THE

PREFACE.

WH

HOEVER confiders the Number and Extent of the British Colonies, on this Continent; their Climates, Soil, Ports, Rivers, Riches, and numberless Advantages, must be convinced of their vaft Importance to Great-Britain; and be at a loss to account for the Ignorance concerning them, which prevails in those Kingdoms, whence their Inhabitants originally Sprang. The Merchants indeed, by profitable Experience, have not been altogether unacquainted with our Trade and our Growth; and fome Gentlemen of an inquifitive Turn, by the Help of their Correfpondents, have obtained the Knowledge of many other Particulars equally important. But the main Body of the People conceive of thefe Plantations, under the Idea of wild, boundless, inhofpitable, cultivated Defarts; and hence the Punishment of a Transportation hither, in the Judgement of most, is thought not much less fevere, than an infamous Death. Nay, appealing to Facts, we may fafely affert, that even the publick Boards, to whofe Care thefe extenfive Dominions have been more especially commited, attained, but lately, any tolerable Acquaintance with their Condition. This is the more to be wondered at, as it is natural to imagine, that the King's Governours have flatedly tranfmited full Accounts of their respective, Provinces. The Cafe has been quite otherwise. Governments

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Governments were heretofore too often bestowed upon Men of mean Parts, and indigent Circumftances. The former were incapable of the Task, and the latter too deeply engrossed by the fordid Views of private Intereft, either to pursue or study our common Weal. The worst Confequences have refulted from thefe Measures. Perpesual Animofities being engendered between the Governours, and the People fubjected to their Authority; dll Attempts for conciliating the Friendship of the Indians, promoting the Fur Trade, fecuring the Command of the Lakes, protecting the Frontiers, and extending our Poffeffions far into the Inland Country, have too often given Place to party Projects and contracted Schemes, equally ufelefs and shameful. The Conduct of the French has been just the reverse: in Spite of all the Disadvantages of a cold Climate, a long and dangerous Navigation up the River of St. Lawrence, a rough, barren, unfettled* Country, locked up from all Communication with the Ocean, the greatest Part of the Year ; I fay, notwithstanding thefe Difficulties, they have feized all the Advantages, which we have neglected. The Continent, for many bundred Leagues, has been thoroughly explored, the main Paffes fortified, innumerable Tribes of Indians, either won over to their Intereft +, fubdued or bridled, the Fur Trade engroffed, a Communication maintained between the Extremes of New-France, the British Colonies reftricted to fcant Limits along the Sea Shore, and nothing left remaining for the Establishment of a vast Empire, but to open a free Water Paffage to the Ocean, by the Conqueft of the Province of New-York.

If the Governours of thefe Plantations had formerly been animated by the fame generous and extenfive Views, which inspired

* "Encore moins peuplé." Charlevoix. le fecret de gagner l'affection des Amé"Nôtre nation, la feule, qui ait eu "riquains." Charlevoix.

Mr. Burnet; the long projected Defigns of our common Enemy might, with the Aid of Great-Britain, have been many Years ago fupplanted, or at least defeated, at a trifling Expence. But alas! little, too little, Attention has been had to these important Affairs, till the late Encroachments on the River Ohio, in the Province of Pennsylvania, gave the Alarm, and the Miniftry were apprifed of the French Machinations, by the feasonable Reprefentations of General Shirley; and if the Colonies have now attracted the Notice of his Majefty and his Parliament, their grateful Acknowledgements are due principally to the noble Lord, to whom these Sheets are dedicated, for his laudable Enquiries into their State, and his indefatigable Zeal and Industry for their Defence and Profperity.

At prefent our Affairs begin to wear a more fmiling Afpect. We are under the Guardianship of a Sovereign, who delights in the Welfare of his People; are respected by a Parliament, affected with a generous Sympathy for the Diftreffes of their Fellow Subjects, in all their Difperfions, and by a wife Improvement of the British Aids, it is hoped, we shall be able, to retrieve the ill Confequences of our long, reproachful, and infenfible, Security.

Formerly the Colonies were at Home difregarded and defpifed, nor can any other Reafon be affigned for it, than that they were unknown. This is, in a great Degree, to be imputed to ourselves. If our Governours withheld those Informations, which their Duty required them to have given, Perfons of private Characters ought to have undertaken that useful and necessary Tafk. But, except Some Accounts of the Settlements in the Maffachufets Bay and Virginia, all the other Hiftories of our Plantations upon the Continent are little elfe than Collections of Falfhoods, and worse than none. That this Charge against thofe publifhed concerning this