Experience teaches that slaves, in consequence of the scarcity of money in Brazil, do not fetch as much cash as the Company expends in goods, outfit and freight inclusive; so that the maintenance of the garrisons in Angola is mostly become a charge to the Company, and in consequence of giving credit for the slaves, without getting prompt payment in sugars or other returns from Brazil, the Chambers have very suddenly ceased and abandoned the sending of new cargoes; for nofc-a ship has been sent thither by any of the Chambers now within the space of eighteen months. And though new capital were furnished for the purpose, there is no certainty that the Company would fare better in future, except yearly cargoes be again provided to be bartered

;

244 NEW- YORK COLONIAL MANUSCRIPTS. in Guinea for two to three thousand slaves to be sold on their own account. The next means would be to open the Angola slave trade to individuals on these or similar conditions, to wit that they convey cargoes in their own ships to Loando St. Paulo, there to be exclianged for slaves either by their own factors or by the Portuguese traders who may resort thither under our obedience, and export those slaves with the Director's knowledge, upon certain duty and toll in their own ships to Brazil and even elsewhere, to be sold or credited there to the Seigniors of plantations. And were this means deemed useful not alone to relieve the Company henceforth from this disbursement and risk, but also to induce private individuals anew to hazard some more capital for the advancement of agriculture, and by the benefiting of one country through means of the other, furnisii the inhabitants and Traders with greater hope of profit; it is apparent that a greater number of slaves will be introduced by individual traders, who will spread themselves far and near, than has been as yet done by the Company, which has received only as many as the Blackamoors (Mouhierse) and the Portuguese brought them from Massangano, on which no certain calculation can be made ; consequently the duties and tolls for the support of the garrisons in Angola would produce more than the profit the Company could calculate on from so small a number of slaves as hath been traded for some time past.