APPENDIX TO Vol. TIT. 949 



peaces of the port; the deficiency, if any happens, is made up 

 from the treafury of the ifland. 



Foreign Shipping. 



The number of veffels cleared in the year 1772, from the cuftom- 

 houfe, amounted to between two and three hundred fail, confiding 

 chiefly of brigs and fnows, with feme few fliips, all from different 

 ports of North America. Adding to thefe the other foreign vefllls, 

 the French coafters, and European traders; the v/hole amount is 

 not much fliort of four hundred fail. Moft of the veflels bound to 

 Jamaica from North America call in here, and few of them but 

 are complaifant enough to pay another vifit on their return. 



The vefl"els which load or unload here, for the greater part lie 

 clofe to the town, with their flern anchors on the beach, which 

 fliews how conveniently this place is adapted, in every point, to 

 invite trade, and expedite mercantile tranfadions. 



When we refledl that lefs than ten years ago it had neither houfe 

 nor inhabitant, it appears next to incredible, that in lb fliort a time,, 

 this defart Ihould be filled with people, the harbour crowded with 

 fliipping, and its whole afpedl changed, from poverty and defoktion, 

 to a well-eftabliflied, fecure and opulent emporium, advancing ftill 

 by hafly ftrides to a fuperiority and grandeur beyond the oldeft: and 

 mofl boafted feats of trade in any of the Britifli iflands. We mav 

 envy, but I fear we never fhall equal, this wonderful pattern of 

 French policy, in founding; induftry and ability in accomplifliing;, 

 fo truly noble a fabric : unconcerned fpeftators of it as we are at 

 prefent, we muft expert that the very next war in which we engage 

 againft France, will make us moft thoroughly fenfible of its vafl: 

 importance. 



SECT. IV. 



On the antient Indian Inhabitants of Jamaica. 

 The Decades of Peter Martir (which till lately I had not an 

 opportunity of confulting) afford us very little information relative. 

 to the ancient flate of this ifland ; a few particulars however are 

 to be found in his colledlion, which may throw fome light on thofe 

 matters in our Jamaica hiflory, that have been doubtfully or erro- 

 neouQy treated of. 



The 



