34 JAMAICA. 



the penns of Verc ; it is linall, but delicioufly fweet, fat, aad 

 juicy. The market is likewife tolerably well-fupplied with fca 

 and river fifli, black crabs, the Jamaica oyfter, poultry of all forts 

 remarkably fine, milk, vegetables, and fruits. Well: -Indian and 

 North-American. The flour comes for the moft part from New- 

 York, inferior to none in the world ; and the bread is excellent. 

 The butter is imported from Cork and North-America, which 

 cannot be much commended : the inhabitants, reconciled to it 

 by cuftom, fhew no diflike to it, although it is fometimes fo 

 rancid, that repeated wafliings will not fwceten it. Some few ia 

 the lowlands make a fort of frefh butter, but in fmall quantities, 

 and commonly infipid. The vales of Pedro are capable of fup- 

 plying the town with this article, if the penn- keepers or graziers 

 there were encouraged to manufa(fture it for fale. What is ma- 

 nufadured there for their own ufe is of a delicate flavour, and will 

 keep good for feveral days, and even weeks. Thecheapnefs of the 

 imported butter, which is generally fold for fixpence flerling the 

 pound, and the great plenty of it, together with a long continued 

 habit of ufing no other, may be the reafon why the inhabitants 

 are not very folicitous about making any change ; but it would 

 doubtlefs be attended with a confiderable laving to the ifland, and 

 tend much more to health, if they were to promote and eflablifli 

 fuch a manufatfture among the inland penn-keepers. It is fome 

 time before an European palate can accommodate itfelf to the 

 rank fluff ferved up at the tables here. On the other hand, I have 

 known many perfons who, upon their firfl arrival in Britain from 

 Jamaica, could not endure the tafl;e of frefli-butter ; and I have 

 heard of a lady who, for fome years after her coming over to 

 England, ufed to order fome firkins of the Irifh butter to be 

 brought regularly to her from Jamaica: fo difficult it is to re- 

 linquilh what cuftom, altera natura, has made agreeable to us. 



As fome readers may be defirous of knowing the market-prices 

 of provifions in this town, I ftiall offer the following table, formed 

 agreeably to the experience of fome years. It muft be underflood, 

 however, that here, as in other places, there can be no fuch 

 thing as a ftandard and invariable rate for thefe neceffary articles; 



and 



