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they have fucceeded to the fatisfa&ion of the greater part of the community : and 

 is hoped fo juft a regulation will eafily meet with the approbation of his Majefty (a) 



was alio 



a cir- 



for 



tereft, on which it chiefly depends at this time 

 der the greateft inconveniencies in many parts of the ifland 



The appointment of convenient ports of Entry and Clea 

 cumftance that required the confideration of the public or) this occafion 

 thefe, both the trade and pi 

 muft necefTarily 



To remove this difficulty in ibme meafure the legiflative body have already appointed 

 Port Antonio and King/Ion of that number ; ports, I muff, acknowledge fufficiently 

 convenient for fuch veiTels as trade to the north eaft and fOuthern parts of the ifland: 

 but thofe that load in the weftern harbours flill continue under great hardfhips ; the 

 roads being frequently bad, often impaflable; the winds always from the eaft; and 

 the currents moil: commonly fetting into the gulph, which is generally the beft and 



often the only paffage that veiTels from thofe parts can make 



How 



ft it be then for (hips loaded in thefe remote harbours, to work againft wind and 



gain one of thofe p 



already appointed 



d to be after 



wards obliged to fail back with mattered equipag 

 through a dangerous gulph : yet this muft be do 



charge and travel between 

 roads, to clear out at one 



and two hundred 



nake the beft of their way 



the captain muft leave his 



through very 



of thofe already appointed. Port Royal has been indeed 



flill 



of this kind fince the ifland was firft fettled under an Englijh government, and 

 continues to enjoy the fame privilege, though but a barren point of land, and 

 fituated within a few miles of King/Ion - t while Savanha la Mar (a harbour, where 

 near a fourth part of the produce of that ifland is annually fhipped) ftill continues to 

 labour under great difficulties for want of that advantage. 



The inftitution of circular Courts was another circumftance that required and en- 

 gaged the attention of the public, in proportion as the number of fettlements encreafed, 

 and the remote parts grew more populous; and they were at length eftablifhed (b) % 

 and appointed to be held quarterly in the feveral diftri&s of the ifland, to the great 

 fatisfadt ion and real benefit of the colony. For if we confider that they have no other 

 trade in that ifland at prefent, but what depends immediately on the planters, who 



now 



almoft equally fettled in all parts; we (hall find fome of thofe pop 



towns, which, fince the decay of the Spanijh trade, have been fupported chiefly by 



ftanding courts and the public neceffities of the peopl 



be rather a prejudice than 



an em 



to the community ; while they harbour fo many dependa 



in 



dlenefs at the expence of the induftri 



who might prove very ferviceable mem 



bers had they been diftributed about the ifland, and their thoughts turned upon the more 

 ufeful mechanical branches, or their induftry employed in the advancement of 

 fettlements. 



Trade, it is true, could not be too much encouraged, while the merchants could 

 yet deal on advantageous terms with their neighbours, and export the produce of the 

 mother country to advantage ; but this is not the cafe at prefent, for all the branches 

 that remain depend. wholly on the planting intereft, which ought for this reafon to 

 be the leal^ fubjedfe'd to inconveniencies, there being fcarcely any thing imported 

 there at this time, 

 of their labours. 



but what is immediately for their ufe, and paid for by the produce 



(a) This law was made in Jamaica fome time ago, but has not yet obtained the Royal Sandion, 

 tho' one of the beft ever pafs'd in that Jfland. 



(b) Though this law was pafTed in the Iiland, and every neceffary conveniency eftabiixlied for the ex- 

 tcution of it, it has not met with his Majefty's approbation. 



SECT. 









