17-6 JAMAICA, 



To the bunour of the allembly, however, let It be mentioned, 

 that, upon feeing this miferable catalogue of dilapidations, they 

 immediately granted fome provifion for putting it in a better ftate ; 

 and I lliould not iiave quoted the report, but for the fake of re- 

 marking the expediency there feems of having an engineer, or in- 

 fnedor-oeneral of the barracks and fortifications all round the 

 ifland ; whole province it (hould be, once in every year at leaft, to 

 vifit them all, examine their (late, take account of their ammuni- 

 tion, ftores, and habiliments, and report them to the governor, who 

 xvould regularly lay the account before the aflembly. 



By a method of this nature, they would be duly acquainted with 

 the condition of thofe defences, which are too remote to admit of 

 infpe6lion from their own committee ; and I think it will alfo be 

 acknowledged, that their ftores would be better taken care of, and 

 lefs wafte committed. 



The road from Bath pafles by Moore Town, Inliabited by the 

 Maroon Negroes ; who firft took up their refidence on the Weft 

 fide of the parifli, bordering on St. George, at a place called Nanny 

 Town ; which they afterwards deferted. I'heir prefent town is 

 much better iitiiated for giving fpeedy protection to the eftates on 

 each fide the Rio Grande. The South-eafI: divifion of the parifli, 

 adjacent to Manchineel Harbour, is well-fettled, and promifes to 

 become very populous. The-harbour is capacious and fecure, de- 

 fended by a battery of ten guns, which is not fo ftrong a fortifica- 

 tion as it feems to require, efpeciaily if Port Antonio fliould not 

 become a ftatlon for men of war. Between tliefe two ports is 

 another confiderable fliipping-place, at Prieftman's River. The 

 whole number of fettlements in this parifli is between eighty and 

 ninety ; very few, in proportion to its extent. It remains for 

 time to difcover the many natural produftions and curiofities which, 

 there is reafon to believe, are not fparingly diftributed through fo 

 vaft a fpace of mountains and vallies, as yet but little explored. 

 As yet we are only informed of a hot mineral fpring, which rifes 

 ■on the North fide of the fame mountainous ridge that gives birth 

 on the oppofite fide to the Bath Ipring. It is reafonably conjec- 

 tured to be only another vein proceeding from the fame refervoir ; 

 2 there 



