BOOK ir. CHAP. VIII. 103 



inhabitants from Port Royal, this town was founded in the year 

 1693, °^^ ^^^^ North fide of the harbour, whicli, next to Port Royal, 

 appeared the moft: convenient part for trade. The plan of it was 

 drawn by colonel Lilly, an experienced engineer; and in propriety 

 of defign it is, perhaps, not excelled by any town in the world. The 

 plan is a parallelogram, one mile in length by half a mile in breadth, 

 regularly traverfcd by ftreets and lanes, alternately eroding each 

 other at right angles, except in the upper part of the town, where 

 a large fquare is left. But the buildings have increafed fo rapidly, , 

 that it now extends beyond the outlines of the plan. It contains 

 fixteen hundred and fixty-five houfes, befides Negroe houfes, and 

 warehoufes; fo that the whole number of its buildings, including 

 every fort, may be computed at between two and three thoufand: 

 the number of its white inhabitants, about five thouiand; of free 

 Negroes and Mulattoes, about twelve hundred ; and of flaves, about ' 

 five thoufand ; making, in the whole, about eleven thoufand and 

 upwards: thirty-five fpacious ftreets; and fixteen lanes. The 

 harbour is formed by an inlet of the fea, which, after parting Port ' 

 Royal, divides into two branches ; theWeftern, flowing to Pafliige 

 Fort and the mouth of Rio Cobre, forms a fmall bay of fhallow 

 water 5 the Eaftern branch runs beyond Kingfton to Rock Fort, 

 making a courfe this way of nine miles in length, and is two milea 

 in wndth in the broadeft part ; facing which the town is fituated. 

 For a confiderable way above and below the town, the channel is 

 deep enough to admit ftiips of the greateft burthen; upwards of a 

 thoufand fail may anchor here in perfect fafety, except from a hur- 

 ricane; and the water is fo deep at the wharfs, that veffels of two 

 hundred ton lye along-fide of them, to deliver their cargoes. 



The buildings here are much fuperior to thofe of Spanish Town. 

 The houfes are moftly of brick, raifed two to three ftories, con- 

 veniently difpoled, and in general well-furnifhcd ; their roofs are 

 all fhingled ; the fronts of moft of them are fliaded with a piazza 

 below, and a covered gallery above. The foil upon which the 

 town is built is in fome parts gravelly ; in others, a brick mould, 

 intermixed with gravel ; and the Weft part, bordering on a falina, 

 partakes of fea-fand and ooze. From the harbour to the foot of 

 Liguanea mountains is an eafy, gradual afcent, of about four miles 



and 



