& will for my own part never be concerned in y nor any l

thing of y* nature, but use all the little interest & skill I have to prevent it. •

GOV.

HUNTER TO THE BOARD OF TRADE. 12 N0V R 1715 [Lond. Doc. XX.]

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The Trade of this Province has consisted chiefly of provisions, We may reckon it considerably decreased] since the late Peace, by reason that the Spaniards do not permit our Vessels to come on

their coasts, as they did formerly, having lately, as I am well informed sent several ships, some of

which are French with Spanish Commiss Ils to Guard their Coasts from that Traffick, which formerly we had by private communications with them; and these Provinces raising much more than serves for their own consumption and that of the West Indies, I can think of no solid way of prevents the total decay of Trade, and consequently the ruin of the Provinces but by setting on foot and carrying vigorously the production of Naval Stores, and if hemp were not so bulky a commodity, we

know

experimentally that our swamps and low land will produce as good of that kind as any in the world.

The People of this Town (N. York) and Albany, which make a great part of the Province wear no clothing of their own manufacture, but if the letters mentioned in your Lordships mean the Planters and poorer sort of Country people, the computat" is rather less than more, but the several sorts are coarser than what come from