60 TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH AMERICA : 
conics io for a considerable share, if not for 
the greatest part of it, and to that is in¬ 
debted for her sudden rise, and her great su¬ 
periority over Annapolis the capital of Mary¬ 
land. Annapolis, although it has a good 
harbour, and was made a port of entry as 
long ago as the year 1694, has scarcely any 
trade now. Baltimore, situated more in the 
heart of the country, lias gradually drawn it 
all away from her. From Baltimore nearly 
the entire of Maryland is furnished with Eu¬ 
ropean manufactures. The very flourishing 
state of this place has already been men¬ 
tioned. 
As the Patowmac river, and the towns 
upon it, are to come more particularly under 
notice afterwards, we may from hence pass 
on to the other towns in Virginia. With re¬ 
gard to Virginia, however, it is -to be observ¬ 
ed, that the impolitic laws * which have 
been enacted in that state have thrown a 
great damp upon trade; the Virginians too 
have always been more disposed towards agri¬ 
culture than trade, so that the tow ns in that 
state, some of which are most advantageous¬ 
ly situated, have never increased as they would 
have done, had the country been inhabited by 
a different kind of people, and had different 
* For some account of them see Letter XIII. 
