tjS J A M A I C A. 



■this place, is' a look-out, called Beacon hill, which had formerly 



aftaffand colours raifed upon it, for the purpofe of giving alarm. 



As there is a very extenfive view from the fummit, commanding 



the harbour of Port Royal, and the Eaftern (hip-channel, in the 



offing, this appears the moft proper fcite for erefting a fortrefs, if 



one fliould ever be thought neceflary for better defending the town. 



At prefent, here is neither fort nor battery ; all its defence confifls 



in fourteen or fifteen fmall brafs field-pieces, honey-combed with 



age, and committed to the care of a captain, a lieutenant, and a 



company of matrofles, all of the militia; who flafh a little powder 



from this train of artillery, to announce the royal birth-day, and 



a few other joyous occafions [d"]. Befides thefe, are two or three 



companies of regulars, and five or fix of horfe and foot militia, a 



medley of Chriftians, Jews, Pagans, Negroes, and Mulattoes. 



The Jews, who are numerous here, have a convenient burial- 



. ground walled in, at fome diftance out of the town; and a fyna- 



tgogue in the Eaftern quarter, not far from the river: this place of 



worlhip has feveral well-adapted ornaments. Here they aflemble, 



and read a portion of the Law and the Prophets every fabbath-day. 



They obferve moft of their antient feafts and fafts; and marry, 



-circumcife, and bury, according to the cuftom of their fore-fathers. 



•Some of them are good men, and do many benevolent ailions to 



"Gentiles as well as their own fraternity ; but much the greater part 



'of them (I fear) are very felfifh and tricking, fraudulent in their 



"trade, and rigid in their tranfailions, not only with Chriftians, 



but with one another. Of the houfes erefted by the Spaniards 



C^^ before the Englifli conqueft, upwards of fifty are ftill remaining, 



1/ very little the worfe for time or weather. We are not informed 



(xC of the particular time when they were built. The town was twice 



taken; firft, by Sir Anthony Shirley in 1592 ; and afterwards by 



colonel Jackfon, about the y^q^^j^S^;'- hut hiftory does not men- 



[e] It deferves the attention of the legl'Jature, whether their procuring a new train offiekl- 

 ■pieces, of moderate fize, and a company of Ikilful European matroffes, would not be of the utmofl 

 importance to the defence of the ifland. Whoever has read the piogrefs made in Hindolkn, by 

 a handful of European troops, cannot but be altoniflied at the viftories they gained againil fuch 

 unequal numbers, and folely by the right management of their artillery. A fmall body of men, 

 [■ with fuch a bulwark, may refift all the efforts of fifty times their niiinber, who have no artillery : 

 and it 'a no lefs ferviceable in an open plain, than in defending a paf». 



tlou 



