70 JAMAICA. 



frequent it formerly. On the Weft part of the bay arc, Weft 

 Harbour, Peake Bay, and Salt River ; which are all of them com- 

 modious for (hipping, and well-covered, either by the Ridge of 

 Portland, or fmall cayes ; fo that the water, where the fhips lye 

 to receive their loading, is generally fmooth, and unaffeded either 

 by the wind or fea. 



The Promontory of Portland is about ten miles in length, and 

 about two in breadth. The whole of it is extremely rocky, and 

 contains only one fmall fpring. Nature has, in fome degree, com- 

 penfatcd for this deficiency, by fupplying in the Ihadier parts a 

 great number of little bafons, or refervoirs, formed in the cavities 

 of rocks, and replenilhed with rain-water ; which prove of great 

 fervice to run-away Negroes harbouring in the woods. It has only 

 four or five fmall fettlements upon it ; and thefe are chiefly fup- 

 ported by the fale of brafiletto, and fome other valuable trees, that 

 are found here in abundance. During the lail war, a French pri- 

 vateer made a defcent at Carlifle Bay, furprized two gentlemen of 

 the parilh, and carried them ofl* to fea. After having detained 

 them for fome time, the crew at length put them alhore at Port- 

 land Point, with no other fuftenance than two or three bifcuits and 

 a bottle of brandy. From this Point there is no road acrofs to the 

 main land ; fo that they were obliged to keep along {hove, for fear 

 of lofing themfelves in the woods : but the fatigue of clambering 

 over rocks, added to the heat and thirft, was fo extreme, that only one 

 of them furvived this toilfome march, and returned to his family and 

 friends ; the other dropped by the way, and perifhed before any af- 

 fiftance could be given him. Such are too often the barbarous ex- 

 ploits of thefe licenfed rovers ; which ferve to aggravate the mi- 

 feries of war, by committing ails of inhumanity, from which no 

 advantage can refult, either to themfelves, or the ftate that em- 

 ploys them ! The range of hill which forms this promontory is 

 divided, by a fmall morafs near the head of Salt River, from 

 another range, called the Brafiletto Mountain, which extends 

 Northerly into Clarendon. Thefe ridges, confining the parilh on 

 the South-eaft, intercept the regular current of the fea-breeze, 

 and contribute to render the fettlements Weftward of them very 



hot. 



The 



