Note 13 — CHAP. XXIV.

Having now clearly demonstrated, partly by the assistance of Dr. Fermyn’s Tableau de la Colonie de Surinam, and partly by my own experience, that the intrinsic value of this settlement is worth yearly above one million of sterling money, which, by proper management, might be still increased; also that the greater part of it goes to the republic, while the people are thus burthened on their estates by almost insupportable taxation, which induces many to be rogues, who would perhaps otherwise be honest; I shall, by way of appendix, give some short account of the trade carried on in this colony by the North Americans:—These people arrive with small brigs, sloops, and schooners from Virginia, Rhode Island, New York, Boston, Jamaica, Grenada, Antigua, Barbadoes, &c. from which places they export flour, beef, pork, herrings, salt, mackarel, and leaf-tobacco for the negroes; also fir-boards, English rum, and other spirits; loaf-sugar13, spermaceti-candles, onions, &c. Besides each vessel is bound to bring in one horse14, which they often supply by a head only; affirming, that they put on board a horse, but that he died on the passage. For the above commodities the American traders export all the melasses of this colony to distil into rum at home, and frequently ship-loads of other productions and merchandize, though this is done in a clandestine manner, by which both the seller and buyer are considerable gainers, being ready cash for the one, and a cheap bargain for the other. From the Leeward Islands these vessels also import private mulatto and quaderoon slaves, which being generally young and handsome, whatever may be their moral character, sell for considerable prices.