london in 1731-第26节

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；　though　for　want　of　sufficient　encouragement　the　quantity　imported　is　very　small。　　It　is　said　both　bohea　and　green　tea　have　been　raised　there；　extraordinary　good　of　the　kind。　　The　olive…tree　grows　wild；　and　thrives　very　well；　and　might　soon　be　improved　so　far　as　to　supply　us　with　large　quantities　of　oil。　　It　is　said　the　fly　from　whence　the　cochineal　is　made　is　found　very　common；　and　if　care　was　taken　very　great　quantities　might　be　made。　　The　indigo　plant　grows　exceedingly　well。　The　country　has　plenty　of　iron　mines　in　it；　and　would　produce　excellent　hemp　and　flax；　if　encouragement　was　given　for　raising　it。

To　Pennsylvania　are　exported　broad…cloth；　kerseys；　druggets；　serges；　and　manufactures　of　all　kinds。

To　New　England　are　exported　all　sorts　of　woollen　manufactures；　linen；　sail…cloth　and　cordage　for　rigging　their　ships；　haberdashery；　&c。　　They　carry　lumber　and　provisions　to　the　sugar　plantations；　and　exchange　provisions　for　logwood　with　the　logwood…cutters　at　Campeachy。　　They　send　pipe　and　barrel…staves　and　fish　to　Spain；　Portugal；　and　the　Straits。　　They　send　pitch；　tar；　and　turpentine　to　England；　with　some　skins。

Having　considered　the　trading　companies；　and　other　branches　of　foreign　trade；　I　shall　now　inquire　into　the　establishment　of　the　Bank　of　England。

The　governor　and　company　of　the　Bank　of　England；　&c。；　are　enjoined　not　to　trade；　or　suffer　any　person　in　trust　for　them　to　trade；　with　any　of　the　stock；　moneys　or　effects；　in　the　buying　or　selling　of　any　merchandise　or　goods　whatsoever；　on　pain　of　forfeiting　the　treble　value。　　Yet　they　may　deal　in　bills　of　exchange；　and　in　buying　and　selling　of　bullion；　gold　or　silver；　or　in　selling　goods　mortgaged　to　them；　and　not　redeemed　at　the　time　agreed　on；　or　within　three　months　after；　or　such　goods　as　should　be　the　produce　of　lands　purchased　by　the　corporation。　　All　bills　obligatory　and　of　credit　under　the　seal　of　the　corporation　made　to　any　person；　may　by　endorsement　be　assigned；　and　such　assignment　shall　transfer　the　property　to　the　moneys　due　upon　the　same；　and　the　assignee　may　sue　in　his　own　name。


There　is　at　present　due　to　this　Bank　from　the　Government　on　the　original　fund　at　6　pounds　per　cent。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1；600；000　（pounds）　For　cancelling　of　Exchequer　bills；　3　George　I　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1；500；000　Purchased　of　the　South　Sea　Company　　　　　　　4；000；000　Annuities　at　4　pounds　per　cent。　charged　on　the　duty　on　coals　since　Lady　Day；　1719。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　1；750；000　Ditto；　charged　on　the　surplus　of　the　funds　for　the　lottery　of　1714　　　　　　　　1；250；000　Total　due　to　the　Bank　of　England　　　　　　　　10；100；000　（pounds）


Give　me　leave　to　observe　here；　that　most　of　the　foreign　trade　of　this　town　is　transacted　by　brokers；　of　which　there　are　three　sorts；　viz。；　1st；　Exchange…brokers；　2ndly；　brokers　for　goods　and

merchandise；　and　3rdly；　ship…brokers。

The　exchange…brokers；　who　are　versed　in　the　course　of　exchange；　furnish　the　merchant　with　money　or　bills；　as　he　has　occasion　for　either。

The　broker　of　goods　lets　the　merchant　know　where　he　may　furnish　himself　with　them；　and　the　settled　price；　or　if　he　wants　to　sell；　where　he　may　meet　with　a　chapman　for　his　effects。

The　ship…broker　finds　ships　for　the　merchant；　when　he　wants　to　send　his　goods　abroad；　or　goods　for　captains　and　masters　of　vessels　to　freight　their　ships　with。

If　it　be　demanded　what　share　of　foreign　trade　London　hath　with　respect　to　the　rest　of　the　kingdom；　it　seems　to　have　a　fourth　part　of　the　whole；　at　least　if　we　may　judge　by　the　produce　of　the　customs；　which　are　as　three　to　twelve；　or　thereabouts。

As　to　the　manufactures　carried　on　in　the　City　of　London；　here　mechanics　have　acquired　a　great　deal　of　reputation　in　the　world；　and　in　many　things　not　without　reason；　for　they　excel　in　clock　and　cabinet…work；　in　making　saddles；　and　all　sorts　of　tools；　and　other　things。　　The　door　and　gun　locks；　and　fire…arms；　are　nowhere　to　be　paralleled；　the　silk　manufacture　is　equal　to　that　of　France；　or　any　other　country；　and　is　prodigiously　enlarged　of　late　years。　　Dyers　also　are　very　numerous　in　and　about　London；　and　are　not　exceeded　by　any　foreigners　in　the　beauty　or　durableness　of　their　colours：　　and　those　that　print　and　stain　cottons　and　linens　have　brought　that　art　to　great　perfection。　　Printers　of　books；　also；　may　equal　those　abroad；　but　the　best　paper　is　imported　from　other　countries。

The　manufacture　of　glass　here　is　equal　to　that　of　Venice；　or　any　other　country　in　Europe；　whether　we　regard　the　coach　or　looking…　glasses；　perspective；　drinking…glasses；　or　any　other　kind　of　glass；　whatever。　　The　making　of　pins　and　needles　is　another　great　manufacture　in　this　town；　as　is　that　of　wire…drawings　of　silver；　gold；　and　other　metals。　　The　goldsmiths　and　silversmiths　excel　in　their　way。　　The　pewterers　and　brasiers　furnish　all　manner　of　vessels　and　implements　for　the　kitchen；　which　are　as　neatly　and　substantially　made　and　furnished　here　as　in　any　country　in　Europe。　The　trades　of　hat…making　and　shoe…making　employ　multitudes　of　mechanics；　and　the　tailors　are　equally　numerous。　　The　cabinet；　screen；　and　chair…makers　contribute　also　considerably　to　the　adorning　and　furnishing　the　dwelling…house。　　The　common　smiths；　bricklayers；　and　carpenters　are　no　inconsiderable　branch　of　mechanics；　as　may　well　be　imagined　in　a　town　of　this　magnitude；　where　so　many　churches；　palaces；　and　private　buildings　are　continually　repairing；　and　so　many　more　daily　erecting　upon　new　foundations。　　And　this　brings　me　to　mention　the　shipwrights；　who　are　employed　in　the　east　part　of　the　town；　on　both　sides　the　river　Thames；　in　building　ships；　lighters；　boats；　and　other　vessels；　and　the　coopers；　who　make　all　the　casks　for　domestic　and　foreign　service。　　The　anchorsmiths；　ropemakers；　and　others　employed　in　the　rigging　and　fitting　out　ships；　are　very　numerous；　and　brewing　and　distilling　may　be　introduced　among　the　manufactures　of　this　town；　where　so　many　thousand　quarters　of　malt　are　annually　converted　into　beer　and　spirits：　　and　as　the　various　kinds　of　beer　brewed　here　are　not　to　be　paralleled　in　the　world；　either　for　quantity　or　quality；　so　the　distilling　of　spirits　is　brought　to　such　perfection　that　the　best　of　them　are　not　easily　to　be　distinguished　from　French　brandy。

Having　already　mentioned　ship…building　among　the　mechanic　trades；　give　me　leave　to　observe　farther；　that　in　this　England　excels　all　other　nations；　the　men…of…war　are　the　most　beautiful　as　well　as　formidable　machines　that　ever　floated　on　the　ocean。

As　to　the　number　of　foreigners　in　and　about　this　great　city；　there　cannot　be　given　any　certain　account；　only　this　you　may　depend　upon；　that　there　are　more　of　the　French　nation　than　of　any　other：　　such　numbers　of　them　coming　over　about　the　time　of　the　Revolution　and　since　to　avoid　the　persecution　of　Louis　XIV。；　and　so　many　more　to　get　their　bread；　either　in　the　way　of　trade；　or　in　the　service　of　persons　of　quality；　and　I　find　they　have　upwards　of　twenty　churches　in　this　town；　to　each　of　which；　if　we　allow　1；000　souls；　then　their　number　must　be　at　least　20；000。　　Next　to　the　French　nation　I　account　most　of　the　Dutch　and　Germans；　for　there　are　but　few　Spaniards　or　Portuguese；　and　the　latter　are　generally　Jews；　and　except　the　raree…　show　men；　we　see　scarce　any　of　the　natives　of　Italy　here；　though　the　Venetian　and　some　other　Italian　princes　have　their　public　chapels　here　for　the　exercise　of　the　Romish　religion。





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