1770' ROUND THE WORLD. 301 



ran through one of the principal streets above a week, 

 and at last was carried away by a flood. 



The houses, are in general, well adapted to the cli- 

 mate; they consist of one very large room or hall on 

 the ground floor, with a door at each end, both which 

 generally stand open: at one end a room is taken off 

 by a partition, where the master of the house tran- 

 sacts his business; and in the middle, between each 

 end, there is a court, which gives light to the hall, 

 and at the same time increases the draught of air. 

 From one corner of the hall the stairs go up to the 

 floor above, where also the rooms are spacious and 

 airy. In the alcove, which is formed by the court, 

 the family dine; and at other times it is occupied by 

 the female slaves, who are not allowed to sit down 

 any where else. 



The public buildings are, most of them, old, heavy, 

 and ungraceful; but the new church is not inelegant; 

 it is built with a dome, that is seen from a great 

 distance at sea, and though the outside has rather a 

 heavy appearance, the inside forms a very fine room: 

 it is furnished with an organ of a proper size, being 

 very large, and is most magnificently illuminated by 

 chandeliers. 



The town is enclosed by a stone wall, of a moderate 

 height: but the whole of it is old, and many parts 

 are much out of repair. This wall itself is surrounded 

 by a river, which in some places is fifty, and in some 

 a hundred yards wide: the stream is rapid, but the 

 water is shallow. The wall is also lined within by a 

 canal, which in different parts is of different breadths; 

 so that, in passing either out or in through the gates, 

 it is necessary to cross two draw-bridges; and there 

 is no access for idle people or strangers to walk upon 

 the ramparts, which seem to be but ill provided with 

 guns. 



In the north-east corner of the town stands the 

 castle or citadel, the walls of which are both higher 

 and thicker than those of the town, especially near 



