COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES.

The commerce of the Floridas, though at present comparatively insignificant, is nevertheless entitled to particular notice, both on account of its former consequence, and the resources which the increase of an industrious people will develope by the cultivation of the soil, as well as by the discovery of new objects of commercial enterprise.

It is said that the want of water on the different bars is an almost insurmountable barrier to the advancement of commerce; this, like the too common representation of the barrenness of the soil, would leave nothing for expectation from those territories, but expense to the nation, and disappointment to individuals.

The futility of the assertions can be established, and numerous other vague reports can be easily controverted, by reference to the accounts of the former productions of the country, and by adverting to the bounteous provisions made by nature, in affording spacious harbours on the western side of the Peninsula; while mechanism and art can, with very little exertion and expense, improve the navigation along the Eastern coast, which is every where accessible to craft drawing eight feet, at St. Mary's eighteen feet, and St. John's twelve feet.

From the subjoined statements, it is evident, that commerce was carried on with Florida, although to a very limited extent, before the American war; during which it increased, until the evacuation placed it in the hands of a government that may be denominated anti-commercial. When the trade was carried on by a few regular traders, the amount of imports and exports to and from Great Bri

There was a bounty upon Indigo raised in the province. In 1770 there were fifty schooners and sloops entered at the custom house of St. Augustine, from the Northern Provinces and West Indies, besides several square rigged vessels in the trade to London and Liverpool.

General imports in 1771 were, 54 pipes Maderia wine, 170 puncheons rum, 1660 barrels of flour, 1000 barrels of beef and pork, 339 firkins of butter, and 11,011 pounds of loaf sugar, in twenty-nine vessels; of which there were from London, 5;

New-York, 7; Charleston, 11; and other places, 6. There were, also, imported into the Province about one, thousand negroes, of which one hundred and nineteen were from Africa.

The Indigo received by the Beaufain, in March, 1772, from East Florida, was sold at Garraway's Coffee House; one parcel averaged 7s 114d, and some belonging to H. Strachey, Esq. M. P. sold for 11s 9d. This circumstance is sufficient to remove all doubts, if any existed, of the superior quality of the Florida indigo : it is said to be equal to the Caraccas Flotant.

The annual average of the expenses of East Florida to Great Britain, from 1st January, 1779, to 1st January, 1782, was 122,6667. 13s. 4d. sterling, while those of West Florida, for the same period was 404,750l. sterling, without including those of the navy or army.

In 1782 there were 20,000 barrels of turpentine shipped from St. Johns by a contractor with the British government, which allowed a bounty of ten shillings sterling per barrel—an amount surpassing the value ordinarily at the place of manufacture. Yet it is sold for exportation in St. Augustine, at thirty-six shillings sterling per barrel, so that every barrel cost at least forty-six shillings sterling at the place of embarkation, besides mercantile profit.

If British enterprize and policy were exerted in promoting the commerce of the Floridas, by offering bounties upon exports and encouragement to settlers, those of Spain have had a contrary effect, as those provinces have remained without either, under the latter government.

The articles of export will be found under the head of

productions. Those of imports may be counted similar to those for the states of Georgia, with the addition of such articles as may be necessary for the culture and manufacture of the tropical productions in a greater extent. To these may be added a very important branch of commerce of both import and export, the produce of the numerous wrecks on the peninsula, which at present affords employ for sixty vessels, and subsistence for at least 500 Bahama fishermen, besides a considerable revenue to that government, and other local advantages to its inhabitants, which to many of them are their chief, if not their only support. Such is their dependence, that the whole population of those islands, said to be 4000 whites and 11,000 blacks, must revert to Florida, unless Cuba should fall into the possession of Great Britain, in which last case, the large slave holders promise themselves the advantages of settlements in that island; an event to which they look with anticipated satisfaction, while sounder politicians consider the inhabitants of Cuba too much enlightened to change the Spanish yoke for that of any other European power; and such has been the calculation, that some of them have deferred availing themselves of the royal favour to transport their slaves to Demarara, or other newly acquired colony, under the British dominions, until the fate of Cuba shall be known.

Whether the commercial restrictions imposed by the uniform system of the Spanish government proceeded from errors or defects in the judgment of its leaders, is not material at the present day; but such has been its aversion to any open trade in the colonies, and such the consequent encour

agement to an illicit one, that, for fear of rendering Florida an avenue for foreigners to its ulterior possessions, or of immediate use to the United States, they have preferred cramping the inhabitants by the enforcement of laws repulsive in fact, although ostensibly for the benefit of both merchant and agriculturalist.

If reference was had to the exports from Florida, during the embargo, non-intercourse, and war of the United States, they would be found of immense value, and of extraordinary amount, by those who were unacquainted with the nature of the smuggling trade, in which the produce of the United States bore a very conspicuous part; particularly the articles of cotton, rice, flour and tobacco, which were transported coastwise, and passed as the growth of Florida. It would be as fruitless as unimportant to seek for returns of the actual amount; yet it is upon record,* that the exports from the United States to Florida, from the 1st October, 1814, to 1st September, 1815, amounted to $849,341, of which only $2,379 appear to have been foreign goods; the remainder consequently domestic produce. Those from October, 1816, to October, 1817, were, domestic $130,789, foreign $25,699.

It may be necessary to remark, that as no goods exported to Florida from the United States are entitled to drawback, some foreign goods may have been included in those considered domestic.

A commerce thus established, must be viewed in no other

*. Dr. Seybert.