IS 



4 JAMAICA. 



ftrucflures at St. Domingo, the Havannah, La Vera Cruz, Cartha- 

 gena, Panama, &c. would make a noble figure even in European 

 cities. The fanatic rage, or heedlefs indifference, of the Engli(h 

 who firlt fettled in Jamaica, occafioned the ruin of the Spanifh 

 buildings dedicated to religious ufes here ; fo that pofterity can 

 only form an opinion of their magnificence from fuch fragments as 

 here and there are to be found in a neglefled ftate, as being of too 

 large dimenfions to be employed in any building of modern ftyle. 

 In the fituation of the; town, the Spaniilvfoundcr ihewed a good 

 fm *^ . deal of judgement, but not much regularity in the difpofition of 

 ^'' the ftreets; yet it is better laid out than moft of thofe in England. 

 That a Weft-India town fliould be irregularly planned is, indeed, 

 almoft: inexcufable, not only on account of health, which ought 

 to be principally regarded, but becaufe it is formed as it were at 

 once. Thofe in England had not the fame advantage ; they grew 

 for the moft part from two or three folitary cottages, planted by 

 the fide of fome road, or at the interfeftion of crofs-roads, which 

 having been traverfed at firft without any exatlnefs, the fame 

 meandring lines continued after the fides of thefe highways were 

 built upon and converted into flrcets ; which name is derived with 

 more propriety from the word y?r^//, or narrow, than from Jlraight 

 or not crooked, when it is applied to the towns of England. St. 

 Jago Jlands on,a rocky flope, gradually afcending from the.xiKfeCp- 

 Cobre to an extenfive plain, called the Town Savannah ; fo that the 

 rain-water, which fometimes falls heavily, efpecially in the feafons, 

 pafies away with a free current into the river ; by which means the 

 town is guarded from many inconveniencies. From Port Royal 

 harbour itisdiftant about fix miles N.W.; and, the land having an 

 eafy fall from it to the water-fide, without any intervening morafs, 

 it receives the fea-breeze with little diminution of force or purity. 

 Towards the North it is about two miles from the hills, which fink 

 fo much in that direction, in compliance with the courfc of the 

 river, as to give a fine opening from the extenfive vale of Sixteen- 

 mile-walk, and admit the land-wind. The town is about a mile 

 in length, and fomewhat more than a quarter in breadth, lying 

 longitudinally North and South ; and contains about twenty ftreets 

 andlauesj, a fcjjuare, a church, a chapel, and other public build- 

 ings, 



