Another class of " enumerated " commodities was composed, not of the produce of a tropical climate, but of articles of northern growth, such as naval stores, ship-timber, iron, copper, Stc. Of these, likewise, we compelled the importation into Britain exclusively, in consideration of the inadequacy of our own growth for our consumption, and of the advantage of increasing our mercantile navy, by confining to British ships the car riage of articles which might otherwise be brought to u:; in the vessels of foreign countries. In one point, how ever, our colonies enjoyed unlimited freedom— we mean an intercourse with each other. No restraint was im• posed on the navigation from North America to the West India islands, or vice vend, so long as the formet continued a part of our empire. From the spirit that dictated these various acts of the legislature, it is clear, that while we were always willing to fight for our co lonies, and, with our characteristic promptitude in pe cuniary contribution, had no objection to bear the chief part of the burden, we never lost sight of the prospect of a beneficial return in the shape of trade. We calcu latcd, and, as we thought, with unerring policy, that the true plan was to keep the trade almost entirely within ourselves. Hence our resolute adherence to the rule of excluding other nations ; hence also our obstinate pro secution of the war to bring back the Americans to a state of dependence. We had yet to learn that they might become more profitable to us in a separate and in dependent situation ; a point which shall be forthwith illustrated in the concluding part. Sec the General Ob servations on Colonies, p. 615.
We shall next present our readers with several Statis tical Tables relative to our West India colonies.
In Trinidad the number of coloured people has in creased greatly of late years.
II. Proportion of Sugar to the Land and Labour em poyed in its cultivation in our respective Colonies.
In Jamaica, it is computed that, on an average, one half hogshead sugar is raised per acre ; two-thirds per negro.
Dominica, the same.
Grenada, three-fourths hogsh. per negro and per acre. Antigua, one-third hogsh. per acre, and one-half per negro.
St Kitt's, one hogsh. per acre ; one-half per negro. St Vincent's, one hogsh. and one-fourth per acre and per negro.
Tobago, one hogsh. per acre and per negro.
It appears from the above Table, that the average crop of Jamaica considerably exceeds that of all our smaller sugar islands together. This, however, is to be understood of the British settlements only ; for were the crops of the Dutch and French colonies added to those of our Windward Islands, the annual average would con siderably exceed that of Jamaica.
We regret to add, that one of the unfortunate con sequences of our Orders in Council, has been the loss of the market of the United States for our rum, the Ame ricans having resorted to the alternative of making use of their own corn spirit.
The most remarkable feature in this outline is the ex traordinary number of negroes imported into the Dutch colonies. The slaves exported from the Bahamas went
partly to Cuba, partly to the United States.
This statement, short as it is, suffices to s'iew, that although the ships of the outports make, from their number, an appearance nearly equal to those of the me tropolis, the larger portion of the trade remains with the latter. The outport ships frequently make more voyages iii ;:n equal period ; but, on the other hand, their cargoes are, in a considerable part, consigned to' London houses, for whom the outport nu:rehants act as factors.
Our next table is a comprehensive one, and affords the means of estimating the importance of the West India colonies, in regard both to revenue and to the amount which is unnu-ily circulated throuv;h means of their produce.
It must not, however, be concluded, that the surplus of imports over exports, is a clear revenue derived to pro prietors of West India estates resident in Great Britain. Custom-house tables take no account of the very large sums drawn from the mother-country in the shape of bills of exchange, which are paid away by the planters, partly to the Americans for stores, partly to mercantile resi dents in the colonies, for the various wants of the estates. The fact is, that, so far from affording a clear return, there has been a regular drain of British capital to the \Vest Indies since the year 1799. When the cultiva tion of a property has once been undertaken, the plant er has seldom any other alternative than that of carry ing it on at all hazards. In a country so bare of ca pital as our sugar colonies, a solvent purchaser is not often w be found ; and the creditor who has made an advance, must either submit to a heavy loss, or consent to an extension of his loans, with a view to render the land ultimately productive and valuable.
It has been attempted, at different times, to form an estimate of the total value of capital in the British Nest Indies. Such calculations are necessarily vague ; but it is not unimportant to mention, that, from two different estimates, (Sir William Young's common-place book, p. 25.) the result appears about eighty millions sterling. This valuation is to be understood in a very comprehen sive sense, as it comprises negroes, lands, buildings, cat tle, dwellings, and even shipping. We conclude our tables on the subject of sugar produce with a minute of the importations for several years from the East Indies.
IX. East India sugars were expected, twenty years ago, to form a great article of importation ; but it was soon discovered, that, from our settlements at least, they could not be afforded at so low a rate as the West India The insalubrity of our West India colonies is a topic too serious and too important to be passed over ; but we reserve our documents on this head till we come to make some general observations on the nature of col°• nits.