292 Assembly Proceedings, August 19-September 6, 1731.

U. H. J.

of the Portuguese Islands sometimes one or two some times three
in a year, And for severall years none.
This Province has very little Trade with any part of Europe
besides Great Brittain & that Confined to a few Voyages by three or
four Small Vessells in Severall Years past to Lisbon which carried
Grain and Lumber thither.
All the Commodities ever Exported to and Imported from any of
the Foreign Plantations belonging to the French and Dutch, by the
Inhabitants of this Province that we could learn has only been the
lading of the small Vessell already mentioned which carried Lumber
& provisions & brought back Mellasses, Save that some times when
Vessells have been Disappointed of their lading in his Majesties
Colonies they have taken in some Salt in the said foreign Plantations.
The Trade to Madeira and other Portuguese Islands has been
more Considerable: Some times one Small Vessell and some times
two or three but never more that we can learn (belonging to this
Province) have gone thither in a year; which Vessells have carried
wheat Indian Corne & other Provisions and Staves, and brought back
Madeira & other wines of the produce of those Islands and Salt.
As to Vessells belonging to other parts of His Majesties Dominions
whose ladings are purchased in this Province we cannot give any
Account of them.

p. 154

The Climate here is Moderate and the Soile productive of all Sorts
of Grain & many Sorts of fruit and has great Quantitys of valuable
Timber & in many places good pasturage, And the Rivers and Bay
full of great Variety of fish especially Herrings But the Inhabitants
ever since the first Settlement of this Country have Applied them-
selves principally to the making Tobacco which is our only Staple
Neglecting Manufactures & Tillage when Tobacco has been valua-
able, The produce of that Commodity alone being then Sufficient
to Supply the People with Cloathing & other Necessarys in Great
plenty from Great Brittain with an Overplus in money which has
alwayes been lodged there not only as the Securest but the most
advantagous Repository whence the People could be Supplyed with
every thing for their own use or for Traffick, Hence it has happened
that the People have received very little Advantage from a Mod-
erate Climate & a fertile and fruitfull Soil, besides provisions & the
produce of their Tobacco which for severall Years past has really
been so very low that it would not Supply the Inhabitants with
one halfe of the Necessarys of Life and the Expectation of an
Amendment has occasioned their continuing in the old beaten
Tract so long that they are now reduced to an Incapacity to carry
on any considerable Trade or Manufactures; It is true that Extreme
want and Necessity have driven some of the Poorer Sort of People