200 CUBA AND POBTO RICO 



arc singularly few around the island. As iu Cuba, land- 

 snails ar<' large and numerous. Domestic animals of all 

 kinds, except the sheep and gnat, abound. The island has 

 some beautiful estates where fine breeds of cattle are 

 raised, principally for the purpose of producing hardy 

 oxen for the sugar-plantations. 



Although the climate of Jamaica varies greatly with 

 altitude and topographic situation, it is in general pleas- 

 ant, healthful, and salubrious, the cold northern winds 

 which affect Cuba being hardly felt, and the temperature, 

 therefore, being much more uniform throughout the year. 

 The low sea-coasts are the warmest portions, the larger 

 part of the habitable island, at altitudes of from one to 

 three thousand feet, being decidedly cooler. The southern 

 sea-coast, at the foot of the Blue Mountain range, is warm 

 and arid, much like the Santiago coast of Cuba. As one 

 ascends the slopes the precipitation increases and the tem- 

 perature falls rapidly, until in the higher portions the cli- 

 mate is wet and cool. The mean temperature at the coast 

 is 78.2 F. ; at 2000 feet, 73 ; at 5000 feet, 62.6 ; at 5500 

 feet, 60 ; at 7400 feet, 55.7. 



At Kingston, one of the hottest and driest places on 

 the island, the highest temperature during ten years 

 was 89.7 F., and the minimum 67.8 ; the maximum for 

 the period averaging 87.8, and the minimum 70.7, 

 showing a range of only 17. 



The climate of the jjlateau region is especially pleasant, 

 the temperature in St. Elizabeth, for instance, having an 

 annual variation of only 9, fluctuating between a mini- 

 mum of 67 and a maximum of 75. 



The rainfall at Kingston is only 44 inches, while on the 

 north side of the island it is 88, even reaching 100 inches 

 upon the higher mountain slopes. The average for the 

 whole island is 66. 



Eesidents of Jamaica are naturally subject to tropical 

 diseases, such as malarial fevers, dysentery, and diarrhea ; 

 but owing to the perfect system of local sanitation and 



