THe great and unspeakable Advantage the West-India Planta­tions are to England, is so well known, that it needs no de­monstration to prove it. The only thing Necessary, is to endeavour to improve and increase this mighty advantage­ous Trade, by securing them from the Insults of their Enemies, and enabling them to make larger quantities of the Commodities of those Colonies.

Now the means most conducive thereunto will be to make the Trade to Affrica open and free for all the Native Subjects of England, which Trade for Slaves is chiefly from Acra to Angola, and contains a­bout 1200 Miles Sea-cost, in which extent the present Affrican Com­pany have neither Fort, Castle, nor Factory; so that they have not the least colour for a Pretence to an exclusive Right of Trade into those Parts.

It is well known, that the Riches of the Plantations consists in Slaves chiefly, by whose strength and labour all their Commodities, as To­bacco, Sugar, Cotton, Indigo, Ginger, &c. are produced; and the more Slaves those Plantations are supplyed with, the more Commodities are made, and the stronger they are to defend themselves against any In­sults. Neither can there be any more danger of being over-stockt with Negroes, than there is that too much Tobacco, Sugar, &c. should be sent to England; for it is a plain consequence, the more Negroes the more Goods will be produced, the more Goods the more Custom paid, and all those Commodities rendered here at home so cheap as will enable this Nation to send them abroad cheap also, to the great discouraging of the Plantation-Trade of all other Nations. Wherefore it is very plain, that a large supply of Negroes will not only bring great Riches to this Kingdom, but will also greatly Increase our Navigation.

Whereas on the contrary, should the Affrican Trade be inclosed, and confin'd to the Wills and Powers of a Company, the consequence would prove as fatal to the Plantations as a Power given to one Person in Eng­land to supply the Gardners with Servants, and the Farmers and Carriers [Page 2]with Horses: It is not to be doubted that the one would be constrain­ed to pay yearly for his Servants as much as his Years product would amount to, and the other for his Team as much as the Rent of his Farm, which would prove great Discouragements to their Labour and Industry. This may we reasonably suppose would be the Case of the Planters in the West-Indies, were there but one Person that must sup­ply them with Slaves, they being so extreamly Necessary, that it is im­possible to live without them, every Man being rich or poor according to his Stock in Slaves. A Man that may be Proprietor of 10000 Acres of Land, would still be poor had he no stock of Negroes to employ upon it.

It might be fairly Objected, That the present Affrican Company have carryed on their Trade but very imperfectly as to their own Advantage, (notwithstanding that was all the Design they aimed at) as may be plainly proved from the Care they have taken to supply all the Plantati­tions, it being very well known that they have not for these 20 Years or more sent one Ships-loading of Negroes to Virginia nor Maryland, which are two very large Countreys, and capable of making twice as much To­bacco as they now do, were they but well supplyed with Negroes.

Every Negro that is sent into those Plantations, makes as much To­bacco yearly as pays from 30 l. to 40 l. Sterl. Custom, but the Compa­ny think that is not material to their Stock: They understand the Peo­ple are generally poor, and therefore will not venture to trust them; whereas at the same time private Men have, (tho' with the hazard of being seized by the Companies Agents) and had it not been for that Supply those Countries had been in a much worse Condition than at present they are.

To further demonstrate what before is hinted at, that the Company have no Forts, Castles nor Factories from Acra to Angola, nor do they suppose them necessary to carry on the Slave-Trade, is plainly proved from their own Practice and Management of that Trade, for when they design a Ship to trade for Slaves, they put a Lee-ward Cargo (as they term it) on board the Ship, and give the Master or the chief Officer of the Ship full power to dispose, barter and sell the said Cargo for their Accounts, allowing them a Commission of 4 per Cent. for dispo­sing of the said Cargo, taking on board the Negroes, and delivering them to their Factors in the Plantations, who have usually been the Gover­nours of those Places, who have disposed of the Negroes not always to the poor Planters liking, but necessity hath no law, so must submit to the Will and Pleasure of their Superiours.

Now this great and growing Evil can only be prevented by permitting more Sellers of Negroes than one, wherefore since it is evidently demon­strable, that it is no charge to carry on and manage the Slave-Trade, and of what great Concern it is to encourage and support the English Plantations, whereby the Navigation of the Kingdom, Revennues of the Crown, and the General Good of this Nation is so much advanced, there­fore it is humbly hoped that the Trade from Acra to Angola inclusive may be henceforth judged and allowed to be free and open for all the Subjects of this Kingdom.