CURASSOU.

This ifland is fituated in twelve degrees north latitude, nine or ten leagues from the continent of Terra Firma, is thirty miles long, and ten broad. It feems as if it were fated, that the ingenuity and patience of the Hollanders should every where, both in Europe and America, be employed in fighting against an unfriendly nature; for the island is not only barren, and dependent on the rains for its water, but the harbour is naturally one of the worst in America; yet the Dutch have entirely remedied that defect; they have upon this har bour one of the largest and by far the moft elegant and cleanly towns in the West-Indies. The public buildings are numerous and handfome; the private houses commodious; and the magazines large, convenient, and well filled. All kind of labour is here performed by engines; fome of them fo well contrived, that ships are at once lifted into the dock.

Though this island is naturally barren, the industry of the Dutch has brought it to produce a confiderabie quantity both of tobacco and fugar; it has, befides, good falt works, for the produce of which there is a brisk demand from the English islands, and the colenies on the continent. But what-renders this island of most advantage to the Dutch, is the contraband trade which is carried on between the inhabitants and the Spaniards, and their harbour being the rendezvous to all nations in time of war.

The Dutch fhips from Europe touch at this island for intelligence, or pilots, and then proceed to the Spanish coafts for trade, which they force with a ftrong hand, it being very difficult for the Spanish guarda coftas to take these veffels; for they are not only stout ships, with a number of guns, but are manned with large crews of chofen feamen, deeply interested in the fafety of the veffel and the fuccefs of the voyage. They have each a fhare in the cargo, of a value pro portioned to the ftation of the owner, fupplied by the merchants upon credit, and at prime coft. This animates them with an uncommon courage, and they fight bravely, because every man fights in defence of his own property. Besides this, there is a constant intercourfe between this ifland and the Spanish continent.

Curaffou has numerous warehouses, always full of the commodities of Europe and the East-Indies. Here are all forts of woollen and linen cloth, laces, filks, ribands, iron utenfils, naval and military ftores, brandy, the fpices of the Moluccas, and the calicoes of In

dia, white and painted. Hither the Dutch Weft-India, which is alfo their African Company, annually bring three or four cargoes of flaves; and to this mart the Spaniards themselves come in finall veffels, and carry off not only the beft of the negroes, at a very high price, but great quantities of all the above forts of goods; and the feller has this advantage, that the refufe of warehouses and mercers' fhops, and every thing that is grown unfashionable and unfaleable in Europe, go off here extremely well; every thing being fufficiently recommended by its being European, The Spaniards pay in gold and filver, coined or in bars, cacoa, vanilla, jefuits bark, cochineal, and other valuable commodities.

The trade of Curaffou, even in times of peace, is said to be annually worth to the Dutch no less than five hundred thousand pounds; but in time of war the profit is ftill greater, for then it becomes the common emporium of the West-Indies; it affords a retreat to ships of all nations, and at the fame time refuses none of them arms and ammunition to deftroy one another. The intercourfe with Spain being then interrupted, the Spanish colonies have fcarcely any other market from whence they can be well fupplied either with flaves or goods. The French come hither to buy the beef, pork, corn, flour, and lumber, which are brought from the continent of North-Ame rica, or exported from Ireland; so that whether in peace or in war, the trade of this island flourishes extremely.

The trade of all the Dutch American fettlements was originally carried on by the Weft-India Company alone; at prefent, fuch ships as go upon that trade, pay two and a half per cent. for their licenfes ; the company, however, referve to themfelves the whole of what is carried on between Africa and the American islands.

The other islands, Bonaire and Aruba, are inconfiderable in themfelves, and fhould be regarded as appendages to Curaffou, for which they are chiefly employed in raifing cattle and other provifions.

The island of Saba, fituated at no great distance from St. Eustatius, is fmall and hardly deferves to be mentioned.

VOL. IV.

Uu

DANISH

DANISH WEST-INDIES.

ST. THOMA S.

AN

N inconfiderable member of the Caribbees, fituated in fixtyfour degrees weft longitude, and eighteen degrees north latitude, about fifteen miles in circumference, and has a fafe and commodious harbour.

ST. CROIX, OR SANTA CRUZ.

Another finall and unhealthy ifland, lying about five leagues eaft of St. Thomas, ten or twelve leagues in length, and three or four where it is broadeft. These islands, fo long as they remained in the hands of the Danish Weft-India Company, were ill managed, and of little confequence to the Danes; but that wife and benevolent prince, the late king of Denmark, bought up the company's stock, and laid the trade open; and fince that time the island of St. Thomas, as well as this, has been fo greatly improved, that it is faid to produce upwards of three thoufand hogfheads of fugar, of one thoufand weight each, and other of the Weft-India commodities in tolerable plenty. In time of war, privateers bring in their prizes here for fale; and a great many veffels trade from hence along the Spanish main, and return with money in fpecie or bars, and valuable mer chandise. As for Santa Cruz, from a perfect defert a few years fince, it is beginning to fettle faft; feveral perfons from the English iflands, fome of them of great wealth, have gone to fettle there, and have received very great encouragement to do fo.

The

The Dutch and the Danes hardly deserve to be mentioned among the proprietors of America; their poffeffions there are comparatively nothing. But notwithstanding they appear extremely worthy of the attention of these powers, as the share of the Dutch only is worth to them at least fix hundred thousand pounds a year.

HISTORY OF

AMERICAN

QUADRUPEDS.

IN a former part of this work we have had occafion to offer

fome obfervations on the animals of America; by that account, for which we are indebted to the Abbé Clavigero, M. Buffon, and the ingenious Mr. Jefferson, it appears, that the continent of Ame rica contains nearly one-half of the known fpecies of quadrupeds, fome of them common to North-America, and to the European and Afiatic parts of the eastern continent, and others peculiar to America: of these the greater part have not been accurately examined: it however appears, that those common to both continents are fuch as may be fuppofed to have migrated from one to the other. Comparing individuals of the fame fpecies inhabiting the different continents, fome are found perfectly fimilar; between others there is often found fome trivial difference in fize, colour, or other circumftances; in fome inftances the European animal is larger than the American, in others the reverfe is true. A fimilar variety is often found among the fame species in different parts of the fame continent; this evidently arifes from the temperature of the climate, quantity of food furnished in the parts they inhabit, and the degree of fafety and quiet poffeffed; the latter effect is evident on thofe animals hunted for their flesh or fur, fuch as the moofe deer, beaver, &c. which have gradually diminished in their fize wherever they have thus been difturbed; but as we have neither a complete defcription nor complete catalogue extant, we are not warranted in making many obfervations. It is very probable, that many of the American quadrupeds are still utterly unknown, and others known only by common report from hunters and others, and the information, therefore, to be received with caution; from this latter cause has sprung that multiplication and mifapplication of names, which has produced numberlefs contradictions in the different writers on this fubject. Our account will be little more than a catalogue, with a few remarks on thofe in particular which conftitute that important branch Page 124, &c. of vol. i.