There was little corn in the land, tobacco being the sole means of payment, and this meant no trade in the common meaning of the word.

The place was slowly bleeding to death, and I had a mind to try and stanch its wounds.

The firm of Andrew Sempill was looked on jealously, in spite of all the bowings and protestations of Mr.Lambie.If we were to increase our trade, it must be at the Englishman's expense, and that could only be done by offering the people a better way of business.
When the harvest came and the tobacco fleet arrived, I could see how the thing worked out.

Our two ships, the _Blackcock_ of Ayr and the _Duncan Davidson_ of Glasgow, had some trouble getting their cargoes.
We could only deal with the smaller planters, who were not thirled to the big merchants, and it took us three weary weeks up and down the river-side wharves to get our holds filled.

There was a madness in the place for things from England, and unless a man could label his wares "London-made," he could not hope to catch a buyer's fancy.