[1]SOME CONSIDERATIONS ON THE REASONABLENESS and NECESSITY of Encreaſing and Encouraging the SEAMEN.

CHAP. I.

THE Subject of this Tract, tho' it will be hand⯑led in a new and different manner from what has been done before, is not new in itſelf; nor is the End and Deſign of it new, tho' the Me⯑thods propoſed will be ſo. Many Attempts have been made, as well in this Age, as in the laſt, in Behalf of the poor Seamen (or at leaſt ſaid to be ſo) and much fruitleſs unſucceſsful Pains has been taken, to ſhew us the Ne⯑ceſſity of entring into ſome juſt Meaſures for their En⯑creaſe and Encouragement; but they have indeed been fruitleſs and unſucceſsful, becauſe they have been weak and unperforming.

However, theſe frequent Attempts are a Concur⯑rence of Teſtimonies to the Importance of the Subject, and ſerve to let us ſee that it has all along been look'd upon as a Thing the Nation greatly wanted; that [2] it was well worth the Conſideration of thoſe that had the Proſperity of their Country at heart; and that it would be a ſingular Service to the Publick, to find, if poſſible, a Remedy for a thing which was ſo ſenſi⯑ble a Grievance to the whole Nation, and yet ſo diffi⯑cult to be redreſs'd.

But in all the Attempts or Eſſays made on this Sub⯑ject, at leaſt ſuch as have been made publick, I have obſerved, they have rather run out into long Excla⯑mations upon the Grievance itſelf, crying out againſt the Oppreſſion of the Seamen, the Frauds committed by their Officers, the Violence of Impreſſing Land⯑men inſtead of Sailors, tearing them in an injurious manner from their Families, their Trades, and Em⯑ployments, to carry them on board the Ships of War, where they are uſeleſs, ignorant, untractable, and rather burthenſome than ſerviceable: Likewiſe the impreſ⯑ſing Seamen, who are really ſuch, in an Illegal manner; as particularly, taking them out of Merchant-Ships, after Protections granted them, and while thoſe Ships lay upon Demorage, and at the Expence of Victuals and Wages, to the Ruin of the Voyage both to Mer⯑chants and Owners. Theſe, and many other Oppreſ⯑ſions and Injuries to the Seamen, and to the Merchants, things really great, and of Conſequence in themſelves, are the main Subject of theſe Complaints; and we find them frequently enlarged upon in former Writings, ve⯑ry emphatically.

But the Deficiency lies here, that in all that has been ſaid on thoſe Heads, the Complaints take up the whole, or the main of their Diſcourſes, with perhaps a warm Recommendation to the Publick, or to the Parliament, to take it into their ſerious Conſideration. But very few, if any, of all thoſe laboured Pieces, at leaſt that I have met with, enter into the grand Queſtion, How, and which Way theſe things ſhall be remedied; what Specifick may be propos'd for the effectual Re⯑dreſs of the Grievance, or in a Word, How, or which [3] Way the Seamen ſhall be Encreas'd or Encourag'd; and this Defect we ſhall now endeavour to ſupply.

It is moſt certain, that as to Encourage the Seamen, is to Encreaſe them, ſo by the Diſcouragements which they have met with, the Numbers of them have been very much decreas'd and diminiſh'd; and that not only at this time, but in former Reigns, inſomuch that the Publick has been made ſenſible of the Scarcity of Seamen, by the Difficulty of raiſing them on any ſud⯑den Emergence; which Difficulty has been ſuch, that no Undertaking of Importance, and which requir'd ex⯑traordinary Expedition, could be enter'd upon, 'till a ſufficient Number of Men could be procured, which was always a Work of Time.

This frequently retarded the Preparations in a moſt remarkable manner; as in the time of the Dutch Wars, during the Reign of King Charles II. and gave the Dutch ſometimes Opportunity to appear arm'd upon our Coaſt, and Inſult our Ports, before our Fleets were able, for want of Seamen, to go out to Sea. And not to look back ſo far, the very ſame Defect gave the French the like Advantage againſt us ſeveral times, du⯑ring the late War; as particularly, at the Engagement off of Beachy, in the Year 1690, or thereabout; and on ſeveral other Occaſions, which it is needleſs to re⯑peat.

Nor is the Encreaſe and Encouragement of Seamen, meerly as Seamen, the whole Subſtance of the thing propos'd, but the Encouragement of them, as His Ma⯑jeſty expreſſes it in his Speech, That they may he Invi⯑ted, not Compelled to enter into the Service of their Coun⯑try. This is the Point in hand. As to the Merchants Service, it is a thing by itſelf, and may be ſpoken of apart; but the Publick Service, I ſay, is the Point be⯑fore me, and for which the Seamen are to be both en⯑creas'd and encourag'd; and for the bringing of which effectually to paſs, this Tract is made publick.

[4]In all the former Eſſays of this kind (mentioned a⯑bove) this has been pretended, and we have often been made to expect it by flouriſhing Titles, and boaſting Preambles, but little has been offered to make it Pra⯑cticable. Every body allow'd it was a neceſſary and uſeful Work; that it ought to be done; that the Pub⯑lick Occaſions call'd for it; that Juſtice to the poor Seamen required it; and that, in a Word, it was almoſt every Body's Concern to put their helping Hands to ſuch a Work, if it was in their Power to do any thing towards it. But whenever they came to conſider (as the Houſe terms it) of Ways and Means to bring it to paſs, they could ſay very little to the Purpoſe; it proved a long perplexed Caſe to enter upon the Debate of, on the Writer's Side; and a dry barren Subject on the Reader's Side, ſo that in ſhort, the World began to be ſick of reading their tedious Calculations, and moſt People thought they knew little of the Matter.

In conſequence of this, as it often happens in knot⯑ty and perplex'd Schemes, all the Propoſals that I have yet ſeen or heard of, left the Caſe juſt where they found it; or rather, as it is ſaid of Job and his Comfor⯑ters, they darkned Counſel with Words without Knowledge; they ſaid little but what had been ſaid before, and the World ſeemed not one Jot the wiſer for all their Pro⯑jects: The Grievance run on in the old Road of Con⯑fuſion and Diſorder, and the poor Seamen were but juſt where they were 30 or 40 Years ago; beſides groaning under additional Abuſes and Impoſitions, Violences and Injuries, as well private as publick.

During theſe Hardſhips, the Numbers of Seamen viſibly declined; and thoſe that were left were very hardly, and not without the utmoſt Reluctance, brought into the publick Service; and about, as well as a little before the time of the late Revolution, it was a Dif⯑ficulty not eaſy to be got over, to raiſe Seamen to Man 30 or 40 Men of War, and not at all without Time.

[5]King William was very ſenſible of this, and found the Inconveniencies of it in the very firſt Equipment after the Revolution; ſome of the Seamen fled from the Service, in publick Reſentment, and on Party Rea⯑ſons; ſome liſtned to French Allurements, and took Pay in the Navies of the Enemy; many fled abroad, and kept out in the Merchants Service, becauſe of the Advance of Pay; ſome one way, ſome another, and ſome (too many indeed) unhappily turn'd Pyrates.

Several Proclamations were publiſhed to invite them home, but to little Purpoſe, ſome threatning them with Puniſhment if they continued abroad in Foreign Ser⯑vice, but all with very little Effect; at length they thought of a Method, ſince worn out and thread-bare (if you will pardon me that Word) I mean of giving a Bounty-Money to the Seamen, by way of Advance, to engage them to come in; at firſt it anſwered the End pretty well, and abundance of Seamen bit at the Bait (I won't ſay were catch'd upon the Hook) but they were brought into the Service by it.

But as this was but a temporary thing, the Seamen began to make light of it, and that perhaps more than they ought to have done; ſo that in a few Years the Government found Bounties, and little Advances upon the firſt Entrance of Seamen, did not fully anſwer the End, and the Want of Seamen was greatly detrimental to the Service every Year, and eſpecially at the firſt ſit⯑ting out of the Fleets, the Service calling for more Men every Year than other, for ſeveral Years toge⯑ther.

It is true, that the Publick at length employing ſo exceeding great Numbers of Seamen, as well for Winter as Summer-Service, and as well in the Tranſ⯑port Service as in the Men of War, the Number in⯑creas'd, as it were, by the conſequence of the Service; ſo that the War itſelf might be ſaid to breed up its own Seamen; alſo the Regiments of Marines ſerving long on Board, aſſiſted to this Encreaſe, and the [6] Soldier ſerving always on Board the Fleet, became ſo acquainted with the Sea and with the proper Buſineſs of Sailors, that in few Years they dropt off from the Regiments, got their Diſcharges of their Officers, and entred themſelves afore the Maſt. And it was parti⯑cularly obſerved, that at the end of the War, when thoſe Regiments were broke and disbanded, almoſt all the Men turn'd Sailors, and entred themſelves on Board the Man of War or Merchant Ships, as they could get Employment.

Beſides this, among the great Number of vagrant unſettled People who entred into the Service, by Vertue of the ſeveral Acts of Parliament made in thoſe Reigns, abundance of them proving diligent, and applying themſelves to the Work, of which they underſtood no⯑thing before, became able Seamen, and encreas'd the Number of the general Tar-Fraternity, ſo that at laſt the Number of Seamen ſeem'd to be ſufficient to the Service, at leaſt the Ships were more eaſily Mann'd than before.

Had not this been the Caſe, how could England have ſuſtained the loſs of ſo many thouſand Seamen, as muſt neceſſarily have dropt off during the continuance of that tedious, and to the Sailors fateaguing War? I make no doubt but during the Wars with France, in the two Reigns of King William and Queen Anne, a⯑bove 50000 Engliſh Seamen went to the Bottom by Battle, Diſeaſe and Diſaſter. And if other People who pretend to underſtand it may judge, I am very much within Compaſs in my Calculations.

It is true, Trade ſuffer'd great Loſſes and Convul⯑ſions during thoſe Reigns, and in particular met with great Obſtruction; ſo that as the Navy Royal employ'd many thouſands of Seamen more than ever before, Trade moſt certainly employ'd fewer Ships, and con⯑ſequently fewer Men; Hence the Groſs of the Sea⯑men were then employ'd, and to the End of that War, in the Royal Navy.

[7]But as we have liv'd to ſee thoſe Wars ended, and a Glorious Pacific Interval ſucceeding, the Navy Royal (ſome Squadrons excepted) laid up, and Trade begin⯑ning to extend itſelf abroad, as we ſhall ſee in the Se⯑quel of this Work; this has again employ'd, ſcatter'd and diſperſed the Men. Thoſe very Men who in their Caſtles and Wooden Walls were able to HUSH and de⯑fye the World, are now ſquandred up and down in private Buſineſs in all the known Parts of the Globe, and that ſo as not to be eaſily, if ever, collected again into one Body; ſo that the Number of our Seamen, eſpecially as to the publick Service, is greatly dimi⯑niſh'd and decreas'd.

Some of the ſeveral Articles which have thus de⯑creas'd the Numbers of Seamen, and by which it is become ſo difficult to find Men for the publick Ser⯑vice, are as follows.

1. The Rate of Wages continuing low in the pub⯑lick Service, and beginning with the Peace to fall alſo in the Merchant Service, has cauſed the Seamen to ſeek abroad for Service, where they could have bet⯑ter Wages, or more conſtant Employment.

2. To which muſt be added, the Advantages offer'd by Foreign Princes and Powers at the ſame juncture of time, to invite our Seamen into their Service; par⯑ticularly the Czar or Emperor of Ruſſia, and the King of Spain; the former has, as I am aſſur'd, great Numbers of Engliſh Seamen, and the latter of Iriſh and Scots always in their Service.

3. The tempting Profits of going upon the Account, (ſo our Sailors call that wicked Trade of turning Py⯑rates) in which horrid Employment (however ſcanda⯑lous) many thouſands of our Seamen have engag'd ſince the late War, moſt of them being of the ableſt Sea⯑men, and beſt Artiſts that were to be found among them; and by which, beſides the Numbers that re⯑main, abundance have been loſt to their Country by Shipwreck, by Battles, by the Gallows, by Starving, and [8] other Diſtreſſes natural to thoſe deſperate Adventures; ſo that this alſo has been a great Cauſe of the Decreaſe of the Numbers of Seamen among us, and will con⯑tinue to be ſo, unleſs ſome Remedy may be found out to reduce them, and reſtore them to the Service and Intereſt of their Country.

But this leads me alſo to a popular and more ac⯑ceptable way of calculating this Deficiency of Num⯑bers among our Seamen, and that is, that our Trade is happily encreas'd and extended ſince the proſpe⯑rous Reign of his preſent Majeſty, and his Royal Prede⯑ceſſor, by which the Merchants of Great Britain main⯑tain and employ an extraordinary Number of Seamen more than ever was call'd for by Trade before; ſo that at the ſame time that the Royal Navy ceaſes to employ Marines and raw Men, by which to encreaſe the Num⯑ber, the Merchants require more Men by many thou⯑ſands, not only than they did during the War, but than ever they did before the War, in the Times of the moſt profound Tranquility of Affairs: This ren⯑ders the Number of Seamen leſs, in regard to the Ser⯑vice, whether they are numerically fewer in Tale or no; for as every Number is great or ſmall compa⯑ratively, ſo it is here; if there were 200000 Seamen in England, yet if the Demand for them calls for more, they are then few, compared to that Demand, or compar'd to the Service they are demanded for, tho' their Number was more than had been ever known before.

This Encreaſe of our Demand for Seamen is the preſent Caſe, and it is indeed in itſelf a very conſi⯑derable Article, if the Fact be true, and of that I ſhall ſpeak preſently by itſelf; I ſay it is very conſide⯑rable, for tho' our Seamen were not diminiſh'd or de⯑creaſed by any of the Occaſions mention'd above, yet if the Demand for Seamen, and eſpecially the De⯑mands of Trade, which lye in ſeveral diſtant and re⯑mote Places, are encreas'd, the Number at hand for the publick Service of their Country is leſs in propor⯑tion [9] to the Occaſion than it was before. For Example:

If the Encreaſe of our Commerce and Shipping is evident, more Seamen are conſequently wanting to carry on that Commerce and man thoſe Ships; ſo that Trade employing the Men, and the Merchants giving better Wages than the King, which by the way is a Fault, they will be more eaſily ſupplied, and the pub⯑lick Service be in greater want of Hands than be⯑fore, tho' the Number of Seamen were the ſame.

It would indeed require a long Excurſion here to demonſtrate that Trade is ſo encreas'd in Great Bri⯑tain, and that the Merchants do call for and enter⯑tain more Seamen than they did, not only during the late War, but in the times of the profoundeſt Peace; yet ſomething muſt be ſaid to it, elſe we ſhall be ſaid to beg the Queſtion, which in a thing of ſuch Im⯑portance I can by no means admit, but the Digreſſion ſhall be very ſhort.

I think it muſt be allow'd that ſince the late War there is a happy Encreaſe of Commerce carry'd on by the Subjects of Great Britain in ſeveral Parts of the World, and by which great Numbers of Seamen are call'd for, more than were before, not only in time of War, but even in times of the moſt ſettled Peace; for example,

1. The Greenland Fiſhery is a fair, open, and con⯑feſt Addition to our Trade, and by which a conſiderable Number of Seamen are employ'd, where not a Man was employ'd before; and more are like to be call'd for every Year, as that Trade goes on.

2. The White Fiſhery at Newfound-land, ſince by the late Peace the Poſſeſſion of that Iſland was con⯑ceded to the Engliſh, is very conſiderably encreas'd; and beſides the Numbers of Veſſels and of able Sea⯑men, who remain upon the Spot all the Winter, to carry on the Salmon Fiſhing on Shore, and the Banking Fiſhery in the Spring; we are aſſured there are above 100 Sail of Ships yearly employ'd there, and by that [10] Trade, more than ever were before; by both which Articles we may allow 2000 Seamen to be yearly wanted more in Trade than were before, even in Time of the moſt eſtabliſh'd Tranquility.

3. The like Addition is viſible to our Engliſh Fiſh⯑ing on the Northern Coaſt of America, the Coaſt of Accadia, and the North Shores of New-England, moſt of which were poſſeſt, or at leaſt diſturb'd, before by the French; whereas now the Britiſh and New-Engliſh Fiſhing Veſſels, Ships and Seamen are fully and freely employ'd on all thoſe Coaſts, and drive a very conſi⯑derable Trade, with the Fiſh they take, to Spain and Italy, in which Places no Engliſh Veſſels, or but few, were employ'd before; likewiſe more Ships in Propor⯑tion are employ'd by them to fetch Salt for that Fiſhery.

4. The Trade of our Colonies is viſibly encreas'd, and conſequently their Shipping; as particularly the Addition of the French Part of the Iſland of St. Chri⯑ſtopbers, being now become Engliſh, is ſo encreas'd in its Produce, and by that in its Inhabitants and Trade, that they ſend near as many Ships and as many Hogſheads of Sugar yearly to England, as the Iſland of Barbadoes itſelf, and muſt of neceſſity employ ſo many the more Sloops and Ships to furniſh them with Proviſions from the Colonies on the Continent, than they did before, and in all thoſe Veſſels the greater Number of Seamen are alſo annually employ'd, where few were employ'd before.

5. The viſible Encreaſe of the Jamaica Trade, and of the Number of Ships employ'd in it, within a few Years paſt; this cannot be deny'd. The South-Sea Commerce, by the Aſſiento, is alſo a farther Encreaſe of it, moſt of that Trade being carry'd on from Africa to the Spaniſh Weſt-Indies, by way of Jamaica. I leave that to be adjuſted by the Merchants, and by any ſuch as have liv'd upon the Iſland any time, and knew what Number of Ships were formerly employ'd in it. Some, who are fully acquainted with the Trade [11] of Jamaica, aſſure me upon a ſerious Enquiry into this Part, that there are above 100 Sail of Ships yearly, and moſt of them Ships of Force, which are con⯑ſtantly employ'd in the Trade between Great Britain and Jamaica, including ſuch Ships as go by the way of Madera with Wines, and by the way of Africa with Negroes, more than were uſually employ'd in that Trade before; not including in this Number the great Num⯑ber of Ships and Sloops, employ'd between that Iſland, and the Colonies on the North Part of America upon the Continent, whoſe chief Buſineſs is carrying Provi⯑ſions of all kind.

N. B. We had an Account printed here lately, of be⯑tween forty and fifty Sail of Ships come to Jamaica in about two Months upon theſe Accounts; only one ſmall Veſſel of them of forty Ton coming directly from England.

It might be to the Purpoſe alſo, to ſhew how our Trade is encreas'd to almoſt all our other Colonies in America, and eſpecially to New-England and Carolina, ſince the Encouragement given to the bringing Naval Stores, Tar, Turpentine, Rice, and ſuch like things from thence; of which, eſpecially the Tar and Rice, very little was imported in former times.

Alſo we might mention the Eaſt-India Trade, in which, inſtead of five or ſix Ships abroad at a time, there are now forty to fifty Ships conſtantly abroad together; and tho' the Ships are not quite ſo large, yet they carry very near as many Men, and a great many more are employ'd in the Country on the Ships made uſe of from one Factory to another.

The Sum of all this is to demonſtrate, that there are without doubt more Seamen call'd for in Trade, and employ'd by the Merchants on Board their Ships, than were before; and that as thoſe are made uſe of in remote and diſtant Places in the World, they may at leaſt be reckon'd as ſo many loſt Men to the pub⯑lick Service, becauſe they cannot be recall'd and re⯑ſtor'd to the Service upon any ſudden Emergence; [12] and indeed not at all, without giving a deep and ſen⯑ſible Blow to our Commerce, and weakening the In⯑treſt of Trade in general.

Any Propoſals then for the Encreaſe or Encourage⯑ment of Seamen, ought to be ſuppoſed calculated for ſuch an Encreaſe, as ſhall bring up the Number of Seamen, to be equal to the Demand as well of the Public as of the Commerce. Otherwiſe, to encourage the Seamen and not ſo to encreaſe their Number, is do⯑ing nothing, but encouraging them to quit the Mer⯑chants Service, and enter into the King's Service; which, as to the Nation in general, may be ſaid to be like a Man taking Money out of one Pocket and put⯑ting it into another; with this Addition too, that it wounds one Part to heal another. For Trade and the Publick, in this Article, are like a Body under two contrary Operations, where if you heal one Diſeaſe, you revive another, ſo that ſtill the Patient is oppreſs'd on one hand or other.

But to encreaſe the Number of Seamen to ſuch a Degree, that there ſhall always be a ſufficient Supply for all the Services which may call for them, whether for Trade or for Defence, whether for Peace or War; that taking them on this ſide, ſhould not leſſen them on that; and that every Want might be ſupply'd; this would be the true, and, I may ſay, the only effectual way of encreaſing them.

But who is ſufficient for ſuch an Undertaking, and how ſhall we find a Scheme equal to the Difficulty? If there is not a ſufficient Number of Seamen to ſupply every Exigence, whether of Trade or War, then when the Demand lyes on one hand, the other muſt ſuffer by the dead Weight running againſt it. If the Navy Royal is to be man'd, immediately Embar⯑goes are laid, Preſs-Warrants are iſſued out, the Na⯑tion is rummag'd for Seamen, by which it is alledged that abundance of injurious Violence is made uſe of, to bring them in, out of the Merchant's Service; and ſo [13] Trade ſuffers. On the other hand, if in time of Peace Trade calls out for Seamen, the poor Sailors are fully employed and carried away to all Parts of the World, and every Skipper's Demand is ſupply'd, while his Majeſty's Navy is left naked, and liable to be inſulted for want of Hands.

And who ſhall reconcile theſe Contraries, or joyn theſe Extremes? There ſeems to be an inſuperable Difficulty in it; for if you will encreaſe the Hands, you muſt find them Work, or maintain them idle.

The Seamen are but one Species, and are wanted but upon two extraordinary Occaſions; in Peace the King has no Occaſion for them, the Merchants muſt em⯑ploy them, or they ſtarve: In War the King muſt have them, or the Service is ſtarv'd; and if the King takes them, the Merchant ſtands ſtill, and the Trade ſtarves: If they are encreaſed to a Number equal to both Peace and War, then, unleſs you have always a War, the Seamen are too many for the Merchants, and if they are not equal to both, then, in time of War, the Merchants are too many for the Seamen, becauſe the Government will be ſerv'd, and takes them by force.

This makes a kind of a Struggle between Trade and the Government. The Government uſes Force, and takes the Seamen by Impreſs and Arreſt; the Merchants uſe a Force alſo, tho' of a different Kind, and that is the Force of Perſuaſion, I mean the powerful Per⯑ſuaſion of Money, giving higher Wagers; and as they are always in a Condition to out-bid the Publick, they leave it to the Seamen to avoid the Impreſs, and keep out of the Hands of the Government as well as they can; and they do not, generally ſpeaking, want Stra⯑tagems to ſecure themſelves, for all Men will ſerve thoſe they can get moſt Money by.

Now to reconcile all theſe Difficulties, is the Caſe before us. I have indeed ſeen very little offer'd towards it in the World; the thing ſeems to have ſomething [14] Impracticable in it. The King's Speech, with all Duty and Regard to his Majeſty's Perſon and Expreſſions, mentions indeed the Importance of it, but recommends it to his People, to conſider of the Method. It can be no Offence, I hope, to His Majeſty or to the Par⯑liament, to make an Eſſay at that without doors, which His Majeſty himſelf recommends as a thing of the ut⯑moſt Importance; and well worth their Conſidera⯑tion within doors.

To ſpeak then to that Firſt which His Majeſty firſt mentions, viz. the Encreaſe of the Seamen: I muſt obſerve, that to encreaſe the Number of Seamen with⯑out finding them Employment, would be to bring a Rent-Charge upon the Nation, like a Work-houſe full of Poor, with nothing for them to do.

How to have a Number of Seamen ſufficient for War and Trade together, ſeems to me to be the Queſtion; and the Anſwer ſeems to be as natural, viz, that it is an Inconſiſtency in itſelf, that it cannot be done; that as, in time of War, the Publick entertains and employs fifty or ſixty thouſand Seamen, and in time of Peace none at all, that is to ſay very few; how is it poſſible Trade ſhould either have Men enough in time of War, or not too many in time of Peace.

Even His Majeſty's Speech does not propoſe it; the King recommends it to his Parliament, to conſider of Ways to encourage the Seamen, ſo that they may willingly and by Choice enter into the Service of their Country, and without being forc'd in. But, with humbleſt Submiſſion to his Majeſty, I would ask leave to propoſe a Difficulty here: From whence muſt they come to Enter into the Service of their Country? They muſt either be in Employment be⯑fore, or out of it.

If they are out of Buſineſs, and refuſe or decline the Publick Service, they are in a Fault, and deſerve Puniſhment; or, to ſay no more, deſerve to be brought in by force; for the Seamen, as they are a People [15] neceſſary to the Safety of the Publick, are, as it were, actually the Government's Servants, by the nature of the thing; and 'tis upon that Foot that they can be Impreſs'd by Warrant, as Phyſicians and Surgeons may be commanded by Authority to perform the Duty of their Profeſſion, and may not only be obliged to it, but puniſh'd for refuſing it.

On the other hand; if they are in Employment, it muſt be in the Service of Private Perſons, that is to ſay, in the Merchants Service, in the Collieries, the Fiſheries, the Coaſting, or ſome other Trade, which requires their Labour, and gives them good Pay.

To prevail with, or perſuade the Sailors to quit this Buſineſs, and enter freely into the Service of their Country, there ſeems to be but one Way that I can ſee; no Encouragement but Money, better Wages, and leſs Work, will weigh with any of them; and I doubt it is hard to find any other Medium. And this muſt fall heavy upon the Merchant, becauſe what is gain'd by the Navy, I doubt, muſt be loſt by the Trade, and you take with the one Hand what you give with the other.

The Propoſal to Encreaſe the Number of Seamen, ſeems to point at bringing more and greater Numbers of Seamen into the Claſs, to breed up or introduce more than are ordinarily ſo brought up to the Sea, of which I ſhall ſay ſomething very particular in its Place.

His Majeſty's Speech ſeems to intimate that the Caſe is difficult, and therefore offers at a Medium, by joyning the Parts together, to Encreaſe them, and to Encourage them; by encreaſing their Number, the Navy may be ſure of a Supply on an Exigence; and by encouraging them, that Number might be ſo diſpos'd of that they might not ſtarve one another, or be a Burthen to the Nation. And thus indeed His Majeſty has as it were led us by the Hand to the Remedy, however difficult.

Having thus touch'd upon the two main Heads, viz. Encreaſe of the Number of Seamen, and Encouraging them [16] to Enter into the Service of their Country, I come to take them a little in Pieces, and ſtate the Caſe between them all.

1. I would ſtate the Caſe between the Seamen and the Publick, and enquire (if poſſible) whether the Sea⯑men are at preſent under any Hardſhips with reſpect to the publick Service; what thoſe Hardſhips are; and what Redreſs can be thought of to do Juſtice and Right between them and their Country.

2. I would ſtate the Caſe between the Navy Service, and the Commerce, and enquire whether it is not poſ⯑ſible to do ſomething for the Encreaſe of the Seamen, which may be conſiſtent with the publick Service, and yet be not fatally injurious to the Seamen themſelves, or to the Trade.

N. B. Pray take it with you as you go, that I ſay not fatally Prejudicial, for I allow it is impoſſible but Trade muſt ſuffer; but the Buſineſs is to have Trade duly conſidered, and its Intereſt regarded ſo, that Trade may ſuffer as little as may be, and yet the Publick Service may be duly attended; and perhaps I may find out ſome way to reconcile theſe Difficulties.

A skilful Surgeon being called to a difficult Opera⯑tion in the courſe of his Profeſſion, is careful firſt of the Patient's Safety, that's the main Article; to preſerve which, his Buſineſs is to go on in a regular manner with his Work, and perform the neceſſary Part according to Art.

But after this, his great Concern is to put the Patient (if poſſible) to no Extremities; he knows he muſt bear a great deal of Pain, Loſs of Blood, and Decay of Strength, but his Care is to put him to as little Pain as he can, conſiſtent with the Cure; be it the Amputation of a Member, the Openings and Inciſions of Lythotomy, the Cuttings and Scarifications needful in Mortifica⯑tions, Gangreens, &c. or any other deſperate Caſes.

In like manner, with reſpect to the Seamen; in Caſe of a War, the Royal Navy muſt be mann'd; perhaps [17] an Invaſion is threatned, or the Enemy is fitting out a powerful Fleet, we are not to ſtand debating about Right and Wrong; the Seamen muſt be had; you muſt take them where-ever you can find them; in ſuch Caſes Trade may be a great Sufferer. But now as Trade is an important Article, and no wiſe Government ſhews them⯑ſelves unconcern'd about it, or willing to oppreſs and injure the Merchant in their Trade, where it can be avoided; ſo it is an Enquiry of juſt Concern to us all, to ſee what can be done in ſuch Caſes of Extremity to ſerve the Government, and yet to oppreſs and in⯑jure Trade and the Merchant as little as poſſible.

And why may not ſome happy Medium be found out for this critical Caſe? Let every Man caſt his Mite into the Cheſt; Who knows but ſomething to the Purpoſe may be ſaid, where you do not expect it, even perhaps where you do not deſire to find it?

CHAP. II.

BEFORE I enter too far into the Debate, as I have ſtated it, I deſire to make a needful Explana⯑tion of Terms, that I may not be miſunderſtood, ſtum⯑ble at the Threſhold, and open the Door to the Cavils and Impertinencies of the Times.

In order to this, I lay it down as a Poſtulatum, That when I ſay the Seamen do labour under Hardſhips in the Publick Service, I am not to be underſtood as [18] if I thought they were injured, uſed ill, oppreſs'd, wrong'd, or anywiſe injuriouſly treated, in Conſequence of the Service. They may indeed be uſed ill, oppreſs'd, wrong'd, and injuriouſly treated by this or that parti⯑cular Officer, or in this or that particular Ship; and I may take the Freedom to ſpeak of that Part too, in its Place. But I am now ſpeaking of the Hardſhips ſuf⯑fered by the Seamen in general, and by the meer natu⯑ral Conſequence of the Service in general; and theſe may be call'd Hardſhips, I hope, without Offence; becauſe tho' it may be in the Power of the Publick to remove ſome of thoſe Hardſhips, yet we cannot com⯑plain of them as the Act and Deed of the preſent Ad⯑miniſtration, or lay them to the Charge of any parti⯑cular Perſon. For Example,

1. The Seamen employ'd in the Publick Service are in the ſame Condition, with reſpect to their Pay, and other Proviſions, which they were in 50 or 60 Years ago; whereas they are not in the ſame Condition, with reſpect to Subſiſting on that Pay, as they were in at that time; and if this Difference is ſuch, that they cannot really ſubſiſt on their Pay at this time, tho' they could ſubſiſt on it at that time, of not ſo well, then they are under more Hardſhips than the Seamen were 50 or 60 Years ago.

We are told, how true I cannot particularly learn, or know how to enquire, that the Pay of the Engliſh Seamen on board the Royal Navy, in the Reign of King Henry VIII, was after the Rate of Seven Shil⯑lings to Nine Shillings per Month; that afterwards in Queen Elizabeth's Time, the Rate was rais'd up to E⯑leven Shillings, and afterwards to Thirteen Shillings per Month. I refer the Enquirer to the proper Regi⯑ſters of thoſe Times, by which any Miſtake in thoſe Particulars may be rectified; tho' it is not material if it was not juſt ſo much to a Shilling or two, more or leſs, the Fact in the groſs is, that their Wages was conſide⯑rably leſs, and that is enough to my Purpoſe.

[19]But it is anſwered, and I allow the Anſwer to be good, That if the Sailor was as well able to live and ſubſiſt his Family, furniſh himſelf with Cloaths, &c. with Eleven to Thirteen Shillings per Month then, as he was with Twenty-three Shillings per Month in King Charles the Second's Time, then Queen Elizabeth gave as good Wages as King Charles II. But then, by the ſame Rule, it muſt neceſſarily follow, that if the Wages had continued at the ſame Standard of Queen Eliza⯑beth's Pay, to the time of Charles II, the Way of Living, and the Subſiſtence of the poor Men and their Families, being raiſed and made different, as we know they were, the Seamen would have been under a Hard⯑ſhip that muſt have been unſufferable; ſince 'tis a known Maxim in Buſineſs of all Kinds, That the Pay of the Labouring Poor, whether Seamen or Landmen, muſt always bear a Proportion to the Rate of Living, that is to ſay, to the Price of Proviſions.

To bring this down to the preſent Caſe: The Sea⯑men in England have here an evident Diſadvantage, eſ⯑pecially thoſe of them who ſerve in the Royal Navy; and it muſt neceſſarily be a great Diſcouragement to the Service itſelf, as well as to the Seamen: Their Pay in the Royal Navy is (not to call it ſmall) no more now than it was as far back as the Reign of King Charles II. namely twenty-three Shillings per Month for able Seamen, and Eighteen Shillings per Month for the inferior Sort, that is able-bodied, but unexperienc'd Men; and the Times being changed, and the Rate of Proviſions and other Neceſſaries for the Subſiſtence of Families be⯑ing raiſed, and that to a very great Degree, this Pay is leſs ſufficient to their Maintenance than it formerly was, eſ⯑pecially to ſuch of them as have Families on Shore to ſupport, and thoſe indeed are the Men who are the moſt to be depended upon for the Service; theſe are anxious for their Wives and Children, carefully ſave and re⯑ſerve their Wages for their Supply, and theſe merit on that Account the Encouragement I am ſpeaking of.

[20]Now the Support and Subſiſtence of theſe Families is greatly leſſened ſince the Times mentioned above, when they had twenty-three Shillings per Month Wa⯑ges as well as now, by the exceeding Dearneſs of Houſe-keeping, and of almoſt all neceſſary things for a Family, above what it formerly was.

This Advance of the Price of Proviſions, Cloathing, and almoſt all neceſſary things, is too evident to be diſputed; the Cauſes of it, at leaſt ſome of them, are known and felt by us all; and many poor Families groan (I do not ſay repine) under the weight of them; ſuch as the Taxes, and Funds eſtabliſh'd on thoſe Taxes, and by which they are bound down upon us for ma⯑ny Years, upon Coals, Candles, Soap, Malt, Salt, Lea⯑ther, &c. The New Cuſtoms and Impoſts upon Imported Commodities, and particularly ſuch as are uſe⯑ful in Families, ſuch as Oil, Linnen, Fruit, Sugar, Spice, Tobacco, Brandy, &c. The additional Exciſes upon Beer, Ale, Malt, Spirits, and other Liquors. The firſt of theſe are things neceſſary to their Families at home, and the Laſt to the poor Men themſelves, when on board the Men of War; moſt of which Taxes and Duties, and others not named, are of modern Standing, and were not known, or ſo much as named in the ſaid Times of King Charles II. when yet the Wages of Seamen was as great (the ſame) as it is now.

The Caſe of the poor Seamen ſeems harder in theſe Par⯑ticulars than that of any other Claſs of the People, from the Nature of their Employment, which is always a⯑broad: Other Poor are not ſeparated from their Mother Soil; theſe labour in a comfortleſs, unproducing Ele⯑ment: The poor Seamen neither Sow or Reap, Breed or Feed, Plant or Gather, ſo that they have no Aſſiſtance from the Product of the Earth, as the poor Landmen generally have; the Sea yields nothing to⯑wards the Maintenance or Support of Life, but Fiſh and Salt, the ſmalleſt Article in an Engliſhman's Food, and [21] which will go but a very little way in his Family; all he has he muſt buy with his Money; and ſo many ne⯑ceſſary Kinds of his Supply being thus heavily load⯑ed with Taxes, thoſe Taxes fall harder upon him than upon any other Claſs of the Poor whatever.

The poor Cottager and Labourer can glean his Corn, brew his Beer, raiſe his Poultry, keep a Cow upon the Common, and a Hog in his Yard, can Dig and Trench in a little Encloſure for his Vegetables, gather and cut his Fewel on the Heaths and in the Woods: But the poor Seaman buys all with dead Money, gain'd at the Hazard of his Life, and lay'd out with all the Diſ⯑advantage imaginable; Things all diſcouraging enough, and which render him an Object of our juſt Concern; and as he is a uſeful neceſſary Servant of his Country, his Caſe not only moves our Compaſſion, but ſeems to claim that he ſhould have all reaſonable Helps to en⯑courage his Services, and to keep him in heart, that he may go on cheerfully in the important Buſineſs he is bred up to.

By theſe Differences and Diſadvantages in their Ex⯑pences, if we may not ſay the Seamen have a Hardſhip, we may at leaſt allow they have a very great Diſcou⯑ragement; particularly, they are ſtraitned, and kept low and poor by the Encreaſe of their Expence, having not at the ſame time any Encreaſe of Pay. And this may be aſſign'd as a true Reaſon, or at leaſt as one of the Reaſons, why they are ſometimes backward to en⯑ter into the Service of their Country when they are called upon to come in Voluntier, on any Publick Oc⯑caſions, having not Money wherewith to fit and fur⯑niſh themſelves out, that is to ſay, to ſupply themſelves with Cloaths, Bedding, and other Neceſſaries to cover them in a cold Climate, or to comfort them in a hot, and for want of which many Seamen (eſpecially ſuch as have been preſſed into the Service, and on that Ac⯑count not entitled to the Bounty of the Government) have ſuffered great Extremities by the Severities of the [22] Seaſons, and the Inclemency of the Climates, either ſuch as extreme Cold, or exceſſive Heats, as the Ser⯑vice may have preſented.

This Poverty, and theſe Hardſhips in the Circum⯑ſtances of the Seamen, has been partly the Occaſion that has mov'd the generous Compaſſion of our Prin⯑ces, on many Occaſions, to publiſh Bounties, and pro⯑miſe Money to be advanced to them for their Supply, to encourage them to come voluntarily in, and enter themſelves on board the Royal Navy; and it has not been without its deſired Effect in part, tho' not to ſuch a Degree as was at firſt expected. The Reaſons for which we ſhall ſee farther into preſently; but in the mean time, it may not be amiſs to obſerve,

1. That this very Grant of Bounty, which, if I miſtake not, was firſt directed by the late Glorious King William, a Prince eminent for his Knowledge and Expe⯑rience in the true Methods of managing the Marine Service, was a Teſtimony to the Truth of what I have alledg'd, (viz.) the Poverty and Exigence of the Sea⯑men at their firſt entering into the Service; and that this Exigence conſiſted, as above, in their want of Money to furniſh themſelves with Neceſſaries at their ſetting out.

2. The Exigence being prov'd, as to the Fact of it, the Juſtice of conſidering the poor Seamen, and beſtow⯑ing a Royal Bounty for their Encouragement, ſeems to be tacitly acknowledg'd alſo; or if we muſt not call it Juſtice, but rather a Charity, for the Words Boun⯑ty and Juſtice ſeem to claſh a little; yet then, the Rea⯑ſonableneſs of the Charity ſeems evident, and the Di⯑ſtreſs moving; ſo that it is as much, almoſt, as to ac⯑knowledge that there was a Neceſſity to do ſomething for them, or that it could not be expected they would come voluntarily into the Service.

The Effect indeed ſhew'd that this was the Caſe, for upon the publiſhing ſuch a Benevolence, the Sea⯑men, eſpecially thoſe of them as had kept off upon [23] that very Foundation, began to come freely in, and the Navy felt the Benefit of it, by ſaving very much the Expence of Preſſing; for impreſſing Seamen to the Service, that is, as his Majeſty is pleaſed to expreſs it, Compelling them by Force and Violence to enter into it, is not only grievous to the Seamen, but very expen⯑ſive, as well as tedious to the Publick.

It is Expenſive by the incident Charges attending it, employing Officers and Gangs of Men to range about City and Country to pick Men up; Preſs-Smacks, or Veſſels to lye in the Rivers, and proper Ports to re⯑ceive the Men when Preſs'd; attending the Commiſ⯑ſioners appointed to hear and redreſs Grievances when Men are impreſs'd, who by Law ought not to be taken, and the Charge of Maintaining ſuch Men 'till they are legally Diſcharged by the Commiſſioners; ſending Sloops, Smacks, and ſometimes Frigates, to pick up Men upon all the remoteſt Coaſts of Great Britain, whoſe Expences are very conſiderable, as well on board thoſe Veſſels as on Shore for the Preſſing Work.

Add to all this, the Length of time, which ſometimes the Capital Ships are oblig'd to wait before they are ready for the Service, for want of their Complement of Men; and ſometimes the whole Fleet has been de⯑lay'd, and the Service interrupted, for want of ſuch and ſuch Ships (whoſe Aſſiſtance they could not ſafely want) being ſufficiently mann'd.

All theſe Things had their Share among the Rea⯑ſons for granting the Bounty-money to the Seamen. But to bring it all back to its true Original, all thoſe Reaſons are firſt founded upon the neceſſitous Circum⯑ſtance of the Seamen, occcaſion'd as above, by the Diſ⯑parity between their Pay and their Wants; or if you will, between the preſent Circumſtance of the poor Men, and their paſt.

Nor are the Taxes, mention'd above, the only Cauſe of the Dearneſs of poor Families Subſiſtence; we may appeal to Experience, whether it is not occaſion'd alſo by [24] the real Encreaſe of People among us, or the Encreaſe of Commerce, or from a greater Cauſe than both, (viz.) the Luxurious way of Living, which Cuſtom and the Pride of the Age has introduced among us, by which the Conſumption of Proviſions being encreaſed, the Rate of Proviſion riſes by the mere conſequence of that Conſumption; but be it which it will, if the Fact is true the Thing is the ſame: let us appeal to Expe⯑riences. The Rate of almoſt all ſorts of Proviſions are, and have been for many Years paſt, exceedingly advanced; ſo that a Family, whether great or ſmall, whether Rich or Poor, are not maintain'd, fed, or cloathed upon the ſame Terms, and at the ſame Ex⯑pence as formerly they were.

If this be the Caſe then, as the Rate of Wages to the Poor ever did, and we may ſay, ever will, riſe or fall in Proportion to the Rate of Proviſions at the Mar⯑ket: if the Poor Seaman's Wages is but the ſame that it was before, may he not be ſaid to have a Hardſhip in this, (viz.) that, as we ſay, he has not Neighbour's Fare, he can gain no more, and yet muſt ſpend much more than he did before.

As to the Wages of other labouring Poor, I believe it may be prov'd, that almoſt in all kinds of Labour the Poor have raiſed their Price upon us: In the Country, or Husbandry-work, we find it ſo; in La⯑bourers, in Journey-men's Wages of almoſt all kinds it is ſo, and the Works they finiſh are raiſed in Propor⯑tion. It would be too tedious to make the Enquiry ge⯑neral in this Place: I appeal to the Knowledge of Tradeſmen, every one in their own way; I appeal to the Knowledge of Gentlemen in the Wages of their Servants, and in particular to the Ladies, in the Wages of their Maid-ſervants, Cooks, Waiting-women, &c. the Advance of which is ſuch, that 'tis riſen up al⯑moſt to a Common Grievance.

Does it not ſeem ſomewhat hard that all our Servants ſhould have their Wages advanced, their Support and [25] Subſiſtence conſidered; but the poor Seamen who, we may ſay, are the Nation's Servants, and indeed their beſt Servants, had no ſuch Advances made them in Price, however the Neceſſaries of their Subſiſtence are advanc'd, and however heavy that Advance may lye up⯑on them?

There are other Diſcouragements upon the poor Men beſides theſe, and which, tho' not immediately reſpecting the Government, yet as they are in the Power of the Government to redreſs, and that His Majeſty has been pleaſed to recommend the Encou⯑raging the Seamen in General to the Parliament, I can⯑not but think it a dutiful Concurrence with that Re⯑commendation, and hope it will be ſo taken, for a pri⯑vate Hand to lay open ſome of thoſe Diſcouragements, for the ſpecial Cogniſance of the Houſe, in order to pave the way to that Encouragement and Relief which the Houſe may think fit to give them, the poor Seamen.

One natural Conſequence of the Diſparity, as above, between the Pay or Wages of the Seamen, and their neceſſary Expence for Subſiſtence, is, that they are often ſomething Neceſſitous; and, generally ſpeaking, the Seamen, eſpecially ſuch as have Families, and ſerve in the Navy-Royal at 23 s. per Month, with all the Deductions and Defalcations attending it, are not very rich.

If they were ſo before, viz. in the Reign of King Charles II. when 23 s. would go ſo much farther in the providing for the Food and Cloaths of a Fami⯑ly, than it will now, it may be allow'd that they muſt be ſo now; nay, if it muſt be allow'd, that all Things neceſſary to Life and the Subſiſtence of a Family are ſo exalted in Price, the poor Seamen muſt be, in the Conſequence, juſt ſo much impoveriſh'd and reduced as that Inequality amounts to.

Taking it for granted then, that the Seaman having a Family to provide for while he ſerves in the Navy, is reduced as above; let us enquire a little into ſome of [26] the Conſequences of this Poverty, for there are many, and thoſe very diſcouraging.

The firſt Diſcouragement is touch'd at already, namely, Declining the Service, with-drawing himſelf either into the Merchants Service, or, which is worſe, the Devil's Service, and turning Pyrate, plundering our Ships and Merchants, and ſetting up for a ſort of Ma⯑rine Highway-men to make his Fortune by Rapine, or revolting from Duty, and entring into the Ser⯑vice of the Enemy.

This ſcandalous Employment has indeed recommen⯑ded ſo many of them to the Gallows, that the Num⯑bers of them ſeem to wear out pretty much, and they ſeem weary of it, ſo that we may hope there are not ſo many of our Seamen carried off that way as former⯑ly. The next Diſcouragement, which however I muſt place to the Account of the firſt, is, that thoſe Sea⯑men who, tho' they may be poor and reduced, yet are honeſt, and willing to enter into the Service of their Country, and willing, at the ſame time, to ſup⯑port and ſubſiſt their Families, are driven by their Po⯑verty to anticipate their Pay by borrowing Money be⯑fore-hand, either for furniſhing themſelves with Ne⯑ceſſaries at their ſetting out, or for putting it into the Hands of their Wives for the Support and Subſiſt⯑ence of the Family while they are abroad.

In doing this, they are not only expoſed to the un⯑happy Neceſſity of devouring their Pay before they earn it, or, as they ordinarily call it, eating the Calf in the Cow's Belly, which is very diſcouraging in itſelf: But they are farther expos'd to the cruel Exactions and Extortions of thoſe who thus advance Money upon their Pay, who (that Security being ſo many ways pre⯑carious) will not lend upon the ordinary Conſideration of Legal Intereſt; and the poor Borrowers being di⯑ſtreſt for Money, are oblig'd to ſubmit to the hard Conditions; by which Cruelty, or rather by which Neceſſity, the poor Mens Pay, however ſmall or inſuf⯑ficient [27] of itſelf, is leſſen'd, and render'd yet ſmaller to a degree which really is very affecting, even but to relate: ſo that if the Pay itſelf is at beſt but ill able to ſup⯑port and ſubſiſt the Family of a poor Seaman; it is much leſs equal to it when thus reduced, perhaps one fourth, or one third, by Uſury and Extortion, and this exacted with the utmoſt Rigour; ſo that the poor Sea⯑man, or his Family, when the Ship comes to be paid off, cannot receive one Farthing of his Pay 'till this Loan is firſt wholly paid off and diſcharged, the full Powers for receiving the ſaid Pay being transferr'd from the poor Wife, or perhaps Widow of that Seaman, whoſe Life perhaps is loſt in the Service, or under the weight of the Diſcouragement itſelf; for I verily believe, the Grief and Oppreſſion of Mind which the poor Seamen (ſuch of them as can think) feel from the conſtant Reflections on the Hardſhips they ſuffer by ſuch Things as theſe, kills as many as the Shot and the Swords of the Enemy.

But their Diſcouragements do not end here; the Ex⯑actions as to Intereſt, as above, are great, but that is not all: The Abuſes put upon them by the Len⯑ders go farther; as firſt, in taking Powers from them for larger Sums than their juſt Debts, whether Prin⯑cipal or Intereſt, on pretence of Security for the Ac⯑cidents which attend the Loan of their Money; and ſecondly, their taking Powers for the whole Pay ab⯑ſolutely, leaving the poor Borrower to apply, not to the Publick, but to the unmerciful Creditor for the Over-plus; in which Caſe many times the Lender proves Inſolvent and Bankrupt more than the Borrower, and the poor Seaman loſes it all; or if not, the Exactions for Trouble, pretended Charges in Attendance at the Office, Expence in receiving, and abundance of ſuch like Pretences, are brought into the Account, 'till the poor Man's Pay is quite devour'd, or reduced to ſo miſerable a Pittance as makes him deſperate, and con⯑ſequently miſerable.

[28]Again: when all theſe Defalcations are allow'd and given up, yet the poor Man is left to wait, intreat, and perhaps, at laſt, to ſue for the Ballance; and ſome⯑times, if the Landlord keeps a Publick Houſe, as of⯑ten is the caſe, is drawn in to ſpend the Ballance in Drunkenneſs and Exceſſes, and receives the laſt Pay⯑ment in extravagant Reckonings, long unjuſt Scores, and ſuch Methods as is uſual among ſuch People, to the utter Ruin of the Morals of the poor Seamen, as well as of their Families.

It may be true, that the poor Men themſelves, ſome for want of a juſt Principle, and ſome made deſperate, and exaſperated by theſe Violences and Abuſes, do ſometimes act the unfair Part, and do enter into dou⯑ble Engagements upon their Pay; pledging it more than once for Money, affirming, tho' falſly, that it was not engag'd or pledg'd before; ſo as it may be call'd Mort⯑gaging the ſame Effects to different Perſons, grant⯑ing falſe Powers, and making fraudulent Wills, and fraudulent Aſſignments of their Pay to particular Per⯑ſons, when the ſame Pay has been aſſign'd and diſpos'd of to other Perſons before.

This I ſay may be true, and I doubt does too often happen. Nor is this unfair Practice of ſome Seamen the leaſt of the Cauſes of the reſt being impos'd upon by the Lenders of Money, as above; who, conſidering the Hazards they run of the Seamens Integrity, as well as of their Lives (for if the Borrower dies, or runs from the Service the Debt is loſt) inſiſt upon it, that they ought to have the greater Premium as a Conſideration for the Riſque, as well as for the Loan; and by this way of Reaſoning they pretend to ſatisfie their Con⯑ſciences in their Exactions and Extortions upon, as well thoſe who are honeſt, as thoſe who are diſhoneſt.

But notwithſtanding all this, the Complaint of the Diſcouragement which the Seamen lie under in the Particulars above ſtands good, and it is certainly well worth the Conſideration of the Publick to re⯑dreſs [29] them. The ill Conduct of ſome of them, is far from a juſt Reaſon why Juſtice ſhould not be done to the reſt. And I make no doubt but were the general Diſ⯑couragements of the whole Body removed, the Kna⯑very would be the leſs among the reſt, as we ſhall ſee immediately.

Beſides, when the Parliament ſhall be pleas'd to take the poor Seamen's Caſe into their Conſideration, and apply ſuitable Remedies to the Diſcouragements men⯑tion'd above, they will never want Ways and Means to prevent all thoſe Frauds of ſuch Seamen as are diſ⯑honeſt; which, as we ſhall ſee in its Place, may be done without the leaſt Difficulty, and without Injury to the Borrower or the Lender. Nor can the Houſe be at a loſs to prevent the Oppreſſions and Extortions of the Lenders, by which the poor and honeſt Part of the Seamen are ſo abuſed and diſcouraged; of which I ſhall alſo ſpeak in the Courſe of this Work: for it is not deſign'd to make this Work a meer Clamour of Grievances, without giving a due Proſpect of the proper Means to redreſs them; that would be to write a kind of a Satyr upon the publick Management of the Navy, which is indeed no Part of the Buſineſs before me, or of my Deſign.

But I go on to the Detail of the Seamens Diſcou⯑ragements; another of them is the horrid Practice of forging and counterfeiting the Powers and Aſſignments of the Seamen for receiving their Wages, by which the poor Men are defrauded of the full Reward of their moſt faithful Services; and when they have worn out a tedious Summer, and perhaps a Winter or two alſo, in all the Fateagues of Service, too ma⯑ny to reckon up, have born the exceſſive Heat, the Storms, and Tempeſts, the Diſeaſes and Diſtem⯑pers of contrary and unhealthy Climates, and the Hazards of Enemies, and come home in Expecta⯑tion of receiving their Wages, find themſelves robb'd, their Wages taken up and receiv'd by the [30] help of Perjury and Forgery, and by thoſe worſt ſort of Thieves, the Pretenders to Right, when they nei⯑ther had any Power to claim by, or real Debt to pre⯑tend to it from, and which is worſe, know not who the Plunderer has been, or where to look for or en⯑quire after him.

Who can deſcribe, in Language moving like the thing it ſelf, the Grief, the Agonies of the Soul of the poor injur'd Creature, and of his ſtarving Family? who, after the Hardſhips they have ſuffer'd, the poor Man abroad, and the poor Wife and Children at home, in a long ſtarving Expectation of the Return of the Ship, run in Debt to all that would truſt them on the Credit of the poor Man's Labour, and the certainty of his Pay, find themſelves after all thus cut off, at the very Hour of their greateſt Expectations; yet thoſe things we ſee often done in a manner too vile to expreſs.

Some of theſe Creatures have been detected, and, as often as they are, it will be acknowledg'd they have been ſeverely puniſh'd, as far as our Law directs. If the Law is defective, and the Puniſhment is neither equal to the Crime, or ſufficient to deter others from ſuch Practice, that is the Misfortune of the Country, and in common with other Caſes. It is but a little way from us, and even upon the ſame Iſland, where it would be rewarded at the Gallows; which indeed I cannot but ſay, I think it richly deſerves. But neither is that our Buſineſs here.

This Practice alſo of counterfeiting Powers, and thereby receiving the poor Seamens Pay, is attended with another piece of Forgery, viz. forging of Wills, by which the poor Families of a deceaſed Seaman are defrauded of his Pay after his Death. This has been a Practice ſo frequent, and has been ſo much harder to detect than the other, that the wicked Contrivers of it have had but too much Encouragement, in carrying on the horrid Trade; ſo that when a Ship or a Fleet comes into Harbour, they have no more to do but [31] get a Sight of the Ship's Muſters, and ſee who are dead, getting their Names, and if poſſible a Sight of their Hand-writing, or the knowledge whether they were able to write or no; and immediately they forge a laſt Will and Teſtnment for the deceas'd, make themſelves Executors, and then claiming a Debt from the Deceaſed, receive the Money as entitled to it, in ſatisfaction of their pretended Debt.

I need not add that this likewiſe is among thoſe Grievances of Seamen, which are moſt eaſy to be re⯑dreſſed; the Parliament with the Breath of their Mouth are able to put an effectual Stop to all thoſe Practi⯑ces; a Clauſe of five Lines is ſufficient; that is to ſay, 'tis done with the greateſt eaſe imaginable; and 'tis in order to that Relief that I take the Freedom to mention it in this Place, and at a Time when the Sea⯑men have the happineſs of ſeeing their Caſe recom⯑mended to the Parliament from the Throne.

After what has been ſaid thus briefly, and perhaps with rather too much Backwardneſs and Caution, leſt it ſhould give Offence, and ſo do the Seamen Harm rather than Good, and after what his Majeſty has been pleaſed to ſay from the Throne, of the great Impor⯑tance of the thing in General, I flatter my ſelf with the Belief, that none will ſay the Seamen do not want Encouragement, in order to bring them to en⯑ter freely and willingly, and without Force and Violence, into the Service of their Country. Nor can it be ſaid, with juſtice to the poor Men, that they are not at preſent under theſe Hardſhips and Diſcouragements, their Numbers are greatly diminiſh'd, and the Diffi⯑culties of bringing them into Service are encreas'd; and, which is ſtill worſe, many of them are by theſe things irretrievably diſperſed and ſcattered into the re⯑moteſt Parts of the World, and into the Service of al⯑moſt all the Chriſtian Powers, and even ſome Heathen and Mahometan Powers, as well their Princes as their [32] Merchants, from whence it is far from an eaſy Task to recover them, and bring them back.

It has been alledg'd, tho' I am loth to ſay much of it here, that many of our Seamen run from the Ser⯑vice in Circumſtances which render their Return hopeleſs; for that, in ſo many words, they dare not come home; and this not only as Deſerters from the Service, for that an Act of Oblivion would take off; but as Debtors, having borrow'd Money on their Pay, or otherwiſe run into Debt at or before their entring in⯑to the Service, and not willing or not able to pay, cannot appear again in the Service, for fear of a Jail, the Service being no Protection againſt an Ar⯑reſt.

Some have ſuggeſted that the Seamen, having been thus baſely drawn in by the Money-lenders, mention'd above, to make over their whole Pay, for the Loan of but a little Money, and being viſibly oppreſſed by the Avarice and Extortion of thoſe wicked People taking advantage of their Neceſſity, and making them acknowledge more Debt than they owe, have in meer Revenge for that Uſage run from the Service, for⯑feited their Pay, and in a manner baniſh'd themſelves for ever from their native Country, becauſe they ab⯑hor'd to be impoſed upon in ſo groſs a manner. Thus puniſhing themſelves to the laſt Degree, on purpoſe to avoid paying ſuch an unjuſt Demand.

I will not take upon me to affirm this Part, tho' I doubt the Truth of it might too eaſily be prov'd from the Acknowledgment of thoſe who have actually done ſo. But this I venture to ſay, that tho' the Practice cannot be juſtify'd in the Seamen themſelves, howe⯑ver provok'd by the ill Uſage of thoſe Extortioners, yet it alſo ſhows, that thoſe Abuſes of the Seamen are, together with the Injuſtice and Avarice of it, a very great Diſcouragement to the poor Men, and by con⯑ſequence an Injury to the publick Service; ſeeing eve⯑ry thing that aſſiſts to diminiſh the Number of Sea⯑men, [33] baniſh them from the Service, and ſcatter them abroad in foreign and remote Countries, ſo as that they are loſt to their Country, is ſo far a publick Grievance; and beſides its being criminal in it ſelf, as all ſuch illegal Practices are, is criminal alſo in its Conſequences, as it is an Injury to the Publick, and indeed a Calamity to their Country.

It is true, the Seamen that act thus are not to be juſtified by any means; on the contrary, they are Of⯑fenders in ſeveral Denominations, as acting unjuſtly to their Creditors, whatever they can ſay of their Ex⯑tortion, as the Occaſion or Pretence of it; for an In⯑jury receiv'd, does by no means juſtifie an Injury done; nor does their extorting more than is their Due, diſ⯑charge the Debtor in point of Conſcience from pay⯑ing what was really due. But the Right and Wrong of the Queſtion is not before us here: the preſent Buſineſs is, whether this is the Caſe or no? and whether by this Extortion and Avarice on one hand, the Seamen being made deſperate, do fall upon thoſe unjuſt deſperate Methods, to defraud the Lenders, on the other hand, or no? If the Affirmative is true, then they both concur to obſtruct the Service, and ſo far both are Offenders; and 'tis worth while for the Le⯑giſlature to enter into Meaſures, to prevent the Pra⯑ctice; for all juſt Governments chuſe rather to prevent Crimes, than puniſh them: The main End and In⯑tent of Laws is to deter Men from Offences, not to leave them at liberty to commit them, tho' at the Price of the Penalty; that would be to ſuppoſe the Crime lawful to him, that is willing to run the Riſque of the Puniſhment; a Principle fit for a Highwayman, or a Smuggler to act upon, not for Men of Conſcience and Honeſty.

There are many other Hardſhips and Diſcou⯑ragements which the poor Seamen often complain'd of formerly; ſome occaſion'd by the Cheats and Frauds of their Officers; as in particular the Allowance [34] of their Proviſions, as to Quantity, and ſometimes in the Quality alſo; eſpecially in ſuch Proviſions as are added to the Ship's Stores abroad, where the laying in ſuch Proviſions is of courſe left to the Prudence and Diſcretion of the Captain or Purſers, or the Agent of the Victualling abroad. But theſe things are paſt, nor have been complain'd of for ſome Years.

It is not the Buſineſs, much leſs the Deſign of this Work, to arraign the King's Officers of Miſmanage⯑ment, or to make this Account a Charge upon any Body.

Beſides, the Abuſes of Officers are no part of our Caſe; they are puniſhable, if the Fact be proved, by the Laws, as well as by their Superior Officers, and the Seamen have an open Door to make their Com⯑plaint, after they come Home. To recommend ſuch things therefore to the Parliament, is to trouble the Houſe with what they ought not to be troubled with, unleſs Redreſs could not be obtained in the Ordinary Way.

CHAP. III.

YOU have ſeen, as diſtinctly as the narrow Compaſs of this Work will admit, ſome of the Reaſons of the Seamens diſperſing and ſcattering themſelves into foreign, remote and diſtant Parts of the World, their wilfully baniſhing themſelves (as it were) from their own Country, and their running head-long into Pyra⯑cies, [35] and other deſperate Services: By all which their Numbers are exceedingly diminiſhed, and abundance of them irretrievably loſt as to the Service of their Soveraign.

It remains, according to his Majeſty's Gracious Re⯑commendation to his Parliament, to find a Remedy, if poſſible, for theſe Evils, that the Seamen may be en⯑couraged, their Numbers encreaſed, and they may be invited, not brought by Force and Violence to enter into the Service of their Country.

I am far from crowding the Heads of the Town with Projects: The unperforming Schemes of our Pro⯑jectors and Pretenders, thoſe Quacks and Mountebanks of the State, are my Averſion, as they have been the Miniſtry's Burthen, in all our late Reigns; they have often perplexed this very Caſe, but never, as I have yet ſeen, advanced one Step towards its effectual Cure and Redreſs.

But I remember a long and intricate Propoſal, once offered to the Publick, in the Reigns of King William, and Queen Anne, which went ſo far as to be thought worth conſidering of by his Royal Highneſs Prince George, then High-Admiral, and to be laid before a Committee of Parliament. I ſhall give a Summary of the Scheme, becauſe it was new, and thought at firſt to be practicable, but it is too long to repeat all the Particulars.

The Propoſal was, (1.) to form all the Seamen, or Sea⯑faring-men into a Body, and enter them all into the immediate Service and Pay of the Government. So that they were all at once the Government's hired Ser⯑vants, their Names and Abode always regiſtred, and Books kept diſtinctly in every Port, by the Cuſtomer or Collector of the Port; ſo that there ſhould be no Charge of new Offices and Officers, to eat out their Country's Treaſure by unneceſſary Salaries.

For the Encouragement and effectual Supply of Trade and Navigation, whether for the Merchant-Ships, [36] Coaſters, or Fiſhery, they ſhould always be ſupplied with Good and Able Seamen from the Cuſtom-houſe, the Collector having no more to do than to ſend a Summons to the Men to their Dwelling; knowing always by their Books who was abroad, and who was at home, with Orders what Ships to go on board of, and where; and One Port to borrow and lend to another, as Numbers were found over, or wanting.

For Encouragement of the Seamen to be always at hand, the Government was ſuppoſed to allow them Half-pay when out of Employ, and travelling Pay to return home when unſhip'd, or to go to the Port when ſhipped where the Ship ſhould lie.

That the current Pay of the Seamen from the Go⯑vernment being at that time 23 s. per Month when on board the King's Ships, the Merchants ſhould pay to the Government 26 s. per Month for every able Sea⯑man, which was the ordinary Pay the Merchant gave at that time, and was not thought grievous, for it was raiſed to 30 s. per Month, and higher, as the War made Men ſcarce. That by this Over-plus of Pay in the Merchants Service the Government would be able to pay all the Half-pay to the Seamen out of Employ⯑ment.

Alſo out of the ſame Fund Hoſpitals ſhould be pro⯑vided, for taking Care of poor ſick Seamen, and a Cheſt erected for Allowances to ſuch as were maim'd, whe⯑ther their Maims were received in the Service of the Publick, or of the Merchant.

Alſo Hoſpitals to relieve at leaſt, if not to maintain the Widows and infant Children of ſuch Seamen as died abroad in Service, as well in Merchant Ships as in the Royal Navy; others to be left to the Pariſhes.

All the Male-children of Seamen ſo deceaſed to be bred up by the ſaid Hoſpital to the age of 14 years, and then entred into Pay in Proportion to their Age, and to be ſhipped as Occaſion preſented.

[37]Commanders of Merchant Ships, and other Officers in proportion to their Commands, and to the Burthen of their Ships, to be obliged to take ſuch Boys as their proper Servants, and to take care to inſtruct them in the Art of Navigation, and to allow them Pay after the age of Fifteen Years, ſuch as ſhall be adjuſted.

The Reſt of this Propoſal is indeed too large to in⯑ſert it here: But the Propoſer ſhews fully the Advan⯑tages to the Merchants, by removing all the Difficulties in getting Men, in abating the Expence of Victuals and Wages while in Port waiting 'till they are fully mann'd, and on many other Accounts.

Alſo the Advantages to the Government, that a cer⯑tain number of theſe Seamen, while out of Employ, and in Half-pay, ſhould be always at hand, for doing the neceſſary Works belonging to the Navy, cleanſing the Docks, Yards, Harbours, &c.

And for the Encreaſe of the Number of Seamen, the Government ſhould entertain all ſuch able-bodied Land⯑men as were deſirous to enter into the Marine-Service, whoſe Half-pay ſhould be proportioned to their uſual Pay at Sea, and ſhould, notwithſtanding their Half-pay, be at Liberty to work for themſelves, at any time when the publick Service did not call for them, either Abroad or at Home.

That every Merchant-Ship entertaining Ten Seamen and upwards, ſhould be obliged to take one ſuch able-bodied Landman at the Rate of 20 s. per Month, the Government to pay the ſame Men 18 s. per Month; by which means the able-bodied Landmen may be ſup⯑poſed in about two Years Service to be ſufficiently inur⯑ed to the Sea, and to be entertained as able Seamen.

This Propoſal in all its Parts, of which I have a Copy, tho' too long to inſert it here, was ſo far thought practicable, that it was as laſt declined only upon ſome Scruples about Liberty and Compulſion, which ſome nice People, who have got over all theſe Difficulties in other Caſes not leſs dangerous, pretend⯑ed to raiſe.

[38]Upon this Foot, I ſay, it was laid aſide, (not re⯑jected) and had the Prince lived a little longer would, I believe, have been brought to be practicable. In which Caſe there would always have been a ſufficient Number of Seamen on every Occaſion, as well for private Service as Publick; for the growing Number of Landmen, upon the Encouragement of a Half-pay, with Liberty to work for their own Account while out of Service, would always have given you a Supply of Seamen for any Emergency, and yet their Number would not have been a Burthen to the Publick.

I have mentioned this, becauſe as I take the Encreaſ⯑ing the Number of Able Seamen to be one of the greateſt Difficulties before us, as it ſhocks our ad⯑juſtment of Numbers, and makes that Number in Time of War, be as much too numerous for Trade in a Time of Peace, as the Number to be ſpared in a Time of Peace is too ſmall to Man out the Royal Navy in Time of War.

But by this Method the Number in general would be ek'd out, and greatly enlarg'd, and the Ways and Means taken by the Government to ſupport the ſu⯑pernumerary or extraordinary Men, will be doing that without a Burthen which would otherwiſe be an in⯑tolerable Weight upon them.

The Propoſal enters into ſome very juſt Calculati⯑ons of the Number of Seamen in England, a Point ſo very nice, that the moſt critical in what they call Po⯑litical Arithmetick have been able to do nothing in it that we may depend upon. He judged that, includ⯑ing the Tranſport Service, and the extraordinary Num⯑ber of Veſſels juſt then employed in the Service, there were not leſs than 70000 Seamen at that time in the Go⯑vernment Pay, which notwithſtanding he ſhews they could not reaſonably be thought ſo, yet becauſe a given Number muſt in all ſuch Caſes be the Baſis of juſt Calculations, he ſuppoſes to be near one half of all the Seamen in England, that is to ſay, employed by the [39] Navy and by the Commerce of England. So that he ſtates the Number in General to be 150000 Seamen.

From this Number he inferrs, and for this Reaſon I mention it, That upon ſuch a general Enrolling of Seamen there being one Man in Ten allow'd to be entertained, who he calls, according to the Language of the Navy, able-bodied Land-men, there would then be 15000 ſuch Land-men always in Service, or on the Liſt: And theſe being ſuppoſed to be tranſ⯑mitted from the Claſs of Land-men to that of able Seamen in the Space of every Two Years; that very Article would ſupply all the Incidents of Mortality by Diſaſter among the able Seamen, allowing the nur⯑ſing up of Boys, the Children of Seamen, to go on in its ordinary Courſe for a Succeſſion to the general Fund of Seamen as it is already.

I muſt confeſs this Scheme for the Encreaſe of Sea⯑men ſeems the moſt fitted for Practice of any I have yet met with, becauſe it provides a Fund for the Support of the ſupernumerary Liſt, without bur⯑thening the Country, and lays a Foundation for the Supply of the Navy, upon any ſudden Emergencies, in ſo eaſy, certain and expeditious a manner, as would make the Naval Power of England very terrible in the World; for by this Method, whatever Exigence of ſudden Service might preſent, the Engliſh would be able to man out a formidable Fleet in a ſhorter Time than any other Nation in the World: For the Government would be ſuppoſed to have always 30000 Seamen at Home, or ſo near Call, the coaſting Naviga⯑tion included, that they might be all ſhipp'd in four⯑teen Days time at fartheſt, and that without Hurry, without Violence, without Fail, and without Ex⯑pence.

I forbear to enlarge upon this Scheme, becauſe, as I have ſaid, it may be called a Project, and is not I doubt likely to be attempted, and perhaps would re⯑quire ſome more than ordinary Application to be re⯑duc'd [40] to Practice, eſpecially at firſt; but I cannot quit it, without acknowledging, that if it might be ſet on Foot, it ſeems to me to be a Scheme the moſt like⯑ly to anſwer all the Ends, as well of Encreaſing, as of Encouraging the Seamen of England, and the moſt capable of Improvement of any I ever met with.

But I muſt take a little Notice of the Schemes and Projects for this Work, which have been accepted by our Superiors, and have been reduc'd to Practice; ſome even of theſe we have found, cautiouſly ſpeaking, Un⯑performing, or at leaſt Inſufficient, ſuch as Hoſpitals for Sick and Wounded Seamen, which during the late War were found neceſſary to be erected in ſeveral Places, I mean Temporary Hoſpitals on Shore, as well as Hoſpital Ships.

Theſe were very uſeful indeed, and it was an En⯑couragement to the Seaman to ſee Proviſion made for him in caſe of Accident, whether by Wounds or other Diſeaſe; but I ſay, this is only Temporary, and theſe all ceaſe with the War: Nor is this any thing at all to the Encreaſing the Numbers of the Seamen, or Encouraging them in the Senſe now propos'd, that is to ſay, to come in without Preſſing.

The next and great Project, which made indeed a great Noiſe for a while, was that of Regiſtring the Seamen by Name in Books, and an Office for that Purpoſe to be kept at a great Expence, and for which the Seamen themſelves were to pay. But what has this done for them more than entitling them to an Hoſpital, which, with Submiſſion, they were in⯑titled to Parochially before? which, tho' it was not an equal Proviſion in the State and Magnificence of the Thing, or in the Plenty and Convenience of it, yet it may without Offence be ſaid to be a ſuperior Proviſion for the Poor, as well Seamen as others, to any other of that Kind in the World.

[41]It is true, and it has been often boaſted abroad, that there are many more and greater Hoſpitals for Mainte⯑nance of the Poor in Spain, Italy, France, and Portu⯑gal, than there are in England; as the Miſericordia at Naples, which they tell us has 100000 Crowns a Year Revenue; another at Seville; and ſeveral others at Madrid, beſides innumerable others; but this might be effectu⯑ally anſwered by telling them, that we have above 9000 Hoſpitals in England, beſides all the Hoſpitals of private Endowment, every Pariſh being the poor Man's Hoſpital, in which he has a Legal Right by Inheri⯑tance to be maintained, and that therefore no poor Man in England can be ſaid to ſtarve, if the Pariſh-Of⯑ficers do their Duty.

But not to leſſen the Advantage to the Seamen of their Claim to a Retreat in the Royal Hoſpital of Greenwich, which the Regiſter is ſaid to entitle them to; nor to leſſen the Value of that glorious Founda⯑tion itſelf; yet it may be added, that ſtill in the main this ſtraitens the Circumſtances of the poor Seaman's Family, whoſe Pay, tho' not large before, is yet made ſo much leſs by the Allowances which he was obliged to make out of it towards this Hoſpital; beſides all thoſe other Deductions made be⯑fore, ſuch as to the Surgeon, to the Chaplain, to the Cheſt at Chatham, &c. all which may be ſaid to aſſiſt in reducing the Pay of the Seamen; and this at a time when the Support and maintaining his Fami⯑ly is heavier upon him, than ever it was upon his Fore⯑fathers, the Seamen of the paſt Ages.

His Majeſty has indeed recommended the Hoſpital of Greenwich to the Conſideration of his Parliament, and I will not doubt but Ways and Means may be found out to make that Foundation yet more extenſive, and more capable of relieving the diſtreſs'd Seamen; I will, for once, ſuppoſe it were, as I believe it might be made, an univerſal Support, ſo that all the decay'd and invalid Seamen of England, Scotland, and Ireland, were [42] to have their Aſſiſtance from it when they came to want it.

But I do not ſee much of the immediate Influence this will have on the preſent Encouragement of Sea⯑men, or on the Encreaſe of their Number; for,

1. The Hoſpital does nothing, that I know of, for them 'till they come to be Old and Decayed, or Wounded and Diſabled, and 'tis a great Matter to do that; and were our Seamen a Generation of People that looked ſo far be⯑fore them as from Youth and Strength, to Age and In⯑firmity, and from ſound and whole Limbs, to Wounds and Diſaſters, things which they have as much Reaſon to think of as moſt Men, it might be of ſome more Weight with them than I doubt it is. But it does not ſeem to belong much to the Character of an Engliſh Seaman to think much, eſpecially of ſuch remote things, and therefore we cannot ſay that Part is ſo much of an Encouragement, as in the Nature and Rea⯑ſon of the thing it ought to be.

2. The Hoſpital is concerned principally in taking care of Seamen, out of the Service, not in it, and of Seamen paſt Service, not encouraging them to the Service; it is the Seamen's Interval between the Sea and the Grave, where he is made comfortable to him⯑ſelf, when he is good for nothing to any body elſe. Nor is this Undervaluing the Hoſpital in the leaſt, it is a very great Article in itſelf, and well worth the Cha⯑rity of a Chriſtian Nation to take care of the latter Days of thoſe poor Men who have ſpent their Strength and Prime in the moſt uſeful Service of their Coun⯑try.

But tho' the Hoſpital of Greenwich were in its utmoſt deſigned Perfection, it does not ſeem to reach the pre⯑ſent Caſe, or indeed to be much concern'd in it; 'tis the bringing Men into the Service, not the ſending them out of it, that is the preſent Enquiry.

The Introduction of Seamen is chiefly by breeding them up from Childhood on board the Ships, bringing [43] them up to the Sea as an Employment or Trade; and 'tis chiefly done by our Colliers, Coaſters, Fiſhing-Boats, Wherries, Keels, Lighters, and all the ſmall Craft of Home-Navigation; the Merchant Ships in⯑deed carry ſome ſuch, as Cabbin-Boys, chiefly by the Captain, and ſome Officers are allowed to take Boys, but theſe are few.

As the Seamen (at leaſt three-fourths of them) are thus bred to the Buſineſs from their moſt early time, it can hard⯑ly be ſuggeſted that the Benefit of an Hoſpital for their lateſt time is any Part of their Conſideration, or is of weight in their Choice of the Employment; ſo that this can have no great Share in a Propoſal for Encrea⯑ſing the Numbers of Seamen; that muſt be a Work of a different Nature, and would well employ the Care of a Parliament, and indeed of any one elſe that can aſſiſt the Publick in an Affair of ſuch Conſe⯑quence.

To bring it into as narrow a Compaſs as I can, I ſee but two Ways by which the Numbers of Seamen can be encreas'd, I mean ſuch as the Publick can concern itſelf in; for as for the Pariſh-Children, and the Chil⯑dren of diſtreſs'd Families, on or near the Sea-Coaſt, it is the natural Conſequence of their Situation, they flow as naturally into the Sea-Service, whether for War or Trade, as the Rivers run into the Ocean; but to do ſomething in a publick Way, is to bring ſuch Men or ſuch Boys into and up for the Service of the Sea, which could not, or would not be done before.

For the Parliament to direct ſending ſuch to Sea, as would of courſe go there without that Direction, is doing nothing, or nothing to the Purpoſe, which is all one, and is below the Dignity as well as the Wiſdom of Parliament to be concerned in; but the Encreaſe which may be thought to come with ſuch an Autho⯑rity as that of the Parliament, may be ſuppos'd to be ſome of theſe, or ſuch like:

1. Some Meaſures to be taken to bring up for this [44] Service all that unhappy Swarm of young vagrant Boys, who at preſent are the Burthen, not of this City only, but of all the Towns in England, and who ſeem to be brought up for the Devil, that is for the Gallows; for they generally learn to be firſt Beggars, then Thieves, and if they are early tranſported, 'tis a Mercy in their Fate which they have great Reaſon to be thankful for.

No Law, that I can think of, could be eſtabliſh'd up⯑on a more true Chriſtian Foundation; 'tis the height of Charity, and the moſt ſhining Virtue of a private Man, and the moſt glorious of a Nation, for it ſnatch⯑es a Breed of Imps (as they may many of them be call'd) out of the Clutches of the Devil, out of the very Jaws of eternal Deſtruction, whoſe Fate is ſum⯑med up in few Words, thus, That they are born Beg⯑gars, bred Thieves, and dye Criminals.

Nor would the Number of them be inconſiderable; 'tis ſcarce credible what a black Throng they are; many of them indeed periſh young, and dye miſerable, before they may be ſaid to look into Life; ſome are ſtarv'd with Hunger, ſome with Cold, many are found frozen in the Streets and Fields, ſome drowned before they are old enough to be hang'd.

How noble a Foundation would an Hoſpital be, e⯑qual in Magnitude to that of Greenwich or Chelſea, to receive the whole Body of theſe Miſerables, to Feed, Cloath, Govern, and Teach them, from the Age of about Five to Fourteen, and then ſend them out civi⯑lized, inſtructed, bred up to good Letters and good Manners, into the King's Service, or into the Mer⯑chants Service, as occaſion ſhould preſent. I ſay no more here; the Parliament, or the Government, if they eſpouſe ſuch a Propoſal, know well enough how to improve upon it, and a ſmall Payment to be made where I humbly think it would be no Burthen to the King, or to the Commerce, would raiſe a ſufficient Fund to endow and ſupport it.

[45]Such a Step as this would raiſe a Succeſſion of able Seamen, and in a few Years would come to remit a thou⯑ſand, or perhaps two or three thouſand ſturdy Youths every Year into the general Claſs of Engliſh Seamen; and it were eaſy to entail that Supply upon the Navy, by way of Preference to all other Service, by entailing ſome little Payment upon them from the Houſe, as of⯑ten as the Navy giving a public Call, they ſhall come chearfully in, and enter themſelves for the Service of their Country. I could enlarge very agreeably upon ſuch a Propoſal as this, and upon the many Ways which it may be improv'd, and made uſeful to the Public, but I have not Room for it here.

As this Scheme would help to ſupply the Navy with bred Seamen or Mariners, brought up to the Sea from their Childhood, ſo another would bring a Supply of able-bodyed Landmen into the Service, equivalent to what is contain'd in the Scheme mention'd above, by which poor Men wanting Employment might be entertain'd in the Service of their Country, and brought in by Time and Experience to ſerve as able Seamen.

The only Difficulty in either of theſe Propoſals, is, how the Government ſhall find Buſineſs for any con⯑ſiderable Number of Men in time of Peace; and if that time of Peace ſhould laſt long, as ſometimes has been the Caſe, what Uſe ſhall be made of them?

To this might be anſwer'd very directly, the Go⯑vernement are oblig'd to keep a very conſiderable Number of Men always at work in Naval Affairs, tho' it were a Time of continued, ſettled, and la⯑ſting Peace, and may keep more than they do now; and were I intending to make this Tract a Book of Schemes, I could lay ſuch Ways open to the publick View, as would convince every Reader, there is no Difficulty in it, nor any Charge but what the things themſelves ſhould ſupply. But as I have ſaid above that I am no Projector, ſo I ſhall not pretend to lead [46] my Superiours in matters wherein they are ſo abun⯑dantly ſufficient to themſelves.

This is certain, that 4000 to 5000 able-bodyed Land-Men might with eaſe be employ'd in the Home Affair of the Navy, ſuch as in Docks, Yards, Guardſhips, Rope⯑walks, repairing, building; and on every Occaſion of Service, be transferred to the Navy with advantage. It would perhaps be thought Impertinent for an Au⯑thor without doors, to tell the Gentlemen in His Ma⯑jeſty's Service, how, and in what manner unexperienc'd and raw Men, ſuch as by the Uſage of the Navy are call'd Landmen, are to be fitted for the Sea Service, by thoſe ſeveral Employments about the King's Yards and Docks, which yet do not immediately denominate them to be Seamen: It is enough to ſay that thoſe Employments do ſo much qualify them, as to make them handy at the Work, knowing in the Terms, and ready at many Particulars of the Sea Service, and they are with much the leſs Difficulty enur'd to the Sea, and made capable of every part of the Duty of a Seaman; and if other Men are two Years in ripen⯑ing up, or finiſhing for the Degree of an able Seaman, ſuch Men will in one Year be equal to them.

Thus the King's Service will be its own Nurſery, and the Navy be in a manner ſufficient to itſelf, or at leaſt as far as ſuch yearly Encreaſe would contribute to it.

I could here alſo propoſe Meaſures for the Encreaſe of Seamen, by the Method mention'd above, of obliging the Merchant-Ships to take always a certain Number of ſuch able-bodyed Landmen on Board every Voyage they went, paying as is uſual for raw unexperienc'd Seamen, the Publick paying an additional Sum to eke out their Pay. But thoſe Schemes are too tedious for this Work. I muſt go on.

CHAP. IV.

AS I have given ſome Specificks for the Encreaſing of Seamen, being the Firſt Head mention'd in His Majeſty's Speech, it remains to ſpeak of their En⯑couragement, which, tho' mention'd laſt, is indeed the moſt important, and moſt extenſive Part of the Grie⯑vance, tho' it may perhaps admit of the plaineſt and eaſyeſt Remedies.

It is in a few Words expreſs'd thus; The contrary to thoſe things which have been enumerated as diſ⯑couraging to the Seamen, and in which they are ſaid to be under Hardſhips and Diſappointments, are the juſt Meaſures for their Encouragement: This is ſpeak⯑ing plain and to the Purpoſe.

I have ſeen a Propoſal in Print, and by an able Hand too, for an Addition to the Smallneſs of their Pay. If, as is ſaid above, by Reaſon of the Difference between the Rate of things neceſſary to the Support of a Family, the Seaman is under Hardſhip and Diſcouragement, and is not able to live as the Seamen formerly could, then it may be properly ſaid, his Pay is not ſo ſuffi⯑cient to him as it formerly was: For if it is not ſo e⯑qual to his Expence, tho' it may not be leſs in Quan⯑tity, yet 'tis leſs in Effect; to give the Seamen what they cannot ſubſiſt upon, tho' it be the ſame ſpecific Pay which they had before, yet it is not the ſame in the Language of Wages, becauſe the poor Men cannot live as they did before, Proviſions neceſſary be⯑ing advanc'd in Price, their Money will not go ſo far as it did before, neither in buying them Food or Fewel, Meat, Drink or Cloaths.

[48]It is not my Buſineſs to enter into a Calculation of the Proportions, in the difference of the Money, be⯑tween 23 s. per Month forty Years ago, and 23 s. per Month now; nor am I making a Demand for the Sea⯑men: I am rather ſtating their Circumſtances, and lay⯑ing the poor Seamen at the Foot of the Parliament's Goodneſs, to conſider their Condition, and to encou⯑rage them (as is the uſual Terms of a Petition) in ſuch manner as to the Honourable Houſe, in their great Wiſ⯑dom, ſhall ſeem meet: In ſhort, I am only laying open the Fact, namely, that the Seamen are under ſome Diſadvantages from the Proportion of their Pay, to the manifeſt Difference in the way of Living, occa⯑ſion'd by the dearneſs of Proviſions, Taxes, &c. as e⯑numerated above.

As far as their Diſcouragements lie in this Particular of their Pay, ſo far an addition of their Wages would be an Encouragement, that's certain; whether the Par⯑liament will think fit to encourage them by that Addi⯑tion, or by what other Method, is not my Buſineſs.

But I cannot refrain earneſtly recommending to the Legiſlature, the ſecond Head of Diſcouragement, un⯑der which the Seamen ſuffer the Abuſes and Injuries mention'd in our ſecond Chapter, page 26. (viz.) Firſt, The Exactions of Uſury and Extortion, lending Mo⯑ney to the poor Seamen upon their growing Wages, and taking exorbitant Intereſt on Pretence of the Riſque they run of the Sailor's Honeſty; beſides taking Aſ⯑ſignments and Powers to receive their whole Pay, and leaving the Sailors to get the Overplus how they can, and ſometimes not at all.

2. The Forging falſe Powers, and taking up the poor Mens Pay without any legal Right; ſo defraud⯑ing the poor Men of their Pay, after it being ſo dear⯑ly earn'd at the Expence, or at leaſt the Hazard of their Lives.

Both theſe Evils call aloud to the Legiſlature for Redreſs, and both are moſt eaſy to be redreſs'd; the [49] firſt, by eſtabliſhing an Office of Loan from the Go⯑vernment, by which the Seamen may be allow'd to borrow Money of the Government itſelf at a reaſona⯑ble Intereſt, as the South-Sea Company gave leave to the Owners of Stock to borrow Money upon it of the Company; which Loan upon their Pay, may be well ſecured, by only keeping a current Account for every Seaman, between their growing Pay and the Cre⯑dit given them: in which Caſe the Seamen would be ſav'd from Uſury and Extortion, and their Families be reliev'd, inſtead of ruin'd by the Loan. Whether it can be juſt to prohibit the poor Men borrowing Mo⯑ney upon the Security of their Pay, without ſome ſuch Medium as this for their Supply, I dare not determine without Doors, the Legiſlature will no doubt conſi⯑der that Part when it comes before them.

But if this Method is not taken, and yet the Sea⯑men left at Liberty (as Reaſon and Neceſſity ſeem to me to dictate, to borrow) then the Frauds of the Len⯑ders, and their Extortions on the poor Borrowers, may yet effectually be prevented by a Regiſter of Powers; which if duly kept, as has been often pro⯑poſed, no Counterfeit Powers could be made uſe of, nor any Perſon receive the Pay or Wages of a Seaman but thoſe who had a legal Claim to it, nor receive more of it than they had a Right to; ſo the Seaman could not be abuſed, or the Lenders defrauded of their Right.

This Regiſtring of Powers, like Regiſtring of Mort⯑gages, would alſo put an end at once to the Frauds of that ſcandalous ſort of People the Sollicitors, who go about to help People to their Wages, to get it receiv'd for them, and pretend to bring it to them; but much oftner conceal their having receiv'd it, and cheat the poor Men that labour'd for it.

While theſe Things are doing for the Safety of the Seaman's Property, and to ſecure him from the [50] Cruelty and Extortion, the Frauds and Exactions of Lenders of Money and Sollicitors; there remains a⯑nother Clauſe on the Government's Side, which I ſhall but mention, and recommend it to Authority, as a piece of Juſtice to his Majeſty's Service; namely, whether ſome Reſtraint may not juſtly be laid on the Commerce, that is, on the Merchants Service, that private Men, Maſters, Owners of Ships, Merchants, &c. ſhould not give more Pay to the Seamen than the King, or at leaſt be limited to a certain Rate.

It is certain Trade can have no Injury by this; for whatever Pay is given to the Seamen, in time of Scar⯑city of Men, tho' given by the Maſters and Owners, is all levied upon the Trade, and that with an Encreaſe, by advancing the Price of Fraight; This was evident in the late War, when Fraights of Ships were rais'd from 40 s. per Ton from Spain and Portugal, to 6 l: from 6 l. per Ton from our Colonies to 12 and 14 or 16 l. per Ton, and in others to a certain Rate on the Weight of the Goods, not the Bulk; all which was done on Pretence of the advance of Pay to the Seamen, whoſe Wages were raiſed from 24 s. per Month to 30 and 35 s. a-fore the Maſt; and in proportion for Carpenters, Coopers, Cooks, and other Officers, to the great Obſtruction of the Publick Service, and no leſs to the Loſs and Da⯑mage of the Commerce in General.

A due Reſtraint upon this part would be no Hard⯑ſhip upon the Seaman, but would make the Service of the Publick and of the Merchant more indifferent to him than it was before; nor wou'd it be any Damage to the Merchant, and would alſo be an Advantage to Trade in General. To conclude all, out of this Em⯑bryo may be brought forth a Sea-born Creature, which might out of its own Bowels effectually ſupply the Publick all that it could be out of Pocket for the pro⯑pos'd advance of Wages to the Seamen, and yet Trade be ſo far from ſuffering, that the Merchants would bleſs [51] the Propoſal, and think themſelves good Gainers by the Payment. But this is not my Buſineſs; it is enough that I have ſtarted this Thought into the World, the Publick does not want more able Heads to work it in⯑to ſhape, and make it, as it is abundantly capable of being, the beſt Scheme of its kind that has yet been laid before them.