COLUMBIA LIBRARIES OFFSITE SEYMOUR DURST When you leave, please leave this hook Because it has heen said "Ever'thing comes t' him who waits Except a loaned hook." Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library ^^^H Gift of Seymour B. Durst Old York Library XXV. PAPERS RELATING TO THE TRADE AND MANUFACTURES Ipmm of litra-f^nrk. 1703-1757. Digitized by tlie Internet Arcliive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/papersrelatingtoOOnewy_0 LORD CORNBURY TO SEC. HODGES. [Lond. Doc. XVI.] The Trade of this Province consists chiefly in flower and biskett which is sent to the Islands in the West Indians, in return they bring Rum, Sugar, Molasses, and some times pieces of Eight and Cocoa and Logwood ; to Europe Our people send Skins of all sorts. Whale Oyle and Bone, which are the only Commodity this Country sends to Europe, of its own produce as yet, but if they were encouraged, the people of this Province would be able to supply England with all manner of Naval Stores, Pitch, Tarr, Rosine, Turpentine, Flax Hemp Masts and Timber of all Kinds and Sizes, and very good in their Kinds. .... When I said on the other side that if the people were encouraged they would be able to supply England with all manner of Naval Stores, I mean (by encouraged) if they had a certain sure market for their produce ; for as the Case now stands, they apiy their land to Corn of all sorts, but chiefly Wheat, because t^ey have a certain Market for that in the Islands, but if they had a sure mar- ket for Hemp and flax in England, they would greedily fall to the planting of hemp & Flax, because they want Commoditys, to make returns to England for the goods they take from thence. Besides if part of their lands were imployed to those uses, their Corn would fetch a better price ; besides the want of wherewithal] to make returns for England, sets mens witts at work, and that has put them upon a Trade which I am sure will hurt England in a little time ; for I am well informed, that upon Long Islan ! and Connecticut, they are setting up a Woollen Manufacture, and I myself have seen Serge made upon Long Island that any man may wear. Now if they begin to make Serge, they will in time make 712 TRADE AND MANUFACTURES OF Course Cloth, and then fine j we have as good fullers earth and tobacco pipe clay in this Province, as any in the world ; how farr this will be for the service of England I submit to better Judg- ments ; but however I hope I may be pardoned, if I declare my opinion to be, that all these Colloneys, which are but twigs belonging to the Main Tree (England) ought to be Kept entirely dependent upon & subservient to England, and that can never be if they are suffered to goe on in the notions they have, that as they are Englishmen, soe they may set up the same manufactures here as people may do in England ; for the consequence will be that if once they can see they can cloath themselves, not only comfortably but handsomely too, without the help of England, they who are already not very fond of submitting to Government would soon think of putting in Execution designs they had long harbourd in their breasts This will not seem strange when you consider what sort of people this Country is inhabited by. CALEB HEATHCOTE TO THE BOARD OF TRADE, 3 AUG. 1708. [Lond. Doc. XVII.] My Lords — This comes chiefly to ask pardon for all the trouble I have given your Lordships in my severall letters relating to the Naval Stores. What I aimed at chiefly therein was the service of my Nation & I do assure yo^ Lordships (notwithstand? I may have been otherwise represented) is very dear to me. And what in the first place I aimed at by my proposals was, to have diverted the Americans from goeing on with their linen and Woollen Manufac- tory s & to have turn'd their thoughts on such things as might be usefull & beneficiall to Great Britain. They are already so far advanced in their Manufactoryes that 3|4 of y^ linen and Woollen they use, is made amongst 'em ; espetially the Courser sort, & if some speedy and effectual ways are not found to putt a stop to it, they will carry it on a great deal further, & perhaps in time very much to the prejudice of our manufactorys at home. I have been discoursed with by some to assist them in setting up a manufactory OF THE PROVINCE OF NEW- YORK. 713 of fine stuflfs, but I have for the present putt it by, & will for my own part never be concerned in y* nor any thing of y* nature, but use all the little intrest & skill I have to prevent it. * GOV. HUNTER TO THE ROARD OF TRADE. 12 NOV^ 1715 [Lond. Doc. XX.] The Trade of this Province has consisted chiefly of Provisions, We may reckon it considerably [decreased] since the late Peace, by reason that the Spaniards do not permit our Vessels to come on their coasts, as they did formerly, having lately, as I am well informed sent several ships, some of which are French with Spanish Commiss"^ to Guard their Coasts from that Traffick, which formerly we had by private communications with them ; and these Provinces raising much more than serves for their own consumption and that of the West Indies, I can think of no solid way of prevent? the total decay of Trade, and consequently the ruin of the Provinces but by setting on foot and carrying vigor- ously the production of Naval Stores, and if hemp were not so bulky a commodity, we know experimentally that our swamps and low land will produce as good of that kind as any in the world. .......... The People of this Town (N. York) and Albany, which make a great part of the Province wear no clothing of their own manu- facture, but if the letters mentioned in your Lordships mean the Planters and poorer sort of Country people, the computat" is rather less than more, but the several sorts are Coarser than what come from England ; I know no way to prevent it, than by encouraging them to go on some manufactures that may be useful to England & beneficial to themselves, for few that are able to go to the expense of English manufacture do wear home spun, and a law to oblige such as are not able to go to that expense to do it, under penalties, would be equivalent to a law to compel them to 1 Col. Heathcote the writer of the above, was Member of the Council, and an applicant for a contract to supply the Crown with Naval Stores & some small sloops of War for coasting purposes. 714 TRADE AND MANUFACTURES OF go naked, for your Lordships well know that Goods at 100 per cent advance are reckoned cheap here, nor does it consist with my knowledge that ever any home spun was sold in the shops. CADWALLADER GOLDEN ON THE TRADE OF NEW YORK; 1723 [Lond. Doc. XXII.] The Trade of New York is chiefly to Britain & the British Plantations in the West Indies ; besides which we have our wines from Madeira & a considerable Trade with Curacoa ; some with Surinam & some little private Trade with the French Islands — The Trade to the West Indies is wholly to the advantage of this Province the Balance being every where in our favor so that we have money remitted from every place we trade with, but chiefly from Curacoa and Jamaica, these places taking. off" great quantitys of Flower for the Spanish Trade The Trade to Barbadoes is more considerable than to any one of the rest Provisions being carried thither not only for the supply of that Island but likewise for Transportation to the Spanish coast while the Assiento Factors were settled there, & to the French Islands, so that tho' we consume more of the produce of that Island in Rum Sugar & Molasses than of all the others put together we have money frequently remitted from thence on Bills of Exchange for England The Trade to Madeira is to our Loss this Province consuming more wine from thence, than can be purchased with our commodities which obliges the Merchant either to send money or to pay the Ballance of Bills of Exchange for London But whatever advan- tages we have by the West India Trade w^e are so hard put to it to make even with England, that the money imported for the West Indies seldom continues six months in the Province, before it is remitted for England The Current Cash being wholly in the Paper Bills of this Province and a few Lyon Dollars In the time of the last war w^hen the great scarcity of provisions happened in France, we had a very profitable Trade with Lisbon for wheat, by which several have made estates but that Trade THE PROVINCE OF NEW- YORK. 715 was of no long duration, for the Distance made the carriage so chargeable being the Ships were obliged to return empty, that the Trade could not be carried on any Longer without Loss, after wheat fell to its usual price, tho the Wheat of America, be of greater value there than the European, & we cannot hope for a return of this Trade unless such a general scarcity of Provisions happens over Europe as did then The Staple Commodity of the Province is Flower & Bread which is sent to all Paris oi the West Indies we are allowed to trade with. Besides Wheat, Pipe staves and a Utile Bees Wax to Madeira, We send likewise a considerable quantity of Pork, Bacon, Hogshead Staves, some Beef Butter & a few Candles to the West Indies. The great Bulk of our commoditys in proportion to their value, is the reason we cannot Trade directly to the Spanish Coast as they do from the West Indies it being necessary to employ armed vessels to prevent Injuries from the Spaniards & Pirates, but we sometimes send vessels into the Bays of Campe- chie & Honduras, to purchase Logwood & we have it imported from thence frequently by Strangers. This commodity is entirely exported again for England From Barbadoes we import Rum, Molasses & Sugar which are all consumed in the Province, from Antigua & the adjacent Islands, Molassus & some Rum for the country consumption, & sometimes sugar & Cotton for exportation to England, From Jamaica some Rum, Molasses & the best Muscovada Sugar for the consumption of the Country & sometimes Logwood, but the principal returns from thence are in Spanish money, From Curacoa the returns are in Spanish money & Cocoa which is exported again for England Surinam returns nothing besides Molasses & a little Rum which are consumed in the Province, in the time of W.jr when the English could not trade with the French there was some conside- rable Trade to the Island St Thomas The Danes from thence supplying the French with our Provisions. We have Cotton from thence & now from the French Islands we sometimes have Cocoa Sugar & Indigo, the far greatest part of which are exported again from England Several of our Neighbours upon the Continent cannot well 716 TRADE AND MANUFACTURES OF subsist without our assistance as to Provisions for we yearly send Wheat and Flower to Boston & Road Island as well as to South Carolina tho not in any great quantity Pensylvania only rivals us in our Trade to the West Indies, but they have not that Credit in their Manufactures that this Province has Besides our Trade by Sea this Province has a very considerable inland Trade with the Indians for Beaver other Furrs & Peltry & with the French of Canada for Beaver, all which are purchased with English Commodity except a small quantity of Rum. As this Trade is very profitable to England, so this Province has a more considerable share in it than any other in His Matys Dominions & is the only Province that can Rival & I beleive out do the French, being the most advantagiously situated for this Trade of any part of America This Government (since the arrival of the present Governor) considering that the French of Canada buy yearly of the people of this Province great quantitys of English Goods in English Cloaths fit for the Indians use, & being convinced that the French cannot without great difficulty and expence import these goods directly from Europe & that without them they cannot carry on their trade with the Indians exclusive of the English : did by a severe Law prohibit the selling of any Indian Goods to the French At the same time considerable encouragement was given to a number of young men to go into the Indian Country as far as the Pass between the great Lakes at the Falls of lagara, to learn the language of these Indians, and to renew the Trade with the far Indians which our Traders have disused ever since the beginning of the Wars with France This they could not be persuaded to undertake of themselves having of late fallen into the more safe and less toilsome Trade with the French tho less profitable The Government has pursued this with a good deal of diligence notwithstanding many difficultys put in the way by the merchants who trade with the French & these measures are likely to have a very happy effect, to strengthen the British Interest on this con- tinent. For if the Indians shall be once convinced that the French cannot supply them with the Goods they want or that THE PROVINCE OF NEW- YORK. 717 they are furnished much cheaper by the English it will take off the dependance of the remote Indians on the French, which has been increasing of late to the Great Danger of this province, in case of a War, as well as to the loss of its trade in time of Peace, What is already done has had so good effect, that but a few days ago 80 Indian Men, besides Women & Children arrived at Albany from the furthest nation who live about the place called by the French Missilimakenak 1200 miles distant from Albany, they could not be stopt in their design by all the art of the French who in several places endeavored to divert them When they came to Albany they entered into a League of Friendship with this Government & desired to be added to the Six Nations under this Government, and that they may be esteemed the seventh Nation under the English Protection — The Language of those ] Indians is not understood by any Christian among us, & is the j first time we have had any League with them — It is the opinion | of many here that by the arts of Peace, with the assistance of a less sum than a tenth of what the expedition to Canada cost the Nation the settlement of Canada would be rendered useless to the French, and that they would be obliged to abandon it It is evident that the whole Industry, Frugality & Trade of this Province is employed to ballance the Trade with England & to pay for the goods they yearly import from thence, & therefore it is undoubtedly y^ Interest of Britain to encourage the Trade of this Province as much as possible : For if the people here could remit by any method more money or Goods to England they would proportionably consume more of the English Manu- factures. We have no reason to doubt that it is truly the desire of our mother country to make her colonys flourish — The only thing in question, is by what methods the produce and Trade of the Plantations can be best encouraged wuth the greatest advan tage to England. It may be that many in England are not so well informed what their Colonys are able to produce & by what means the people in the colonys will most effectually be put upon such Manufacture or Trade as shall be most beneficial to the Kingdom for the Colonys differ very much in the soil & inclina- tions & humour of the Inhabitants 718 TRADE AND MANUFACTURES Or It seems to be the desire of the Government of Great Britain that Kingdom be supplyed with naval Stores from their Plan- tations, that they may not rely so much on the Pleasure of foreign Princes for what is so necessary to y^ Strength & Wealth of y® Kingdom. Towards this end none of His Malys Provinces can be more useful than this & perhaps no country in the World is naturally better fitted for such produce or manufactures. There is not any where a richer Soil for producing Hemp than in many places in this Province — Such Land as has every year borne grain for above 60 years together without dunging in which I believe this excells all the other Provinces in North America. Our barren Sandy Lands bear great quantitys of Pitch pine for Tar, The Northern parts of the Province large white Pines* for Masts : & for iron we have great plenty of that Oar in many places close by the Bank of the River, where Ships of 3 or 400 Tuns may lay their sides the ground every where covered with wood for the Furnace and no want of Water Streams any where for the Forge The reasons which have hindred the Inhabitants from going upon any of these manufactures are the difficulty with which peo- ple can be persuaded to leave the common means by which they have supported their familys to adventure upon any new methods which are always expensive in the beginning & uncertain in the profits they yield This reasoning has the more force because few of the Planters have any stock of money by them but depend yearly on the Produce of their Farms for the support of their Families. North America containing a vast Tract of Land every one is able to procure a piece of land at an inconsiderable rate and therefore is fond to set up for himself rather than work for hire This makes labor continue very dear a common laborer usually earning 3 shillings by the day & consequently any under- taking which requires many hands must be undertaken at a far greater expense than in Europe & too often this charge only over- hallances all the advantages which the country naturally affords & • Neither the Pitch Pine nor White Pine are properly Pines according to the Botanists but are put by them under the class of ye Larix the White Pine being called by Tournefourt — Larix orientalis fructu rotundiori obtuso Si. by J Bonhim. Ccdrus magna, Sive Libani, Conifera. I have not seen the true Pine to the North- ward of Marylanci. THE PROV INCE OF NEW- YORK. 119 is the hardest to overcome to make any commodity or Manufacture profitable which can be raised in Europe The Merchant will not readily adventure his Stock in raising Hemp or making Tar being unacquainted with husbandry and will more difficultly be induced, because he knows the Farmer does not gain yearly half the common Interest of the value of his land & stock after he has deducted the charge of labor One of the methods already thought of for making this Province more useful as to Naval Stores, is a severe prohibition of cutting any white Pines fit for Masts, No doubt the destroying of so necessary a commodity ought to be prevented & it would be diffi- cult to frame a Law for that end with many exceptions or Limi- tations which could be of much use on the other hand when the literal Breach of the Law becor^es generally unavoidable it must loose its force. The Lands of this Province are granted upon condition that the Grantee within three years after the Grant effectually cultivate three acres for every fifty granted & it will not be supposed that it is the intent of the Law to put a stop to cultivating the Land which however cannot be done without destroying the Timber that grows upon it One at first is ready to fear that the poor Planter is under a sad Dilemma. If he does not cultivate he cannot maintain his family & he must loose his Land ; if he does cultivate, he cuts down Trees, for which he is in danger of being undone by prosecution & fines — The inhabitants cannot build Houses without pine for boards & covering, nor send Vessels to sea. without masts. It cannot surely be the intent of the Legislature to put the inhabitants under such extreem hard- ships by denying us necessary timber while we live in the midst of such Forests as cannot in many ages be destroyed — And the more that the King for whose use these Trees are reserved, does not nor has not made use of one Tree for many years in this Province Nor need we mind the apprehensions of some who tell us of what ill consequence it may be if the People of the Plantations should apprehend that the people of England design to cut them off from the common body of English subjects by denying them the fundamental English Privilege of being tryed by their country 720 TRADE AND MANUFACTURES OF Our mother country the nursery of Liberty will never give up her children to the ravenous appetites of any one man nor will they loose the surest tye she has upon the affections of the people in the Plantations especially in a Frontier Province in the neighbour- hood of so potent & cunning a nation as the French are where the native English are less in number than Foreigners French & Dutch who at present think themselves happy under the English liberty, for the maxim that free subjects are more useful to their Prince than Slaves will be found as true in America as in Europe. But suppose the People could be restrained from cutting any White Pines it w^ill not answer the end for which it was designed. For if the King were to send People to cut down Masts in the place where they grow and to transport them to such places where they can be carried by water the charge will amount to treble ihe sum they might be bought for at New York, if the carrying of them were left to the Inhabitants themselves The King in this case must have a great many hands & overseers in constant pay He must buy horses. Oxen & Carriages & maintain them or hire them after the most chargeable manner — whereas the country people carry these Trees in the Winter upon the Snow & Ice when they cannot labor in the ground & are glad to make a little profit at any rate To balance any hard ship which the Colony s mwy apprehend themselves to be under The British Parliament has given such rewards & encouragements to their Plantations as no other nation has done the like for the manufacture of Hemp & Tar. The benefit of this however does not so immediately reach the Planters as the before mentioned penalties affect him. There is a considera- ble difference between encourageing the exportation & sale of a commodity which is already the manufacture of the country & engageing people to go upon a new commodity or manufacture in the first it is sufficient to give the merchant encouragement to buy & export in the other the encouragement would be more effectual if it were immediately applied to the persons who were to begin the Manufacture & run the whole risque of its turning to advantage or not Now I shall mention the means which I think most probable to THE PROVINCE OF NEW YORK. 721 make this Province useful in producing Naval Stores & which may with the least difficulty be put in practice— In the first place, to prevent the decay of Timber, fit for masts every one that im- proves Lands on which white Pines grow ought to be obliged to plant white Pines at proper distances all round his fields & enclosures when any of these shall dye or be cut down to put another in its place and some officer be obliged to see this punctually observed o and for the encouragement of such as shall raise Hemp that the Receiver General be directed to receive Hemp when offered in lieu of money for the Kings Quit Rents at an encouraging price which Price the Receiver General ought to publish, pursuant to the directions he shall receive from England — The Commissioners of the Navy to appoint a Factor at New York whose credit must be punctually kept up to purchase Masts & Tar, made according to the direction of the Act of Parliament, who shall yearly pub- lish the prices he will give for any of these commoditys & the Government to save themselves the Benefit of the Bounty. For some years the price to be allowed be above the intrinsic value of the commoditys, the loss of which to be defrayed by some publick fund, which I believe without great difficulty may be found & if these proposals be thought practicable & useful shall be the sub- ? ject of another paper. The Parliament appears desirous to encourage the importation i of materials for dyeing which hitherto have been only brought-, from Foreign Parts I have seen fine Reds and Yellows & good i black (the Country people say they have seen all colors) died by ; the Indians with some roots & weeds, which grow plentifully in the country. As the Indians know very little of the art of dying from what I have seen of their Reds I am apt to beleive the root they dye that color with, may be very valuable & we may find some commoditys which at present are not in the Least thought of — When I go next to the Indians country I intend to procure some quantity of them sufficient to make a few experiments 46 722 TRADE AND MANUFACTURES OF GOVR COSBY TO THE BOARD OF TRADE. [Lond. Doc. XXIV.] New York 18th Deer 1732. My Lords — T acknowledge the receipt of your Lordpps to me of the 16th of June last, and in pursuance of His Maty^ directions to your LordPP'' Board have made the strictest inquiry in respect to manufactures sett up, & Trade carryed on in this Province of New York & can discover none that may in any way affect or prejudice the Trade, Navigation & Manufactures of the Kincrdom of Great Britain. As to the Laws made here, I beg leave to refer your Lordpps to the acts which I shall transmitt to your LordPP" so soon asthey are engrossed which I fear I cannot have time to have done to send by this opportunity. The inhabitants here are more lazy & inactive than the world generally supposes, & their manufacture extends no farther than what is consumed in their own famillys, a few coarse Lindsey Woolseys for clothing, and linen for their own wear : the hatt makeing trade here seemed to promise to make the greatest advances to the prejudice of Great Britain, but that the Parliament having already taken into their consideration, needs no more mention, whatever new springs up that may in the least affect or prejudice the Trade or Navigation of Great Brittain, shall be narrowly inspected & annual returns of your LordPP^ querries constantly sent In the mean time I have the honor to be with the greatest respect imaginable My Lords Your Lordpps most obedient & most humble servant (signed) W. Cosby, SAME TO THE SAME 6 DEC. 1734. [Lond. Doc. XXV.] Wheat is the staple of this Province, and tho' that comodity seem literally to interfere with the product of Great Britain, it do's not so in fact, for it's generally manufactur'd into flower and bread, and sent to supply the sugar Collonys, and whenever a THE PROVINCE OF NEW-YORK. 723 markett in Spain Portugal or other parts of Europe has encour- aged the sending it thither in Grain, the adventurers have often suffered by the undertaking, for at this remote distance, the in- telligence of a demand reaches us so late, that the marketts are supplyed before our vessells come there, and even if it were other- wise our merchants lye under vast and certain disadvantages besides for freight of wheat from hence in time of warr was at least two shillings and six pence, and in time of peace is eighteen pence sterling per bushell, and by the length of the passage it often growls musty, at least cannot come so fresh to markett as from Great Britain ; whence freights (as it's said) are not above one quarter part of what they are here. The main bent of our farmers is to raise wheat, and they are like to remain in that way until the price of it becomes so low, that necessity puts upon some other way of Cultivation ; which in process of time is like to happen, because the Sugar Islands cannot increase in the proportion which the Northern Collonys do, and whether some other encouragement may bring them over sooner I cannot affirm. In this Collony are a great many lands extream fit for hemp, and there is not one farm in it but has land proper to raise flax ; but little more of either is raised than what is for private use, the former they apprehend to require more hands than they have to spare, and labour is still so dear that they cannot afford to hire people for that purpose. Nor do they (as I believe) well under- stand how to rost [rot ?] and dress it. Tarr Pitch and Turpentine may be got here, but more plentifully in some of the other Northern Collonys, in greater quantitys than can be made use of by the Navy or Nation of Great Britain, if the price at home will encourage it, which I am informed it has not done for several years past, notwithstanding the bounty allowed on the importation. I am told your Lordships formerly sent hither the method used in Russia for making of Tar and that upon tryal thereof it was found not to answer here, which is attributed more to the difference of the nature of their pitch pine and that of this Country, than to the unskillfulness of our people. 724 TRADE AND MANUFACTURES OF In the Jerseys is an extraordinary' rich mine and some others ure discovered there which afford a good prospect but in this Pro- vince none have as yet been discovered, tho' a good deal of money has been expended in search of them. Some lead mines have been found in several parts of this Collony but they hitherto not by farr quitted the cost expended on them, and if they happen to prove good, I believe the proprietor -will rather send it home in Oar than be at the charge to erect smelt houses here. We have a great many Iron mines both of the bogg, and of the Mountain Oar but as yet no Iron Work is set up in this province if any encouragement was given upon the importing of it in Piggs and Bars, at least that it might be free of dutys, It is very pro- bable that in a few years the Nation might be amply supplyed from her own Plantations and it is evident that the whole amount thereof w^o'd be paid in the manufactures of Great Britain, who now pays ready money (as I am informed) for greatest part of the Iron It has from Sweden I am informed that w^hen the Dutch were in possession of this Collony they sett up a Pottash work at vast expence but found it wo'd not answer, about twenty five years agoe it was attempted here again at the expense of a Gentleman in London but dropt for the same reason, and a like essay is lately set on foot in Jersey; which it is feared will be attended with the same fate. THE PROVINCE OF NEW- YORK. 1-H ^ .J, « « s « C o « tl ^ H 5 S « rt gj i/j s fc, O 4) 3 S o c, to , O 1 -73 O o S a> — CO I ^ C) *5 S O O ^ S 5 s G a CC;2 o o « r CO J 03 >co5 ^ :s .2 £ -7; •- (u O ^ o ^ " t3 d 1: 2=^ fee to 33 « o *• <0 12 2 « § 5^ Pi o c « W oT • 1h ♦J '"^ ^ Q< -S^ ° « ^ ^ S to to^ O, g o " «^ 5 o P S P eS I « fl O^ OrH I O in -M , >^ OtS «.S fl « o O I- £3 CU .ti S CO ^ ^ 43 (D ^ CO i, U .a Cm o ^. o o Si 11 o «- Sao « « 0-, ft >C! cj 726 TRADE AND MANU ACTURV:^ OF THE PROVINCE OF NEW- YORK. 727 NEW YORK IN AMERICA. THE REFERRED QUERIES FROM THE LORDS OF TRADE AND PLANTA- TIONS ; AND THE REQUIRED ANSWER FROM THE BOOKS OF REPORTS AND ENTRIES IN THE CUSTOM HOUSE AT ITS PORT BY DIRECTION OF THE GOyr OF THIS HIS MAJESTY's PROVINCE. 1749. [Lond. Doc. XXIX.] Qre. What is the Trade of the Province, the Number of Shiping, their Tonage and the number of Seafaring Men with the respective Increase or Diminution within the years past 1 What Quantity and Sorts of British Manufactures do the Inhabitants Annually take from hence ? What trade has the Province with any Foreign Plantations or any part of Europe besides Great Britain ? How is that Trade caryed on '? What Commodities do the People send to and receive from Foreign Plantations ? What methods are there used to prevent Illegal Trade and are the same effectual 1 Ansr. The Inward Trading in General is from Great Britain, European Goods, & those India with Silk Manufactures chiefly. From Ireland Linnen and Canvas Manufarturies certified duly. From British Colonies, enumerated Commodities, Piemento, Sul[>hur, Strawplating, Lime juice, Colfee growth thereof. Hides, Deer Skins, Conch Shells, Mahogonie, Plank, Ebonie, & Negros. From Europe and Africa, besides from English Foreign Settle- ments in America, Salt. From the African Coast within the proper limits Directed, Negros : now less than formerly. From the Northern & Southern parts of this Continent ; Fish, Oil, Bluber, Whale fins. Turpentine oil. Seal Skins, Hops, Cyder, Flax, Bricks, Cole, Lamp Black, certain wrought Iron, Tin & Braziery, Joinery, various Carriages and Chairs. From Planta- tions not under his May^ Dominions, Molasses, Sugar, & Rum in no great Quantitys, since the Act imposing the new Dutys thereon, Lign. Vitse, Drugs, Logwood and other Dying Wood, Indico, Cocoa Nutts, Cotton Wool, Snuff &ca. And the Outward is to London and its Outports, the latter more seldom, Naval Stores, Copper Ore, Furs and other the enumerated species, with the 728 TKADK AHiD xMANO FACTURES OF legal Import of divers Mercantile Wares, Plantation Iron, Oil, Spermaceti, Whale Fins, Lime Juice, Shruflf, [snufF ?] Myrtle Candles, Mahogany & W. Inut planks, Reeds & Drugs. To Ireland Flax Seed, Rum, Sugar, being Prise effects, and Staves. ■To sevi Parts in Europe, Grain, Hides, Deer & Elk Skins, Ox Horns, Sarsaperila, Indico, Logwood, Cocoa Nutts &ca. And Foreign Produce t Lumber, Moreover Argent Vivum, Coffee, Anatts, Elephant's Teeth, Beewax, Leather, Sarsafrax, Casia- fistula. Wines & other goods as Prise effects hitherto brought and in the Vice admiralty Courts here and els w^here adjudicated upon proper certifying. To Madeira & the Azorts, Grain and other Provisions, BeeWax & Staves. To English Districts North & South of this Continent & West Indies, Provisions, Chocolate, Lumber European & India Goods with those enumerated in the Plantation Trade Acts, and such other Imported here for Convey- ance home regularly To neutral Ports as Curacoa, Suranhaim, & Saint Thomas; Provisions, Lumber, Horses, Sheep, and other live Stock with their Provender. All which are particularized as to the Quantitys and Qualitys in tlu Quarterly Lists of Vessells : the due transmitting whereof to their honours the Commissioners of the Customs from the offices hereat ; thereby may appear within the Queries signifyed time what the Increase or Diminution respectively differenceth ; Therefore upon comparing which it 'I be thus considerate, that the first is somewhat more than the other. As to the Shipping which at present belong here, the Number whereof is 157, the tons for registry 6406 & Navigated with 1228 men of Sea Employ, and for the preventive method of which happening illicite here, such prescribed in the principal Laws and aptly made use of, whereby to effect the same as contrary thereto; so that upon any Breach carefully inquired after by the Deputed Officers, process is issued against the like in the Vice Admiralty, or sometimes in the Courts of Record holden hereat, for recovery of the subjected Penalty on the Committed fraud & abuse. Qre. What is the natural produce of the Country, Staple Com- modities and Manufacture, and what Value thereof in Sterling Money may you actually export ? *^nsr. The production and Manufacture is that the people iji THE PROVINCE OF NEW- YORK. 729 the Country here for many years & yet have their home spun, so termed, of Flax and Wool to supply themselves somewhat with necessaries of Cloathing &c. That for thirty four years or there- abouts, have been raised Linseed & miPd into Oil, Hats, made of beaver Furs, their Exportation prohibited by the act from Michaelmas 1730, also the working of Lampblack. That for nineteen years, Sugar baking and its refining in order to consump- tion here & transportation for other Districts on the Continent & the West Indies upon regular certificate ; And Erecting Six houses latterly that rum and other Spirits may theirein Distillable. That in the said Province are Mines of Lead & Iron ores ; the Manu- facturing of which hath been of late proposed ; likewise Hemp raised ; And that besides there are Grain of all kinds & other Provisions with Tobacco, a small quantity out of soil naturally productive : Yet such with the like hither brought from the Western & Eastern parts of this Continent being Vendible abroad cannot be distinguished as to ascertain the Prices of Annual Export, neither could be practicable if from the seperated Exportness, because their current value according to the Markets in their respective Species vary. G Clinton. New York 23