BOOK II. CHAP. VII. 6i 



banks. Of this I fl.all hereafter fpeak more particularly under tliC 

 head of mines, as I am willing to bring the whole on that head 

 into one view, and fhall therefore add nothing further upon it for 

 the prefent. It may be imagined, that a dillridl, watered fo plen- 

 tifully as this is, mufl be well calculated for fettlements : but it 

 was not much cultivated in the time of the Spaniards ; tiiey pof- 

 fefied a few cacao-walks near the Minho, but chiefly reforted 

 hither to hunt the wild hogs, which were always very numerous 

 in it, and are not yet extirpated. The water in general of all tiie 

 rivers and fprings is tolerably pure and wholefome, except when 

 dillurbed by land- floods. The lower part of the parifli towards the 

 bay confifts chiefly of favannah land for about fix miles in length, 

 here and there interfperfcd with rocky hills of no great heigb.t. 

 The hills rife gradually in height the further we advance into the 

 heart of the parifh ; yet here are few or none fo fteep or barren, as 

 not to be fit for culture of fome fort or other. The vales between 

 the hills and mountains are in general fpacious, watered by fome 

 river, and enriched with fine cane-land. The conveniency of having 

 water-mills, and the hrmnefs of the roads in general, has encou- 

 raged the inhabitants to carry their fugar-plantations much farther 

 inland than in any other diftrict of the ifland ; and there are fome 

 at no lefs diftance than twenty-t^vo miles from the barkadier. 

 Thefe eftates farm their carriage into two ftage^, fixing the termi- 

 nation of the firfl at about midway, where they have convenient 

 paftures and ftore-houfes, for refrelhment of their cattle, aiid lodge- 

 ment of their goods. The foil within the mountains is inferior to 

 none, either for the production of canes or provifions ; and the 

 woods are full of excellent timber. The rivers abound with the 

 mullet, fo much admired for its delicious flavour. In fliort, the in- 

 habitants have all the means of plenty in their hands from thefs 

 fources, and the regularity of their feafons ; and of courfe tliey 

 are, at lead the greater part, opulent and flourifhing. The back- 

 parts of the panfh, bordering on St. Anne and St. Elizabeth, are 

 the worft-peopled : yet here is a great field of encouragement to 

 invite fettlers ; for the remoteft eftates hitherto formed are known 

 to produce fugars of the befl: quality. The foil of the high lands 

 is in general either rocky, intermixed with a black fliell-mould, or 

 5 a fine 



