j574 JAMAICA. 



rz-Juftly, therefore, may we conclude with the poet; 

 *' In human works, tho' labour'd on wiih pain, 

 *' A thoufand movements fcarce one purpofe gain ; 

 ;i,-t-' *'.'!" God's, one fingle can its end produce; 

 ** Tef fervjs to . fecgnd .tga fame other ufe" 



, ^, jrr. . ■ '\ Pope s Eu ay on Man, Ep.l. 



n y 



C H A p. VIII. 



ji Synopsis of Vegetable and other Produ£lions of this Ijland^ proper for 

 , Exportation, or Home life and Confumption. Of Exotics, cultivable 

 for one or other, of thefe Purpcfes ; and of its noxious and ifeful Ani- 

 mals, &c. 



I. Sugar Cane. — Arundo Saccarifera. 

 fir^ H E manufadures produced from this valuable plant having al- 

 1 ready been difcuffed, it remains only to fay, that the proper man- 

 ner of its cultivation in different foils, and the whole procefs of the ma- 

 nufadure of its exprefled juice, would lead into too exteniive a field. 

 The cultivation of it is now, in general, well underftood in this ifland, 

 and the manufadlure daily impro\'ing; a knowledge of them, perhaps, 

 as things are at prefeiit circumftanced, is beft acquired by pra<3:ice and 

 experience, fince we have no rules as yet laid doH^n, fuitable to every pe- 

 culiarity of fituation; nor hiftory of foils and manures, &c. for the ftve- 

 ral diftrifts of the ifland : fuch a work might be extremely ufeful, and in- 

 deed is much wanted. 



The general proportions, with refpetSt to the juice of this plant, and its 

 manufaftures, are rated as follows : 



Cane Juice. Mufcovado. Refined Sugar. Melaflcf. Rum. Ilhds. Punch. 



Gallons. lb. wt. Single double gall. t^ts. pints, gall. qts. pints, at 15 cwt. .it 1 10 gall, 



lb. wt, lb. wt. 



00 I 

 35 14 12 2 40 ji 



496 210 187 2 62 2 I 



49,600 21,000 18,750 6250 100 5; 



The remainder of the juice confifts of vvattr, fcum, and dregs, from 

 which rum is alfo dillilled. A portloji of the ikimmings is given to mules 

 and hogs on moft eflatesj and, as the proportions mufl vary with the 

 quality of the foil, the goodnefs, or impoveriftied ftate of the land, the 

 quantity of rain, and other circumftanccs, it is impoffible to fix them to 

 any unerring ftandard. Many reckon 200 gallons of rum to 3 hogflieads 

 of fugar, and this may be admitted, where Ikimmings and melaflcs arc 



both 



