52 JAMAICA. 



at the foot of which runs a broken gully, called Juan de Bolas (or 

 John of the Vale), the delightful valley of Luidas, befoie-fpokeu- 

 of, encircled with the .lofty mounds of four pariflies, St. John, 

 Clarendon, St. Anne, and St. Thomas in the Vale. Some of thefe 

 highlands near Juan de Bolas are laid to have rich veins of the 

 precious ores ; but no expence is fufficient to explore the profound 



regions in which they lie concealed. The late Sir S n CI ke 



(who was defcended from an ancient family in Warwicklhire, and 

 bore fome of the highefl: offices in this ifland), amongft other 

 branches of fcience, attained to confiderable knowledge in me- 

 tallurgy ; and, had his fuccels been at all proportioned to his Ikill, 

 might have beftowed his application to a very profitable end : but, 

 unhappily, after an immenle expence and trouble in fearching tor 

 the hidden trcafure, he found (too late) that his favourite purfuit 

 had only contributed to the reduction of his fortune. The church, 

 if not btely repaired, is in a ruinous, dilapidated ftate. The 

 redlor, however, has a good houfe and fome glebe land. His 

 ftipend is 200/. and the annual value of the living fuppofed not to 

 exceed 320/. per annum. 



State of the Pariih : 



Annual Produce. 

 Negroes, Cattle. Sugir-plantations, 1 Hogfheads. | Other Settlements. 



J734» 5242 2561 



^740, S'^'JS 2837 



i745» SV-'^ 2230 



1761, 5888 



i 



68, 5455 2726 21 I 2200 I 50 



The decreale of Negroes fhews that this paridi is not getting for- 

 wards. Let me here remark (once for all) on the great utility of 

 comparing the prefent and paft ftate of the pariflies together. It 

 is the true teft by which the legiflature may judge of the ftate of 

 the whole ifland, and where the fymptoms of a decline are ma^ 

 nifeft ; as in the example of this pari(h, which is bleft with every 

 natural advantage of a good air, a fruitful foil, and regular ieafons. 

 It may juftly be fufpefted, that a retrogradation under thefe very 

 favourable circumftances can happen no otherwile than from fome 

 defe6t in the policy of internal government ; perhaps nothing fo 



much 



