%4. JAMAICA. 



It ib luppofed, that not fewer than 120,000 perfons are conftantly 

 employed in England in different branches of the manufacture of thi* 

 fingle ftaple. There Is but littlc^of it worked up at the places of its 

 growtii, except in the fabric of hammocks j and even thi? little branch 

 has nes'cr yet reaLhedJamaica. In lome parts of the iiland, as in Verc^ 

 ii few induilrious houlewives make knit flockings with it, for their 

 families; and fome few planters fpin their own wick for lamps in crop 

 time ; but, probably, not a third of a bag is fpent in this way, as the 

 greater number buy what is imported from Great Britain. 



In this example we have a proof of the great comparative value of 

 the. Weft India colonies, which do not rival Great Britain in manu- 

 faftures, over thole which are dangerous competitors with her. This 

 difparity begins from the very verge of the Tropic, and grows more 

 vilible, the further we recede from thence to the Northwards. In the 

 Carolinas, I liave been informed, that the planters have in general 

 lo great 2 number of looms at work, as to be able to cloath their 

 black and white labourers with a coarfe fabric of cotton cloth : they 

 fave, bj this means, a heavy annual charge, being the groivejs, as 

 well as manufaSlurers. If the Jamaica planters were to purfue the 

 lame fcheme, and each to fet up a loom in his houfe, the lols to Britain 

 would be near 300,000 /. fterling per ann. ; but fuch eftablifliments 

 only take effcft in very populous colonies, where the people are too 

 poor to buy, can afford cheap labour, are not over nice in their cloath- 

 ing, and cannot give their time or hands to more lucrative purpofes. 



In Jamaica it is not worth while to enter upon fuch a manufac- 

 ture; becaufe, upon computation, it would come to a higher price than 

 ;\ better fabric imported from the mother country ; becaufe labour can 

 be applied to more gainful works ; becaufe the inhabitants are fond of 

 being well drefled; and, laftly, have a variety of ftaples, which re- 

 (^uire too conltant attention to give them Icilure for attending the 

 loom. 



The Indians of the Ifland, when it was difcovered by Columbus, 

 mauufadured this article into hammocks and apparel. Nature 

 having denied fleeces to the fheep of thefc climates, this vegetable 

 wool ieems to have been given them as a lubllitute j and it is cer- 

 tainly the beft appropriated, and wholelomeft material, for a Tropical 

 drefs. 



The 



