evacuation of St. Domingo by the British troops in the month of October 1798, they were alarmed lest the Negroes, who had, in that island, been employed in the military service, should have been landed in Jamaica. They consequently presented an address to the governor, stating their anxiety, and requesting his compliance with their wishes. His lordship's reply was satisfactory, and removed their apprehensions. To shew, however, that their opposition to the employment of black troops did not arise from a wish to save expence, the house of assembly agreed, to raise and pay two thousand soldiers in the mother country, who, after a certain number of years, should have a small recompence for their services, in the enjoyment of lands; and as a proof of their gratitude to the governor, and their confidence in his wisdom, they requested that he should be appointed commander in chief of these forces. This excellent plan was unfortunately never put in execution; and in its stead, the 1st and 4th batallions of the 60th regiment were sent to Jamaica, and maintained at the expence of the island.

In the year 1799, the inhabitants were alarmed with a projected invasion by the French from St. Domingo; but the plot being happily discovered, the spies were seized, and one of them, called Sas Portas, was hanged on the parade of Kingston. Lord Balcarras returned to his native country in the year 1801, after a long and happy administration, accompanied by the esteem, respect, and gratitude, of a flourishing and happy people. Since that time, the colony has continued free from any terror of invasion or insurrection; and has been, and is now, making rapid advances in the career of cultivation, commerce, wealth, and improvement*.

* See Note (f.):

Having thus given a succinct but faithful account of the civil history of Jamaica, we shall now proceed to consider its climate, soil, population, commerce, and natural productions; the religion, laws, and manners of its inhabitants; the diseases to which they are subject, the dangers with which they are threatened, and the advantages which they enjoy.

BOOK II.

CHAPTER I.

Of the Climate, Soil, Scenery, and natural Productions.

THE climate of Jamaica is, generally speaking, extremely hot, throughout the whole year. Yet, owing to various causes, it is less warm, than if we judge, from the heat of places under the same parallel of latitude in the old world, we would at first view expect. In the evening, and during the night, the air is delightfully cool: In the morning, from sun-rise, till seven o'clock of the forenoon, the coolness, freshness, fragrance of the air, are extremely delightful; but from this period, till the sea-breeze commence, which generally happens about ten o'clock, the heat, especially in the low-lands, is almost insufferable.

The strong current of air blowing constantly from the east, which owing to the motion and transparency of the waters of an extensive ocean, is kept far more cool, than it possibly could be on an extensive continent, and the land-wind, which generally commences towards sun-set, are the chief causes of the greater coolness of the islands of the western Archipelago. The land-wind arising from the tops of the mountains, which lie nearly due east and west, is occasioned by the hot rarified air of the plains ascending to the summits of these mountains, where, being condensed by cold, and made consequently specifically heavier, it descends back in a current to the lowlands, both towards the north and south.

The winter of Jamaica, if the term may be allowed, when speaking of a tropical region, continues from December till May. The appellation of winter, however, to the coldest season of this island, if taken in a strict sense, will be apt to mislead a native of the north of Europe, who has never experienced its heat. The shortest day is of two hours less duration than the longest; and the thermometer of Fahrenheit seldom varies throughout the whole year, more than 10°. Thus, in the summer months, from June to November, in Kingston, and the sultry plains on the south side of the island, the heat, on a medium, is about 80° of the same thermometer. From December till May, it ranges from 70° to 80°; and, during the night, even in Kingston, the air is sometimes surprisingly cool. Yet, in the hottest months, at this place, the difference between the temperature of noon-day and midnight, is not greater than 5° or 6°.

But owing to the immense height of the mountains of Jamaica, and the other large islands of the West Indies, the difference of temperature is great in places, only a few miles distant from each other. In the highlands of Liguanea, eight miles distant from Kingston, the heat is, at the same period, 10° less than in the town; and at Cold Spring, a gentleman's seat, six miles higher, the general, state of the thermometer is from 55 to 65°. It even sometimes falls so low as 44°, in which case, a fire, even at noon-day, is not only comfortable, but necessary; and, at this place, is actually used during a great part of the year.

The sky, except in the rainy season, is charmingly serene; and at night, the moon and planets shine with a glorious lustre. Indeed, the night, while the moon is above the horizon, appears to be only a milder day; and Venus, sparkling with inexpressible lustre, casts a shade from trees and houses, not unlike the

moon of northern climes. The resplendency of that constellation of fixed stars, called the milky way, is grand and delightful. These effects arise from the great rarity of the atmosphere; on account of which also, there is scarcely any twilight.

There are two rainy seasons in the year; one of which generally begins in April, and continues during the month of May; the other commences in September, and concludes about the end of October. The former season produces but light showers in comparison of the torrents of rain which fall in the latter. The rain in the former season, too, seldom continues long, frequently breaking up in thunder storms at noon, after which, a rich vegetation and a smiling verdure, indescribably beautiful, gladden the sight. After this short season of moisture, the weather becomes dry, settled, and salubrious; no cloud obscures the firmament; the lord of day shines with a glorious lustre; the blue sky blazes; and the summer of the new world reigns in full glory. In this state, the weather continues till the middle of August, when the diurnal breeze often intermits, calms frequently smooth the surface of the sea, while the air becomes sultry and suffocating. During the next four weeks, dead calms and light winds generally prevail; and, at this time, the thermometer sometimes rises to 90° These are the preludes to the great rainy season, in which the waters literally pour down in torrents; the banks of the rivers are overflowed; the roads become impassable; the grounds at the bottom of the hills are covered with water; and the earth seems threatened with a second deluge.

The soil of Jamaica is, in many places, deep and fertile; yet, owing to the extreme inequality of surface, the quantity of rich, productive land, is but small, in proportion to the whole. The greater part, too, of what has been cultivated, is of a middling quality, and requires labour and manure to make