^gg On the Land Crahs of Jamaica. 



extending from west to east, through the centre of tlie island, ter- 

 minates on the east coast) was covered with countless millions of 

 these creatures swarming from the sea to the mountEuns. Of 

 this singular phenomenon, I was myself an eye witness, having 

 had occasion to travel through that district at the time. On 

 ascending Quahill, from the vale of Plantain-Garden River, the 

 road appeared of a reddish colour, as if strewed with brick-dust. 

 I dismounted from my horse to examine the cause of so unusual 

 an appearance, and was not a little astonished to find that it 

 was owing to myriads of young black crabs, about the size of 

 the nail of a man's finger, crossing the road, and moving at a 

 pretty pace direct for the mountains. I was concerned to think 

 of the destruction I was causing in travelling through such a 

 body of useful creatures, as I fancied that every time my horse 

 put down a foot, it was the loss of at least ten lives. I rode 

 along the coast a distance of about fifteen miles, and found it 

 nearly the same the whole way, only that in some places they 

 were more numerous, and in others less so. Returning the 

 following day, I found the road still covered with them the 

 same as the day before. How have they been produced in 

 such numbers, or, where are they come from '^ were questions 

 that every body asked, and no one could answer. It is well 

 known the crabs deposite their eggs once a year, and in the 

 month of May ; but, except on this occasion, though living on 

 the coast, I never saw a dozen of young crabs together, and 

 here were millions of millions covering the earth for miles along 

 a large extent of sea coast. No unusual number of old crabs 

 had been observed that season ; and it is worthy of remark, 

 that this prodigious multitude of young ones were moving from 

 a rock -bound shore, formed by inaccessible cliffs, the abode of 

 sea birds, and against which the waves of the sea are constant- 

 ly dashed by the Trade-wind blowing directly upon them. 

 That the old crabs should be able to deposite their eggs in such 

 a part of the coast (if that, as would appear, is the habit of the 

 animal) is not a little extraordinary. No person in Jamaica, 

 so far as I know, or have heard, ever saw such a sight, or any 

 thing of the kind, bat on that occasion : and I have understood, 

 that, since 1811, black crabs have been abundant farther into 

 the interior of the island than they were ever known before. — 

 Barclays View of Slavery in (he West Indies. 



