Volume 1

The universal dictionary of trade and commerce : with large additions and improvements, adapting the same to the present state of British affairs in America, since the last treaty of peace made in the year 1763. With great variety of new remarks and illustrations incorporated throughout the whole: together with everything essential that is contained in Savary's dictionary: also, all the material laws of trade and navigation relating to these kingdoms, and the customs and usages to which all traders are subject / By Malachy Postlethwayt, esq.

  • Savary des Brûlons, Jacques, 1657-1716.
Date:
1766
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The universal dictionary of trade and commerce : with large additions and improvements, adapting the same to the present state of British affairs in America, since the last treaty of peace made in the year 1763. With great variety of new remarks and illustrations incorporated throughout the whole: together with everything essential that is contained in Savary's dictionary: also, all the material laws of trade and navigation relating to these kingdoms, and the customs and usages to which all traders are subject / By Malachy Postlethwayt, esq. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    37/1108
    American iflands, might not their conjoint power bid fair for fuch conqueft, notwithftanding the afliftance of the impotent Englifh to prevent it, when they fhall have loft their American trade and navigation? From thefe few reflections, it feems as if our territorial acquifitions to the fouthward of the American con¬ tinent may be attended with ftill greater and greater power, (hould they ever become independent of their mo¬ ther ftate. And may not this conqueft of the Havanna prove the eftablifhment of a very formidable new commercial empire in the American world ? The great motive to the North Americans to fet up manufactures of every kind, would be the profpeCt of a ready vent for their wares of all kinds, no lefs than furnifhino- themfelves amply therewith. And what better profpeCt could they defire, when mafters of the Havanna, than the fupply of all Mexico and Peru with the manufactures they want ? The Mexicans and Peruvians will pur- chafe them much cheaper from the North Americans than they now do from the Spaniards, feeing there would be no exorbitant indulto impofed on their manufactures outwards, that fo extravagantly enhance their price to the Spanifti Indies at prefent. As there may be a revolution in the Britifh plantations and colonies in America, unlefs due care in time is taken to prevent it; fo likewife there may be one in the Spanifh Indies to fhake off their prefent dependency. Mexico and Peru may become diftinCt empires, kingdoms or ftates, and may not be indifferent to commercial alliances with the North Americans, who, if they cultivate manufactures, and are once poffeffed of the Ha¬ vanna, would be the belt able to furnifh them with all they wanted for their money. On the northern parts of the American continent, and its various illand-dependencies thereon, as ceded to the crown of Great Britain, by the. peace concluded in the year 1763, there offers another fcene from whence great power may arife to the continental colonifts. Should North America change mafters, alter their form of government, and fet up for themfelves, it is not unnatural to fuppofe that they would extirpate not only the French wholly from the Newfoundland fifheries, but the Englifh, and monopolize them folely to their own ufe, if they fhould ever be able ; or oblige all who fhall enjoy the privilege of filhing on the borders of any of their dependent dominions to become tributaries to them for fuch privilege. North America abounding with timber for fhip-building, and New England and New York built-fbips already not being of a defpicable kind, but purchafed occafionally by the merchants of London and the ifland colonies, as great numbers are built for mere fale, which are fent to England and our iflands for that purpofe. They have all manner of materials for fhip-building very cheap, and excellent timber, as alfo mafts and yards merely for cutting ; fo that they build fhips to very great advantage. Their fliips alfo have the reputation of being well built, are good fea boats, and ftrong bottoms: they have not heretofore, indeed, proved always the belt failors, but that hath been owing to their building fo very ftrong; but they have greatly improved in this branch, and will, doubtlefs, excel herein as well as any other part of the wo: Id. The colonies alfo of Virginia and Maryland are as well fumilhed with timber and plank, and all forts of materials for fhip-building, as New England and New York, though they have deftroyed infinitely more for clearing the land, their plantations being exceeding large, and extended fo far over the country. They indeed have not applied fo much to fhip-building as the New England people do, nor has 1 been fo well worth their while; the planting of tobacco having hitherto been their chief care, and taken up all their hands, which hath occafioned them to buy fo many negro (laves, befides tranfported felons from England, and all the other white fervants, which they have got volunteers from England, and efpecially from Scotland and Ireland, which have been a prodigious number. But, as it feems that their tobacco trade of late hath not turned to fo good account, they may, and doubt¬ lefs will betake themfelves to other branches, and amongft the reft, doubtlefs to fhip-building. For this is at any time in their power to extend. They build, at prefent, all their own Hoops, which, as they are fo highly ufeful, that no plantation of any confideration can be without them, as well to carry their tobacco and other produCt down the creeks and fmaller rivers to the fhips which are loading for England, or for the iflands, and to land and bring home their returns of goods from the faid fhips ; ’tis fcarce credible what a number of them are employed in this bufinefs, fome fmall, fome large, that carry goods from one plantation to another, from 50 to 150 hogfheads ; and thefe are loaded oftentimes with provifions for the Weft Indies, and bring back rum, fugar and melaffes, for the fupply of the country, as is done in the other colonies. The number of fhips employed for thofe purpofes is fo great, that it would appear incredible -, but there is no doubt of there being many thoufands of them, fmall and large, the conftant building of which makes the people as expert in the art of fhip-building as any people in Europe. The fhip-building that is now going forward in Canada likewife, and in all parts of thefe colonies, where they are well fituated for the purpofe, and the ports for that convenience being very numerous, this mult convey an idea to every one, that the art of fhip-building, by reafon of the conftant navigation that is be¬ tween North America and the ifland colonies, will arrive to great perfection, and that thefe colonifts may be¬ come of themfelves a formidable maritime ftate or empire: and what fuch a mighty power may not one day be able to do, who can fay ? That the idea of a great degree of maritime power mull, and will certainly fpring from the confideration of North America, and their commercial connexion with the iflands, is obvious to every one, who conftders that they now, and will foon have to a much greater degree, the command of the three great gulphs of St. Laurence and its great river, the gulph of Florida, and the gulph of Mexico, and the great river Miffifippi. Moreover, the im- menfe lake-navigation, as well that of the very numerous great river internal navigation, muft neceffarily vaftly contribute to the furprizing increafe of fliipping, feamen and navigation of every kind amongft them. ’Tis faid, that we have lately authentic accounts from New York, that the fpirit of adventuring has lately dis¬ covered the courfe of a river that branches out from St. John’s, and extends fouth-fouth-eaft all the way na¬ vigable to the confines of Florida, and within twenty miles land carriage of St. Auguftine, from which great advantages are expeCted to arife.-Ports for fhip-building they poflefs, or can have innumerable, and what can hinder the prefent Britifh Americans from becoming a formidable maritime potentate? Flad the Dutch, the Genoefe, or the Venetians, any thing comparable to fuch advantages? Has Great Britain itfelf now fo many, comprehending every circumftance that we have with all brevity noticed ? This (ketch of the potentiality of thefe colonies to become very formidable at fea, ought to alarm this na¬ tion with apprehenfions that they actually will do fo. Nay, we may prefume to fay, it cannot be otherwile. Wherefore, can we be too early on our guard to prevent tljeir growing independent of the Britifh empire ? We certainly cannot, fince their territories are now fo immenfe, and they grow daily more and more popu¬ lous, and this not only at the expence of draining of many other parts of Europe, but at that of hazarding the depopulation of Great Britain in general, and England in particular. For the hardfhips of living, under which the induftrious poor of England at prefent labour, are motives that drive thoufands continually to America; and the arts of kidnapping people for that purpofe are faid never to have been fo prevalent, particu¬ larly amongft the artifans and manufacturers of every denomination. Does not this merit the confideration of our rulers? 4 From.