178 JAMAICA, 



fuitable encouragements are given. It is certain, that, if fuch a 

 manufadure fhould upon trial be found to anfwer, there is vacant 

 land enough in this parifh to furnilh much more than would fa- 

 tisfy the confumption of Great-Britain ; and the richnefs of the 

 foil affords jufl motives for expecting that indigo might be produced 

 here of the hneft quality. 



I have omitted to mention, that this parifh is without a church.. 

 The incumbent's ftipend is 100 1, per annum; but he does not refide. 

 The fervice is performed in fome planter's houfe, about once or 

 twice in the year. It may appear extraordinary, that the legiflature 

 fhould, in the example of this and fome other parifhes, have pro*- 

 vided a flipend for a minifter, without at the fame time providing, 

 a houfe of prayer. An a6t paffed here, in 1681, empowers the 

 juftices and veftry of every parifli, at their annual meeting in Ja- 

 nuary, to lay a reafonable tax on the inhabitants, for the main~ 

 tenance of the minifter and poor ; and for ereding convenient 

 churches, and repairing fuch as are already made, and providing 

 convenient feats in them. The ereding of churches is, therefore, 

 only made a fecondary obligation, and as fuch difpenfed with by 

 the junior parifhes, under the plea of poverty, which will probably 

 avail them, till a more ardent zeal in the eaufe of religion, than- 

 hitherto has been raanifefted, fhall infpire the houfe of reprefen- 

 tatives, and lead them to enquire into the merits of this pretence- 



SECT. VII. 



St. George, in the Precind of St. Mary. 



THIS parifh is bounded on the Eafl by Portland ; Wefl-,. by 

 St. Mary; North, by the fea; and South, by the parifhes of St. 

 Andrew and St. David. It is watered by about fixteen rivers and 

 principal ftreams; the largeft and moft noted are, the ^gtia Alta^- 

 or Wag-water, which forms the Weftern boundary ; the Buff Bay; 

 Anotto, Spanifli, and Swift- The former of thefe, being joined 

 near the coaft by feveral other ffreams, forms a canal, navigable by 

 boats from Anotto Bay (into which it difcharges), about two 

 miles inland ; which is a great conveniency to thofe fettlements 

 that border upon it. The bay is common to this parifh and St. 

 2 Marv, 



