Military Strength.] There are about 20,000 fighting men in this flate. About 10 men are kept to guard Fort Johnfon, on James Ifland, at the entrance of Charleston harbour, by which no veffel can pafs, unless the mafter or mate make oath that there is no malignant diftemper on board. Thefe 10 men are the only standing force of this ftate. The militia laws, enacting that every freeman between 16 and 50 years of age, fhall be prepared for war, have been but indifferently obeyed fince the peace.

Public Revenue and Expences.] The public revenue of this ftate is, nominally, about £90,000 fterling. But a great part of this is either not collected, or paid in public fecurities, which are much depreciated. The expences of government are about £. 16,000 fterling.

Mode of Levying Taxes.] There is a general impoft of 3 per cent. and other impofts varying from 3 to 10 per cent. payable on the importation of merchandize from foreign countries. The great bulk of the revenue of the state, is raised by a tax on lands and negroes. The lands, for the purpofe of being taxed according to their value, are divided into three grand divifions; the first reaches from the fea coaft to the extent of the flowing of the tides; the fecond from these points to the falls of the rivers; and thence to the utmoft verge of the western settlement makes the third. Thefe grand divifions, for the fake of more exactly ascertaining the value of the lands, are subdivided into 21 different fpecies. The most valuable of which is estimated at fix pounds, and the least valuable at one fhilling per acre. One per cent. on the value thus estimated, is levied from all granted lands in the ftate. The collection of taxes is not annexed to the office of fheriff, but is committed to particular gentlemen appointed for that purpose.

Eftimate of Damages fuftained in the late War.] The damages which this ftate fuftained in the late war are thus eftimated. The two entire crops of 1780 and 1781, both of which were used by the British-The crop of 1782 taken by the Americans-About 25,000 negroes-Many thoufands of pounds worth of plate, and houshold furniture in abundance. The villages of George-town and Camden burnt-The lofs to the citizens directly by the plunderings and devastations of the British army-and indirectly by American impreffments, and by the depreciation of the paper currency, together with the heavy debt of £.1,200,000 fterling, incurred for the fupport of the war, in one aggregate view, make the price of independence to South Carolina, exclufive of the blood of its citizens, upwards of £3,000,000 fterling.

State of the Practice of Phyfic.] The practice of Phyfie throughout the ftate, is reputable, particularly in Charleston, which contains more regular bred phyficians, in proportion to its numbers, than any city in the United States. It is to be lamented, however, that, in common with the other parts of America, extraordinary merit is unrewarded, and perfons of real fkill rarely fare better, and fometimes worse, than those of moderate talents and contracted education.

Commerce.

Commerce.] The little attention that is paid to manufactures occafions a vaft confumption of foreign imported articles; but the quantities and value' of their exports generally leave a balance in favour of the ftate, except when there are large importations of negroes. The following lift of exports, which was copied from the custom-house books in Charlef ton, will give an accurate and fatisfactory idea of the variety and quantity of articles exported from the port of Charleston.

General EXPORTS from Charleston, South-Carolina, from November, 1786, to November, 1787.

AMERICAN produce imported into, and exported from, Charleston.

FOREIGN produce imported into, and exported from, Charlefon.

360

72 56

121

31

4I

Calks

VESSELS cleared out at the custom-boufe, Charleston, from November, 1786,

to November, 1787, belonging to the following nations:

The amount of the above exports in fterling money, has been eftimated at £.505,279 19 5. In the moft fuccefsful feafons there have been as many as 140,000 barrels of rice, and 1,300,000 pounds of indigo, exported in one year. The average price of rice, fince the peace, has been from 12 to 14 fhillings fterling the hundred; and of indigo, of the different forts, 3 fhillings and nine pence. Since the peace of 1783, in confequence of the depopulation of labourers, the bad ftate of the fields, and from a fucceffion of bad feafons, the planters have made yearly but little more than half a common crop.

The following abftract' from a gentleman accurately informed on the fubject, contains much ufeful information, and demands a place under this head.

GENERAL

ABSTRACT of the DEBT of the State of SOUTH CAROLINA,

Laft Balances.

Suppofed value of imports

of West India and European
goods, as per entries, made
at the treafury office.

Amount of imports, with
charges on dry goods, which
are included in the Europe-
an invoices, though not in the
entries at the treasury, the
average of which is from
10 to 15 per cent.

Number of Negroes imported.
Suppofed neat proceeds of
negroes, for which the ven-
der is here held accountable
to the merchant in Europe.

One' year's intereft on the

laft balances.

N. B. Vaft quantities of goods imported in the above years, were on account of foreigners, and fold at vendue and otherwife, greatly under their first coft in Europe, and many bad debts were contracted, both which ought to be deducted from the above balance of £.1,626,761 16, which deducted, it is computed, will reduce the balance to about £1,400,000.-It is computed that the goods now left in ftores, will amount to at leaft £.500,000; but as there was likewife a confiderable value at the evacuation, as well as debts contracted during the time the British held the city as a garrifon, no deduction can, with propriety, be Statement of the fuppofed future trade of the ftate (allowing an annual importation

made on that account.

private debts of the State,