PLAYS, 8vo. 1s. 6d. each. Printed for T. LOWNDES. ACHILLES, by Mr. Gay Alzira, by A. Hill Double Falfhood; or Dif Double Mistake, by Mrs. Douglas, by Mr. Home Elfrid, or the Fair Inconftant, by A. Hill Fashionable Lady Fashionable Lover by Cumberland Achilles in Petticoats Mr. Fatal Vision, by A. Hill Humours of Oxford Infolvent, or Filial Piety. Mahomet, altered by Mr. Maid of the Mill, by Mr. Man of Tafte, by Mr. Miller FARCES, &c. 8vo. Is. Amintas, an Opera Chambermaid, with Mufic Devil of a Duke Abramule Æfop, by Vanbrugh 3 Edgar and Emmeline, by Dr. Fatal Extravagance, by A. Fair Quaker, altered by Cap- Hofpital for Fools, by Mr. King Lear, altered by Mr. Livery Rake, by Mr. Philips, Momus turned Fabulift Mother-in-Law, by Mr. Miller -Oliver Cromwell, by Mr. Green Orators, by Mr. Foote Plain Dealer, altered by Mr. Widow Bewitched, by J. Zara, with the Interlude, &c. each, Mufe in Mourning; to which is added, Merlin in Love, by A. Hill. Merry Cobler, or 2d Part of Spirit of Contradiction Tafte, by Mr. Foote PLAYS, 12mo, 6d. each. Bold Stroke for a Wife Cato, by Addison Chaplet, by Mr. Mendez Conquest of Granada, 2 parts Country Wife Cymbeline, altered by Mr. Damon and Phyllida, altered Don Carlos, by Otway Double Dealer Double Gallant Dragon of Wantley Drummer, by Addifon Duke and no Duke Duke of Guife Earl of Effex, by Bankes Every Man in his Humour, altered by Mr. Garrick TOPOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTION O F THE ISLAND. . CHA P. VII. SECT. I. AMAICA is divided into three counties, Middlefex, Surry, JAM and Cornwall. The county of Middlesex contains about 1305235 acres, and has eight parishes, and fourteen towns and 1 shall begin with an account of St. Catharine; which, having been the first-inhabited by the English, is entitled to precedence, f more especially as it contains the antient metropolis of St. Jago de la Vega, or, as it is commonly called, Spanish Town, the original name being chiefly used in acts of affembly, proclamations, and other public documents. It is fituated in about 18° 1′ North laVOL. II. B titude, titude, and in 76° 45′ longitude, Weft from London. It ftands about ten miles Weftward of Port Royal; eleven from Kingston, by the way of Paffage Fort; and about eighteen by the road of Halfway-Tree, in St. Andrew's. It is faid by fome authors to have been founded by Christopher Columbus, whofe family took the ducal title of la Vega from it. Other accounts, with more appearance of probability, affert, that it was built by Diego, the fon of Chriftopher, about the year 1520. The accounts given us of its magnitude and opulence are strongly fufpected of exaggeration. Some writers inform us, that it contained above two thousand houfes, fixteen churches and chapels, and one abbey, before the invafion under Penn and Venables; and that the English foldiers exercised their prowess against thefe edifices with fo furious a zeal, as to leave only two churches and about five hundred houfes undemolished [4]. Other authors, with more appearance of cre. dibility, relate, that it contained one thousand feven hundred houses, two churches, two chapels, and one abbey: but even this account allows pretty largely for the Spanish or white inhabitants; who, according to the most certain information of the English officers who went over with the army, and afterwards fettled here, did not exceed fifteen hundred: fo that, if these writers are to be believed, the houses out-numbered the inhabitants. The English army established their head-quarters here; and, as they had occafion for most of the houfes that were habitable, we must suppose that they only pulled down those of an inferior clafs, together with the religious edifices, which, as far as their ruins and tradition can afford evidence, confifted of an abbey and two churches, the one called the Red, and the other the White Crofs. There is reafon to believe, that, after the feat of government was transferred to Port Royal, the town of St. Jago became thinned of inhabitants, who. [a] This is Hickeringell's account. He was the earliest writer on the affairs of this ifland, and himself in the army at the time of the conqueft under Venables; but it is poffible, that he might have estimated the number of houfes by conjecture only, or been misinformed. According to the beft teftimonies, the whole English army, at the time of their entering the town, did not consist of more than about nine thousand, including a regiment of marines. Allowing therefore ten to cach houfe, when they were in quarters (which, confidering the fmalluefs of thefe edifices, may be reckoned full fufficient), the number they fpared from deftruction may be fuppofed about nine hundred, for the accommodation of the officers and men. gradually gradually left it, either to refide at the new metropolis, or to spread themselves in the country: in confequence of which, a great many of the Spanish houfes were fuffered to decay; and others were pulled down, to enlarge areas; while fome were converted into warehouses and stables; fo that at prefent it does not contain more than between four and five hundred inhabited by white perfons; but, when those inhabited by free Negroes, Mulattoes, and flaves, are taken into account, the whole number may be estimated at about twelve hundred. The prefent church was erected where the Spanish Red Cross Church formerly ftood, at the Eaftern end of the town; the White Cross stood at the Northern extremity, at a small diftauce from the river, on a very agreeable fpot, which is now occupied with a handsome modern-built houfe. On digging the foundation for this house, several large pieces of wrought ftone were turned up. They appeared to be of the white lime-stone, or fpecies of fhellmarble, fo common in the neighbouring hills, and to have been the lintels of doors or windows belonging to the old church [6]. The abbey was fituated on the South fide of the parade, where the guard-room and chapel now stand, and extended back to the governor's house. The bafes of two columns, which once fupported a large arch-way leading into the abbey, were vifible but a few years ago: they stood near the South end of the public offices, were about eight feet fquare, compofed of brick-work, cemented with fo fine a mortar, that in removing them the bricks were all shivered in pieces. I have feen in this town a great many large stone-mouldings, for the bases and other parts of columns; which, as well as the fculptures dug out of the ruins of Sevilla Nueva, in St. Anne's, appeared to have been executed by no mean artists. The Spanish ecclefiaftics (however blameable in other respects) must be allowed fome merit in having cultivated the elegances of architecture in these remote parts of the world. Some of their public [b] In blocks of this stone, or inarble, I have seen very perfect shells of the Jamaica muscle and pectina. In fome parts of the country, where it overfpreads the furface, and has fuffered a torrefaction from the accidental firing of the woods in dry weather, it appears pitted all over; and the little cavities, only divided from each other by sharp points, these have been occasioned by violent showers falling upon the rock when its face was foftened by fire. A gentleman's houfe built of this material, being unfortunately burnt, the walls continued ftanding till a feafon of heavy rain came on; when they fairly diffolved into a fubitrate of lime. B 2 ftructures once. ftructures at St. Domingo, the Havannah, La Vera Cruz, Carthagena, Panama, &c. would make a noble figure even in European cities. The fanatic rage, or heedlefs indifference, of the English who first fettled in Jamaica, occafioned the ruin of the Spanish buildings dedicated to religious ufes here; fo that pofterity can only form an opinion of their magnificence from fuch fragments as here and there are to be found in a neglected state, as being of too large dimenfions to be employed in any building of modern ftyle. In the fituation of the town, the Spanish founder fhewed a good deal of judgement, but not much regularity in the disposition of the streets; yet it is better laid out than most of thofe in England. That a Weft-India town fhould be irregularly planned is, indeed, almost inexcufable, not only on account of health, which ought to be principally regarded, but because it is formed as it were at Thofe in England had not the fame advantage; they grew for the most part from two or three folitary cottages, planted by the fide of fome road, or at the interfection of cross-roads, which having been traverfed at firft without any exactness, the fame meandring lines continued after the fides of these highways were built upon and converted into ftreets; which name is derived with more propriety from the word ftrait, or narrow, than from Straight or not crooked, when it is applied to the towns of England. St. Jago ftands on a rocky flope, gradually afcending from the river Cobre to an extenfive plain, called the Town Savannah; so that the rain-water, which fometimes falls heavily, especially in the feafons, paffes away with a free current into the river; by which means the town is guarded from many inconveniencies. From Port Royal harbour it is diftant about fix miles N. W.; and, the land having an. eafy fall from it to the water-fide, without any intervening morafs, it receives the fea-breeze with little diminution of force or purity. Towards the North it is about two miles from the hills, which fink fo much in that direction, in compliance with the courfe of the river, as to give a fine opening from the extenfive vale of Sixteenmile-walk, and admit the land-wind. The town is about a mile in length, and fomewhat more than a quarter in breadth, lying longitudinally North and South; and contains about twenty ftreets and lanes, a fquare, a church, a chapel, and other public build |