desire, we have advised with the chiefest of our planters, and find but small encouragement for that trade to this colony; since by the best computation we can make, there would not be disposed in this colony above twenty or thirty at the most, annually, the reasons of which are chiefly to be attributed to the general dislike our planters have for them, by reason of then turbulent and unruly tempers.

“And that most of our planters that are able and willing to purchase any of them, are supplied by the offspring of those they have already, which increase daily; and that the inclination of our people in general, is to employ white servants before Negroes.

“Thus we have given our Lordships a true and faithful account of what hath occurred, relating to the trade of Africa from this colony; and if, for the future, our trade should be extended to those parts, we shall not fail transmitting accounts thereof according to your Lordships’ orders, and that at all times, be ready to show ourselves,

                    “Your Lordships’ obedient servant,
                              “SAMUEL CRANSTON, Governor.

     “NEWPORT, ON RHODE ISLAND, December 5, 1708."[458]

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  |