The aftroites, or ftar-ftones and brontiæ, hedge-hog and echini ftones, are found in great abundance on the coaft. The firft-mentioned, as well as the coral rocks, which extend from Salt-pond hill to Old Harbour, near the fhore, when calcined, make an excellent lime for building.

It feems now to be the eftablished, opinion, founded upon ana tomical obfervations, that the black complexion of Negroes. proceeds entirely from a reticulum mucofum, or dark-coloured net-work, fpread immediately beneath the cuticle of their bodies. It is likewife prefumed, upon reasonable grounds, that the different cafts of complexion, obfervable among the different fpecies of men, derive their various tints principally, if not entirely, from the colour of their reticula. The offspring of two Negroe-parents, if born with awhite or light-coloured reticulum, is called an Albinoe. A male child of this fpecies was born, a few years fince, at a polinck, in the hills between St. Catharine and this parish, and is probably still living. The complexion of it was a dead, dull white, refembling that of a corpfe; its hair, or rather wool, a light-flaxen colour, ftrong, coarse, and curling, like that of a Negroe; the features were truly of the Negroe caft; the noftrils wide, and lips thick and prominent; the eyes were a light-grey, large and full, and, when brought into a ftrong light, were in a continual, rolling motion, which gave the child the foolish look of an idiot. If he fhould attain to manhood, and beget children, the attention of the curious will be excited to remark the colour of his progeny. A nation of these Albinoes are faid to inhabit fomewhere in the central parts of Africa; who are weak and of low ftature, and do not mix with the Blacks. They are called Dondos, or Mokiffes, by the natives; and are faid to have fcarcely any fight, except by moon or owl-light, and to be at continual war with the Blacks, who attack them in the day-time, when their fight is at the worft; and they take their revenge in the night, when it is beft. They are likewife faid to be educated in the fcience of prieftcraft, or witchcraft, and to fill the chief offices at Loango in all religious affairs and fuperftitious ceremonies. Some of the Negroes in Guiney are of opinion, that, although they have their males and females, like the rest of mankind, they are incapable of procreating, if not of VOL. II. coition.

H

coition. But this wants proof. Several of the fame fpecies are affirmed to have been seen in other parts of Africa, in Borneo, in India, and New Guiney.

I shall conclude the account of this parish with a table, as

4236

4661

1766, 3713

12

700

56

1768, 3665 Taking the lifts of 1768 and 1740 into comparison, the decrease of cattle appears to be 807, although no new fugar-plantations were formed within that time. And this falling-off, I am afraid, must be referred chiefly to the introduction of foreign cattle, for fupplying the markets and squadron: this proved a discouragement to many penn-keepers in the parish, and occafioned their deserting. it; fo that several penns, which formerly were capital breedingpenns, are at present in waste.

This parish has for its boundaries, on the North, St. Anne on the South, St. Dorothy; on the East, St. Thomas in the Vale; and on the Weft, Clarendon. The whole of this parish is ocIt is watered with cupied with hills, mountains, and vallies. four rivers, of which the Rio Montando, or Mountain river, is the principal; and with the feveral fprings and ramifications which contribute to form them. The foil in general is fertile, even on the highest ridges. It abounds with fine timber; and the

vales

vales are particularly prolific; of these the Vale of Luidas, diftant about twenty-one miles N. W. from Spanish Town, is the bestfettled. Before fugar-works were formed here, it contained only breeding-penns, whose pastures were fo rich, that the cattle were remarkably fat, and their flesh of an exquifite flavour. Thefe penn-keepers used to fupply the market of Spanish Town with veal, which Sir Hans Sloane, I think, extols very highly. The climate of this parish is cool and temperate. Exceeding good butter has been made here by one or two families; and I have feen moft kinds of European garden ftuff, produced in the Vale of Luidas, in as great perfection as any that is brought to Covent-garden-market. The cherry, apple, quince, and peach tree, thrive and bear fruit in this vale; a fure indication of the cool temperature of the climate, and that the furrounding mountains would be found on experiment to produce them in ftill higher perfection. The air of this parish is confequently very healthful, and has proved entirely agreeable to European conftitutions. But it is far from being well-inhabited, the roads leading from it requiring a great deal of improvement. After croffing the Red Hills, we enter a tolerably cultivated vale at Lloyd's eftate, interfperfed with a few well-built houses, which, for want of the refidence of their proprietors, are haftening very faft to decay. From this vale we afcend Cudjve Hill; from part of which there is a South-eaft profpect over the Red Hills to Kingston, and Weftward to Old Harbour and Goat Ifland, with a near view of fuch plantations as lie immediately below. Some miles further inland is Bolt's Hill, which rifes ftill higher; the fides of it are finely cloathed with fugar-canes; and from the fummit the Southern hills appear depreffed, and the eye takes in a boundless profpect over the fea, beyond Port-Royal. About the distance of two miles further North are the barracks, which are built of stone, and command a narrow pafs of communication between the North and South fides of the ifland. This poft is capable of being made exceedingly strong; and even now a garrison of fifty men might hold it against five hundred: but hitherto (as I am informed) no detachment has been cantoned in it. The barracks are no fooner paffed, than we discover, at the distance of four or five miles along a visto between two continued chains of hills,

at the foot of which runs a broken gully, called Juan de Bolas (or John of the Vale), the delightful valley of Luidas, before-fpokenof, encircled with the lofty mounds of four parishes, St. John, Clarendon, St. Anne, and St. Thomas in the Vale. Some of thefe highlands near Juan de Bolas are faid to have rich veins of the precious ores; but no expence is fufficient to explore the profound. regions in which they lie concealed. The late Sir S―n Clke (who was defcended from an ancient family in Warwickshire, and bore fome of the higheft offices in this ifland), amongst other branches of fcience, attained to confiderable knowledge in metallurgy; and, had his fuccefs been at all proportioned to his fkill, might have bestowed his application to a very profitable end: but, unhappily, after an immenfe expence and trouble in fearching for the hidden treasure, he found (too late) that his favourite pursuit had only contributed to the reduction of his fortune. The church, if not lately repaired, is in a ruinous, dilapidated state. The rector, however, has a good houfe and fome glebe land. His ftipend is 2007. and the annual value of the living fuppofed not to exceed 32cl. per annum.

State of the Parish:

!

2726

21

2200

50

1768, 5455 The decrease of Negroes fhews that this parith is not getting forwards. Let me here remark (once for all) on the great utility of comparing the prefent and paft ftate of the parishes together. It is the true teft by which the legiflature may judge of the ftate of the whole island, and where the fymptoms of a decline are manifeft; as in the example of this parith, which is bleft with every natural advantage of a good air, a fruitful foil, and regular feafons. It may justly be fufpected, that a retrogradation under thefe very favourable circumftances can happeh no otherwife than from fome defect in the policy of internal government; perhaps nothing fo

much

much as a want of good roads, and the impoverished condition of those who have failed in their fettlements, principally from this caufe. But, whatever the cause may have been, it is the duty of a patriotic legislature, when convinced of the fact, to fearch for the fource of evil by the moft probable rules of enquiry; and, when they have difcovered it, to apply the beft remedies in their power.

SECT. V.

St. THOMAS in the VALE.

THIS parish is bounded towards the North by St. Anne, and St. Mary; towards the South, by St. Catharine; on the Eaft, by St. Andrew; and on the Weft, by St. John. It is watered by the Cobre; the D'Oro; the Rio Magno, formed by the conflux of the Tilboa and Indian rivers; and by feveral fall rivulets which fall into them. The greater part of this parish is comprized within the vale called Sixteen-mile-walk. This vale is about

eleven miles in length by eight in width, and contains between fifty and fixty thousand fquare acres. It is fituated Southerly, beneath the main ridge or chain of high mountains which traverse the island from East to West. It is alfo inclofed on all other fides with a circumvallation of high hills and mountains. It is neither flat nor swampy, but diverfified throughout with gentle rifings and flopes. The foil is fertile, for the moft part a red coarfe earth mixed with clay, or a dark mould upon a whitish marle. It is full of fprings and rivulets, which unite with the larger ftreams; and thefe, meeting together near the chafm or opening betwixt the mountains on the South fide of the vale, augment that noble river the Cobre, which continues its courfe irregularly between rocky mountains and precipices, alternately a calcade or smooth water, as it happens to be more or lefs impeded, exhibiting for fome miles a very romantic fcene till it reaches the plain below. At that part of the vale where it firft fhapes its courfe towards Spanish Town, it enters between two yawning rocky hills, which, ap

pear