stand in the Way, and are useless, when they are most wanted; nor do I take Embargoes to be any Helps towards it, for many Sailors do then lie hid, who would appear to serve in Merchant Ships, and might be easily met with at the return of their Voyages: By these Means in a short Time three would be a double Set of Mariners, enough both for the Service of the Fleet and of Trade, the last of which would every Year breed more. This would also prevent great Mischiefs, which arise from pressing Sailors out of Merchant Ships whilst on their Voyages, many of them being thereby lost at Sea, and others have been detained in the _West-Indies_, to the Discouragement of Trade; and it would also prevent another Mischief, too much practiced abroad, where Captains of Men of War press Sailors from one Merchant Ship, only to make Advantage by selling them to another. [Sidenote: Foreign Trade.] I come now to the Trade we drive with Foreign Countries. [Sidenote: How this Kingdom may be said to be enriched by our Foreign Trade.] Here ’tis necessary to enquire, how each encourages our Product and Manufactures, how our Navigation, what Commodities we receive in Return, and how the Ballance of our Trade stands with either, that so we may be the better able to know, which of them we ought to encourage, and which to discourage; I shall therefore lay down such general Rules, as I presume will be allowed by all Unbiassed Persons; as, 1. That Trade is an Advantage to this Kingdom, which takes off our Product and Manufactures. 2. Which supplies us with such Commodities as we use in making our Manufactures, and encreases our Bullion. 3. Which incourages Navigation, and breeds up Sailors. And consequently, any Trade which Exports little or none of our Product or Manufactures, nor supplies us with things necessary for the latter, nor incourages Navigation, cannot be supposed to be profitable to the Kingdom in general, though perhaps it may be so to particular Persons; especially if it carries away our Bullion. [Sidenote: East-Indies.]