vi INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 



The first notice on record of this plain, is by Governor Roberts ; 

 who, in a minute of consultation, dated the 9th of April, 1711, 

 denominates it, " that glorious plain — the finest I ever saw in 

 " my life, any where." 



It is afterwards more particularly described by the Governor 

 and Council on the 16th October, 1716, in their minutes of a 

 consultation held upon the spot. 



" The Governor and Council met here by appointment. We 

 " find the place, called the Great Wood, in a flourishing condi- 

 " tion, full of young trees, where the hogs (of which there is a 

 " great abundance) do not come to root them up : but the Great 

 " Wood is miserably lessened and destroyed within our memories; 

 " and is not near the circuit and length it was. We believe it 

 " does not contain less now than fifteen hundred acres of fine 

 " wood land and good ground ; there are no springs of water 

 " but what are salt or brackish ; which we take to be the reason 

 " that this part was not inhabited when the people first chose out 

 " their settlements and made plantations : but if wells could be 

 " sunk,* which the Governor says he will attempt when we have 

 " more hands, we should then think it the most pleasant, and 

 " healthiest part of the island. But as to healthiness we don't 

 " think 'twill hold so, if the wood that keeps the land warm were 

 "destroyed; for then the rains, which are violent here, would 

 " carry away the upper soil ; and it being a clay marlef under- 

 " neath it would produce but little.J As it is, we think in case 



* The sloping surface of Dead Wood is peculiarly favourable for collecting water into 

 tanks or reservoirs. The means of collectinj^ it in the driest parts of the island are ex- 

 plained in Section XXIX. page 198. 



t This is a mistake : there is no sort of marie on the island. 



J This conjecture has proved to be erroneous ; the grass binds the soil, whicli is not 'n\ 

 the least affected by the heaviest rains. 



