Yet not unmusical the tinkling lapse

Of yon, cool, argent rill, which Phœbus gilds

With his first orient rays; yet musical

Those buxom airs, that through the plantains play,

And tear, with wantonness, their leafy scrolls;
Yet not unmusical the wave's hoarse sound,
That dashes sullen on the distant shore;
Yet musical those little insects' hum,
That hover round us, and to reason's ear,
Deep, moral truths convey; while every beam
Flings on them transient tints, which vary when
They wave their purple plumes; yet musical
The love-lorn cooing of the mountain-dove,
That wooes to pleasing thoughtfulness, the soul;
But chief the breeze, that murmurs through yon canes,
Enchants the ear with tuneable delight.

GRAINGER.

CHAPTER II.

Topographical Description. - Towns, Villages, and Parishes.Churches, Church-Livings, and Vestries.-Courts of Judicature. Public Offices.-Government and Laws.

THE island of Jamaica is divided into three counties, Middlesex, Surry, and Cornwall. The county of Middlesex is divided into eight parishes, which contain one town, and thirteen villages. The town is called St. Jago de la Vega, or Spanish-town, which, being the residence of the governor, is accounted the capital of the island. It contains an elegant palace, occupied by the governor; and here also, the meetings of the legislature, the court of chancery, and the supreme court of judicature, are uniformly held. Spanish-town is delightfully situated in a plain, on the banks of the river Cobre; but as the river is not navigable, the town has but little trade. It is situated about six miles from the sea, and contains between five and six hundred houses, and nearly five thousand inhabitants, including Negroes and free people of colour. The names of the parishes which the county contains, are, St. Catharine, St. Dorothy, St. John, St. Thomas in the Vale, Clarendon, Vere, St. Mary, and St. Ann.

The parish of St. Catharine, besides Spanish-town, contains two villages, called Passage-fort, and Port Henderson. The former lies at the distance of six miles from Spanish-town, and contains only a few houses. On account of its situation, however, it is a considerable shipping-place for the parishes of St. Catharine,

St. John, and St. Thomas in the Vale. Port Henderson is situated about three miles from Passage-fort.-St. Dorothy contains the village of Old Harbour, consisting of about thirty houses. This is the harbour where the Spaniards formerly moored their galleons; and as it is safe and commodious, several ships take in their cargoes here for Great Britain.The parish of Clarendon contains the villages of Cross and Chapel. At the former, the parish-church is situated; and at the latter, there is a chapel of ease, which gives name to it.The parish of Vere contains the village of Carlisle Bay, which received its name from the Earl of Carlisle, formerly governor of the island. The memorable invasion of the year 1694, took place here, and M. Du Casse, after landing his troops, was defeated by an inferior force of the militia, and obliged to re-imbark with considerable loss.-The parish of St. Mary contains the villages of Port Maria, Rio Nuevo, and Salt Gut, which, the harbours being very commodious places for shipping, are chiefly inhabited by wharfingers, and shopkeepers.

The parish of St. Ann contains a village of the same name, consisting of about forty houses, straggling along the bay*; which is an excellent harbour for shipping, being defended by a reef of rocks, which stretches almost across its entrance. The villages of Laughlands and Run-away-bay are so small, as scarcely to deserve the name.-This county contains one million three hundred and five thousand two hundred and thirty-five acres of land, of which there are three hundred and twenty-three sugar-plantations, which produce annually about thirty thousand hogsheads. There are besides nine hundred and twenty-two other settlements of various kinds, and eighty thousand cattle.

See Note (g.)

The county of Surry contains seven parishes, in which, there are two towns, and ten villages. The chief of these, is the town and parish of Kingston, which was founded in the year 1693, after Port Royal had been destroyed by the dreadful earthquake of the preceding year. It is situated on the north side of a large, commodious, and beautiful bay, and slopes upwards to the hills, with a very gentle ascent. It extends a mile from north to south, and nearly two miles from east to west. It is very regularly built, and contains a number of spacious streets. The wharves, stores, and houses, are large and commodious; and many of the merchants' dwellings in the upper end of the town, are spacious and elegant, and may vie in point of magnificence, with those of any capital in Europe. Kingston is a place of great trade; and as there are always numbers of vessels here from the united states of America, from St. Domingo, Cuba, and the Spanish main, besides those from Great Britain and Ireland, it may justly be deemed the capital of the West India islands. It contains above three thousand houses, besides Negro-huts, and warehouses. The number of white inhabitants is about eight thousand five hundred; of free people of colour, three thousand five hundred; and of slaves, about eighteen thousand; amounting, in all, to thirty thousand souls. This being the countytown, assizes are regularly held here; and though it is situated almost wholly on a plain, and is undoubtedly one of the hottest spots in the island, yet it has been ascertained, that, since the lands in the neighbourhood have been cleared, the place is not more unhealthy, nor the mortality greater, than in towns which possess an equal population in Europe. It is admirably situated for commerce; and its large and numerous store-houses contain great quantities of all the articles of trade and manufacture, produced in the united kingdoms of Great

Britain and Ireland. The markets are also regularly and abundantly supplied with all the necessaries of life, such as butcher's meat, turtle, various kinds of fish, poultry, fruits, and vegetables. In the year 1801, an act was passed, establishing a corporation and a regular police in the town of Kingston; a measure which was much wanted, and which cannot fail to be attended with the most beneficial consequences.

Port Royal, once the richest and most important town in the West India islands, is now reduced to three streets, and a few lanes, which contain about two hundred houses. There are also in this place, the royal navy-yard, for heaving down, and refitting King's ships; the navy hospital, and barracks for a regiment of soldiers. Its chief trade consists in supplying the officers and crews of ships who land there, with ship'sstores, food, and cloathing.—St. David's contains the village of Yallah's bay, consisting of only a few scattered houses near the church. In the parish of St. Thomas in the East, the village of Bath is situated in the neighbourhood of a spring, the salubrious qualities of which are very highly commended. Here are also the villages of Port Morant, and Morant bay, the latter of which is a considerable place on account of its shipping.—The parish of Portland contains the village of Port Antonio, the harbour of which is one of the most commodious and secure in the island.-The parish of St. George contains Annotto-bay, a shipping place; and a Negro-town, called Charles-town. This county contains six hundred and seventytwo thousand six hundred and sixteen acres, three hundred and fifty sugar-works, five hundred and forty other settlements, and eight hundred thousand cattle.

The county of Cornwall contains five parishes, the names of which are St. Elizabeth, Westmoreland, Hanover, St. James',