the author's further claim to impartiality and candor, having expressed it as his opinion, that, in such a crisis, to suppose in any writer, the bias of interest, in its confined meaning, in any opinion he may publish, must also suppose the absence of common sense." L'on ne vaut dans ce monde que ce que l'ont veut valoir.

It is also observed, a few years must determine the fate of this country, and it can hardly be supposed that merchants, naturally more interested in preserving than in acquiring, should be occupied with collecting a few paltry profits from their trade at the expence of their dearest interest. It would be the folly of a man expecting to get rich by the plunder of his own wreck.' Improbable as this supposition may appear, how often does it happen than when the vessel is in extreme distress, the infatuated crew, instead of uniting in exertion for their general preservation, become insubordinate and regardless of each other's safety, commit excesses, and whilst intoxicated meet their fate, and

Give themselves o'er contentedly to drown.

2

Such, it is to be lamented, has often been the conduct of misguided individuals, who, rather than forego the gratification of their ambition or the furtherance of their own views, have impeded the measures of protection and defence adopted by the state, and suffered the transient feelings of the moment to outweigh more important considerations; regardless of the permanent interests of their country, and the love they ought to have felt for the general welfare. 'Our wisdom must be such, as doth not propose to itself our own particular, the partial and immoderate desire whereof poisoneth wheresoever it taketh place; but the scope and mark, which we are to aim at, is the public and common good.'

3

4

In the passage, particularly referred to, it is stated, a candid consideration of the history of this trade, can leave no doubt on what side the encroachments so much talked of began; instead of imputing the complaints of the Americans to their desire of availing themselves of OUR dangers for the ungenerous purpose of advancing extravagant pretensions; we should rather ACCUSE OURSELVES of taking advantage of the unprotected state of her commerce to harass it by a systematic course of the most arbitrary inconsistency !!'

Again, the respect which is shewn to other classes of the community, is not greater than that borne to the Shipping Interest, and the expressions applied to the exertions of the West-India

Mr. Baring's Introduction, p. 4. 3 Hooker.

2 Bank's Island Queens. 4 Mr. Baring's Examination, p. 97.

merchants, to relieve the depressed state of the planters, as well as to other great commercial bodies, 2 evince such an antipathy to every thing not immediately connected with American interest, that it must produce on the public mind the correct conclusion, that every sacrifice, consistent with national honor, has been made by Great Britain to America, and convince them more strongly of the baneful effect of the system of concession,' which has been so justly and universally reprobated by every true Englishman; whilst the greatest caution and delicacy is observed towards the United States, and not to wound the feelings of the great body of merchants in America, who, honest souls! so little deserve the unjust insinuations in which writers on this subject have so illiberally indulged.' 3

The importance of this subject will, it is trusted, excuse the length of this digression, which may, with some propriety, be concluded in the words of this writer, that, it is to be hoped no minister will be withheld, by political cowardice, from administering equitably and impartially, between the different commercial interests of the country; and that where the encouragement of our shipping requires restriction and monopolies, which I by no means deny, that their efficacy and utility will be thoroughly investigated. ' 4

The other British settlements near to the King's colonies in North-America, are Cape Breton, Prince Edward's Island, and Newfoundland.

CAPE BRETON is separated from Nova Scotia by a narrow strait, called the Gut of Canso, which is the communication between the Atlantic and the Gulf of St. Lawrence; it was ceded to Great Britain in 1763, and erected in 1784 into a separate government: there is a great proportion of arable land in this island, which abounds in timber and hard wood, such as pine, beech, birch, maple, spruce, and fir. The island may be considered as the key to Canada, and the very valuable fisheries in its neighbourhood depend for their protection on the possession of it; as no nation can carry them on without some convenient harbour of strength to supply and protect them, and Louisburgh is the principal one for those purposes.

Great advantages are now derived from the coal mines in this island, which are situated near the entrance of the harbour, the works of which, and the fisheries constitute the chief employment of the inhabitants, but without trading at present directly to the British West India islands both Cape Breton and Prince Edward's

Mr. Baring's Examination, p. 121. 2 Ibid. p. 56.

2 Ibid. p. 168.

4 Ibid. p. 171.

Island serve to increase the exports of Nova Scotia; they likewise supply Newfoundland with cattle, and with proper encouragement, would rival some of the more opulent colonies in articles of agriculture.

Prince Edward's Island is situated in the gulph of St. Lawrence near the northern coast of Nova Scotia, and was formerly called St. John's, but which was changed in 1799 in compliment to his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent. This island abounds with timber of various kinds, beech, birch, particularly the black birch, (betula nigra). It is the largest of the deciduous trees, and is common throughout the island; it is much used in the northern States of America, for ship building; it is nearly of the color of light mahogany, and takes as good a polish.-A few cargoes of this kind of timber have recently been exported from the island to Liverpool and other ports in the North of England, and also to Scotland and Ireland where it is much approved; several attempts have lately been made to introduce it into the London market, but the timber merchants appear to be against it, and they have too much the command of the trade to render it practicable to introduce a new article without their concurrence, unless it is encouraged by bounties, or otherwise promoted by government.-This wood is admirably adapted for stocking fire arms, and is nearly, if not quite, equal to walnut-tree, (which is used for that purpose,) and can be supplied at one third the usual cost of that article.

The other kinds of timber are, alder, maple of different species, namely, the white, red, and the rock or curled maple (acer saccharinum.) The latter is highly beautiful, is close grained, nd susceptible of high polish; that which is called the bird's eye maple, is a variety of this tree, but its chief value at present arises from the great quantity of sugar annually manufactured from its sap; the greatest part of the inhabitants of the island, supplying themselves with all the sugar they consume in this manner, whilst many of them have frequently a great deal to dispose of.

Elm, red-oak (which is to be found in considerable quantities), poplar, swamp-willow, two kinds of ash, several species of the pine, larch, fir and spruce, with several kinds of fruit and flowering shrubs abound in the island.

The fisheries of this island and of Cape Breton may be greatly extended; they consist of the same variety of fish as are found on the coasts of the King's provinces. Cod fish is perhaps no where in greater plenty than on the coast of Prince Edward's Island, the principal fishing ground in the gulph of St. Lawrence being in

See An Account of Prince Edward's Island, by John Stewart, Esq.also Lord Selkirk on Emigration.

sight of its shores, but unfortunately the subjects of the United States reap at present the greatest advantage of the cod-fishery there. Besides the seals which constantly frequent the waters of this island, there is a larger kind brought on the coast annually by the floating ice: they are often taken in great numbers, are very productive, and the oil is usually carried to Halifax or Quebec, where it is sold from 25l. to 321. per ton. '

Sea-cows about thirty years ago were found in great numbers on the northern coast of this island, but they have become scarce, particularly since the American war, when so many American fishermen poured into the gulph and attacked them in the summer, about the Magdalen Islands, that in two or three years the species were nearly destroyed, few having been seen for several years after; however the kind still exists, and they are known to be increasing fast, and if the killing them was under proper regulations they might again become so numerous as to be an object of great consequence, but this never can be the case, while the New England fishermen are allowed to come into the gulph and destroy them.2

The grants to individuals of the Magdalen and other islands are considered to be particularly disadvantageous and injurious to the British fishermen.-It is, however, to be expected that in all future grants, reservations will be contained of liberty to His Majesty's subjects in general, to carry on a free fishery on all the coasts of these islands and of erecting stages and other necessary buildings for that purpose, and that hereafter the American fishermen will not be allowed to enjoy the facilities and advantages, they have derived from being permitted to use, and erect stages and other buildings thereon.

The fisheries of this island, which had been gradually reviving since 1784, promised to become again considerable, and to afford the means of recommencing a trade from thence with the British West India Islands, by which its inhabitants were supplied with colonial produce on moderate terms.3 Several cargoes of fish were likewise annually shipped for the European market, for which British manufactures, salt, and wine were taken in return; besides the cod-fishery, the herring was begun and promised well, and the inhabitants of Prince Edward's Island had obtained a considerable share in the great salmon fisheries carried on in their neighbourhood on the continent: on the whole there was every appearance of extensive and valuable fisheries being established, when, soon after the commencement of the late war, the navigation and

Stewart's Account.

2 Ibid.

3 Ibid.

colonial system was suspended, by which neutrals were admitted to participate in the trade to the British West India Islands. Since then, these fisheries have been nearly given up from want of encouragement, and the articles of export from the island at present consist of wheat, barley, oats, salt pork, butter, furs, seal-oil, and oysters, to Nova Scotia, with live cattle and some timber to Newfoundland, and occasionally a few cargoes of square timber to Great Britain. Flax and hemp thrive well in this island, and every, farmer raises a small quantity yearly, which is applied to domestic uses.' A few individuals are engaged in building ships, which are generally sold in Newfoundland; this business will probably be carried on to a great extent, whenever the Newfoundland fisheries revive, as the great plenty of timber, in this island, and the reasonable rate at which the necessaries of life are obtained, will enable the inhabitants to build at a much cheaper rate than in Newfoundland. Since 1792, the importation of all kinds of provisions into this island has ceased, whilst the export of them has gradually increased. The Newfoundland fishery is of longer standing than those pursued by the inhabitants of the continent of America, and was so considered before the conclusion of the war, which separated the United States from Great Britain. It is not confined to any particular exclusive company, but is an open general British cod-fishery, consisting of many lodges, or commodious harbours. It was discovered by the Cabots in 1507, and taken possession of for the crown of England, which they named Terra de Buccaleos, but did not settle any fishery there. This island abounds with timber proper for shipping and other purposes, but its chief value is the great fishery carried on upon those shoals, which are called the Banks of Newfoundland, which formerly supplied in a great measure Europe and the West Indies with dried cod-fish, but in consequence of the subjects of the United States being allowed the same privileges in fishing on these banks and in the gulph of St. Lawrence, as before they became a distinct and independent state, and from the injurious consequences resulting from the impress of the British seamen employed in it, and the suspension of the colonial system in favor of neutrals, a considerable depression has been produced on the British interest, and this fishery in common with the others in those seas has very much declined; they are, however, still capable of great extension, and claim at this time the peculiar attention and consideration of the legislature of Great Britain.

1 Stewart's account.

Dr. Douglas' Summary, vol. 1. p. 287,—also Reeves's History of the Government of Newfoundland.