So in nine years there had been no Negro slaves imported into the colony; that in 1696 fourteen had been sold to the colonists for between thirty pounds and thirty-five pounds apiece; that this was the only time a vessel direct from the coast of Africa had touched in this colony; that the supply of Negro slaves came from Barbadoes, and that the colonists who would purchase slaves were supplied by the offspring of those already in the plantation; and that the colonists preferred white servants to black slaves. The best that can be said of Gov. Cranston's letter is, it was very respectful in tone. The following table was one of the enclosures of the letter. It is given in full on account of its general interest:-- "A list of the number of freemen and militia, with the servants, white and black, in the respective towns; as also the number of inhabitants in Her Majesty's colony of Rhode Island, &c., December the 5th, 1708. +-------------+-------+--------+---------+---------+-----------+ | | | | | | TOTAL | | TOWNS. |FREEMEN|MILITIA.| WHITE | BLACK | NUMBER OF | | | | |SERVANTS.|SERVANTS.|INHABITANTS| +-------------+-------+--------+---------+---------+-----------+ | Newport | 190 | 358 | 20 | 220 | 2,203 | | Providence | 241 | 283 | 6 | 7 | 1,446 | | Portsmouth | 98 | 104 | 8 | 40 | 628 | | Warwick | 80 | 95 | 4 | 10 | 480 | | Westerly | 95 | 100 | 5 | 20 | 570 | | New Shoreham| 38 | 47 | -- | 6 | 208 | | Kingstown | 200 | 282 | -- | 85 | 1,200 | | Jamestown | 33 | 28 | 9 | 32 | 206 | | Greenwich | 40 | 65 | 3 | 6 | 240 | +-------------+-------+--------+---------+---------+-----------+ | Total | 1,015 | 1,362 | 56 | 426 | 7,181 | +-------------+-------+--------+---------+---------+-----------+ "It is to be understood that all men within this colony, from the age of sixteen to the age of sixty years, are of the militia, so that all freemen above and under said ages are inclusive in the abovesaid number of the militia. "As to the increase or decrease of the inhabitants within five years last past, we are not capable to give an exact account, by reason there was no list ever taken before this (the militia excepted), which hath increased since the 14th of February, 1704-5 (at which time a list was returned to your Lordships), the number of 287. "SAMUEL CRANSTON, _Governor_. "NEWPORT, ON RHODE ISLAND, December the 5th, 1708."[459]