CHAP, ii.] WEST INDIES. 165 



and slaughtering the cattle, for the sake of the hides 

 and tallow, which soon became an article of export. 

 It was supposed by Sedgewicke, that the soldiers had 

 killed 20,000 in the course of the first four months 

 after their arrival ; and as to horses, " they were in 

 " such plenty (says Goodson) that, zve accounted them 

 " the vermin of the country."^ 



Eastward of Liguany was the Hato, by some call- 

 ed Ayala, by others Yalos, and now wrote Yallahs; a 

 place, saith Venables " which hath much commodity 

 of planting or erecting of sugar engines of water, 

 by reason of two convenient rivers running through 

 it fit for that purpose.' 3 Next to Ayala was the Hato 

 called Mo rante. This Morante (saith Venables) " is a 

 large and plentiful Hato, being four leagues in length, 

 consisting of many small savannas, and has wild cattle 

 and hogs in very great plenty, and ends at the Mine, 

 which is at the cape or point of Morante itself, by 

 which toward the north is the port Antonio." 



Such is the account of Jamaica as transmitted in 

 General Variable's letter :to Secretary Thurloe, dated 

 13th Jane 1655. The reader will perceive, that no 

 mention is made of the northern side of the island; 



which g-ives room to conclude, as was undoubtedly 

 : 



f- <c Colonel Barry's hou'se, all galleried round, (now called Cavaliers), 

 was formerly, when the Spaniards possessed the island, the only place in 

 Liguany inhabited j a rich widow had here a sugar-woik, and abundance 

 of cattle in the savannas, near 40,000." (Sloane, vol. i. Introd. p, 73.) 

 The mountains of Ligv.-ny v.e;e r.ippos-ecl 2JsQ.ro contain mines both 

 M gold and copper, 



