Vol. 2, August 1732, pg 933.
Fron Bermuda, May 25:
"That a few days before, the Assembly had passed an Act for laying a duty of 10L. per head on
every old whale killed and brought into the Island, in order to raise a sum of 140 L. current
money, to be paid yearly to his excellency John Pit, Esq; hteir Governour, in lieu of
the benefit of granting licenses for the whale-fishery; which his Majesty in his instructions
had limited not to exceed 100 L. sterling per ann. But the Governour refused to pass the bill
unless the Assembly made it 150 L. tho' the usual exchange is but 140 L."
Vol. 10, May 1740, pg 242.
Militia divided in the following manner:
"The fortifications in the Bermuda or Summer Islands are, the King's Fort mounted with 29 pieces
of Ordnance, and 6 open Batteries mounted with 41 guns but in decayed condition. The whites in
these Islands amounting to about 5000 are divided into 8 tribes; and the militia consists of one
Company of Foot, drawn from each tribe; which make a regiment of about 1000 men. To these are
formed one Independent Company, and a troup of Horse of about 100 men.
But it is no small security to these Islands, that they lie in the midst of a very tempestuous
Ocean, and are surrounded by a chain of rocks, mostly covered at the high water; and it is probable
that the Spaniards never thought of making settlements in these Islands, nor made any other use of their
discovery than to avoid them in their navigation between Europe and the Indies."