in fome parts lower and lower, the fucceffive inhabitants of these houses were obliged to add a foundation where the water had undermined the walls, and from time to time, as the earth happened to be swept away; fo that the foundations of many of these antient piles have in fact been laid long fince the fuperstructure. Their houses had no piazzas originally the English made these additions, in order to render them more cool and pleasant. But they have been attended with fome inconvenience in another refpect; for, the ftreets being laid out, fome of thirty, and others not exceeding forty, feet in breadth, these sheds incroach fo far on each fide, that the midway is too narrow, and liable to obftruct carriages. The English in general have copied the ichnography of the Spanish houses with great uniformity [g]. They are, for the most part, difpofed in three divifions: the centre room is a hall, communicating at each end with a bed-chamber; the back part, usually a fhed, is divided in the fame manner, and communicates with the front, or principal hall, by an arch, which in fome houfes is wainscotted with mahogany, in others covered only with plaifter. They are small, and rather inconvenient for a family, especially when it confists of fix or feven perfons. Great alterations have, however, been made by the English inhabitants; and several of these old houses have received very confiderable additions, which make them more roomy and commodious. In the piazzas many families may be faid to live the greater part of their time; the fhade and refreshing breeze inviting them to employ moft hours there, that are not devoted to eating, drinking, and fleeping: nor can there be a more agreeable indulgence enjoyed by the mafter of the house, than to fit in an elbow-chair, with his feet refting against one of the piazza-columns; in this attitude he converfes, fmoaks his pipe, or quaffs his tea, in all the luxury of indolence. Almoft every dwelling-house throughout the island is detached from the kitchen: and other offices; which, though different from the practice in England, is a very judicious arrangement for this climate, where the fumes and fmoak of the kitchen, and the ftench of other neceffary offices, would be intolerable in too near a neighbourhood. But few of the inhabitants are curious in the decorations of their [g] See Plate IV. apartments; apartments: the halls are feldom adorned with any thing better than a large pier-glafs or two, a few prints, or maps: the greatest expence is bestowed upon the arch of the principal hall, which is generally of mahogany, and in fome houses well-executed. They have for the most part fluted pilafters, fupporting a regular enta blature, ornamented with modillons, dentils, &c. But it is more frequent to behold all the orders of architecture confufedly jumbled together. The windows of the Spanish houses were generally made with little turned pillars, placed upright, and shutters on the infide. However convenient thefe might have been for the conftant admiffion of air, they are at present almost totally exploded, and fafhes more generally in ufe: to which are added jealoufy-fhutters, or Venetian blinds, which admit the air freely, and exclude the fun-fhine. It is but of late, that the planters have paid much attention to elegance in their habitations: their general rule was, to build what they called a make-fhift; fo that it was not unusual to see a plantation adorned with a very expenfive fet of works, of brick ftone, well-executed; and the owner refiding in a miferable, thatched hovel, haftily put together with wattles and plaifter, damp, unwholefome, and infefted with every fpecies of vermin. But the houfes in general, as well in the country-parts as the towns, have been greatly improved within these last twenty years. The furniture of fome of them is extremely coftly; and others conftructed in fo magnificent a ftyle, and of fuch durable materials, as to fhew that they were not intended for a mere temporary refidence. It might not be foreign to the fubject here to remark, that, by the general use of shingle coverings throughout the Northern and Weft-India colonies, and the utter neglect of planting young trees in the room of what are cut down for this manufacture, it is very certain, that they will every year grow dearer to the fugar islands, and that the price may increase, till the people of Jamaica will be forced either to employ their own growth of timber for this ufe, or fall upon tile-making. The builders, therefore, of new houses, or works, fhould confider this, and make their walls of a due thickness to fuftain fuch an additional weight hereafter. SECT. any SECT. II. THE river Cobre, which washes the foot of the town on the Eaft, takes its fource near Luidas, and about twenty-two miles North-west from the town, rifing in a cave, called River-head, and fuppofed by many to have a fubterraneous communication with Pedro's river, which is diftant from it about fix miles Weft. The Cobre likewise buries great part of its waters, and does not form confiderable stream till it has run fome diftance from the cave. It is afterwards joined by the Rio Magno, Rio d'Oro, and Rio Pedro, with fome smaller ftreams; fo that, on reaching the town, it is from fixty to eighty feet in breadth, and in feveral places very deep, but in others generally fordable, unless swelled with the heavy rains which fometimes fall in the mountains above. Its bed, where it ranges near the town, is depreffed and lowly, the water being in general not difcernible beyond the verge of its banks. The current here is rapid, though almost filent. It is of unspeakable service to this neighbourhood, not only in its constant supply of water, for the ufe of the town, but in promoting cleanliness and health; for every day throughout the year fome hundred! Negroes and Mulattoes of both fexes refort to it from the town, to wash their perfons and linen. It has been imagined, that the Spaniards gave it the name of the Copper river, from its paffing through a vein of that metal. But it is more probable, that they christened it after a fimilar name of some river in Old Spain, as they are known to have done in regard to many others, and in particular the Rio Minho, in the parish of Clarendon. Befides, although its water appears to have a fine blueifh' tinge, efpecially where it runs between the two ranges of hills proceeding from Sixteen-mile-walk, which has confirmed many in: their opinion of its being tinctured with copper; yet this appearance is nothing more than a common deception, caused by the azure of the sky reflected from the furface of the water, and remarkable chiefly where it is deepest, the current most gentle, and confequently the furface extremely fmooth, and therefore in the 4 fitteft " |