3o8 JAMAICA. 



them to inure themfelves to a climate ditFerent from their own ; 

 nor do they bear tranfplanting into the Southern colonies fo well 

 as the Eritiih, Irilh, Germans, or Swifs. I cannot therefore but 

 furmiie, that fuch a proje£t, if carried into execution, would prove 

 in the iffue no better than a plan for facrificing triennially fo many 

 hundred poorviftims, and eflentially diftreffing the fervice. In the' 

 expeftation of two thoufand effedlive foldiei-s to be conflantly kept 

 here, the inhabitants expended near 1 00,000/. in building barracks 

 for their accommodation ; which are fo difpofed among the different 

 pariflies, that they are calculated to afford a general protection to 

 the internal parts, and capable of holding more than that number 

 of men, befides their officers. But, in 1764, when the 49th and 

 74th regiments were relieved, the people had the mortification to 

 find, that, inftead of two regiments of one thoufand men each, 

 they were to be protected by two of four hundred and fifty each; 

 which was lefs than one half the complement they expe6led; and 

 confequently their barracks, on which they had laid out fuch large 

 fums of money, raifed by taxes, which fell very heavily on the 

 planters, for three years, were left to moulder into decay, for want 

 of being tenanted. 



The fmalleft number that ought be cantoned here, for the in- 

 ternal fecurity of the ifland in time of peace, is an eftabliflTment 

 of one thoufand and thirty-five effedlives, to be diftributed ac- 

 cording to the plan hereafter defcribed ; by which, everyone of the 

 new barracks would be garrifoned, and kept from going to decay ; 

 and the guard fo well balanced in the refpeftive counties and pa- 

 rifhes, in proportion to the danger they may feverally be expofed to 

 from fudden infurredlions, as would probably be an effe*Slual curb 

 upon the mutinous and difaffeifled. But, to form a body for this 

 eftablifliment, either two reduced regiments fliould be raifed to five 

 hundred and twenty-five mien each; or one regiment, under the 

 name of the Royal American, be compleated to one thoufand and 

 thirty-five men. In time of war, if government fhould judge two. 

 regiments necefllary for the better defence of the ifland againfl fo- 

 reign enemies, it will appear from the following ftate of the bar- 

 racks, that they are in a condition to accommodate between two 

 and three thoufand men exclufive of their officers. 



4. Prefent 



