Page:Notes on the State of Virginia (1802).djvu/246

232 It is not eaſy to ſay what are the articles either of neceſity, comfort, or luxury, which we cannot raiſe, and which we therefore ſhall be under a neceſſity of importing from abroad, as every thing hardier than the olive, and as hardy as the fig, may be raiſed here in the open air. Sugar, coffee and tea, indeed, are not between theſe limits; and habit having placed them among the neceſſaries of life with the wealthy part of our citizens, as long as theſe habits remain we muſt go for them to thoſe countries which are able to furniſh them.

 

HE weights, meaſures, and the currency of the hard money? Some details relating to exchange with Europe?

Our weights and meaſures are the ſame which are fixed by acts of parliament in England. How it has happened that in this as well as the other American ſtates the nominal value of coin, was made to differ from what it was in the country we had left, and to differ among ourſelves too, I am not able to ſay with certainty. I find that in 1631 our houſe of burgeſſees deſired of the privy council in England, a coin debaſed to twenty five per cent. that in 1645 they forbid dealing by barter for tobacco, and eſtabliſhed the Spaniſh piece of eight at ſix ſhillings, as the ſtandard of their currency; that in 1655 they changed it to five 