A true & exact history of the island of BarbadosLigon, Richard
History
A true & exact history of the island of Barbados
Ligon, Richard
Barbados -- Description and travel; Plants -- Barbados; Sugar -- Manufacture and refining -- Barbados
The next thing to be thought on, is Utensills, and working Tooles,
such are whip-Sawes, two-handed Sawes, hand-Sawes, Files of severall
sises and shapes; Axes, for felling and for hewing; Hatchets, that
will fit Carpenters, Joyners, and Coopers; Chisells, but no Mallets,
for the wood is harder there to make them: Adzes, of severall sises,
Pick-axes, and Mat-hooks; Howes of all sises, but chiefly small ones,
to be used with one hand, for with them, the small Negres weed the
ground: Plains, Gouges, and Augurs of all sises; hand-Bills, for the
Negres to cut the Canes; drawing-Knives, for Joyners. Upon these
Utensills I would bestow 60 l. Upon Iron, Steel, and small Iron pots,
for the Negres to boyl their meat, I would bestow 40 l. And those are
to be had in _Southsex_ very cheap, and sent to _London_ in Carts,
at time of year, when the waies are drie and hard. Nailes of all
sorts, with Hooks, Hinges, and Cramps of Iron; and they are to be had
at _Bromigham_ in _Staffordshire_, much cheaper then in _London_:
And upon that Commodity I would bestow 30 l. In Sowes of Lead 20 l,
in Powder and Shot 20 l. If you can get Servants to go with you,
they will turn to good accompt, but chiefly if they be Trades-men,
as, Carpenters, Joyners, Masons, Smiths, Paviers, and Coopers. The
Ballast of the Ship, as also of all Ships that trade there, I would
have of Sea-coales, well chosen, for it is a commodity was much
wanting when I was there, and will be every day more and more, as
the Wood decayes: The value I would have bestowed on that, is 50 l.
which will buy 45 Chauldron, or more, according to the burthen of the
Ship. And now upon the whole, I have outstript my computation 145 l.
but there will be no losse in that; for, I doubt not, (if it please
God to give a blessing to our endeavours) but in twelve or fourteen
months, to sell the goods, and double the Cargo; and, if you can stay
to make the best of your Market, you may make three for one.
This Cargo, well got together, I could wish to be ship’t in good
order, about the beginning of _November_, and then by the grace of
God, the Ship may arrive at the _Barbadoes_ (if she make no stay by
the way) about the middle of _December_; and it is an ordinary course
to sail thither in six weeks: Comming thither in that cool time of
the year, your Victualls will be in good condition to be removed into
a Store-house, which your Correspondent (who, I account, goes along
with it) must provide as speedily as he can, before the Sun makes
his return from the Southern Tropick; for then the weather will grow
hot, and some of your Goods, as, Butter, Oyle, Candles, and all your
Liquors, will take harme in the remove.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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