Ix 
The Introduction. 
It belonged to Major Ballard, who told me that formerly there ufed 
to refort great numbers of Pigeons and breed there ; bur the {nhabi- 
tants going thither and loading Boats wich their young, they were 
difturbed, and left the place. In the Plains or Savannas, about Old 
Harbour, grows that fine Flower which { found in Se. Chri/fophers, 
and is hereafter defcribed, and called commonly in famaica White 
Lillies. 
Near Old Harbour is a place called the Canoes, which is the chief 
lace for Fifhing hereabout. 
A little Weftward of Old Harbour are Woods, and fome few 
Hills, beyond which isa large Savanna or Plain, call’d Palmetto Sa- 
yanna, from the great number of Palm-Trees growing in it. From 
Palmetto Savanna went into the Seven Plantations, where at going 
into the place I fonnd a very bad {mell and Air, which is occafion’d, 
as I wastold, by the River call’d the Dry River. This River had 
at bottom great numbers of large round Stones, and was dry when 
I faw it, as it is often, but it is full of running water at fome Seafons, 
and it then brings along with it Fifhes of feveral forts. When the 
River does not run thefe Fifhes are lefc in holes in its bottom, 
where they are either taken by. the Inhabitants, eat up by the Herns, 
or other Fowl feeding on them, or dye and corrupt the Water and 
Air. I was fenfible of this corrupted Air when I was here. This 
dry River is {wallowed up into the Earth, and rifes again in fome 
arts of it. It comes down from the Mountains when it Rains vio- 
lently on them, fo fuddenly and impecuoully, that I was told it had 
drowned a Boy, and fix Horfes he was watering, chough no fiens 
of its {welling appeared beforehand at the place where the accident 
happen’d. ‘This place is cooler chan the Town of St. Jago de la 
Vega, and Sir Francis Watfon, who lived here, ufed to be more 
troubled with the Afthma then when in Town. For this pur- 
pofe he had made.a Chimney in one of the Rooms of his 
Houle, which was the only one I ever faw in this Hland, except 
in Kitchens, 
Sir Francis Watfon had made here a Refining-houfe for Sugars, 
which fervd moft part of the Ifland with fine Sugar, and thae 
candied, little Refin‘'d being Exported. They diflolve the Mof- 
covado or courfe Sugar in water, which they call. melting, then 
they mix a ftrong Lixivium of quick Lime with it, and clarifie 
this mixture in a Furnace with Whites of Eggs over a Fire, then 
they ftrain it through a Blanket plac’d in a Basket over a Ciftern, 
whence it is carried into Brafs Coolers, and then is put into 
Pots. The Surface of ic is evened and leveled with 2 Trouel in 
thefe Pots, and then ‘tis cover’d with moift Clay, by which in fe- 
ven Weeks, ‘tis purg’d, knock’d our, and put into a Stove to be per- 
fetly 
