The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-05-21
GGfsts 1n1irs.
[ Conelg.fon Of Estrafs tro,r Co56ett'5 Political
RegiRer on J0maiea ConbLainfJ.1

Some perfons have talked (I do not know
that they have ever venturcd to commit their.
opinions to paper) of fupplying Jamaica and
the reft OF the Hands from orr oqvn 2oy,;ris.e.
Upon the face of the matter, let me ak any
man, if he thinks we could fupply them from
England and Ireland IF he really thinks we
have any quartern loaves to fpare And, we
had then, 1t he imagines, that the planters Of
jamaica could find the means of purchsEinp
them No; but might not the illands BIZ fun,
piled from Br1fy6 North america /? With tim
Der, fcantling, boards, fhingles and ftaves thew
might, if in Britiih North America, there wers.
hands enough 10 prepare thoe materials. They
might, too, thence be fupplied with Galt fhad,
behring's, falmon, and cod bat, there wants
the hands to catch and cure, and the veiIcis
to convey them. But as to provfons as to
flour, bifcuit, Indian meal and corn, peafr.
pork and beef, whoever talks of the Wet In.
dies being fupplied with thofe articles from
Britifh North America is 4 dreamer. Our pof.
fellions in North America are; Newfound-
land Nova Scotia New Brunfwick; and
Canada ; all of which, believe, the Iatt except
ed, are 70 far from being able to fuppiy the
Wet Indies with provifons, that they them
felves are indebted for comfortable part of
their provifions to the United States Canada
can export but very little indeed of either flour
or lefh +; and, let it be recolle6ted, befides,
that whatever comes from that province rluft
defend the St. Laurence, the navigation of
which, from Quebec to the mouth, REQUIRES.
upon an average, fpace oftine equa. to that
required in a paiiage from Virginia to jamaica.
Indeed, to talk of fupplyiug the Wet Indies
from our North American colonies is an abiilr-
dity TO be treated with fIent commemorative
whole of the food Of the inhahitants ofthe Wei
Indies does not go from the United States.
part, particularly beef and butter, goes from
Ireland !; but, this is comparatively finaN rot
| exceeding III amount, A tenth part, PERHAPS of
what is fupplied blythe American States. The
iflands, too, produce part Of the food necef-
| fairy FOR the fupport of their inhabitants. It
| would be difficult to come at a very exaG Ell
mate of the amount of the fuppy from eaci,
fource respectively /; but, of the flare which
| the American States has in it fome idea may he
| formed from the contents of a return, prefen-
ted TO the Legislative aiemhy Of JlE1aiea in De-
! cember ia1 from which return it appears, that
the quantity Of American prov,fions, purcha-
| fed for the uft ofthe kings troops, and for the
| kings ihips upon that Ration, in the lpace of
! three years, ending in September lan, was to
| the following enormous amount. Por the
troops 27,453 barrels of flour, amounting TO
1o5,sSIl. For the ihips 1861 cwts. of biz
cult 9O,545 barrels OF Hour; f,422 barrels of
| beef: $50 barrels Of pork 1882 hulhels
of peafe 52,of5bs. Of rice, and 9O,o5slbs. Of
! tobacco. All this in the fpace of only three
years, aud to the kings forces too to thofe
who are to be fuppoled 30 be ever under tie
| fpecisl care Of the government at home, add
whom care is, in fiet, always taken to fupply,
in part at LEAF, with proyfons from the mo-
Their country Let ans one Judge, thea, OF the
degree, in which the Inhabitants of Jamaica are
| fapplied from the American States, and Of The
rain which an interruption ofthe prefent inter-
conrie, nua occaGon to Misunderstanding
4 true approximation Of The cafe, what sar 4. c