94 
HISTORY OF THE 
[book V. 
in order that the planter may have room for that 
purpose. Supposing, therefore, that one half only 
is planted in cotton at the same time, the capital 
will be invested as follows: 
£. 
s. 
d. 
Cost of fifty acres of land, at <£.5 
currency per acre ----- 
250 
0 
0 
Expense of cleaning, fencing, and 
planting 25 acres, at £.1 per acre 
175 
0 
0 
Purchase of 12 negroes, at £.10 
each - - -. 
840 
0 
0 
1,265 
0 
0 
One year’s interest, at 6 per cent. 
75 
18 
0 
One year’s maintenance, clothing. 
and medical care of the negroes 
120 
0 
0 
Total expenditure in Jamaica cur¬ 
rency (equal to <£,1.040 sterling) 1,460 18 0 
The returns are now to be considered:—In Ja¬ 
maica it is commonly reckoned, that one acre of 
cotton will yield annually 150 pounds weight, and 
in some years nearly twice as much; but I am 
afraid that, on an average of any considerable num¬ 
ber of successive crops, even the former is too 
great an allowance. By accounts which I have 
procured from the Bahama Islands, it appears, that 
in 1785, 1786, and 1787, (all of which years were 
considered as favourable), the product of the cot- 
