A Voyave to J AMAIC A. 330 
me there to be the reafon of this Name given to it by the Fwropeans. It licsin a- 
bout 13 degr. 10 min.Northern Latitude, and is about 36°. 55°. Welt of Madera, 
The Rains when we were here came on very violently, ithaving been dry and 
parch’d for many Months. They pour'd down very faft, infomuch that being at 
Spikes, a Town diftant fome Miles from Bridgetown whither we were going, it 
was thought we fheuld not be ableto get thither, becaufe the Gullies or Brooks 
were believed not fordable, however we ventur’d and got fafe; but the Frethes 
or Rains were fuch, that two of the Dukes Servants who hired a Boar, at 
an excefliye rate, to carry them to Bridgetown by Water, were, by the vio- 
Jence of the Water running off the Ifland, carried to Sea, and neither they, 
the Boat, or Boat-men ever heard of after. It was defired by His Grace the 
Duke of Albemarle, that the Governor, Colonel (fince Sir Edwyn) Steed, would 
pleafe to take care to inform him(eif from the Neighbouring Iflands, if by Wind 
or Currents they or their Veffel had been heard of among them ; bur nei- 
ther during our ftay, nor afterwards, had we any tidings of them: fo that 
it was concluded they were loft either by being fwallow’d up of the Sea, 
ftarv'd for want of Provifions, or thrown on fome of the Neighbouring 
Iflands, where they might fuffer by the rage of the exafperated Jdians, 
The Ifland, (which is Twenty eight Miles long, and Fourteen broad, * *Ligon.p.26. 
is ot very high, but yet has feveral raifed and deprefled Grounds in it, 
Which are generally Fertile. This lownels of the whole Ifland gives them more 
regular Breezes or Winds, fo tharthey Grind their Sugar-Canes with Wind- 
Mills, and not Cattle, as they do in Jamaica, where the Land being higher 
flops the regular motionof the Winds or Breezes *. It is likewife from this * Barbados 
low ficuation that it has at prefent, and has had fo great a fruitfulnefs, though waars Nighr 
now it be fallen much off from what it was, through the great labouring and «7 Land 
perpetual working of it out, fothat they are now fore'd to dung extremely what “45, ‘4 
before was of it felf too Rank. The Duke of Albemarle having a Patent for all me - 
the Royal Mines in the We/t-/udia Plantations belonging to England, made Boyl, of 
great enquiry after Minerals, but received information of none. fave only Air, p. 85, 
of an Hill where was a fhining Subftance which look’d very fine, and was 
lodged in Earth ; fome of this Earth was afterwards fent to Famaica, but 
proved to be nothing but white or filver colour’d Marcafite, which on trial 
held no Metal, or fo little as not to be worth while to look after. Thefe Of the fend 
Marcafites are very common in moft places of the World yet difcovered, f Barbados, 
and impofé on People ignorant of thefe matters; Sir Martin Forbifher, a 
great Man, when he went to difcover a North-Weft Paflage, brought 
home a Ships lading of this from North America. In Trinidad are Marca- 
fites*, And I have fome of this fame Mineral Subftance that 1 had from * Duddeley, 
the Streights of Magellan, not to be known from thofe found in England, p. 571. 
This Marcafite was difcovered by the falling off of fome run-away Grounds, 
as they are called, from the fide of a Hill in which it was fen, Thefe 
run-away Grounds come from great Rains, after which a parcel of Ground, 
as the fide of a Hill with whatever is on it, falls off from the other part, 
and carries whatever was growing on it along with it and remains on another 
Mans Plantation, whofe Property it becomes. | 
There is towards that part of this Iflana called Scotland, fome Pits, out of | 
which are taken what is in England, and other places, called Barbados-Tarr : Of Barba- 
It is of two forts, one liquid which fwims on the top of the Water, and is dos-Zarr, 
of the confiftence of Common Tarr, {mells {trong as Petroleum, and in every 
thing refembles it; the other is more folid, and {eems to be a better fort 
of Pit-Coal. In feveral places of America thefe forts of Bitumens are found, 
and have feveral Names; the moft common Name is Mounsjack, by. which ‘tis 
Known very well amongtt the Privateers. | 
K "Ts 
