The hiftory of manufactures is likewife delivered. Of every artificial commodity the manner in which it is made is in fome measure defcribed, though it must be remembered, that manual operations are scarce to be conveyed by any words to him that has not feen them. Some general notions may however be afforded it is easy to comprehend, that plates of iron are formed by the preffure of rollers, and bars by the ftrokes of a hammar; that a cannon is caft, and that an anvil is forged. But as it is to moft traders of more use to know when their goods are well wrought, than by what means, care has been taken to name the places where every manufacture has been carried furtheft, and the marks by which its excellency may be afcertained.

By the places of trade are understood all ports, cities, or towns, where ftaples are established, manufactures are wrought, or any commodities are bought and fold advantageoufly. This part of our work includes an enumeration of almost all the remarkable places in the world, with fuch an account of their fituation, customs, and products, as the merchant would require, who being to begin a new trade in any foreign country, was yet ignorant of the commodities of the place, and the manners of the inhabitants.

But the chief attention of the merchant, and confequently of the author who writes for merchants, ought to be employed upon the means of trade, which include all the knowledge and practice neceffary to the fkilful and fuccefsful conduct of commerce.

The first of the means of trade is proper education, which may confer a competent fkill in numbers; to be afterwards completed in the counting-house, by obfervation

fervation of the manner of ftating accounts, and regulating books, which is one of the few arts which having been ftudied in proportion to its importance, is carried as far as ufe can require. The counting-house of an accomplished merchant is a school of method, where the great science may be learned of ranging particulars under generals, of bringing the different parts of a tranfaction together, and of fhewing at one view a long feries of dealing and exchange. Let no man venture into large bufinefs while he is ignorant of the method of regulating books; never let him imagine that any degree of natural abilities will enable him to fupply this deficiency, or preferve multiplicity of affairs from inextricable confufion,

This is the ftudy, without which all other ftudies will be of little avail; but this alone is not fufficient. It will be neceffary to learn many other things, which however may be eafily included in the preparatory inftitutions, fuch as an exact knowledge of the weights and measures of different countries, and fome skill in geography and navigation, with which this book may perhaps fufficiently fupply him.

In navigation, confidered as part of the skill of a merchant, is included not fo much the art of fteering a fhip, as the knowledge of the fea-coaft, and of the different parts to which his cargoes are fent, the cuftoms to be paid; the paffes, permiffions, or certificates to be procured; the hazards of every voyage, and the true rate of infurances. To this must be added, an acquaintance with the policies and arts of other nations, as well thofe to whom the commodities are fold, as of thole who carry goods of the fame kind

to the fame market; and who are therefore to be watched as rivals endeavouring to take advantage of every error, miscarriage, or debate.

The chief of the means of trade is money, of which our late refinements in traffick have made the knowledge extremely difficult. The merchant muft not only inform himfelf of the various denominations and value of foreign coins, together with their method of counting and reducing; fuch as the milleries of Portugal, and the livres of France; but he muft learn what is of more difficult attainment; the discount of exchanges, the nature of current paper, the principles upon which the feveral banks of Europe are eftablished, the real value of funds, the true credit of trading companies, with all the fources of profit, and poffibilities of lofs.

All this he must learn merely as a private dealer, attentive only to his own advantage; but as every man ought to confider himself as part of the community to which he belongs, and while he profecutes his own intereft to promote likewife that of his country, it is neceffary for the trader to look abroad upon mankind, and study many questions which are perhaps more properly political than mercantile.

He ought therefore to confider very accurately the balance of trade, or the proportion between things exported and imported; to examine what kinds of commerce are unlawful, either as being exprefsly prohibited, because detrimental to the manufactures or other intereft of his country, as the exportation of filver to the East-Indies, and the introduction of French commodities; or unlawful in itself, as the traffick for

4

negroes.

negroes. He ought to be able to state with accuracy, the benefits and mischiefs of monopolies, and exclufive companies; to enquire into the arts which have been practifed by them to make themselves neceffary, or by their opponents to make them odious. He fhould inform himself what trades are declining, and what are improveable; when the advantage is on our fide and when on that of our rivals.

The ftate of our colonies is always to be diligently furveyed, that no advantage may be loft which they can afford, and that every opportunity may be improved of encreafing their wealth and power, or of making them ufeful to their mother country.

There is no knowledge of more frequent ufe than that of duties and impoft, whether cuftoms paid at the ports, or excifes levied upon the manufacturer. Much of the profperity of a trading nation depends upon duties properly apportioned; fo that what is neceffary may continue cheap, and what is of ufe only to luxury may in fome measure atone to the publick for the mifchief done to individuals. Duties may often be fo regulated as to become ufeful even to thofe that pay them; and they may be likewife fo unequally impofed as to difcourage honefty, and deprefs induftry, and give temptation to fraud and unlawful practices.

To teach all this is the defign of the Commercial Dictionary; which, though immediately and primarily written for the merchants, will be of ufe to every man of business or curiofity. There is no man who is not in fome degree a merchant, who has not fomething to buy, and fomething to fell, and who does not therefore want fuch inftructions as may teach him the true value of poffeffions or commodities.

The defcriptions of the productions of the earth and water, which this volume will contain, may be equally pleafing and useful to the fpeculatift with any other natural hiftory; and the accounts of various manufactures will conftitute no contemptible body of experimental philofophy. The defcriptions of ports and cities may inftruct the geographer as well as if they were found in books appropriated only to his own fcience; and the doctrines of funds, infurances, currency, monopolies, exchanges, and duties, is fo neceffary to the politician, that without it he can be of no ufe either in the council or the fenate, nor can speak or think justly either on war or trade.

We therefore hope that we fhall not repent the labour of compiling this work; nor flatter ourselves unreasonably, in predicting a favourable reception to a book which no condition of life can render useless, which may contribute to the advantage of all that make or receive laws, of all that buy or fell, of all that wish to keep or improve their poffeffions, of all that defire to be rich, and all that defire to be wife.