212 HISTORY OF THE [BOOK, n, 



mits flat bottomed boats and canoes for about thirty 

 miles. 



Of the springs, which very generally abound, even 

 in the highest mountains, some are medicinal; and 

 are said to be highly efficacious in disorders peculiar to 

 the climate. The most remarkable of these is found 

 in the eastern parish of St. Thomas, and the fame of 

 it has created a village in its neighbourhood, which is 

 called the bath. The water flows out of a rocky 

 mountain, about a mile distant, and is too hot to ad- 

 mit a hand being held underneath : a thermometer on 

 Fahrenheit's scale, being immersed in a glass of this 

 wa'er, the quicksilver immediately rose to 123 de- 

 grees. It is sulphureous, and has been used with 

 great advantage in that dreadful disease of the climate 

 called the dry-be lly-ach. There are other springs, 

 both sulphureous and chalybeate, in different parts of 

 the country; of which however, the properties are 

 but little known to the inhabitants in general. 



In many parts of Jamaica there is a great appearance 

 of metals; and it is asserted by Blome, and other ear- 

 ly writers, that the Spanish inhabitants had mines both 

 of silver and copper : I believe the fact. But the in- 

 dustry of the present possessors is, perhaps, more pro- 

 fitably exerted on the surface of the earth, than by 

 o.i^ging into its bowels. A lead mine was indeed 

 opened some years ago, near to the Hope estate, in the 

 parish- of St. Andrew, and it is said, there was no 

 want of ore, but the high price of labour, or other 



