BOOK II. CHAP. VII. 69 



follow, inftead of preceding, the attack. The parifh -church ftands 

 nt the diftaace of about two miles and a half from the fort. It is 

 extremely well-fini(hed on the infide, has an organ, and a tower. 

 Its ftrudure is low, and, being furrounded with large cotton-trees, 

 it cannot well be feen till on a cloie approach. There is a decent 

 redory near it, with about feven acres of glebe, befides twelve 

 acres more, in another part of the parifh, of very fine land. The 

 flipend granted by law is 200/. and the whole value of the living 

 about 350/. per annum. About half a mile from the church, on 

 the oppofite fide of the river Minho, is the free-fchool, founded 

 about the year 1741, with fundry private benefa6lions, and calcu- 

 lated for inflrufting the poor children of the parifh in reading, 

 writing, arithmetic, Latin, Greek, and the iTiathematics, under the 

 management of tru flees appointed by an ad of afi'embly. This 

 parifh is watered with five rivers, the Minho, Milk River, Baldwin's, 

 Hilliard's, and Salt River ; two of which, the Milk and Salt Rivers, 

 are navigable by boats for a confiderable way up. Baldwin's and 

 Hilliard's are only fmall branches which fall into the Milk River, 

 which, as well as the Minho, difcharge themfelves into the fea. 

 Long Bay, and the mouth of Milk River, are only anchoring-places 

 for floops : the principal fluipping-places are at Carlifle Bay, and 

 near the mouth of Salt River ; which latter has its fource about a 

 mile from an inlet on the Wefl fide of Old Harbour Bay, under the 

 foot of a rocky hill ; the faltnefs of its water, from whence it takes 

 its name, fcems to indicate, that it pafles througii a large bed of 

 that foffil. Tiie entrance into the bay of Old Harbour from Cape 

 Boncato, or Cabarito, on the Eafl, to the Pitch of Portland, Weff, 

 is about twelve miles and a half in the width, and the bay about 

 twelve in depth. It is defended by fix fmall cayes, or little fandy 

 iflands, which are low, and covered with fhrubs. The bafe of 

 thefe iflands feems to be compofed of coral rock ; over which the. 

 fea has accumulated heaps of fluid and broken fhells. The reefs, 

 extending from them very far into tiie bay, render the channels ^ 

 very dangerous to ftrangers. But the anchoring-grounds are very 

 good in the interior parts, and capacious enough for five hundred' 

 fail of fhips. The largeft of thefe cayes is called Pigeon Ifland, 

 from the flocks of pigeons, chiefly the bald-pate, which u fed to 



frequent. 



