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Trelawney parish, east; Hanover, west; the sea, north; and St. Elizabeth, south. The principal rivers are, Great River, Marthabræ, and the Montego. The source of Great River is at the southern extremity of the parish. It takes its course in a winding direction for thirty miles to the sea, falling into it at the west angle of Montego Bay, about five miles from the town; and it divides this parish from Hanover. But though in many parts it is of considerable width, it has not sufficient depth to be navigable, except for small boats and canoes, and that only for a few miles.

The coast of this parish has no headland, and but one harbour, which belongs to the town of Montego. This town is in a very flourishing state, containing between four and five hundred houses, most of which are substantial brick buildings, and inhabited by opulent merchants. The streets are regularly laid out: the exports from this port are very considerable, and its trade in general is daily increasing. The numerous plantations extend fourteen or fifteen miles inland from the sea; but there is still room for vast improvements, the parish extending from north to south twenty-four miles, and upwards of one hundred acres remaining uncultivated. The situation of the town is on the north side of a spacious bay, in which the soundings are from four to thirty fathoms, the anchorage is excellent, and the space sufficient for a large fleet of ships. The entrance is but poor, being only defended by a fort, situated on a small point of land, about half a mile from the town to the north-east. This fort mounts a few guns, and may hold a slender garrison of a few regulars; but the bay is so wide, that an enemy might enter it and come to an anchor out of the reach of the guns. The inhabitants, therefore, for the security of the town, have been obliged to build barracks capable of lodging one hundred privates and their offi cers: these are situated on a rock by the side of the harbour, the most convenient spot for successful defence. In fact, Montego is become the emporium of the western part of the island, and merits every attention of its legislature as a station of the first importance, especially in time of war; as the bay is capable of receiving a considerable naval force in ships and transports, for any expedition.

From St. James's there is a direct way along the coast to the adjoining parish of Trelawney, so named in honour of a former governor of the island, Sir James Trelawney. The prospect in travelling to it is dreary. On one side is the roaring sea; and, on the other, is an almost uninterrupted range of craggy mountains, which run along the north side of the island, here and there indented by creeks and bays, and cleft

as it were by rivers. In fact, few districts of Jamaica present to the eye a more wild and barren aspect than the tract which lies to the eastward of Long Bay, till the cultivated parts of Trelawney open to view.

This parish is divided from St. Anne, on the east, by the river Bucno; the sea forms its northern boundary; and, in the southern quarter, it joins the parish of St. Elizabeth. It has but one capital river, the Marthabræ, which is supposed to have its source among the mountains, about twelve miles distant from the sea-coast: but there is no settlement near the spring, so that the situation cannot be exactly ascertained. This river runs in a serpentine course for about thirty miles before it reaches the harbour. The depth of water is sufficient for small vessels, and it is navigable for some miles inland by boats and canoes. The town of Marthabræ is built on a ris ing ground about two miles above the mouth of the river. This river, which glides by the town, abounds with fish of various kinds, and twines so delightfully, that its banks may be laid out in productive gardens, both for pleasure and utility. The harbour is defended by a small fort, erected on Point Mangrove, projecting to the sea on the west side: and barracks for one hundred men and their officers, are situated a small distance from the fort; but the ground on which they stand is swampy, and requires draining to make it healthy.

The country in the vicinity of Marthabræ is well cultivated to the distance of about six miles; but further on to the eastward it still wears a savage aspect. The parish extends more than fifteen miles inland, yet it is but imperfectly settled to the distance of six miles from the sea. A space remains behind of eighty thousand acres, uninhabited, of which little more is known than that it is very mountainous; no public road having been hitherto attempted, to enable the inhabitant or the stranger to traverse the country, which therefore remains as it were undiscovered.

Other parts of the parish appear to be susceptible of great improvements and of valuable plantations. In the eastern extremity there is a succession of fine Pimento trees, regularly planted in walks, which continue with little interruption beyond the river Bueno, the boundary between Trelawney and St. Anne. The beauty of these spicy groves, interspersed with orange, wild cinnamon, and other choice trees, is highly gratifying to the beholder.

Having thus completed a more distinct survey of the counties and parishes of this island than is to be found in any other modern history, it only remains that we add a general statement of its population, produce, plantations, and settlements,

For this purpose, we shall, as far as possible, compress the whole into a single point. To do this, we shall appeal to the most authentic document extant in England-the report of a committee of the House of Assembly, made in December 1791. Information of a more recent date might have been easily obtained; but novelty makes a very indifferent atonement for the want of authenticity. Of the authority to which we appeal, no question can be made. This circumstance has guided our inquiry, and decided the preference which we have given.

In the year 1791, the number of sugar plantations amounted to

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Farms appropriated to the breeding and graz-
ing of cattle -
Plantations applied to the cultivation of coffee
Of the more diminutive farms, where provi-
sions are raised, and on which cotton, pi-
mento, ginger, and other equally valuable
articles, are grown, no accurate statement
has been given. But the number of ne-
groes employed on these various branches
has been estimated at

In this last number are included the numerous
slaves who are resident in the various towns,
and engaged in the domestic avocations: so
that, according to this calculation, the whole
body of enslaved negroes in the island of
Jamaica amounted in the year 1791 to
The Maroon negroes, of whose numbers no
accurate estimate could be made, were sup-
posed to amount to

The negroes who had obtained their freedom,
and the people of colour, were estimated at
The white inhabitants of both sexes, and every
age

Total number of inhabitants of all complexions

Negro Slaves cultivating them.

767-140,000

1047 31,000 607-21,000

58,000

250,000

1,400

10,000

30,000

291,400

From the above period to the present, the most rapid improvements have taken place in almost every article of commerce. These improvements have tended to augment the general number of the inhabitants, and more particularly of the slaves. In the year 1797, these latter were increased to up3 A

VOL. I.

wards of 300,000; and not less than 200,000 of them were then employed in cultivating sugar alone. From that time to the present, the augmentation has been at least in an adequate proportion in almost every branch of trade. It is evident from

the following comparative estimates, made in 1788 and 1797, that coffee has not been neglected, while the cane has engrossed so much of the planter's care and attention.

At the former period there were exported to
Great Britain

To America

At the latter period, to Great Britain
To America

·

lbs. 808,528

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These rapid advances in prosperity, which appear in the short space of ten years, have continued from that period to the present. The number, therefore, of labourers necessary to carry on these and other branches of cultivation, must have increased in a regular proportion. If, therefore, we duly estimate the circumstances before us, and reflect upon the ardour with which the slave-trade was urged by the merchants and landholders, for many years prior to its abolition, we cannot fix the number of enslaved negroes, now in Jamaica, at less than 400,000, even on a moderate calculation.

CHAP. XI.

HISTORY OF JAMAICA.

Natural history of Jamaica-soil, grass, esculents-vegetablesexotics-trees and fruits-description of logwood-of indigo and of cotton-of the mountain crab-of insects, particularly of the moscheto and fire-fly-reptiles, yellow, black, and silver snakes -lizards in their varieties of various species of fishes—birds in their varieties—of various kinds of animals-of mountains, ores, &c.

Epitome of the natural history of Jamaica, from the earliest and best authorities.

FROM the voluminous writers on that curious, useful, and entertaining subject, natural history, it is no easy task to reduce within a narrow compass, and yet with due precision, such a description of its various objects in any one country, as may prove satisfactory to the reader of its civil history. This, however, we have undertaken to perform with respect to all the islands of the West Indies, separately: and as in the civil history, so likewise in this department, Jamaica, the principal British Colony, takes the lead.

The soil of the island is various: the savanna lands are for the most part clayey, or intermixed with sandy spaces, some of which are of great depth and extent. These are called Sandgalls, and produce no other vegetable than a small wire grass, unfit for pasturage, but applicable to many other purposes: when dried, it is used instead of hair to mix with plaster for cielings, stuffing for saddles, chairs, &c. and for thatching negro cottages. Many of the hills, especially those nearest the south coast, are covered with rocks of a kind of shell marble, which makes an excellent lime, and is used for buildings. The interstices of these rocks are filled with a fine black mould, which is extremely fertile, and proper for maize, and other provisions, such as yams and cocoas. In the interior parts of the island, the hills, and even the mountains, are covered to their summits with a vast depth of soil of various sorts. The principal of these are-a red clay on a white marl-a ditto on a grit-a reddish brown ditto on marl-a yellowish clay mixed with common mould-a red grit-a loose calca

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