From Molossus, Distillers make a clean Brandy, and it gives a pretty tasted Spirit to Malt Liquors, boiled and worked in the Tun.
Besides Rum and Sugars, they have Quantities of Ginger, Aloes, Tamarinds, Citron, Cassia, Coloquintida, Cassava, Limes, Oranges, Guavas, Pine-Apples, Mastick, Cedar, Cotton and Palmeto Trees, prickled Pear; but our Apples and Pears, nor any of our Shrub-Fruits, Goose-berry or Currant, will thrive. Of the Potato they make a brisk Small-beer, called Mobby.
About two or three years ago, the low Price of Sugars, that had reduced and beggar’d the Planters, brought on a Complaint, and Bill in Parliament in their favour. They urged, according to the best of my Remembrance, that the northern Colonies, especially New-England, being suffered to trade with the French Islands, was in a great part the Occasion of this, and a Loss to the Nation; for they took off all the French Molossus, which before they had no use for, but sold it our Islands at very low Prices.
The French therefore were helped by this Sale, to afford their Sugars cheaper, and still more enabled by a nearer Way of Living; by the Customs being taken off, allowing them to go thence to any Market, and other Encouragements to undersell, and take the foreign Markets from us, who were clogged with all those Inconveniencies.
The New-England People alledged, their Trade seemed the least essential Article in the Injury complained of; for unless our Islands found means to take off the other Impediments, and bring their Sugars to as cheap, or cheaper Price than the French and Dutch, they would be the same in respect to foreign Markets; and if new Grounds are better, or more wanted in Plantations, there are enough at Jamaica, St. Christopher’s, &c. to redress the Evil. But this is not in their View, say they; the more Lands are employed, the less will be the Value of the present Estates, an impolitick Reduction of all prodigal Expences; for every Island singly, reckon their Happiness in part, not from the flourishing Condition of another, but from Casualties, and bad Seasons; the less quantity there is to answer the Demand, the higher the Price.
Barbados formerly used to buy the French and Dutch Sugars, making all that Trade go through their own hands, till in 1715, laying a Duty turned the Channel, and they would now make up that oversight by imposing their own Price on us.
The Northern Colonies deserve Favour, they think, as vastly superior in Number and Trade, take off more of the Manufactures of England for themselves, and their Trade with the Indians, who exchange Furrs and Pelfry to make Hats; for the same Reason, they want more Molossus to manufacture among themselves, than our Islands can sell, or if they could, cannot take off one quarter of the Lumber, Horses, and refuse Fish, with which we trade with the French, not only for Rum and Molossus (which may as well come to us this way, as through their hands) but sometimes also Money; and without which we have no means of purchasing, nor could get rid of our Produce and Industry, which is very unreasonable.
To lay a Tax of six-pence a Gallon on French Molossus, is the same as a Prohibition, which their Country cannot so easily bear. They take 20000 Hogsheads a year (each 100 Gallons) from the Dutch and French, which is 50000l. whereas they have no Specie to pay it, their Currency being all Paper, and that but 30000l. Besides, it would be the first Tax on a charter’d Colony from England, where they have no Representatives.
Lastly, it was said, the French buy their Negroes, and Sugar-Materials (Mills, Coppers, &c.) 40 per Cent. dearer than us; therefore for our Islands to say they cannot afford as cheap, is to say, they will not abate of their Pride and Luxury, but help to maintain it by a Tax on our more humble Industry.
