22 JAMAICA. 



apartments: the halls are feldom adorned with anything bettefi 

 than a large pier-glals or two, a few prints, or maps: the greateft 

 expence is beftowed upon the arch of the principal hall, which is 

 generally of mahogany, and in Ibme houfes well-executed. They 

 have for the mofl part fluted pilafters, fupporting a regular enta- 

 blature, ornamented with modillons, dentils, &c. But it is more 

 frequent to behold all the orders of architednre confufedly jumbled 

 tog,ether. The windows of the Spanifh houfes were generally 

 made with little turned pillars, placed upright, and fliutters on the 

 infide. However convenient thefe might have been for the conftant 

 admiffion of air, they are at prefent almofi: totally exploded, and 

 faflies.more generally in ufe: to which are added jealoufy-fliutters, 

 or Venetian blinds, which admit the air freely, and exclude the 

 fun-fliine. It is but of late, that the planters have paid much at- 

 tention to elegance in their habitations : their general rule was, to 

 build what they called a make-Jlnft ; fo that it was not unufual to 

 fee a plantation adorned with a very expenfive fet of works, of 

 brick or ftone, well-executed ; and the owner refiding in a miferable, 

 , thatched hovel, haftily put together with wattles and plaifler, damp, 

 unwholefome, and infefted with every fpecies of vermin. But the 

 houfes in general, as well in the country-parts as the towns, have 

 been greatly improved within thefe laft twenty years. The fur- 

 ;niture of fome of them is extremely coftly ; and others conftruded 

 in fo magnificent a flyle, and of fuch durable materials, as to fliew 

 that they were not intended for a mere temporary relidence. 



It might not be foreign to the fubjecl here to remark, that, by. 

 ithe general ufe of (hingle coverings throughout the Northern and 

 Weft-India colonies, and the utter negledl of planting young trees 

 in the room of what are cut down for this manufafture, it is very 

 certain, that they will every year grow dearer to the fugar iflands, 

 and that the price may increafe, till the people of Jamaica will be 

 forced either to employ their own growth of timber for this ufe, 

 or fall upon tile-making. The builders, therefore, of new houfes, 

 ;Or works, Ihould confider this, and make their walls of a due 

 ithickiiefs to fuftain fuch an additional weight hereafter. 



SECT. 



