Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/464

 452 APPENDIX.

as bountiful nature has given to them,, but which through a ftrange kind of policy, (he now chiefly purchafes from foreigners, particularly timber and iron. The North-American trees are better in quality, than thofe which are brought from the Baltic, and in a far greater variety r and (hips of a proper conftruftion, might foon carry American timber to England as cheap as (he has it from thence The' colonifts could build either merchant-men, or men of war, of any fi>ze, much cheaper than can poflibly be done in any Eu ropean country, which would always infure them a ready market. French gold for their (hips* would be of no difiervice to Great Britain, though perhaps it might be as difagreeable to her, as the Spanifh gold and filver was from the hands of the Britifh Americans : however, to confign their fhips to fome Britifli merchants, would fufRciently filence thofe who might find their prefent account in oppofing the public good.

Natural caufes produce natural effects. They who fbw well,, reap well - r and as nature has planted a great plenty of iron ore through the American high lands, we hope the time will foon come, to allow her to take in fo weighty a harveft. The confequence is great, and the application ought to be pro portioned to the high value of fo inviting, and complicated an acquifition.. Their hills not only abound with inexhauftibk mines of iron ore,, but lie convenient to navigable rivers; fuch a commodious fituation would foon enable them to fell it cheaper than Britain can ever expect from, the Ruffians, who carry it from a diftance to Peterfburgh, as far as from Georgi-ana on the Miffifippi, to the city of New York. We have beea affured by gentlemen of veracity, that on. repeated experiments, they found the American iron to be equal in goodnefs to that of RuiTia, or Sweden.. Common fenfe directs Britain to live independent of fuch fupplies,. with.- in her own prodigious empire, and not lay herfelf at the mercy of any foreign power, left neceffity mould compel her a fecond time, to pay as dear for her left-handed wifdom as me did in. the year 1 703, for Swedifh, tar in Swediih bottoms, which, was nearly four hundred per cent, more than (he in a fhort time paid to the American planters for the like, with her own manufactures, to the advantage of her merchants, the employment of her (hips, and the increafe of her feamen,.

�� �