he sand, but also gain by the
freight of salt perhaps L60 or L80 more. Thus on an average every
ship that goes now empty from these ports to America, might clear
L70 and there are above a hundred sail to that voyage every year.
This is an annual loss of L7,000 at least; and besides, as the ship
loses no time in this case (salt being as soon taken in as sand),
they could afford to sell the best salt as cheap in America as is
now paid for the worst; for as a ship must make a long voyage on
purpose to get, and make it in the salt islands, so the expense
thereof is more than the value of the salt at Lisbon, St. Ibbes,
and so forth.

The proponents of the petition made out a strong case. They went into
the grading of the kinds of salt obtained from the West Indies, Africa
and Europe and asserted that, inferior though some of them were, they
nevertheless had been found to be "preferable to England salt for
curing and preserving their fish":

To know the qualities of the different kinds of salt used in
America may be an amusement to a speculative man; but seems
entirely out of the question in this case; for whatever may be said
on that head, long experience and the universal agreement of all
from America, as well as former Acts of Parliament, show that the
common white salt will not answer the uses it is chiefly wanted for
there.

As to what is called Loundes's brine salt, that, and his many other
projects, seemed to be formed on the same plan with Subtle's in
_The Alchemist_, his scheme looking as if he only wanted the money,
and left it to others to make the salt.

Salt can, without doubt, be made of any desired quality, but the
price, the place of delivery, and the quantity to be had of so
useful a commodity must also be regarded.

We can get salt at Sal Tortuga for the raking and putting it into
our ships; but the expense of a voyage on purpose for it is greater
than to buy it at a place from whence the freight may be all saved,
and to have the best salt on the cheapest terms, is, no doubt the
intention of this application, as it certainly was of the other
Colonies that have obtained this privilege.

All the Virginians were asking, in effect, was the liberty to import
from Europe what salt they wished!

As the moment of Independence neared, the stress grew greater. George
Washington's Mt. Vernon