200 JAMAICA. 



very intercourfe which flic meant to obftruft ; infomuch that It 

 never has attained to (b flourifliing and a£live a ftate as during the 

 time of open war. By a different fyftem of policy, fhe might 

 have enjoyed a ftrift alhance with the greateft maritime power in 

 the world, capable and ready to fight her battles, and de- 

 fend her againfl: the united forces of all the other European ftates ; 

 whofe merchants might have largely augmented her revenue [/], 

 by regular payment of the bullion-duties, and have united with 

 her in keeping off every interloper ; for it had then been their in- 

 tereft to put a flop to every inlet of contraband traffic, and make 

 every return which honour, good faith, and gratitude, could 

 prompt. Thus might Spain, inftead of being one of the pooreft','' 

 become one of the richeft and moft refpe6lable powers in Europe ; 

 if it were not for the infatuation of thofe impolitic counfels which 

 fo long have kept her at variance with Great -Britain. 



But it is now time to return to Savannah laMar, hitherto the me- 

 tropolis of Cornwall ; though Montego Bay feems to tread clofe on 

 its heels, and in a few years will probably difpute this pre-eminence. 

 The number of veflels which enter and clear here is from fixty to 

 feventy per annum ; and the tonnage, exclufive of coafters, has by 

 fome been computed per average at eleven thoufand five hundred. 

 The town, not many years ago, pofl'effed a very flourifhing trade. 

 It is fituated commodioufly for a correfpondence with Truxillo, 

 Honduras, and the Mofquito-fliore ; being not more than one hun- 

 dred and five leagues from the bay of Honda, and the pafTage equally 

 Ihort and fpeedy, as the trade-wind ferves both in going and re- 

 turning. Near this trail lie, fcattered along, the little cayes and 

 iflands of Serranilla, Quitofveno, Serrana, Roncador, Sanda Gata- 

 lina or Old Providence, and St. Andreas, &c. Serrana took its 

 name from Auguftin Pedro Serrana, who was wrecked upon it, and 

 lived here feven years. San6la Catalina was a celebrated place of 

 refort for the buccaneers, is about fifty leagues from Cape Gracias 

 a Dlos, and contains feveral good harbours; for which reafon it 

 feems a very proper ftation for fmall cruizers in war-time. The 

 .town, at prefent, is but fmall, confifting only of one tolerable 

 ilreet, and about fifty or fixty fcattered houfes. Moft of the pro- 



J/J A fifth of all the treafure (hipped from their American dominions. 



duce 



