3242. FREE PORTS, St. Eustatius.—
St.
Eustatius is by nature a rock, barren and unproductive
in itself, but its owners became sensible
that what nature had denied it, policy
could more than supply. It was conveniently
situated for carrying on contraband trade with
both the centinents, and with the islands of
America. They made it, therefore, an entrepot
for all nations. Hither are brought the productions
of every other port of America, and
the Dutch give in exchange such articles as,
in the course of their commerce, they can most
advantageously gather up. And it is a question,
on which they will not enable us to decide,
whether by furnishing American productions
to the commerce of Holland, and by
finding vent for such productions of the old
world as the Dutch merchants obtain to advantage,
the barren rock of St. Eustatius does not
give more activity to their commerce, and leave
with them greater profits, than their more fer
tile possessions on the continent of South,
America.—
To Baron Stahe.
Ford ed., iv, 239.
(P.
1786)
