178 CHAP. XII.
H I S T O R Y
O F
lony, but the eftablishment of archiepifcopal government in its chief city, St. Domingo, and its being for many years the feat of civil and criminal jurifdiction, in cafes of appeal, from all the territories cf Spain in this part of the world (a). T H E Fettlement of the French in the weftern part of the ifland, of the origin of which I have already given an account, though the primary caufe of hereditary and irreconcilable en mity between the two colonies, was however productive of good even to the Spaniards themfelves. As the French fettlers in creased in number, and their plantations became enlarged, they wanted oxen for their markets, and horfes for their mills. Thefe, their neighbours were able to supply without much ex ertion of labour and thus an intercourfe was created, which has continued to the prefent day; the Spaniards receiving, through the French, the manufactures of Europe, in exchange for cattle. T h e example too, before their eyes, of fuccefsful in dustry and growing profperity, was not wholly without its effect. T h e cultivation of fugar, which had diminished nearly to no thing, was revived in different parts of the Spanifh territory, and plantations were eftablifhed of cacao, indigo, ginger, and tobacco. T h e quantity of fugar exported in the beginning of the prefent century, is faid to have amounted yearly to 15,000 chests each of 7 cwt. T H E country itfelf being evidently more mountainous in the central and eaftern than in the weftern parts, it is probable, that the Spanifh territory is, on the whole, naturally lefs fer(a) T h e adminiftration of justice throughout SpaniSh America is at prefent divided into twelve courts of audience,
one only of which is at St. Domingo.
tile