SEVERAL histories have been published of this island; yet none, that I have met with, affords much more than a general outline, very unsatisfactory to those who intend to settle in it.

Having spent some years of my life there, I thought I could not devote my leisure to better purpose, than endeavouring to give an idea of its products, and importance to Great-Britain, beyond what may be conceived from a perusal of those publications.

In regard to the plan of this work, it may be proper to advertise the reader, that I have avoided entering into detail of the...

AFTER the reduction of the island by Penn and Venables, the Spaniards either quitted it, or were all driven out; so that it remained inhabited chiefly by the soldiers who had conquered it: and it was governed, of course, bymilitary law(which is a branch of the law of England), until some time after the Restoration of Charles II.; when the measure of making it an English settlement was adopted. The king, in order to induce his subjects to transport themselves and families hither, put out a proclamation [a], offering them many encouragements; and particularly, “that all children of...

THE governor is representative of the king In acts of legislature; generalissimo of all the military forces; vice-admiral for conservation of the rights of Flotzam, Jetson, &c. and president on trials for piracy, under thestat. Gul. tert.; chancellor, and keeper of the great seal, of the island; judge of probate of wills, and granting administrations in the ecclesiatical court; judge of appeal in the court of errors. He is stiled, “governor of Jamaica, “and of the territories thereon depending in America.” By these territories are supposed to be meant the three Caymana islands, situated a few leagues Westward of...

THE lieutenant-governor and president of the council are allowed, by the king’s instruction, to take only one half of the revenue salary of 2500l. if they should succeed to the supreme command; notwithstanding that the expences, during their government, are as large as those of a governor in chief. If the governor and lieutenant-governor happen to die, or are obliged to be absent from the island for a twelvemonth, on account, of health, one half of their revenue salary, or 1250l. devolves, upon their demise, or during their absence, to the president of the council; who then becomes commander in...

THIS body is appointed by his majesty’s writ of privy-seal, which constitutes the individuals of it members of his majesty’s privy-council for this island. Their legislative authority is supposed to be held by virtue of a clause of his majesty’s commission to his governor under the great seal, empowering him to concur with the council and assembly in passing laws, statutes, and ordinances. What further concerns their authority and proceedings is regulated by their own votes, or by the royal instructions, of which every governor receives a code at the time of his appointment. Upon being honoured with a seal,...

THE assembly is chosen in consequence of a writ issued by the governor, in his majesty’s name, to the provost-marshal general, who stands here in place of high-sheriff, and executes the like office. The writ recites the royal proclamation issued, declaring his majesty’s will and pleasure for calling an assembly, to meet at St. Jago de la Vega, on a certain day mentioned, to make, constitute, and ordain, laws, statutes, and ordinances, for the public welfare, and good government of the island, &c. He is required, at a certain time and place mentioned, in each parish or town respectively, to...

HIS post is of great trust, and the utmost consequence to the well-being of this colony. We are under infinite obligations to the ministry, for having abstained hitherto from interfering with this appointment. Were they to supply it with necessitous retainers to the law from home, I should from that moment date the ruin of this colony. The court of this officer has comprehended in it, matters of common plea, king’s-bench, and exchequer; but the far greater part of the business is grounded on the customs, the policy, and equitable laws of Jamaica; the understanding of all which judicially and...

THIS was the first civil court of justice established in the island. It was constituted in Cromwell’s life-time, for adjudication of Spanish prizes and plunder taken by his fleet on this station. The court was, for many years, held by two or more commissioners. In 1721, is the first commission on record here, to one person, or a fole judge; which constitution has ever since been adhered to. Its jurisdiction comprehends civil and maritime causes; and all other matters incidental to the high court of admiralty in England. The officers of the court are, a judge, advocate-general, register, and marshal;...

“WITHOUT doubt,” says Davenant, “it must be very prejudicial, both to the Southern and Northern colonies, that many offices and places of trust there should be granted by patent to persons in England, with liberty to execute such employments by deputies. By which means, they are generally farmed out to indigent persons, who grind and fleece the people: so that, although many of the inhabitants are rich, sober, and judicious men; yet they are excluded from offices of trust, except such as are chargeable in the execution; which is inconsistent with all the rules of well-governing a country.” There is,...

THE keeping a person in Great Britain under the title of “agent for the island,” is an indication of the little knowledge which either ministers or parliament formerly had of the colony affairs and interests; otherwise there could have been no necessity that the colonies should maintain an agent, at a yearly expence, for the purpose of soliciting the passage of bills, explaining their expediency, obviating the imposition of ruinons duties on their articles of produce, pointing out the means of extending and improving those articles, and for praying removal of grievances. The colonies found, by experience, that, in order...

I COME next in order, conformably to the plan I have laid down, to speak of our militia. This body is composed of horse and foot, and comprehends all persons from fifteen to sixty years of age. A penalty of forty shillings for each offence is imposed on those who continue six weeks in the island unenlisted; none are exempted from serving as privates, except the members of the council and chief-justice for the time being, or such as have at any time acted in those stations, or such as bear or have borne military command. The militia of this...

IN various publications relative to this island, the proceedings of the army under Penn and Venables are so slightly touched upon, that I flatter myself it may not be unacceptable to give a more ample detail of them. A knowledge of the difficulties under which the founders of this colony struggled may inculcate a lesson of industry, unanimity, perseverance, and good order; for it was the want of these occasioned most of the disasters which befell the first race of settlers here. However much it may shock our humanity to reflect on the numbers who miserably perished; it is proper...

SOME of my readers, I fear, will think me rather too digressive; but, as things and places, nearly connected with the interests of Jamaica, ought not to be left unnoticed, I must beg leave, before I enter particularly into an account of that island, to say something of its several dependencies. And first of,

THESE are three small islands, situated in about latitude 19° 20ʺ N. The largest is called Grand Cayman; the next in size, Cayman Braque; and the third, Little Cayman. They lie at 30 to 40 leagues distance, N. N. W. from Point Negril, on the West...

THE name Jamaica, given to this island, has been supposed an English corruption from the word James; the original name given to it by its discoverer being, as some say, St. Jago: but theaicafinal has not been accounted for. It is not improbable, that Jamaica is a name of Indian extraction, perhaps derived from Jamacaru, the Brasilian name for the prickly-pear, which overspreads the maritime parts of the South side, where the Aboriginal Indian discoverers of this island might have first landed.

So the name Cagua, given by the Indians to the district adjacent to Port Royal harbour,...

JAMAICA is situated about thirty-five leagues W. S. W. from Cape Tiberon, the West end of Hispaniola, and about thirty leagues from the island of Cuba, measuring from St. Lucia harbour on the North side of Jamaica to Cape Cruz on the South side of Cuba; from Carthagena one hundred and forty-five leagues; one hundred and sixty from Rio del Hache; and about one hundred and fifty from the Mosquito shore.

According to Sir Henry Moore’s map, which is the most, correct of any hitherto published, it measures in extremest length about one hundred and fifty miles, and in breadth...

THE sugar cane was early cultivated here by the Spaniards; they probably obtained their plants from the Brasils; their plantations served only to furnish them with sugar for their own consumption; for it does not appear that they exported any. The Nevis planters, who came hither with General Brayne, entered more largely upon this article; and, after their example, Colonel Barrington and other officers of the army formed some few sugar plantations; but so unskilful were they in the manufacture of it, that what they made was of very bad quality, black, and of no grain; upon Sir Thomas Modiford’s...

GOOD roads add a lustre to any country, and enrich it. Whatever cheapens and quickens the transportation of goods, and makes their migration more easy from place to place, must of course render a country more opulent. By good roads, dispatch, which is the soul of business, becomes more attainable; merchandizes and manufactures find a ready conveyance to market, and the natural blessings of a country are shared by the inhabitants with a more equal hand. The demand for the produce of land encreases, the lands themselves advance proportionably in their annual value, and in the number of years purchase...

THAT we may take a comprehensive view of the trade of this island, it is proper to begin with the Negroe trade, which is the ground-work of all. The Negroe slaves are purchased in Africa, by the British merchants, with a great variety of woollen goods; a cheap fort of fire-arms from Birmingham, Sheffield, and other places; powder, bullets, iron bars, copper bars, brass pans, malt spirits, tallow, tobacco-pipes, Manchester goods, glass beads; some particular kind of linens, ironmongery and cutlery ware; certain toys, some East India goods; but, in the main, with very little that is not of British...

MONEY is particularly necessary in this island, to purchase labourers. In most other countries the labourer is hired. But although hire is paid him, yet this passes only from one hand to another, and the money still remains in the country. But here the labourer must be purchased, and the purchace-money goes off the country; the only satisfaction is, that it passes to, and enriches, our mother country [a]. In this sense money is to be understood only as the symbol of a thing, or measure of external commerce; for, in regard to this species of commerce, in fact, gold...