156 JAMAICA. 



board their (hips, leaving their provifions behind. Soon after this 

 a£tion, they failed away. 



This coaft was always much expofed to the infult of privateers, 

 until the lafl; war; when a fmall frigate was ftatioued at Moraiit to 

 windward, which being only five leagues from Cow Bay, it would 

 be very difficult for an enemy's veflel to efcape after making a de- 

 fcent. This parifh has three large ponds on the coaft, divided from 

 the fea only by a very narrow, fandy bank, fo that the waters com- 

 municate. Two of them are fituated in the South-Eaft fide, between. 

 White River and Yallah's Bay ; the larger is two miles and a 

 quarter in length, and three quarters in breadth in the wideft 

 part ; a very narrow flip feparates this from the next, which ia 

 about a mile in length. Thele were antiently pans, formed by the 

 Enojiih who firft fettled in the parifli, for making fait. They were 

 probably afterwards deftroyed by inundations of the fea in the great 

 earthquake and fubfequent hurricanes; and they have now a con- 

 fiderable depth of water in fome places. The third lies about two 

 miles Weft of thefe, and is about one mile in length, and of un- 

 equal breadth. If the parifti was crouded with fettlements, thefe 

 bafons might be converted to fome advantageous fcheme, either for 

 maintaining a fiftiery, or opening a water-carriage from the Eaft- 

 ern part to Yallah's Bay; which would be extremely feaftble.. 

 The lower or more level range of the parifti, lying between the 

 hills and the {^e.\, was, by the failure of the regular feafons, in ge- 

 neral fo dry, that canes would not grow here; and the fettlements, 

 thinly fcattered, confilled only of penns and flieep-paftures, until 

 within thefe few years, when a gentleman who pofl'efles a property 

 here conceived the idea of watering it from the neighbouring river.. 

 The experiment anfwered much beyond his expedation : he fooa 

 covered his formerly parched land with the verdure of cane pieces, 

 and has now, as I am informed, made a noble eftate of four hun- 

 dred hogflieads ^^r annum; the land proving moft amazingly fertile,, 

 infomuch that I have heard it afterted to have yielded him from 

 three to four hogftieads per acre. This example may probably 

 operate upon his neighbours; and, in procefs of time, St. David 

 will in confequence become a populous and wealthy parifti. The 

 air is efteemed healthy in all parts of it, except the neighbourhood 



of 



