The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-08-30

merce which enables us to pay it.
As there is no commodity raised in the
Colony suitable for the European market,
but the few articles aforementioned; and
as the other goods raised for expectation,
will answer at no market but in the West
Indies, it necessarily follows, that the trade
thilher must be the foundation of all our
commerce. And it is undoubtedly true,
that solely from the prosecution of this
trade, with the other branches that are pur. |
sued in consequence oft, arises the ability !
to pay for such quantities of British goods.
1t appears from the Custom House books
in Newport, that from January 1868, to
January I764, there were lS4 sail of vssels
bound on foreign voyages, that is to Europe,
Africa, and the West-Ind,es; 352 sail of
vessels employed in the coasting trade, that
is, between Georgia and Newfoundland in
clnsiye, which, with the fishing vessels, are
navigated by at least 2,20O seamen.
OF these foreign vessels about $50 are
annually employed in the West-India trade,
which import into this Colony about la 900
hogsheads Of Molasses, whereof quantity
not exceeding 2, 800 hogsheads, come from
all the English Islands together.
1t is this quantity of Molasses which
serves as an engine, in the hands OF the
Merchant, to effect the atpurPose of pay
ing for British Manufactures for part oft
is exported to the Massachusetts-Bay to
New-York, and Pennsylvania, to pay for
British Goods, for provisions, and for many
articles which compose our West-India
cargoes and part to The other Colonies
Southwark of these last mentioned, for such
commodies as serve for remittance imme-
diately to Europe, such as Rice, Naval
Stores, &c. or such as are necessary to en-
able Us to carry on our commerce: the
remainder, (besides what is consumed by
the inhabitants,) is distilled into Rum, and
exported to the coast Of Africa. Nor will
this trade to Africa appear to be of little
consequence, if the following account of it
be considered.
Formerly the negroes upon the coast
were supplied with large quantities of French
Brandys; but in the year 1923, some Mer-
Chants in this Colony first introduced the
use of Rum there, which from small begin
nings soon increased to the consu mptlon of
several thousand hogsheads, yearly, by
which the French are deprived Of the sale
Of an equal quantity of Brandy: and as
the demand for rum is annually increasing
upon the coast, there is the greatest reason
to think, that in few years, if this trade
be not discouraged, the sale of French
Brandys there, will be entirely destroyed.
This little Colony only, for more than thir-
ty years past, have annually sent about le
sail of vessels to the coast, which have car
ried about 800 hogsheads of Rum, togeth-
with small quantity of provisions, and
some other articles, which have been sold
for Slaves, gold dust, Elephants Teeth,
Cam Wood, &c. The, Slaves have been
sold in the English, Islands, in Carolina and
Virginia, for bills Of exchange, and the 9th
> er articles have been sent to Europe and
= by this trade alone, remittances have been
made from this Colony to Great Britain
to the value of about G4O,O00 Sterling
5 yearly and this Rum carried to the coast
" is so far from prejudicing the British trade
y thither, that it may be said rather to pro-
= mote it. For as soon as our Rum vessels
. arrive, they exchange away some Of thu
- Rum, with the traders from Britain, for I
quantity of Dry Goods, with which each o
y them sort their cargoes, to their mutual ad
Is vantage.
D Besides this method Of remittance BY tn
l. Africa trade, we often get bills Of Surinam
RI Berbice, &c. and this happens when tn
, sales of our cargoes amount to more .tha
y a sufficiency to load with Molasses, SO ths
'e in this particular considerable benefit ar
'. ises from the Molasse. trade; for these bill
Ie being paid in Holland, are the means @
drawing from that republic so much cas-
'e yearly, into Great Britain, as these bill
=, amount to.
of From this deduction from the course {
70 our trade, which is founded in exact trut
u it appears, tina, the whole trading stock {
this Colony, in lis beginning, progress an
D. end, is uniformly directed to the paymer
e, Of the debt contracted by the importation {
&c British goods; and it also clearly appear
It. ,hs, without this Trade, il would have bee
n. and always will be, utterly impossible fc
ny the inhabitants OF this Colony to subsi