BOOK iir. CHAP. VII. 615 



After a feries of hot, dry, and calm weather, eiglit days of conti- 

 nued rain fiicceeded in May 1761. Spanilh Town grew more fickly 

 than ever I knew it, cither heforc or lince. From that period to 

 Aiigurt tlicrc were buried twenty-nine white inhabitants, of whom 

 fifteen were foldicrs. Their diforJcr had all the appearance of being 

 the true jellow fever, and was fuppofed to have been co v.municated 

 from fome di'p in Kingfton haibour. The ihips in the merchants* 

 fervice have no lazaretto or hofpital on Ihore for their fick men.; 

 though fo necell'ary a building might be, with great conveniency and 

 cbcapnefs, ereded for them on the Pahfadocs, a tiry, airy, healthful 

 fpot, where they tP.ight be fuppjied with nil proper aci,on)niod,itioni, 

 either from the fliips, or the town of Kingdon, by a lliurt water- 



carriage. 



Fiom Odober 1768 to May 1770 was the longed and ftverefl 

 <lrought ever remembered in this illand, which particularly affedcd 

 the South fide dKtridj for in fome of the Norch fide parithes, as St. 

 James and St. Mary, and at the two exiremitief, St. Thomas and 

 Portland in the Eaft, Weftmoreland and Hanover in the Weft, t!iere 

 were moderate fliowers. In Liguanea, moll of the canes were de- 

 flroyed by it. The like calamity befel Vere and Clarendon. Many 

 cotton-trees (a tree of the largeft lize) v/ere killed; which is the more 

 extraordinary, as, their tap-root defcends a prodigious depth below the 

 lurface. The grafs en the lowland paftures and meadows was entirely 

 burnt up. Wells and rivers loft their water. Numberlefs cattle were 

 of courfe ftarved to death, and many Negroes periO:ied as well by 

 famine as thirft. Such of the inhabitants as, from neceffity or caution, 

 removed with their cattle and Negroes into the mountains, preferved 

 their lives. Nature has provided in their woods a variety ot fodder, 

 cunfilling of a fort of wild oat, certain withs, and the leaves of fome 

 trees, which endure the drieft weather, and afford a hearty, wholefome 

 nutriment. The few fcattered fhowers, which fell in thefe parts, 

 prevented a total deftrudion of the plantain walks, and vegetable 

 roots. 



In May 1770, exceeding heavy raii^s fet in, which foon reftored 

 every thing to its primitive verdure; they continued alfo with fome 

 leverity in the following months. So copious a glut of moifture, im- 

 mediately coming after lb long a reign of heat and drynefs, was nccefla- 

 rily introdudive of licknefs, which chiefly invaded the towns; and 

 putrid diftempers were moft epidemic. Many perfons were appre- 

 henlive that an earthe]uake or hurricane would be another natural 

 confequence. On the 3d of September, about eight in the morning, 

 a very Imart ihock was felt, which continued near the fpace of one 



minute. 



