has been his chief aim. He would far rather sacrifice to utility, than the Graces.

Having been taught by experience, during a visit to Jamaica, the want of a concise history of that valuable colony, he has now endeavoured shortly to relate the past affairs of the Island, and to present to the Public, and especially to those, who may be led by inclination or necessity to visit that country, a succint account of its present state and condition. This task he has attempted, not with any vain expectation of throwing new light on the subject, or of making any important discoveries, or profound observations; but from a desire to place in a connected view the events and situation of this flourishing colony, and to relate them in such a concise and perspicuous manner, as to gratify, if possible, the curiosity of every reader. And this becomes the more necessary, when we consider, that the voluminous, ill-digested, and unconnected, though otherwise valuable, histories of Brown, Long, and Edwards, are written in such a manner, as to gratify few readers, and bear such a price, as to exclude many purchasers. These considerations have led to a publication of the following pages; and whatever the defects contained in them may be, if they tend to excite the liberal in

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quiries of those individuals, who visit the Island of Jamaica; if they lead to a pursuit of those objects, which elevate the mind, and humanize the temper; if they convey that information, which strengthens the understandings, and increases the usefulness of individuals; and if, from that conciseness which has been anxiously studied, the knowledge contained in them shall be more easily attained, and more extensively circulated, the Author's labour and expectations shall not have been in vain.

"An account of Jamaica," would have perhaps been a title more accurately expressive of the contents and pretensions of the present volume, than that which has been adopted. The affairs of a colony being always subject to the influence of a distant and superior power, seldom furnish, comparatively speaking, those interesting events, which arise from the avarice, ambition, patriotism, or folly, of individuals, and which, being productive of changes affecting posterity, it is the delight and the business of the historian, to investigate and explain. But a dependant island is only a satellite, doomed to follow the fortune of its superior planet. A relation of the transactions of a colony, therefore, is seldom interesting, and can rarely excite those feelings of anxi

ety, sympathy, or enthusiasm, which the history of an independant state never fails to call forth. The word History indeed seems more properly applied to the narration of those events, which change the government of a country, or the mutual relations of independant states, than to the less important, and consequently, less interesting, events, which may happen in a colony: And, in truth, the title which has been prefixed to the following pages, has been adopted, rather from a compliance with custom, than from any conviction of its applicability, or sense of its propriety.

Perhaps an observation will be deemed requisite, respecting the non-quotation of authorities, for the various historical facts, related in the present volume. For this conduct, the conciseness requisite in a short history, will probably account in a satisfactory manner. But, it may be further remarked, that as historians are not bound, either by the laws of propriety or custom, to produce their authorities for every fact related by them, they are always at liberty to quote authors in the manner they deem most eligible, and for the facts which they esteem the most important or unaccountable. It must be evident, therefore, to every man, that an author may

easily laden his pages with quotations and authorities, neither useful nor entertaining, and produce a host of venerable names, more for the purpose of ostentation, than with a view of utility. Indeed, quotations seem chiefly requisite in a narration of those events, respecting which, the opinions and reasonings of men are widely different; as, in situations of this kind, from that self-love inseparable from human nature, men are generally inclined to exaggerate, frequently to falsify. As the Author is not conscious, however, of any fact of importance contained in the following pages, which can possibly admit of either doubt, or disputation, he has not thought it necessary to trouble the reader with references, equally useless and uninteresting. But he begs leave to state, that this conduct has not proceeded from any deficiency of information, from indolence, or from any want of anxiety, to render his performance as complete, and as valuable as possible. He has neglected no means of information, which could be afforded by books, his own observation in the island, or the reflection and experience of others. Indeed he knows no work on the subject, which he has not carefully consulted. Among others, he has chiefly been indebted to the following writers, whom it would be selfish, or ungrateful, not to mention with

respect: Peter Martyr, Sir Hans Sloane, Brown, Long, Edwards, Beckford, and Dallas. Mr. Edwards, from his long residence, and advantageous situation in the island, as well as from his patient spirit of investigation, is by far the best informed, and most accurate, of all writers on the affairs of Jamaica. Yet, his style is so verbose, his sentiments are so trite, his arrangement so confused, that his reader is far more frequently tired, than entertained, and bewildered, than instructed: But he is still valuable, and highly deserving of respect; and it would have been improper, indeed, almost impossible to have written on the present subject, without being much, and frequently, indebted to his useful, and ingenious, labours. These observations will perhaps be deemed sufficient, to exculpate the Author from any charge of rashness or presumption, in following that conduct, which appeared to him, the most useful and expedient.

The chapter which treats of the diseases to which Europeans are generally subject in the West Indies, and especially in Jamaica, will, it is to be hoped, prove useful to those, who, for the first time, visit the tropical regions of the Western World; particularly, as the directions which it contains, are not only reasonable in themselves, and consonant to the Author's