Another Act in 1676, passed against the Industry of the Quakers, whose Conversion of the Negroes, it was pretended, hazarded the Safety of the Island. They are computed at 80 or 90000, and are countenanced in Polygamy; yet not dangerous, because no Mountains to fly to, Detections and Executions would soon follow their Rebellions. The English are reckoned 20000, the Women among them most Scotch and Irish, very homely, and great Swearers. The Men, contrarily, are very gay, clean, and handsome, from mean Originals, often succeeding with rich Widows; it being but Justice to link a fat Plantation to the truely nauseous Draught of Matrimony.
The way of feeding such a Multitude, and providing Necessaries in an Island yielding little besides Sugar, is principally by their Fisheries and Importations.
The Sea gives them great plenty of flying Fish, Dolphins, Barricuda and King Fish, particularly the first; they bait with their own Specie, which thrown about, the Fish fly in such numbers to the Boats, that they take them up with Dip-nets, and sometimes the Dolphins with them; the Season goes off at the Autumnal Equinox. Their Importations by Ships from England, Ireland, New-England, Pensylvania, Carolina, or New-York, constantly supplying any Defect of Food or Necessaries, every Vessel bringing them something or other of this kind, which the Merchants keep in store and sell the Planters occasionally, who give their Sugars, Rum, and Molosses in return. The Price in what I was acquainted is, viz.
| Bought, | ||||
| Rum | at | 1s. | 2d. | per Gallon. |
| Citron Water | 40 | 0 | ||
| Pickled Pepper | 10 | 0 | ||
| Preserved Ginger | 5 | 0 | per lb. | |
| Sugar, twenty Shillings a hundred; and beforeour Improvements (says Gee) the Portuguesesold for 7 and 8l. a hundred. | ||||
| Cocoa, 3 or 4l. | ||||
| Aloes | 4d. | per lb. | ||
| Sold, | |
| Salt Beef and Pork, 40 Shillings for a Cask of 2 Cwt. | |
| Bisket, 17s. per hundred | |
| Candles, 6½ per lb. &c. | |
| Exchange 30 per Cent. or more. | |
I have heard that the Custom-house Books had one year 35000 Hogsheads of Sugar entred, which at 10l. per Hogshead, amounts to 350000l. Every Acre was supposed 10s. a year Profit to the national Stock of England, besides what the Planter got, and Mouths fed by it; but I must observe, the Crops of late years have very much failed, and put many of them under great Necessities. The Soil fertile in the Age past, seems now growing old, and past its teeming-time; they endeavour to mend this by a few Cattle kept for the sake of Manure; few, I say, because Land imploy’d this way, gives not 1/10 its Value. Wherefore when a thoughtless Man has joined to unlucky Events and Seasons an inadvertent way of living, he falls a Prey to the more astronomical Heads of Factors, who supply him with Food and Necessaries. The Hardships of many Planters at this time, through such Inclemencies, cannot be better laid open to the Reader, than in transcribing part of a Sermon, that I am informed was preached by Command of his Excellency the Governor, May 1734.
A Charity Sermon at Bridgetown,
for the two Parishes, St. Philip, and Christ-Church.
“Here I should have left off, but I am commanded by his Excellency the Governor, to exhort you to that Charity, the Necessity of which has been laid before ye.
“Remember therefore, that one of the ways observed of seeking God is, by obeying the Dictates of his Holy Spirit, that Humanity and Charity undepraved Nature feels towards all that are poor and distressed.