i6o JAMAICA. 



with infinite labour, being carried along the fide of a lofty pre- 

 cipice of Iblid rock, which nothing but the force of gun-powder 

 could penetrate. This pafs is very tremendous in a wheel -carriage ; 

 from one fide of wiiich, the eye is terrified by the view of a river 

 foaming feveral hundred feet below; but a parapet wall is built, for 

 the fecurity of paflengers, where any danger may be apprehended. 



The Bath waters have long been known, and juftly celebrated for 

 •their fahitary viitues. They are faid to have been firll: difcovered 

 by colonel Stanton, formerly a planter and inhabitant of theparifh, 

 who was proprietor of the demefne in which they rife, and fold his 

 right to the publick for a valuable confideration, paid him in pur- 

 fuance of an a6l of affembly pafled in the year 1699. The dirtance 

 and trouble of coming at them prevented any experiment being made 

 of their efficacy, till about the year 1696, when two perfons, one 

 of whom was greatly reduced by the belly-ach, the other by the 

 venereal difeafe, had recourfe to them for a cure: they carried 

 proper neceflaries with them; built huts; and, by the internal and 

 external ufe of the hot fpring, they found their health re-efta- 

 bliflied in the fpace of only ten days. The water was foon after- 

 wards tried in the prefence of the governor, Sir William Beefton, 

 with an infufion of galls, which in twenty-four hours gave it the 

 tin£ture of Canary-wine, or old-hock ; a fufficient proof that it is 

 not impregnated with chalybeate, or at leaft in a very fmall portion* 



The hot fpring ifliies by feveral different rills from fifllires iix 

 the fide of a rocky cliif, the foot of which is waflied by the Sul- 

 phur River, The fpring is in fuch a Hate of ebullition, when re- 

 ceived immediately from the rock in a glafs, and applied to the lips, 

 that it can only be fipped like tea. This has given occafion to fome 

 dealers in the marvelous to affirm, that it is hot enough to boil 

 chickens and even turkies. I have, indeed, been aflured by men 

 of veracity, that it will coagulate the white of an egg, if placed 

 clofe to the fifllire, and held there for fome time covered from the 

 air : and of this I have no doubt ; for it is to be remarked, that at 

 fome times it is heated to a far greater degree than at others, which 

 depends probably on the greater or lefs effervefcence of the water 

 within the bowels of the mountain from whence the fpring de- 

 rives its fource. It is naturally light, fparkles when received in the 

 I glafs. 



