faid be rational 
and pradticable, or without much Difficulty may be al- 
tered in fuch a Manner as to become fo, I hope it will 
be thought worthy of Confideration j but if otherwife, 
iec 
