SECOND EDITION. XXXI 



manifested by those who were more immediately intrusted 

 with the conduct of it, are circumstances that claim a distin- 

 guished place, and constitute an important era, in the History 

 of the British West Indies. 



Having said thus much in honour of my countrymen, it is 

 but justice to observe, that the French nation (whilst a go- 

 vernment existed among them) began to manifest a noble 

 spirit of emulation in the same liberal pursuit. It is to the in- 

 dustry of the French that Jamaica (as will be seen in the His- 

 tory of that island) owes the cinnamon, the mango, and some 

 other delicious spices and fruits. Among other branches of 

 the vegetable kingdom introduced by them into their West 

 Indian possessions, they reckoned three different species of the 

 sugar cane, all of which were previously unknown to the 

 planters and inhabitants. I have, in the second volume of this 

 edition, observed, that Sir JOSEPH BANKS had satisfied me 

 that such varieties did exist; but I was not then apprized that 

 their cultivation had been successfully attempted in any of our 

 own islands. By the kindness of Admiral Sir JOHN LAFOREY, 

 baronet, I am now enabled to gratify my readers with such 

 full and authentic information on this subject, as cannot 

 fail to be highly acceptable to every inhabitant of the West 

 Indies. 



These canes were originally introduced into Martinico ; and 

 it was a fortunate circumstance that the distinguished officer 

 whotn I have named commanded about that time on the naval 

 station at Antigua. It was equally fortunate that, with a love 

 of natural knowledge, he possessed plantations in the island last 

 mentioned; for it is extremely probable, from the disturbances 

 and distractions which have prevailed ever since in every one 

 of the French colonies, that there would not at this time have 

 been found a trace of these plants in any part of the West In- 

 dies, if Sir JOHN LAFOREY had not personally attended to 

 their preservation. With the account which his politeness has 

 enabled me to present to the public, I shall conclude this In- 

 troductory Discourse. 



