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SOUND BY SANGOREK! & Buy 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
A 
 
 LETTE 
 
 FROM .A 
 
 Weft-India Merchant 
 
 TO A 
 
 Gentleman at Tunbridge, 
 CONCERNING 
 
 That Part of the French PRopo- 
 SALSs, which relates to North 
 anerlea, and particularly News 
 Foundlagd. 
 
 WITH 
 
 some Thoughts on their OF FERS 
 about our Trade to Spain and the 
 Weft-Indies : And an Abftraét of the 
 ASSIENT O. 
 
 
 
 ee 
 LONDON, Printed in the Year 1712. 
 Price Four Pence, 
 a . : 
 
 | ; a 
 4 a4 
 Lowes 
 
 a 
 ’ ¥ 
 = 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 

 
 SIR, 
 
 Receiv’d yours, wherein you tell me that 
 = feveral of our Merchants are mightily 
 & = pleas’'d_with the Propofals of France, to 
 yt reftore to us the whole Iflaud of St. 
 Chrifiopber, the whole Bay and Straits of Hud~ 
 fon, to deliver up-the !fland of Newfoundland, 
 with Placentia, and to make an abfolate Cef- 
 fion of Annapolis, with the reft of. Nova Sco- 
 tia or Accadic, andthe Afliento or Contract 
 for furnifhing the Spanifh. Weft-Indies with 
 Negro’s for 30 Years, in the fame manner as 
 the French have enjoy’d it for Ten Years paft. 
 { make no doubt but fome People magnify 
 the Advantage of thefe Propofals as. much 
 beyond Truth as others do leflen them: But 
 fince you are pleas’d to defire my thoughts of 
 the matter, I will deal with you freely, ac- 
 cording to the beft of my Judgment and-In- 
 formation, 
 
 All that they. propofe to reftore us in 4- 
 mérica, was our own before, except. part, of 
 St. Chriftopher’s, which we took from them 
 in this War, and therefore have a Right to 
 it by the Law of Arms: fo that our Obliga- 
 tion to them on this Head is not extraor- 
 dinary. 
 
 
 
 A You: 
 
 
 
 
 
(2) 
 
 You will be the more readily convinced of 
 this, by confidering the following Paflages 
 of Kiig William’s Declaration of “War a-" 
 gainft France in 1689. where he charges the 
 French King with ‘ invading our Charibbee 
 © Iflands, and poflefling himfelf of our Ter- 
 
 ritories of New-York, and of Hudfon’s-Bay, 
 ‘in a hoftile manner; feizing ovr Forts, 
 
 burning our Subjects Houfes, and enriching 
 * his People with the Spoil of their Goods and 
 
 Merchandizes , detaining fome of our Sub- 
 
 jets under the Hardfhip of Imprifonment, 
 * caufing others to be inhumanly kilPd, and 
 
 driving the reft to Sea in a {mall Veffel, 
 without Food and Neceflaries to fupport 
 ' them ;a@ions not becoming ev’n an Enemy = 
 
 And yet he was fo far from declaring him- 
 
 felf fo, that at that very time he was nego- 
 * tiating here in England by his Minifter, a 
 Treaty of Neutrality and good Correfpon- 
 
 dence in Amerila. 
 
 I ‘believe you will readily agree with me, 
 that the French King’s Ceflion of his fhare of 
 St. Chriftopbers, is not an Over-ballance for the 
 Damages he is charg’d with deing us, in 
 this Declaration which contains another 
 Article relating to. Newfoundland, as fol- 
 lows. 
 
 * It-is not long fince the French took Li- 
 
 cenfes from the Exglifh Governour of New- 
 
 foundland to. fith in ‘the ‘Seas upon’ that 
 
 Coat, and paid a Tribute for fich Licen- 
 
 fes, ‘as “dn “acknowledement of ‘the ole 
 
 Right of the Crown of England to that 
  Ifland 5 and yet of late the Incroachmearts 
 
 “ of 
 
 
 
C29 
 
 of the French.upon our faid Iflands, and our 
 Subjects Trade and Fifhery, have been more 
 like the Invafions of an Enemy, than. be- 
 coming Friends, who enjoy'd the Advan- 
 «tage of that Trade only by Permiffion, 
 
 For the better underftanding of this mat- 
 ter, be pleasd. to confider, that we have 
 had a Title to if fince 1497, when Seba/tian 
 Cabot. difcover’d it for Heury VIL. We had 
 a daari hing: Trade therein King James I’s 
 time, and njoy °d it without any Rival till the 
 ninth of. ¢ h arles 1. who by fome means or 
 other. was prevail’d with to allow. the 
 French. to fith ther ¢ le favour, .as I. have 
 been inform’d, of fome Englijh Popihh La- 
 dies that belong’d to a “Noni jery in. France; 
 and the French Ships. were, oblig’d to pay 
 5 per Cent..as an Acknowledgment. 
 
 This Liberty granted the French was fo 
 much the more obfervable,.. becanle that 
 Prince in his Ase Patent dated the roth 
 of February that. fame Year, for the better 
 Governnient of the Fifhing, Ships, Inhabi- 
 tants, dc, takes ngtice, © That Newfound: ‘dd 
 © had been acquir’d to the Dominions of 
 ¢ his Progenitors, and his People had many 
 ¢ Years reforted to thofe Parts; where, and 
 ¢ on the Coalts adjoining, they imploy’d 
 ¢ themfelves in filing, Oc, whereby a great 
 ¢ number of his Subjects had been fet at work, 
 € and Navigation and Mariners much In- 
 © creas‘d, 
 
 The Allotment 3 ranted the French for e- 
 ring their Fifh was to the.W eft ward of Cape 
 Razes which Was a very gteat blunder in 
 4 Poli- 
 
 e 8. fe 
 
 fo 
 
 
 
 
 
Politicks, that being the moft Southerly Part 
 of the Ifland, where the Fifh come fix 
 weeks fooner ‘than any where elfe, and gave 
 them an opportunity of being at Market fo 
 long before. us, 
 
 The French having then but few Ships, 
 and King Charles I’s Reign being a continu’d 
 Scene of Troubles, as every one knows, this 
 Matter feems not to have been fo much re- 
 garded as the Importance of it requir’d ; fo 
 that the French tafting the Sweets of the Trade 
 thither, they were willing, for the conti- 
 nuance of that Privilege, to pay fometimes 
 three Quintals of Fifth for every Fifhing- 
 Boat they imploy’d, and at other times 10 
 per Cent. according to the Value of the Fifh 
 they took. It deferves our Obfervation, that 
 as they obtain’d the firft Liberty of Fifhing 
 here in the Reign of Charles|. when we had 
 a French Queen, who had too much Influe 
 ence on our Government; in the 27th of 
 King Charles 1. who we found by fad Ex- 
 perience was for the moft part govern’d by 
 French Councils, they not only had that Li- 
 berty confirm’d, but their former Tribute, 
 in acknowledgment for that Liberty, re- 
 mitted, : 
 
 We are not to wonder that thofe Grants 
 were confiim’d inthe Reign of King James 
 the Second, who entirely depended on France, 
 and was in a ftri@ Alliance with Lewis 
 XIV. But upon the whole you may fee, that 
 the Fre:ch were fo fenfible of the Weak; e{s 
 Gf their Title, that they found it neceflary 
 
 to 
 
 
 
EFF 
 
 to get this Liberty confirm’d by every fuc- 
 ceflive King fome way or other. 
 
 Thus things continu’d till the Reign of 
 King William the Third. of Glorious Memo- 
 ry ; who being fenfible of the vaft impor- 
 tance of this Trade, was fo far from cons 
 firming thofe French Grants, or approving 
 the arbitrary Meafures of his Predeceflors in 
 difpofing any part of it to Aliens, contrary 
 to Law, that by the roth and rith of his 
 Reign, cap.25. he fettled the whole Right 
 of it in his own Subjects, exclulive of A- 
 liens, as follows. 
 
 ¢ Whereas the Trade of, and Fifhing of 
 ¢ Newfoundland, is a beneficial Trade'to this 
 * Kingdom, not only in the employing great 
 “ Numbers of Seamen and Ships, and ex- 
 * porting and confuming great Quantities of 
 © Provilions and Manutactures of this Realm, 
 ‘ whereby many Tradefmen and poor Arti- 
 ¢ ficers are kept at work, but alfo in bring- 
 ¢ ing to this Nation, by returns of the Ef- 
 © fects of the faid Fihheryfrom other Coun- 
 tries, great Quantities of Wine, Oil, 
 Plate, Iron, Wool; and fundry other ufe- 
 ful Commodities, to the Increafe of his 
 Majefty’s Revenue, and the Incouragement 
 of Trade and Navigation: Be it enacted, 
 @c. That henceforth all his Majefty’s.Sub- 
 jects, Orc. <fhalf have, ufe and- enjoy the 
 free Frade and Traffick, and* Art of Mer- 
 chandize and Fifhery to-and. from New. 
 foundland, and take Bait, and fifh in-any 
 of the Rivers, Creeks; Seas or Iflands ad- 
 joining “or adjacent therevato, as fully and 
 
 ‘ freely 
 
 oe 
 
 e wr 828 e ef Gf fF fF A 
 
 
 

 
 (6) 
 
 ¢ freely as at any time heretofore hath been 
 us’d or enjoy’d by any of-the Subjects of 
 his Majefty’s Royal Predeceflors, without 
 an y hindrance, &c. of or from any Perfon 
 whatfoever 3 and THAT NO ALIEN OR 
 STRANGER WHATSOEVER (not re- 
 {i ing: within England) fhall at any time 
 hereafter take any Bait, or ufe any fort of 
 or Fifhing whatfoever in Newfound 
 orinany of the Iflands or Places a 
 OF 1€ ti 4 By 5 
 I need not tell you that the French, by the 
 Incouragement they had to. fettle here in 
 \eigas of the two Charles's, and King 
 Second, - inftead of being Tribu- 
 les as : formerly, took upon them to 
 Matters | were grown fo ftrong, that 
 and pa rticularly in 
 rove Us out.of all our 
 deftroy’d or carry’d off 
 en. é) which King William 
 a Squadron thither under Admiral Wevil 
 697. and fifteen hundred Landmen un- 
 Jobu.Gibjon.. They recover’d all that 
 French had taken from us; and when the 
 eace was concluded, his Majefty knew the 
 3 to be of fuch Importance, that he 
 t aeeas y a Squadron thither to protee® 
 Sir Yobn Gibjon built a regular Fort there, 
 which he call’d Fort William ; and it was af- 
 terwards foimprovd by Colonel Richards,that 
 it - one of the moft regular and ftrongeft 
 in that place. 
 ty a melancholy-Story to tell. you how 
 much Newfoundland was_ neglected after. King 
 : Williams 
 
 ec ff f& 2 fF A KF A B A 
 
 s 
 
 
 
CF 
 (7) 
 
 William’s Death, and how in 1703. the French 
 deftroy'd feveral of our Settlements there, 
 and carryd off our Men; and how little Gare 
 was taken to prevent this, notwithftanding 
 the frequent Memorials prefented by thofe 
 concern’d in the Trade, 
 
 Having thus given you a brief View of 
 our fole Right to Newfoundland, and of the 
 falfe Steps “of three of our fucceflive Mo- 
 narchs, in foffering the French to fettle there, 
 to the infinite Lofs of our Nation: 1 hall 
 next give you fome few hints of the vaft 
 Advantage the French have reap’d by that 
 Trade, both in refpect of their Wealth and 
 Naval Power. 
 
 I told you before, that when the French 
 begun trading hither they had very few 
 Ships, ‘but ‘fince that time their Naval Force 
 is fo ‘much increas’d, that, to the unfpeak- 
 able Grief of all hhoneft Men, as well as to 
 the Terroriand Danger of all Europe, we have 
 feen them able to contend at Sea with the 
 ‘ United’ Naval Powers of Bngha na and’ Hobe 
 land. Nor are we to w otider at this, for 
 of late years they have it Soie ’d in the few 
 foundland Fifhery 4 or 500 Saibof Ships xe 
 ann. of good Burden, and mounted from 
 16 to 40 Guns each. If Ww e compute t! 1eM, 
 as we may modeftly do, to be man’d with 
 ok or 40 Men per - Ship, that will amount at 
 
 a Medium to- 16000 Men employ ‘d annually 
 in this Trade; and one fourth of thofe beimg 
 ulnally green Men, it proves a Nurfery of 
 4°00 Seamen per’ avn. for their Men of War | 
 
 and Privateers. 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 (8) 
 
 Then as to the Advantage they make by 
 their Trade thither, it has exceeded ours by 
 far ; the Reafons of which are as follow. 
 
 1, That part of Newfoundland, which our 
 late Governments unhappily admitted them 
 into, is much better than what we kept to 
 our felves during thofe Reigns: . for lying 
 furtheft S. as | hinted already, their Seas 
 are clear of Ice at leaft fix Weeks before 
 ours, Where the Shoals of Ice continue ma- 
 ny times till the beginning of Asay. 
 
 2. In their part they have greater Quan- 
 titys of Fifh, becaufe the Climate.is much 
 warmer than ours, which liesto the N E. 
 fo that *tis computed, that one time with ano- 
 ther they kill’ x or’ 200 Quintals per Boat 
 more than we, 
 
 3. They have a thorter Voyage from the 
 Weft Parts of France than we, have Salt bet- 
 ter and cheaper, pay lefs for Seamens Wages 
 and Provifions,and have fome fifhing Tackle at 
 eafier rates 5; fo that by modeft Computa- 
 tion they can afford their Fifh a Crown per 
 Quintal cheaper than we, which with their 
 being at market before us fix Weeks fooner 
 is worth five Shillings per Quintal more to 
 them : and fince we reckon fifteen or fixteen 
 Shillings per Quintal a good Price for our 
 Fifh, ’tis plain that they gain + more by 
 what they fell than wedo, befides what they 
 exceed us in Quantitys, which they muft do 
 now more than ever, by being pofle{s’'d of 
 Spain, where their fupreme Command in 
 the Civil Government, and their Agreement 
 in Religion, muft always give them the pre- 
 : ference 
 
 
 
Ny 
 (9) 
 
 ference to us; if they be allow’d to fifh on 
 the Coaft, or to cure on. the Shore or Set- 
 tlements of Newfoundland, or any of the ad- 
 jacent Iflands. 
 
 By what | have, faid you may eafily per- 
 ceive the vaft Profit the French have reap’d 
 by that Trade, and the great Difadvantage 
 we ‘have labour’d under by lofing it. Our 
 Weltern Ports, fuch as Barnftaple and Biddi- 
 ford, are moft fenfible of this damage, tho 
 the Lofs affects all the. other, Parts of the 
 Kingdom. “Tis known that thofe two 
 Towns alone did formerly imploy above 50 
 Ships in that Trade, which enabled them in 
 the beginning of King William’s Reign to 
 fupply the Navy with 4<0 Volunteer Sailors: 
 whereas now. they. don’t fit out above fix 
 or.eight {mall Ships, and are f{carce able to 
 find Men for thefe, The like Decay of Sail- 
 ors there is in all the other, Ports of the 
 Kingdom, which leffens our Naval Strength 
 that is our Natural Defence, leffens the Re- 
 venue of the Crown, and the Value of Gen- 
 tlemens Eftates, 
 
 From all this you may reafonably conclude, 
 that *tis abfolutely neceflary the greateft 
 Care fhould be taken inthe prefent Treaty, 
 that the French fhould not only quit New- 
 foundland entirely, buc that they fhould not 
 have the Liberty to fifh on that Coaft, to 
 cure theic Fifh on the Ifland, or to fortify 
 any of the Neighbouring Iflands. 
 
 You find this was the Senfe of King William 
 and, his Parliament by the abovemention’d 
 Ad, therefore I don’t fee how any fuch Pri- 
 
 B vilege 
 
 
 
ee a Se eS 
 
 ( 10 ) 
 
 vilege can be granted by Treaty to the 
 French without the repealing of that A@, 
 which 1 hope'no Briti/h Parliament will ever 
 give into. 
 
 My Réafons are thefe: 
 
 t. ’Tis plain by what I have already faid, 
 that they never had any Right to it, but 
 what by indire@ Methods they obtain’d from 
 the Crown of Great Britain, which is now 
 inade void by that Statute, or what they 
 procur’d by the Sword: and as we are now 
 fuperior to them in that refpe&, 1 hope we 
 ever fhall be fo. 
 
 2. If they be allow’d the Privilege of 
 fifhing and citing on the Coaft, either it 
 mitt be indefinite, or reftricted to fuch and 
 fuch Parts. {ff the former, then to be fure 
 they will chufe the fame Places they now 
 make ufe of; which being the beft of the 
 Hfland, they will have the fame Advantages 
 over us they now enjoy, and fo the Ceflion 
 €an fignify nothing to us, but on the contra- 
 ty will make our Trade worfe than it is: for 
 if they be allow’d the ufe of ovr Harbours 
 and Ports, they will furnifh our Settlements 
 there with feveral forts of European Goods, 
 cheaper than we can do; which will rbin 
 the Trade that we had by furnifhing our own 
 Settlements, confidering, as I hinted alrea- 
 dy, that their Voyage is fhorter, and they 
 vittnal and fail at lower rates ; which, to- 
 gether with their having the Liberty of our 
 Harbours while we are-at the Charge of 
 the Forts, and the better vent they moft 
 now have for their Fifh by being Mafters of 
 
 Spain, 
 
 
 
Ny 
 (11) 
 
 Spain, will enable them to outfll us, tho 
 we fifh and cure in the fame Parts: befides, 
 by. having the Freedom of our Ports, @’c, 
 *twill minifter continual Occafions of Quar- 
 rel. betwixt. our. People and theirs, and in 
 cafe of any future Rupture, which we.can’t 
 expect will be long acoming with a People 
 of fuch an unconftant. Faith, “twill make 
 them capable of. furprizing our Settlements, 
 and of driving us out of them, as they have 
 done already ; fo that I hope we fhall never 
 willingly make another Experiment of foch 
 troublefom Neighbours, 
 
 Then if they be reftrain’d to other places 
 wore. than. thofe they now frequent, the 
 Trade will be of little ufe to them ; for we 
 having the fame Advantage of being fooner 
 at Market, and .of the beft Harbours which 
 they now have, fhall be able to outfell them ; 
 fo that we.can’t exped the Friendhhip betwixt 
 us to be durable in either Cafe, Therefore 
 I think *tis reafonable to conclude, that they 
 muft not, be allow’d either to fifh or to cure 
 in.or near Newfoundland, or the Iflands there- 
 unto belonging. 
 
 I have heard that the French demanded not 
 only a Privilege to fihh in the Sea of Nem- 
 Soundjand, and.to cure their Fifh on the Coaft 
 as hitherto, but likewife that all the Fortifi- 
 Cations there fhould be demolifh’d ; that no 
 others fhould:be erected there, or on any of 
 the adjacent. Iflands; and that they fhould 
 have liberty to make a Settlement, and raile 
 Fortifications.on the Ifand of Cape Breton. 
 But J hope neither of thefe will ever be grant- 
 
 B 2 ed 
 
 
 
( 12) 
 
 ed them. Not the firf¥, becaufe without 
 Forts we can’t defend our Settlements, either 
 -againft the French in cafe of a new Rupture, 
 or againft other Nations or Pirates, whomay , 
 fettle there, if there be no’ Forts to hinder ° 
 them; fo that we may beouted at pleafure’: 
 therefore the ‘very Propofal looks’ with fo 
 much of an ill defign, and is fo difhonour- 
 able, that’ I-don’t fee how any Englifhman 
 éan hear it without emotions. of Anger and 
 Contempt. | 
 As'to the 2d: If that be granted, we had 
 as good leave them: Newfoundland, Acaidie, 
 éc. intire to themfelves; for'this Ifland of 
 Breton is feparated from’ Accadic’ only by ‘a 
 narrow Channel, and lies fo near Netwfound- 
 land, that if ‘the French be allow’d to fettle 
 and fortify there, they may when they wil, 
 command both, ‘and by the ‘help of ‘their Ca- 
 nada \ndians,’ diflodg' us when they pleafe. 
 Befides, “by fortifying St. Peter’s Ifland, which 
 lies at the N. W. corner of the ‘Bay of Pia- 
 centia, they not only make that Bay ufelefs to 
 us; but may- be able to prote& their own 
 Ships which fifh and dry there, or fail into 
 Canada River. And if they*be allow’d to 
 fettle at’ Petit- Nord, which extends fron 
 Cape St. Fobn N. of Bonavifta, to Cape Ha-' 
 milton, the moft Northerly Point of Newfound. 
 Vand , this being the Place us’d by the St. AZ 
 Jo’s Ships, which are the greateft they imploy 
 in the Trades they will have the fame Ad- 
 vantage there they ever had; and greater: 
 becaufe that being the fhorter Paflage to Ca- 
 Pein Seat nada, 
 
 
 
> Ne 
 (13) 
 
 yada, they can more eafily call in their Cana- 
 da Indians. 
 
 ” By all this ’tis plain, that when they de- 
 mand the Ifle of Breton, with leave to fortify 
 there, ‘they demand ‘the Key of the whole 
 Country 4 for the Harbour at the Cape is large 
 and commodious, for entertaining great num- 
 bers of Ships, The Place is naturally capa- 
 blé of being well fortify’d. - The fland is a- 
 bout 60 Leagues long, to or 12 broad, -about 
 140 in Circuit; abounds with Pines and Firs 
 proper for Mafts, dc, And here they may 
 ereét a Fifhery for dry Fifh, which are to:be 
 had more early, and in greater Plenty at this 
 Place than in Newfoundland: and by its fitua- 
 tion is not only capable, upon any Rupture, 
 to deftroy our Trade, but to difturb our 
 fifhing on the Coaft of New- England ; which 
 is of very great importance, 
 
 Befides, there’s a vifible Chicane’in the 
 Propofal ; for according to the Commiffion 
 given to thé French Governour, when we took 
 ‘Annapolis Royal from the French, the Ifle of 
 Breton’ was included in Nova Scotia, which 
 they’ propofe now to furrender: And ac- 
 cording to our own accounts, and the above- 
 mention’d “Act of King William, Breton and 
 all the other adjacent Iflands to*Vewfoundland, 
 are our own properly, exclufive of Aliens, 
 
 There’s alfo an evident Chicane in the 
 Propofal of Accadie, or Nova Scotia, whofe 
 boundaties ought to have been’ afcertain’d 
 for avoiding of Controverfies about its Li- 
 mits in time to come; and fo much the ra- 
 ther; that the French have always been dan- 
 B | gerous 
 
 
 
(14) 
 
 gerous Neighbours to New-England. Schaf- 
 tian Cabot was the firft who difcover’d that 
 Country for us 5 and the firft Virginia Com- 
 pany reckon’d it part of N. Virginia, and 
 that all was their own which they could dif- 
 cover to the Northward, and was not. pof- 
 fefs'd by any other European Nation. Befides, 
 by King ames I’s Patent of this Country to 
 Sir Wiliam Alexander, afterwards Earl of Ster- 
 ling he had a Grant of all the Lands and dflands, 
 Rivers, Bays, Oc. beyond Cape Sabie, abone 
 Lat. 43. from the Equinoétial towards the 
 North, and from the faid Cape all along the 
 Shore Weftward to St, Afary’s Bay, -and. then 
 towards the North, croffing that great Bay 
 which runs Eaftward betwixt, the Countries 
 of the Suriquois and Etchemines to.the River 
 of the Holy Crofs, and to the remoteft Foun- 
 tain or Spring of it Weftward, that firft 
 mixes: with the faid River; and from thence 
 by an imaginary dire@ Line Northward, to 
 the next. Bay, Spring, or River, that. falls 
 into the great River of Canadas and from the 
 faid River Eaftward along the Shore of the 
 faid River to the Port or Harbour of Gachepe 
 or Gajfpie, and then towards the South Eaft 
 to the Iflands of Cape Breton or Bacalos, 
 leaving the faid Ifiands on the Right, and the 
 Gulf of the great River of Canada and Newe - 
 fonndjand, with the Iflands thereto belonging, 
 on the Left.; and fromthence to Cape Breton 
 about the Latitude of 45,, and from the {aid 
 Cape to the S. and W.,.to-the abovemention’d 
 Cape Sable, where the Boundary begins, in- 
 Cluding betwixt the {aid Coafts, and: theie 
 
 Cits 
 
 
 
Ny 
 ( 15 ) 
 
 Circumferences all the Lands of the Conti 
 nent, with their Rivers, Brooks, Bays, Shores, 
 Hlands ‘or adjacent Seas, within fix Leagues 
 of any part of them, tothe Weft or Eaft- 
 Part of the Coafts, and their Precinéts:; and 
 from the South-Eaft, as Cape &reton lies, and 
 the Weft-Part of the fame where Cape Sas 
 ble lies, all the Seas and Iflands within 4o 
 Leagues of the faid Coafts, including the 
 Great Hland call’d the dffesof Sable, or Sas 
 blon, lying towards the’ S$ E about thirty 
 Leagues from the faid Cape Breton in the Sea; 
 about Latitude 44. So that nothing can be 
 more plain, than that the Ifle of Cape Bretow 
 is included in this Grant, and that the Boun- 
 daries of Nova Scotia.are very exactly de- 
 fcrib’d.: From whence I think “tis juft to in- 
 fer, that the French muft be more ‘particular 
 in their Propofals, and not leave a thing of 
 this Confequence ambiguous; otherwife her 
 Majefty being now in poffeflion of Annapolis 
 by her Arms, I hope we are ina condition to 
 do our felves Juftice. 
 
 The next thing to be confider’d is our 
 Trade to Spain and the SpanilhWeft-Indies ; 
 and as to this, I underftand the Frenchpro- 
 pofe we fhall have it on the fame foot as we 
 enjoy d it inthe Reign of K. Charles the Se- 
 cond of Spam. 
 
 But fam of Opinion that this Propofal is 
 very ambiguous, and may be liable to:many 
 Difficulties; that ought to be explain’d in as 
 {trong Terms as we can. 
 
 In order to underftand this, you ought to 
 confider, that in Spain, as in other Trading 
 
 Countries, 
 
 
 
( 16 ) 
 Countries, there’s a Book of Rates, whicli 
 fixes what is to be paid on all Goods impor- 
 ted»: and exported; and is a Rule for the 
 Merchants and Officers of the Cuftoms. 
 
 Now? the Spani/h Book of Rates is very 
 high, and*in fome Species of Goods amounts 
 toho lefs than a Prohibition; and this Book 
 not ‘having been alter’d for many Years; 
 Goods which formerly yielded double the 
 Price there they do now, are ftill liable. to 
 the fame Duties; tho they be funk to half 
 the:Value. Ruriedispeneesae pe s- e 
 
 To» prevent this Inconveniéncy to our 
 Traders thither, King Charles the Second; 
 itanding in frequent need’ of our Affiftance; 
 he abated us 25 percent. of. the Cuftoms, 
 which was call’d the King’s Gratid, and ob- 
 lig’d> the Farmers. to abate us from 25 to 40 
 per Cent. more. . Therefore to tell Us that we 
 fhall“enjoy the Trade to Old Spain, on the 
 fame foot we ‘enjoy’d it in King Charles the 
 Second’s time, is liable. to a terrible Chi- 
 cane, amounting to no lefs than a Prohibi- 
 tion,’ except we be pofitively affur’d of the 
 fame Abatements by the King and the Far 
 mers, or that the Spani(/h Book of Rates be 
 fo: alter’d, as the Cuftoms on every Species 
 of: Britifh.Goods may be adjufted, fo'as our 
 Merchants may trade thither with Safety, 
 and @Profpec of Advantage; otherwife, at 
 the Inftigation of the French, they may ims 
 pofe: the old Book of Rates upon us at any 
 time, which puts an end to all our Trade 
 thither and’ particularly to that from New- 
 foundland;: 
 
 Then 
 
 
 
Ni 
 (17 ) 
 
 Then as to our Trade to the Weft- Indies, 
 if that be on the fame foot as in the time of 
 King Charles the Second, *twas no otherwife 
 than thus: Our Goods were firft carry’d 
 to Cadiz, fhip’d off there annually in their 
 Galleons, either in the name of Spanif/h Fac- 
 tors, or fold at Cadiz to the Spanifb Mer- 
 chants, who fent them to the Weft-Indies on 
 their own Rifque and in returns we had 
 Gold, Silver, and other valuable Commodi- 
 ties. But this, in my Opinion, is very 
 much fhort of what King William ftipulated 
 for us by the 6th Article of the 2d Grand 
 Alliance, viz, That it fhould be lawful for 
 us, in order to enlarge our Navigation and 
 Commerce, to feize by Force what Lands 
 and Cities we could of the Spanifh Dominions 
 in America, and to poffefs them as our own. 
 Therefore, in my Opinion, we ought to’ 
 have fome Ports allow’d us in Chili and Pe- 
 ru, if not likewife in the North Sea; other- 
 wife we are as much reftrain'din our Trade 
 to the Weft- Indies as ever: and the Reftric- 
 tions were fo fevere, that our Ships could 
 not fo much as put in there, tho forc’d by 
 ftrefs of Weather or Enemies, but in fuch 
 and fuch numbers, and to ftay no longer 
 than was ne¢ceflary to refit, without any li- 
 berty atall to trade, as may be feen by our 
 Treaties of Commerce with Spain. So that 
 our private Traders from Yamaica, &c, who 
 ventird to the Coafts onthe North Sea, did 
 it at the rifque of their Ships and Goods 
 and of having all their Men made Slaves ; 
 nor durft the Natives or.other Inhabitants 
 
 C trade 
 
 
 
( 18 ) 
 
 trade with us but at their utmoft Peril, 
 their Prohibition-Laws are fo very fevere. 
 Befides, it ought to be confider’d, that 
 by the 8th Article of the fecond Grand Al. 
 liance, the French were excluded from traf- 
 ficking. direétly or indireétly to the Spanifh 
 Wejt-Indies + whereas they have now a fix'd 
 Trade thither, by which they have already 
 gain’d annually fome. Millions Sterling : So 
 that there’sa very great Difference betwixt 
 what the French propofe tous now, viz. That 
 we fhall have the fame Privilege of Trade 
 to the We/t-Indies that other Nations have 
 had and fhall have, and the above-men- 
 tion’d Article-which excludes the French; 
 fince they are not only fettled there, where- 
 as we are to begin, but the Supreme Go- 
 vernment is in the Houfe of Bourbon, and all 
 the Viceroys and Governors of the Ports, 
 xc, are of their Nomination. So that we 
 can never expec the fame Privileges with 
 the French, who are of the fame Religion 
 with the Spaniards, and have the Supreme 
 Government over them, which they will 
 exert in another manner than hitherto, when 
 Spain and the ‘Weft-Indies are fecur’d by 
 Treaty to King Philip, Therefore I am of 
 Opinion, that we ought to’ demand an Equi- 
 vatent gor the oth and 8th Articles of the 
 fecond Grand Alliance above-mention’d, and 
 for what was ftipulated by General Stanbope 
 with King Charles the Third, in relation to 
 our Commerce with Spain and the Weft-In- 
 dies. And fince her Majefty has again and 
 avain declar’d, that her beff Endeavours 
 
 fhould 
 
 
 
-_ _— —=-=— —~—- <o = 
 
 _——- -_- 
 
 Bia NN 
 
 fhould be imploy’d to procure a: jult Satif- 
 faction to all in Alliance with her, accord- 
 
 ing to their feveral Vreaties, and particu- 
 
 larly with relation to Spain and. the \We/- 
 Indies, there’s no doubt but at will be the 
 fault of our Merchants, in not reprefenting 
 
 the Matter fully, if her Majefty don’c pro- 
 
 cure Satisfaction on that Head to her own 
 Subje@ts, according to the above-mention’d 
 Alliances in our favour, with refpec& to the 
 Trade of Spaia ‘and the Weft-Jndies, 
 
 I come now to the Af/iéento, or Contract 
 for furnifhing the Spanifh: Weft-Indies with 
 Negroes ; which ’tis propes’d'we fhall enjoy 
 for thirty years, in the fame manner as the 
 French have enjoy’d it for ten years paft. 
 
 We ought to take fpecial Care not to be 
 impos’d upon in this matter by the French 
 and Spaniards, and to have the Terms of 
 that Contract fet down in as plain and ex- 
 prefs Terms as poflible. Im order to give 
 you as much lighe into chat matter asl can, 
 I fhall Jay before you an Abftraa@ of the Con- 
 tract with the French, 
 
 ’Twas made with Monfieur du Caffe, Go- 
 vernor of Petigua, in the furifdi@ion of the 
 Ifland of Hi/paniola, for himfelf, and in the 
 name of the French Royal Guinea Company ; 
 who, 
 
 I, Were: permitted by the Kings-of Franre 
 and Spain, for the mutual Advantage of them 
 and their Subjects, to import annually from 
 the aft of Azay 1702. tothe ift of Aday 
 1712, 4800 Negroes of both Sexes and of all 
 Ages, but none from AZinas or Cape Verd. 
 
 C 2 2. They 
 
 
 

 
 ( <mo¥) 
 
 2, They were to pay! for/all Duties:33~ 
 Crowns of Plate, of the Value of thre 
 Livres French per head foreach Negro, of 
 the regular Meafures of thefe Provinces. 
 
 3. TheCompany wasto advance 600000 
 Livres at..two Payments; the firft within 
 two months ‘after the King of Spain’s Rati- 
 fication, and the fecond intwo,months more : 
 which was not to be reimbursd to the 
 Company till the two laft years of the Con- 
 trad, when twas. to be..repaid, with the 
 Cuftoms and: Advantages accruing to: the 
 Kingof Spain, as hereafter mention’d. 
 
 4, The Mony. to. be paid at A4adrid or 
 Pavis, as the King of Spam fhould chufe; 
 and the like as.to the Cuftoms, for the grea- 
 ter Benefit of the King of, Spam, notwith- 
 ftanding its being payable in India by..Qb- 
 ligation. 
 
 s.° The Coftoms to:> be: paid:,from, fix 
 months to fix months, fromthe 1{t of, Sept. 
 to the end of thetime, only for each 4000 
 Negroes, that for the 800 odd being remit- 
 ted during the faid ten years, in. confidera- 
 tion of the’. Payment made at AZadrid.or Pa- 
 ris, for the greater Advantage of. the King 
 of Spain’s Treafury. 
 
 6. If the. War continw’d, during the ten 
 years, the Company were not oblig’d to im- 
 port above 3000 Negroes: per ann. and the 
 remaining 1800 to be impotted in the fol- 
 lowing years ; and if the 3000.can’t be com- 
 pleated, Cuftoms to be paid for the fame,de- 
 ducting thofe that fall hort ; -notwith{tand- 
 ing which, the 10cd00® Pieces that the-Cnf- 
 
 toms 
 
 
 
(i245) \ 
 
 toms of the faid 3000 amount to,., fhall be 
 paid from fix to fix months during the 
 War; and if above 3000 be imported,, they 
 are to be paid for as above. 
 . 7» Ifa Peace happen, the Company _ {hall 
 not be oblig’d to import the 4800 every 
 year, becaufe of Accidents that may inter- 
 vene ;.but fhall pay the Cuftoms for 4:00, 
 as if they. were imported, 
 
 8. The. Ships fhall be the French Compa- 
 ny’s, or Spaniards, atthe Option of the Com- 
 pany 5 andif they ufe others, they fhall all 
 be Roman Catholicks: or if the Negroes be 
 imported by Ships of any Nation in Amity 
 with. Spain, into the North Sea-Ports, the 
 Captain and Crew muft be Roman Catho- 
 licks. 
 
 9. Negroes may .be imported and traded 
 
 for in all the Ports of the Weft-Indies, . his 
 
 Catholick Majefty difpenfing with the Laws 
 to the contrary; but.no Negroes fhall be 
 landed. where there are no Royal Officers to 
 fearch the Ships, and certify what Negroes 
 are imported, The Negroes carry’d to the 
 Iflands of Barlovento,Cumana and Maracai- 
 bo, fhall not be fold by the Company for a- 
 bove 300 Pieces each, and as much lower as 
 poflible, for the Relief of the People; bat 
 in other. Parts of New Spainand Terra Firma, 
 
 they may fell them for the moft they.can. 
 10, They may import Negroes to all. the 
 Ports on the Northfide of America, and ‘to 
 Buenos. Ayres, and annually nie two Ships for 
 that. end, capable of. containing from 700 to 
 800 Negroes of both Sexes,. which they may 
 fell 
 
 
 
 
 
Oe 
 
 oe = 
 
 ay 
 oe 
 = taeey 
 
 Se rhe te eee 
 
 ( 22) | 
 fell for what they can, but no greater Num- 
 ber muft be landed than 500 or 600. 
 
 t1. For carrying Negro’s to Peru, the 
 Company may build, in exchange for Negro’s, 
 or otherwife, in Panama or other Ports of the 
 South-Sea, two Frigates or Veflels of 400 
 Tuns, and bring in return Fruits, ftamp’d 
 Bars, and Wedges of Gold Cuftom free. And 
 the Company may fend from Europe for Puerto 
 Velo or" Panama, Neceflaries for building 
 thofe Ships only ; but the faid Neceflaries are 
 not to be fold or traded for on pain of Con- 
 fifcation, and the Buyers and Sellers to be 
 punifh’d, and from thenceforward this Per- 
 miffion to ceafe. And when the time is ex- 
 pir’d, the Company fhall not ufe the faid 
 Ships, or fend them to Europe, but be oblig’d 
 to fell, aliena@, or give them away. 
 
 12. The Company may ufe Frenchmen or 
 Spaniards for this bufinefs in the Ports or In- 
 land parts of America, his Catholick Majefty 
 for that end difannulling the Law againft Fo- 
 reigners, provided that in no Port of India 
 above 4 or 6 Frenchmen fhall go up the Coun- 
 try for the conveniency of the Company, and 
 carrying on this Undertaking : and the French 
 ate to be treated as Spanif/h Subjects,. without 
 being difturb’d by any Officer of what de- 
 gree or quality foever, on any pretence; un- 
 lefs they at contrary to the Laws of the 
 Place and this Agreement. 
 
 13. The Company may nominate in all the 
 principal Ports and Places of America, Judges 
 Confervators (but no Royal Officers) to de- 
 termine all Caufes of the Company, with 
 
 which 
 
 
 
 
 
( 23) 
 which the Viceroys or other Tribunals are 
 not to meddle ; but Appeals are to be made 
 to the Council of the Indies, that fo at length 
 his Catholick Majefty may be fole Judg Con- 
 fervator. 
 
 14. The Viceroys, Gc. are not to lay an 
 Embargo, or detain, for the Ufe of the War, 
 any of the Company’s Ships, but fhall fur- 
 nifh them with what Neceflaries they. want 
 at the common Prices, on pain of being ac- 
 countable, and making fatisfaction to them 
 out of their own Pockets for what Damages 
 may accrue to the Company by detaining 
 their Ships. 
 
 15. The Viceroys fhall not arreft, f{eize, 
 or take poffeffion of any of the Company’s 
 Effects, on pain of Punifhment, and making 
 Satisfaction for the Damages. 
 
 16. The Company and their Indian Fac- 
 tors, may take into their Service fuch Mari- 
 ners, Afliftants, and Officers,- for lading and 
 unlading, as they have occafion, on fuch Sa- 
 laries as they can agree for. 
 
 17. The Company may lade their Returns 
 on board the Flota or Galleons, agreeing 
 with the Captains, or in their own ‘Ships, 
 if they think fit; and the Spamifp Men of War 
 are to have Orders to admit them under their 
 Convoy. 
 
 18. After the. 1ft of Afay 1702. neither 
 the Portugal Company, or any other Perfon, 
 fhall import. any Negro Slaves, on pain of 
 confifcation to the Company, they paying 
 the Duties for the fame. 
 
 19. 
 
 
 
 
 
TER ee ae a. 
 SET ISS oe OE aig a en 
 
 Se HOES 
 
 
 
 ( 24.) 
 
 ¥9. The Company, their Factors, or others 
 authoriz’d by them only, toimport Negro’s 
 into the Ports of the Zndies; all others, both 
 Subjects and Foreigners, being prohibited : for 
 the performance of which his Catholick Ma- 
 jefty obliges his Faith and Word. 
 
 20. If any Accident happen to difturb the 
 Trade and Concerns of the Company, or any 
 Suit be: commenc’d, his Catholick Majefty is 
 to have the only cognizance of it. 
 
 21. The Company’s Ships, affoon as they 
 arrive in the Ports of the Jndies, are to prove 
 their Health , without which the Royal Offi-” 
 cers ate not to permit them to enter. 
 
 22, This Article is made void. It was to 
 prevent Frauds by the Company, on pain of’ 
 Death, to thofe concern’d, if the Value of the 
 contraband Goods amounted to too Pieces ; 
 but if under, the Sellers and Buyers were to 
 be apprehended and fin’d, and the Value re- 
 cover'd of the Captain; but neither the Ships 
 nor Negro’s confifcated in any cafe, . 
 
 23. The Ships to be unladen for the Subfift- 
 ance of the Negro’s, are to pay no Cuftoms 
 of Export or Import; but they are to pay 
 what ts eftablifh’d for the Ships they buy and 
 fitout from thofe Ports. 
 
 24. That Cuftoms be paid for the Negro’s 
 landed, and that die before they are fold; 
 Without any Objection. ; 
 
 25. That when fome ‘of the Negro’s are 
 fold in any Port, they may go to another, 
 receiving the Value in Ryals, Bars, and 
 Wedges of Gold, without Cuftoms; but if 
 
 | fold 
 
 
 
Ss 
 ( 25.) 
 
 fold for the Produce of the Country, the 
 Company to pay the eftablifh’d Cuftoms. 
 26. The Ships us’d in this Trade may {ail 
 from the Ports of France and Spain as they 
 Pleafe, giving notice thereof firft to his Ca- 
 tholick Majefty; and may bring returns, for 
 the Produce of the Negroes, in Silver, Gold, 
 and the Produce of the Country to the Ports 
 of France or Spain. at Option; but if to the lat. 
 ter fhall report to his Majefty’s Minifters, 
 and bring nothing but what’s porchas’d by 
 produce’of the Negroes, or any thing upon 
 Commiflion or Confignment from particular 
 Perfons in that Kingdom on pain of Confif- 
 Cation. 
 
 27- If any of the Company’s Ships of War, 
 belonging to either Nation, take Enemies 
 Ships, Pirates, or Privateers, with Negroes 
 on board, they may fell the fame to the num- 
 ber contraéed for: but no Goods, Merchan- 
 dize, or Effects for thefe mutt be carry’d to 
 Carthagena and Puerto Velo, deliver’d to the 
 Royal Officers, inventory’d, and put into the 
 Warchoufe to be fold at the Fair of Spain 
 in the faid Ports, + of the proceeds to be 
 paid to the Royal Treafury, the other 2 to 
 the Company, and the Veffels with their Tac- 
 Kle, Gc. thall be the Captors, 
 
 28. This Contract being principally defign’d 
 for the advantage of their Catholick and 
 moft Chriftian Majefties, both of them are in- 
 terelted + in the Agreement, and each of 
 them in + of 4 Millions of Livers of French, 
 amounting to 1 Million 366000 2 Crowns of 
 Gold : And if his Catholick Majetty will nor 
 
 D advance 
 
 
 
 
 
( 26) 
 advance his, the Company ‘is to do it for 
 him for a Premium of 8 per cent. per ann. and 
 if the Company inftead of Gainers happen 
 to be Lofers, his Catholick Majefty fhall 
 make good his proportion in fuch manner as 
 fhall leaft affect his Royal Revenue. 
 
 29, At. the end. of the»firft. 5 Years the 
 Company. fhall.make up an account of the 
 Gain {worn to, fettled and. examin’d, and 
 adjufted by the King of France’s Officers, 
 whereby it may appear what belongs to his 
 Catholick Majefty, which fhall be paid by the 
 Company. | 
 
 30. If the Gain of the firft 5 Years exceed 
 one Million of Livers French, and the Intereft 
 of 8 per Cent. to be advane'd by the Company 
 for his Catholick Majefty, the Company, firft 
 to reimburfe themfelves what they fo advance 
 with the Intereft , and further, fhall pay the 
 annval Duties of Importation, and for the 5 
 laft Yearsall the Gain fhall. remain, 
 
 31. Whereas ’tis faid inthe third Article, 
 that the200000 Pieces to be advanc’d as afore- 
 {aid, are to be deducted in the two laft Years 
 of the Agreement, ’tis hereby declar’d, that 
 ifin the Gains of the firft 5 Years there be e- 
 nough to fatisfy the faid Sum over and above 
 the {aid one Million, and Intereft, the Com, 
 pany may, chufe cither to retain or pay the 
 fame in whole or in part, that fo the Duties 
 aud Gains of the faid five laft Years may re- 
 main free to his Catholick Majelty ; but if.no 
 fach-Gains fhall. accrue, the faid Article,to 
 retnain.in force. 
 
 2. When this Agreement determines, the 
 
 Com- 
 
 “ 
 oe 
 
 
 
v 
 
 2 
 C 27) 
 
 Company fhall have 3 Years to fettle and 
 adjuft their Concerns in ladia, and to give 
 a final Account to his Catholick Majeity ; 
 during which 3 Years the faid Company and 
 their Agents fhall enjoy the Privileges hereby 
 granted, for the. free Difcharge of their Vef- 
 fels in the Ports of America, and for the 
 withdrawing their Effects, 
 
 33. The Company’s Debtors thall be com- 
 pellable to make payment in fuch manner, 
 as if they were indebted to his Catholick 
 Majefty. “ 
 
 34. And for the perféemance of the Pre- 
 mifes, his Catholick Majefty difpenfes with 
 all Laws, Statutes and Caftoms contrary to 
 this Agreement, during the 10 Years the 
 fame is to be in force, and for the 3 Years 
 afterwards granted for getting in their Ef- 
 feéts, His Majefty granting to the Company 
 and their Officers, and confirming by this 
 prefent Agreement, all the Privileges therein 
 contain’d ; and purfoant thereunto the Com- 
 pany, oblige themfelves to the'performance 
 of the Premifes by means of Monfieur du 
 Caffe, for himfelf, and in the Name of the 
 faid Royal Company of Guinea by virtue of 
 a Power by him produc’d. Granted at Parts 
 the 23d of July, and to produce the Ratifi- 
 cation of this Agreement within the time 
 limited ; done at Afadrid the 27th of Augu/t, 
 P7On. 
 
 This; Sir, is a faithful Account of the 
 Affiento, upon which | beg leave to make 
 fome Remarks. 
 
 D 2 1. We 
 
 
 
( 28 ) 
 
 t We muft pay down in four: 
 Months time 6oo000 Livres, or @ 50000 
 near E 
 
 2, For the King of Spain's of 3 
 the Stock raq0000 Livres, or aboat ¢ 3333 
 
 3. For Cuftoms annually 135000 
 9. 
 Crowns, or about $ 42793 
 
 I. 
 
 ey om 
 
 Total 177088 
 
 Befides the Charge of Shipping, Viua- 
 ling, Sailors Wages, Stock to purchafe Ne- 
 &roes, and vidtualling the Negroes. till fold, 
 and Lofs of ’em y Death, or for want of 
 Parchafers,  - 
 
 On this Head I thall hint to you what [ 
 have been. inform’d of from very good 
 hands; That both our Merchants and. the 
 Dutch, who formerly traded in Negroes to 
 the Wejft-Indies,, found themfelves feveral 
 times. very great Lofers : for when they 
 brought them to the Spanifo Harbours, the 
 Spantards, in order to fall the Price, would 
 bid. for none: but fach as they pleas’d ; and 
 after examining every Limb, and the State 
 of their Health, fo that the Slave-Merchants 
 had. moft of them return’d upon their hands, 
 
 efides. the extravagant Prices which the 
 Spaniards made them pay for frefh Provifions, 
 that were neceflary to keep the Negroes in 
 health,. ot for their Recovery when fick; fo 
 that feveral of thofe Vraders were broke 
 
 torr a6 
 6a it: 
 
 The 
 
 
 
VS 
 ( 29) 
 
 The Englifh at Famaica were fach Suffer= 
 ers this way, that they forbore carrying a. 
 ny more Negroes to the Spanilh Weft-Indies 
 in confiderable Numbers at leaft, till (Don 
 St. Fago del Caftillo, being, in London, made 4 
 Treaty for that Trade betwixt. Famaicg and 
 the Spani(h Weft- Indies for Negroes, and was 
 appointed by the King of Spain to be Com. 
 miflary-General at Jamaica for that end 5 
 where he was known by the Name of Sir 
 James Caftile; King William having ho- 
 nour'd him with the Title of Kaighthood. 
 By Sir Yames’s being there the Trade was 
 made eafy to our Merchants, and by confe- 
 quence the Profit greater ; and this we en- 
 joy’d till the Duke of Anjou’s Acceflion to 
 the Crown of Spain, and our War with him - 
 fo that the granting of this is no new Favour, 
 but the reftoring us to what we formerly 
 enjoy’d. And I with is does not proceed 
 more from the French being Lofers by it, 
 than from any good-will. to us, that'they fo 
 readily part’ with it; for: if it. were other. 
 wife, [am apt to think they. would have been 
 for retaining part of it at leaft, as they are 
 for retaining the Liberty of bifhing and Co- 
 ring in Newfoundland. Iam the more apt to 
 think fo, if it be true, as lam inform’d, that 
 one of the Mafters of our Jamaica Sloops 
 has at prefenr all that Trade in his own 
 Management ; which if fo, is an Argument 
 that ‘tis not fo confiderable as fome People 
 pretend it to. be. 
 
 Befides; I don’t underftand ‘the "vench 
 King’s Propofal, that we fhall have t he Affi. 
 
 CHIO 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ( 30.) ' 
 ento in the fame manner as: the French have 
 enjoy’d it for 10 Years ‘paft. In my Opi- 
 nion tis a great dea} too ambiguous ;~for the 
 French King, by the 28th Article, is interefted 
 = in the Agreement, and 3 in the 4 Millions 
 of Livres: fo that with me it remains a 
 doubt, whether we are to have his part, or 
 only that of the French Guinea Company 5 
 therefore I hope this will be better explain’d. 
 
 There are otherHardfhips. which this 
 Ajpento lays the French Company under, 
 that give me fome Canfe to fufpect they have 
 been Lofers by the Trade, and therefore do 
 willingly quit it. 
 
 x, That by the 2d Article each Negro was 
 to be of the Regular AMeafure of thofe Provin- 
 ces. This I take to include their Size, Age, 
 Strength and Health, and therefore is fo 
 liable to Chicanes, that after we import Ne- 
 groes, moft of ’em may be return’d upon our 
 hands, except it be provided againft, as in 
 the Cafe of our Yamaica Traders, when Sir 
 ames Caftile was appointed Commiflary 
 there for the King of Spain; but I find no 
 fach Provifion made for the French Guinea 
 Company, therefore I think this ought to be 
 explain’d. 
 
 >. I conceive that the 6th and 7th Arti- 
 cles are Hardfhips upon thofe who import 
 Negroes, fince they are obligd to pay Cuf- 
 toms for the whole Nombers there men- 
 tion’d, tho they dont or can’t import them. 
 And the 24th Article feems yet harder, that 
 they muft pay for fuch as die before they are 
 fold, confidering what Numbers may happen 
 
 ie: $0 
 
 
 
 
 
ee a eee 
 
 
 
 (31 ) 
 
 to die, if the Voyage be long, or the Seafon 
 fickly. 
 
 3. The 8th Article, in my Opinion, ought 
 to be made void, otherwife it will be dif- 
 honourable, and may be dangerous to our 
 Proteftant Traders, if they be oblig’d to fail 
 their Ships with none but Papifts; and this 
 we fee was the Cafe of the French, whofe 
 Contra&, according to the Propofals, muft 
 be the Rule of ‘ours. 
 
 4. 1 take the oth Article to be another 
 Hardfhip, and lays us opento be trick’d by 
 thofe call’d the Royal Officers, who may 
 abfent themfelves from the Ports we trade to 
 on purpofe, and by that means prevent our 
 landing Negroes, be they ever fo fickly, or. 
 tho we be forc’d to it by Tempeft, Enemy 
 or leaky Ships. This [ think ought to be 
 provided againft, otherwife we may be ob. 
 lig’d either to bribe thofe Officers tor their 
 Search and Certificate, or to fell our Negroes 
 at what rate the Spaniards fhall pleafe, 
 
 5. Phe roth Article, which reftrains us 
 to two Ships, and fuch a number of Negroes, 
 feemsto be very hard, confidering the ad- 
 Vantageous Situation of » Buenos Ayres, by 
 which we might fupply not only’ Tucuman 
 and Paraguay, but Chilzand Peru; and efpe- 
 cially. the Mines of. Potofs with Slaves far 
 more, conveniently, and with lefs Charge 
 and Danger, than by a long Voyage co the . 
 South-Séa. 
 
 6. The tith and rath Articles-bear very 
 s : 
 
 aft te a So ee okt | - are lies « 
 nara upon US, And are caicul sted LAV £ ay LO 
 
 ~mrhi Kee Seasons ae. 3 res Rc sg t q pi 
 yh + rans oat pina? ~~ a 
 proniols aus OLUCT Trade OUC that Ci NWe- 
 ets 
 ijt VN, 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 zee 
 Co ede Stadia yr ey 
 
 
 
 
 
 ( 32) 
 
 groes, and will hinder fuch ufeful Difcove- 
 ries as we might make for enlarging our 
 Commerce, however advantageous it might 
 be to the Spaniards as well as to our felves, 
 This { take to be an effectual Bar to the Sete 
 tlement and. Commerce of our South-Seg 
 Company, from which we have reafon to ex- 
 amighty Advantages. And | am the 
 more convine’d of this by KK. Philips’s Declaras 
 ion, lately publith’d in our Prints, that we 
 iré Mot to have one Foot of his Dominions 
 1 the Weft. Indies, which 1 take to be.a very 
 ndiffereat Compenfation forthe Favour we 
 ave fhew'd to theHoufe of Bourbonin their 
 refent Circumftances, when the other Con- 
 derates are for recovering the whole Spa- 
 » Monarchy out of their hands. 
 13th and 2oth Articles, which 
 ing of Spain fole Judg Conferva- 
 tor, and give him the final determination of 
 all Controverfies and Suits that may happen 
 betwixt the Company and his Subjects, or in- 
 deeds betwixt the Company and himfelf, is 
 in my Opinion very difcouraging ; fince by this 
 nicans our Bratifh Subje&ts muft venture their 
 Eftates under an rbitrary Power Abroad, 
 again{t which they have fuch good Securities 
 at Home. I am fure that if fach a Power 
 were allow’d to our own Crown, the Courts 
 at Weftminfter-Hall, and the Exchange of 
 London would foon be fhut up: Therefore | 
 fe¢ no reafon why our Merchants fhould 
 fubmit their Eftates to a foreign arbitrary 
 Power, that takes a liberty to difpenfe with 
 and annul the Laws made in favour of their 
 own. 
 
 
 
 bet Bolt ng ated 
 
 Hae 
 » & 
 
 ln # 
 
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i (E>: eee 
 
 ows S§ubjeGs; a is) plainicfrom feveral of 
 the. Articles ; efpecially finte’tis contrary ‘to 
 the Cuftom of. all Trading Countries,’ where 
 Merchants have Gonfuls or Confervators “of 
 their own, to.fee- that theyhave Juftice done 
 them according tothe. Qawsuof Nations, ‘and 
 the refpectiive Treaties of Commerce. 
 
 8. The2sth and 28th Articles ] take to 
 be of the fame {tamp ; ‘the firft obliges us to 
 pay double Cuftoms, viz. both for our Ne- 
 groes which we import, and for the Pro- 
 duét. of the Gountry,» that. we may haveoe- 
 Calion totake in exchange for them the Jat. 
 ter, Ithink very hard, becanfe “tis contrary 
 to the Intereft of the Spanifh Subje&s as well 
 as to ours, and moft needs hinder the Con- 
 fumption of their Produé. Then for the 
 28th Article, I take it to be very difcon- 
 raging to the Merchants, and makes the Re- 
 covery of their Lofles impracticable ; fince it 
 conftitutes the King of Spaia Supreme Judg 
 in the Cafe, and to befure he will always, fa. 
 Vourtisown Reverie, 
 
 Thus, Sir, I have given you my Thoughts 
 very freely as to the Particular Propofals 
 made us by France, with relation to our Plan- 
 tations in North America, the Trade to New. 
 foundland, the Afiiento, and our Trade to 
 Spain and the Weft-Indies. 1 am very wil- 
 ling to fubmit what I have, faid to the Judg- 
 ment of your felf and other Merchants, and 
 thall be very glad if any thing I have hinted 
 may be of ufe to our Traders, for putting 
 them on their Guard, or aflifting them in 
 
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 ( 34) : 
 their Applications to the Government, that 
 Care may be taken of our Commerce, and 
 every thing fo explain’d in our Treaties on 
 that Head, as may obviate thofe and other 
 Chicanes, which wehave reafon to apprehend 
 from the French and Spaniards. Lam, 
 
 od 
 
 SIR; 
 
 London, Fuly . Your very humbleServant. 
 26, 171% 
 
 
 

 
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