CHAP. IV.] WEST INDIES. 259 
Of this great supply, the value at the ports of de¬ 
livery, including freight, was <£.2,160,000 sterling, 
or .£.720,000 annually; consisting of about 1,200 
annual cargoes; but it is proper to observe that the 
vessels employed in this trade (which were gene¬ 
rally sloops and schooners, single decked, and with¬ 
out topmasts) commonly made two, and sometimes 
three voyages in the year; so that the actual num¬ 
ber never exceeded in any one year 533, which 
were navigated by 3,339 seamen, including ne¬ 
groes: of the latter, the number was estimated at 
about 1 , 000 . Thus, the shortness and cheapness 
of the navigation in a great degree supported the 
trade. 
The chief articles with which the British West 
Indian islands supplied America, in return for the 
produce of that continent, were sugar, rum, me- 
lasses, and coffee. Of rum, the quantity annually 
shipped thither, before the war, on an average of 
three years was 2,800,000 gallons; and the quanti¬ 
ty of melasses was 250,000 gallons. This last 
may be considered as so much additional rum, each 
gallon of melasses producing an equal quantity of 
spirit of the American proof, which augmented the 
annual supply of that article to 3,050,000 gallons. 
The supply of sugar was estimated at 5,000 hogs¬ 
heads, of 16 cwt; and of coffee, at about 400,000 
pounds. The value of the whole (including some 
other small articles) was £. 420,000 sterling, leav¬ 
ing a balance of £. 300,000 in favour of the Ame¬ 
ricans, which was commonly paid in dollars, or bills 
