Italy.To the several Parts of Italy we send great Quantities of Lead and other our Product, and many Sorts of Woollen Manufactures, but chiefly those made of Worsted; also Fish, and Sugars, both white and brown, the last principally to Venice; We bring thence raw and thrown Silk, and Red-Wooll; also Oyl and Soap, (of the latter we now make a great deal in England,) both used in Working up our Wool, some Paper, Currants, and other things.
Both Venice and Genoa have made some Attempts on a Woollen Manufacture, being furnished with Wool from Alicant, and those Eastern Parts of Spain; wrought Silks and Glass are not so much imported thence as the formerly were, since we have fallen on making them here.
Holland.The Dutch likewise Buy many of our Manufactures, and much of our Product, as Coals, Butter, Lead, Tin, besides things of smaller Value, such as Clay, Redding, &c. which are exported to Holland, not only for their own use, but being a Mart of Trade for Germany, they disperse them for the Expence of those Countries; among whom they also Vend our West-India Commodities, such as Sugar, Tobacco, Indigo, Logwood, Fustick, Ginger, Cotton-Wool, besides what they use themselves; they are an industrious People, but having little Land, want Product of their own to Trade on, except what they raise by their Fisheries, or bring from the East-Indies, whereof Spices and Salt-Petre are many times admitted to be brought hither, tho’ contrary to the Act of Navigation; indeed the Trade of the Dutch consists rather in Buying and Selling than Manufactures, most of their Profits arising from that, and the Freights they make of their Ships; which being Built for Burthen, are imployed generally in a Home-Trade, for bulky Commodities, such as Salt from St. Ubes to the Baltick, Timber, Hemp, Corn, Pitch, and such sorts of Goods thence to their own Country, which Ships they Sail with few Hands; and this, together with Lowness of Interest, enables them to afford those Commodities at such Rates, that they are often fetcht from them by other Nations, cheaper then they could do it from the Places of their Growth, all charges considered: ’Tis strange to see how these People Buz up and down among themselves, the Greatness of whose Numbers causes a vast Expence, and that Expence must be supplied from Abroad, so one Man gets by another, and they find by Experience, that as a Multitude of People brings Profit to the Government, so it creates Imployment to each other; besides they Invent new ways of Trade, by selling, not only Things they have, but those they have not, great Quantities of Brandy and other Commodities being disposed of every Year, which are never intended to be delivered, only the Buyer and Seller get or loose, according to the Rates it bears at the time agreed on to make good the Bargain; such a Commerce to this Kingdom would be of little Advantage, and would not advance its Wealth more than Stock-jobbing, our Profits depending on the improving our Product and Manufactures; but that Government raising its Income by the Multitude of its Inhabitants, who pay on all they eat, drink and wear, and almost on every thing they do, cares not so much by what Methods each Person gets, as that they have People to pay; which are never wanting from all Nations, for as one goes away, another comes, and every temporary Resident advances their Revenue; therefore to increase their Numbers, they make the Terms of Trade easy; contrary to the Customs of Cities and private Corporations with us, the Narrowness of whose Charters discourages Industry, and hinders Improvements both in Handicrafts and Manufactures, because they exclude better Artists from their Societies, unless they purchase their Freedoms at unreasonable Rates.
Hamburgh.HAMBURGH is another Market for our Manufactures; this City vends great Quantities of our Cloth, as also Tobacco, Sugars, and other Plantation Commodities, together with several of our Products, which are also thence sent into Germany; from whence we have in Return Linnens, Linnen-yarn, and other Commodities, very necessary both for the Use of our selves and of our Plantations, and little interferring with our own Manufactures.
Poland.POLAND also takes off many of our Manufacturers, wherewith it is supplied chiefly from Dantzick, whither they are first carried, and thence disperst into all Parts of that Kingdom, which hath but little Wool of its own, and that chiefly in Ukrania; but the Expence of our Cloth hath been lessened there, since Silesia, and the adjoining Parts of Germany, have turn’d their Looms to that Commodity, occasioned by our disusing their Linnens, and wearing Callicoes in their Room; we have thence some Linnens, also Potashes.
Russia.RUSSIA is likewise supplied by way of St. Angelo, with our Woollen Manufactures, and other Things, also with some Tobacco; but the Sale of the latter is decreased, occasioned (as I am informed) by the Indiscretion of our Merchants that imported it; who putting an excessive Price thereon, caused the Czar to encourage the Planting it in his Dominions, which being very large, and reaching from the Mare Album Northward, to the Caspian Sea Southward, besides its vast Extent from East to West, affords Climates enough proper for it; by which means, we are in danger of losing the Sale of that Commodity, so profitable to the Nation, which we might have continued, if they had not been too covetous at first: We have in Return from thence, Hemp, Potashes, Russia Hides, with some Linnen, and other Commodities, both useful at Home, and fit to be carried abroad.
Sweden.SWEDEN and its Territories, takes off great Quantities of our Manufactures, both fine and coarse, and some of our Product, besides Tobacco and Sugars, and other Plantation Goods; but the Sale of our Cloth hath been lessen’d there, occasion’d by their loading it with great Duties, on purpose to encourage a Manufacture of their own; their Wool is coarse, so consequently the Cloth made thereof must be ordinary; however, the late King encouraged the Wearing it, by his own Example, and thought it the Interest of his Kingdom so to do: Yet all sorts of Serges, Stuffs, and Perpets are carried thither, and I think as freely as before; from thence we have Copper, Iron, and some other Things.
Denmark and Norway.DENMARK is supplied from us with Woollen Manufactures, yet takes no great Quantities, and Norway less, the People of the latter being generally poor; some Tobacco and Sugar is also shipp’d hence and spent amongst them.
From these three last Northern Kingdoms we are furnished with Pitch, Tar, Hemp, Masts, Baulks, and Deal boards, all very useful to us, and without which, we can’t carry on our Navigation, and therefore we must have them, though purchas’d with Money; but the Parliament having encouraged the Importation of some of them from our Plantations on the Continent of America, our Dependence on them for those Things, will in all probability be lessened every Year: I look on any thing that saves our Timber, to be an Advantage to the Nation, which Baulks and Boards do.
France.The French Trade hath every Age grown less profitable to our Woollen Manufacturers, as the Inhabitants make wherewith to supply, both themselves and other Nations, which they could not do, were they not furnished with Wool from hence and Ireland, their own being unfit to work by it self: Nor doth France spend much of the Growth and Product, either of this Kingdom, or of our Plantations, and furnishes us with nothing to be manufactured here, so that the Trade we drive thither, turns only to their Advantage; which being generally for Things consumed among ourselves, and our Imports exceeding our Exports, must needs be Loss to the Kingdom; but if the Linnen Manufacture can be settled in Scotland and Ireland, Paper, Distilling, and Silk Manufactures, encouraged here, the Ballance will soon be altered, especially since the Portuguese have made such Improvements in their Wines; only their Salt we shall still want for our Fisheries.