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ing the amount of these importations with the whole produce of our North American colonies, we shall be able to judge how far these colonies are likely to supply the wants of our West India islands.

The average importation of the West Indies, for the three years, ending 1806, was

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OAK and PINE BOARDS and 'T'IMBER. Feet.

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* An attentive perusal of the preceding statements will shew how much the West India islands are at present beholden to the United States for their supplies. In some articles, such as bread, flour, and rice, the States have a decided advantage: these are of a superior quality; besides, their vicinity lessens the expence of carriage. These articles might, no doubt, be carried in British bottoms, instead of American; but they will probably be always furnished cheaper from the States than from our provinces, even supposing the quantity could be procured. This may be the case in the course of a few years, though, at present,

* For a more detailed account of the imports to the West Indies, see appendix.

it appears that there is more flour and biscuit consumed in the West Indies, than the whole exportation from our North American colonies.

Beef and pork, though supplied at present by the United States, to the extent of near half the consumption of the West Indies, may certainly be supplied by Great Britain and her colonies, particularly in time of peace, when the great consumption of the navy will in some measure cease.Besides, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Canada, afford abundance of fine pasture, particularly some of the islands in the St. Lawrence, which abound with salt marshes, yielding plenty of luxuriant grass and hay, such as the Isle au Grue, where there are salt marshes of many miles extent, and where many thousand head of cattle might be fed all the year round.— Even now, both summer and winter feeding is carried on there to a considerable extent. Although it appears that nearly one half of the fish used in the West Indies is furnished by America, yet there can be no doubt that the whole might be got from our own provinces, were the Americans

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