36 JAMAICA. 



incident to them. The vafl abundance of fifh caught here, and its 

 not being a provifion that can be kept fweet for any long time, aic 

 the caules of its cheapnels at moft of the fea-ports. Fifh and 

 turtle are often fold at lefs prices than are expreflcd in the table ; 

 and thej furnifli a confiderable part of fubfiftence to the people 

 inhabiting thofe places. The prices in Spanifli Town are in ge- 

 neral higher than in Kingiton, where the market is under a better 

 regulation, and both the demand and fupply more conflant and 

 ample. The latter town is alfo far better accommodated with ve- 

 getables of all kinds, produced in the Liguanea mountains. 



By the above table, compared with the following, may be feen 

 how much the prices of fome provifion have rifen above what they 

 formerly were. An 3(51 of aflembly, paflcd in the year 1693, efta- 

 bliflied tiie rates thus, viz.. 



Jniii. Currency. Sterling. 



s. d^ q. s. d. q. 



Beef and goat, per pound, 040 030 



Mutton, . ditto, 060 041 



Veal, prime parts, ditto, 090 063 



Ditto, other parts, ditto, 072 ° 5 3 



Hog, lamb, and turtle, ditto, 072 053 



The fettlers in thofe days were fewer in number, yet either found 

 means to fupply a larger quantity, or be contented with fmaller 

 gains. In the year 1672, Doctor Blome writes, that horned cattle 

 were fo numerous, that, although there had been every year i'o 

 many killed, yet their number leemed not much to be lefTened. 

 Hogs too he mentions were in very great plenty, as well thofe 

 wild in the mountains, as tame in the plantations. We may con- 

 jecture, therefore, that the greater part of the beef and pork, then 

 brought to market, were of the wild fort ; for thefe animals over- 

 ran the woods and favannahs, and were flaughtered by all perlbns 

 who chofe to go in queft of them. This probably made the fettlers 

 fb very inattentive to the breeding of cattle, that in procefs of 

 time, as- the wild ones became dlminiflied, and ihe plantations in- 

 creafed, they began to introduce a fupply from the Spanifli Main. 

 A dependence upon thefe importations, and the low price which 

 they formerly coft, flill further difcouraged the ifland-breed ; and at 

 prefent the fugar-eftates, fo vaftly incrcafed in their number, con- 



furac 



