weather, or excess of wet weather, hurricanes, blast, vermine, frequently diminish or destroy the hopes of the Planter. The last year exhibited a melancholy example in Barbadoes, many families having been supported by publick contributions, nor is the soil in every plantation capable of producing Corn, although very proper for the Sugar-cane. As to the Leeward Islands, they produce neither Corn nor ground Provisions worth mentioning, except Tortola. Tortola was a Cotton Colony; Cotton and Corn are not inconsistent. Tortola began to make Sugar within my remembrance; and there is reason to believe the whole country is not yet engrossed by Sugar-cane. From this view of the Sugar Colony, in the light of a manufacture, where the soil, as well as the labour is employed in the manufacture, it follows, that such Colonies must depend, in proportion to the extensiveness of the manufacture, upon other places for necessary food, for actual subsistence. The observation applies to Jamaica, and to the Islands under the Granada Government.

Q. From what places do the Sugar Colonies draw food for subsistence?

A. They are not many; Great Britain, Ireland, North America. From Great Britain, the Sugar Colonies receive a little salted Fish, Pilchards from the West, Herrings from the North. As to Corn, they receive no Wheat in Grain, and a mere trifle in Flour. The Flour during the three years, from 1771 to 1773, may be shown to have been under four quarters, upon the whole to all the West Indies. It may be shown that the Beans and Peas together do not exceed thirteen thousand quarters, nor the Oats nineteen thousand; and even this importation, small as it is, is owing to a particular circumstance: it is, that the Indian Corn of North America, the great supply of the west Indies, soon perishes in a hot and moist climate; and as the trade is carried on from different Provinces, it is unconnected, unconcerted, dependent upon the opportunities, upon the caprices of individuals; dependent upon accident of winds and weather; it is therefore, in its nature irregular, A fortuitous combination sometimes increases the irregularity to such a degree, as to reduce a particular Colony to a real, though temporary distress. Beans, Peas, and Oats, being capable of a longer resistence against putrefaction than the Indian Corn from North America, the Sugar Colonies, especially the Leeward Islands, who have the fewest internal resources, do therefore make some provision in these articles against that temporary distress; so delicately strained already is the string, which is now threatened with a rough and unremitting violence. I purposely forbear other articles of food from Great Britain, intended for the use of people of some condition, Hams, Cheese, and the like; they belong properly to the general commerce of Great Britain with the West Indies. I confine myself at present to necessary food. Ireland furnishes a large quantity of salted Beef, Pork, Butter, and Herrings, but no Grain. North America supplies all the rest, both Corn and Provisions. North America is truly the granary of the West Indies; from thence they draw the great quantities of Flour and Biscuit for the use of one class of people, and of Indian Corn for the support of all the others; for the support not of Man only, but of every animal; for the use of Man, Horses, Swine, Sheep, Poultry. North America also furnishes the West Indies with Rice. Rice, a more expensive diet, and less capable of sustaining the body under hard labour, is of a more limited consumption, but is a necessary indulgence for the young, the sick, the weakly, amongst the common people and the Negroes. North America: not only furnishes the West Indies with Bread, but with Meat, with Sheep, with Poultry, and some live Cattle; but the demand for these is infinitely short of the demand for the salted Beef, Pork, and Fish. Salted Fish, (if the expression may be permitted in contrast with Bread) is the meat of all the lower ranks of people in Barbadoes, and the Leeward. Islands. It is the meat of all the Slaves in all the West Indies. Nor is it disdained by persons of better condition. The North American navigation also furnishes the Sugar Colonies with Salt from Turks Island, Sal Tortuga and Anguilla; although these Islands are themselves a part of the West Indies. The testimony which some experience has enabled me to bear, you will find confirmed, sir, by official accounts. The same accounts will distinguish the source of the principal, the great supply of Corn and Provisions. They will fix it precisely in the Middle Colonies of North America; in those Colonies, who have made a publick Agreement in their Congress, to withhold all their supplies after the tenth of next September. How far that Agreement may be precipitated in its execution, may be retarded or frustrated, it is for the wisdom of Parliament to consider: but if it is persisted in, I am well founded to Say, that nothing will save Barbadoes and the Leeward Islands from the dreadful consequences of absolute famine. I repeat the famine will not be prevented. The distress will fall upon them suddenly; they will be overwhelmed with it, before they can turn themselves about to look out for relief what a scene! when rapine, stimulated by hunger, has broken down all scenes, confounded the rich with the poor, and levelled the free man with his slave! The distress will be sudden. The body of the people do not look forward to distant events; if they should do this, they will put their trust in the wisdom of Parliament. Suppose them to be less confident in the wisdom of Parliament, they are destitute of the means of purchasing an extraordinary stock. Suppose them possessed of the means; a very extraordinary stock is not to be found at market. There is a plain reason in the nature of the thing, which prevents any extraordinary stock at market, and which would forbid the Planter from laying it in, if there was: it is, that the objects of it are perishable. In those climates the Flour will not keep above six or eight weeks; the Indian Corn decays in three months; and all the North American Provisions fit only for present use.

Q. If the West Indies are deprived of their usual supplies of Corn and Provisions from the Middle Colonies of North America, are there no resources by which the deficiency may be made good?

A. I will examine the resources I have heard mentioned. Great Britain cannot increase her exportation of Corn and Provisions to the West Indies; for she would increase a scarcity at home already complained of: notwithstanding the assistance she largely receives herself, particularly in Wheat and Flour from North America. Ireland has other markets to furnish besides the West Indies; these markets will not suffer themselves to be deprived of their usual share, beyond a certain limited degree; a degree too limited to supply the whole West India consumption. The Colonies at the Southern extremity of America, the two Floridas, are not able to feed themselevs; and Georgia, a small country, is said to have acceded to the Congress. At the Northern extremity, St. John's is in its infancy. From Nova Scotia, the West Indies receive some small supplies. As to the salted Fish from Newfoundland, it is Fish from New England; it is taken upon the banks by the New England people chiefly; who are to have none to send us, unless the Fishery Bill should operate a submission, or have no operation at all. Canada, sir, produces not Indian Corn. In the hands of Great Britain, and under English laws, it has exported Wheat;* but the quantity is neither equal to the demand of the West Indies, nor is it prepared for the West India market; but all these are expedients for a distant day. In future times from all these countries, according to their several natures, a constant and regular demand will create a constant and regular supply. It is impossible; it is inconsistent with the nature of commerce to furnish an adequate supply to a vast, an immediate, and an unexpected demand; the demand and the supply must grow up together, mutually supporting and supported by each other. One more expedient remains; it is distant like the rest it will be effectual, but it will be ruinous; it is to change our system. We must abandon the manufacture, and apply the land and labour now appropriated to the manufacture to the purposes of raising food. The undone remnant of the people who shall not have fallen victims to the intermediate famine, may thus provide against it for the time to come. I flatter myself, sir, I have shown from a deduction of facts the dependence of Barbadoes and the Leeward Islands upon North America for subsistence. I leave it to gentlemen of more intimate knowledge of the state of Jamaica than I can pretend to, to show that a relation of the same kind, and if not to the same extent, yet far beyond the common opinion, subsist between that great

* Eighty thousand quarters. This sentence is not in the evidence.