The European ships carry from hence sugar, tobacco, either in roll or snuff, never in leaf, that I know of:  these are the staple commodities.  Besides which, here are dye-woods, as fustick, etc. with woods for other uses, as speckled wood, Brazil, etc.  They also carry home raw hides, tallow, train-oil of whales, etc.  Here are also kept tame monkeys, parrots, parakeets, etc, which the seamen carry home.

Claying of sugar.

The sugar of this country is much better than that which we bring home from our plantations:  for all the sugar that is made here is clayed, which makes it whiter and finer than our muscovada, as we call our unrefined sugar.  Our planters seldom refine any with clay, unless sometimes a little to send home as presents for their friends in England.  Their way of doing it is by taking some of the whitest clay and mixing it with water, till it is like cream.  With this they fill up the pans of sugar that are sunk 2 or 3 inches below the brim by the draining of the molasses out of it:  first scraping off the thin hard crust of the sugar that lies at the top, and would hinder the water of the clay from soaking through the sugar of the pan.  The refining is made by this percolation.  For 10 to 12 days time that the clayish liquor lies soaking down the pan the white water whitens the sugar as it passes through it; and the gross body of the clay itself grows hard on the top, and may be taken off at pleasure; when scraping off with a knife the very upper-part of the sugar which will be a little sullied, that which is underneath will be white almost to the bottom:  and such as is called Brazil sugar is thus whitened.  When I was here this sugar was sold for about 50 shillings per 100 pounds.  And the bottoms of the pots, which is very coarse sugar, for about 20 shillings per 100 pounds, both sorts being then scarce; for here was not enough to lade the ships, and therefore some of them were to lie here till the next season.

The season for the European ships, and coir cables:  Of their guinea trade and of the coasting trade, and whale killing.

The European ships commonly arrive here in February or March, and they have generally quick passages; finding at that time of the year brisk gales to bring them to the Line, little trouble, then, in crossing it, and brisk east-north-east winds afterwards to bring them hither.  They commonly return from hence about the latter end of May, or in June.  It was said when I was here that the ships would sail hence the 20th day of May; and therefore they were all very busy, some in taking in their goods, others in careening and making themselves ready.  The ships that come hither usually careen at their first coming; here being a hulk belonging to the king for that purpose.  This hulk is under the charge of