JAMAICA. 



605 



tree, and the. fig-tree aho, often measure 90 feet from 

 the buf to the limbs ; the former, when hollowed out, 

 has been known to form a boat capable of holding one 

 hundred persons. Of setter kinds of wood for boards 

 and shingle*, there is a great variety of species ; and 

 there are many well adapted for cabinet work, such as 

 the b.-eadnut, the wild lemon, &c. In mentioning the 

 Wild piae*. vegetable productions of this island, the wild pine ought 

 not to be omitted ; it is a plant that commonly takes 

 root in the great forks of the branches of the wild cot- 

 ton tree ; by the conformation of its leaves it catches 

 and retains the rain-water, each leaf resembling a spout, 

 and forming at its base a natural reservoir, which will 

 hold about a quart of water. 



When Jamaica was discovered, it contained eight 

 species of quadrupeds, the agouti, the pecare, the ar- 

 madillo, the opoajom, the racoon, the musk-rat, the al- 

 co, and the monkey. Of these only the agouti and 

 the monkey remain. There arc many varieties of the 

 lizard, some of them very beautiful. The most delici- 

 ous of the wild fowl are the ring-dove, and the rice- 

 bird of South Carolina ; the Utter, after f*tttni:ir upon 

 the rice plantations in that district, visit Jamaica in 

 prodigious numbers in October, to feed on the seetl . of 

 the Guinea grass. Parrots are still found in the groves, 

 but the flamingo is no longer to be seen. 



Few cattle are bred here, the asses and mules being 

 imported from the Spanish Main, and the ho: sea from 

 England and America ; the latter are in general excel- 

 lent, and sell at from '100 to 140 currency. The 

 black cattle are of a large siae. There are also aases 

 and sheep ; the mutton is well U*ted, but the wool it 

 hairy ana coarse. There are likewise goats and hog* 

 in great plenty ; sea and river fish ; wild, tame, and 

 water fowl. Near the coast there are salt ponds, from 

 which formerly the inhabitant* supplied their own ion- 



Milt! jltl't' I. 



Toe commercial productions of the island are sugar, 

 run, molaaw*, coffee, cocoa, cotton, indigo, pimento, 



he year 1673, the chief productions of Jamaica 

 were cocoa, indigo, and hides. The cultivation of su- 

 gar had jutt commenced. It appear* from the follow- 

 ing statement, that the increase in the growth of this 

 staple article of the island has been very gradual. 



In the yew 1794 



i rag 



1744 



1768 



177V 



ItM 



1 l.OOO hbds. were exported. 

 53,1 M 

 35,- 

 00 

 KM 



105,400 

 140,000 



250 negroes at 70 sterling each, amounting to JanuK-i. 

 117, .500; 180 cattle and mules at 30 each, amount. s V ' ' 

 ing to 5400 ; buildings for the manufacture, and hou- Produce, 

 ses for negroes and owners, 7000 ; and land, 10,100. eipenceof 

 The value of the buildings and machinery on the sugar cultivation, 

 plantations varies from 4000 to 25,000 sterling. &c< 

 The greatest crop of sugar on an estate with one set of 

 works ever grown, was 1030 hogsheads, of 18 cwt. 

 each ; but estates in general, with one set of works, 

 make from 100 to 300 hogsheads. Estates containing 

 1500 negroes and a due proportion of whites, require 

 about 10,000 sterling of supplies annually of British 

 manufactures and provisions. One hundred barrels of* 

 herrings are required for 250 negroes in the course of 

 the year. 



The following table, extracted from the Report of the 

 Committee of the House of Commons in the year 1807, 

 on the commercial state of the West Indies, exhibits 

 the outgoings, and the produce of a sugar estate in 

 1806, which was cultivated by 519 negroes, and l;;i 

 head of stock. 



OUTGOINGS. 



Erilifh and Irish Supplies. 



Lead, mill-work, and ironmongery utensils . 67 1 

 'Itxlicines, oil, tallow, grain, wine, &c. . SOti 

 ( )<naburghs, negro clothing, hats . . 51G 

 Wood-hooks, ox-bow*, rope, stationery, pot- 

 tery, Sec. . . . 231 

 Convoy-duty, custom- house entries, and ship- 

 ping charge* 481 



Provisions, and herrings with charges . 667 



Coal* and fire-brick*, with charges . . 84S 



Ezpence* in the Itland. 



American lumber, salt-fish, flour . . 1492 

 Cattle purchased in the island . . 603 

 Fresh beef, medical attendance, wharfage, trades- 

 men, Sec. .... 1S67 

 Hired labour .... 184 

 Taxes ..... 566 

 Attornie* commission*, overseers and book- 



keeper*' salarie* . . . 061 



Total JC&883 



A new pccie* of sugar-cane, far more valuable than 

 tbt formerly in u*e, ha* lately been introduced into 

 It was first imported into the French islands 



.Ladaloupe and Martinique, from the islands of 

 ilnurbon and Mauritius, and is called the Bourbon or 

 Ouhette Cane. It is much higher, and four time* a* 

 large M the cane formerly grown exclusively. It will 

 grow on boggy land, and yield* one- third more sugar 

 than the oldcane ; but the sugar i* not of such a com- 

 pact grain. The 'average exprnce of the cultivation of 

 Mgar i* SO*. lOd. per cwt. independent of the interest 

 of capital and the produce of rum. The works neces- 

 mrj for making 200 hogshead* of sugar annually cost 

 Jt 10,000 Jamaica currency; and ah estate producing 

 roch a quantity, require* 40,000 to establish it, viz. 



Sugar 

 Rum 



PRODUCE. 



Hhd*. 



. 472 . 



Puncheon i. 

 164 



Tierce*. 

 81 



Formerly it waa calculated, that where two hogs- 

 head* of sugar were made, there was at least one 

 puncheon of rum ; but latterly the proportion has been 

 greater ; the average annual quantity of rum being 

 nearly 54,000 puncheon*. 



Coffee was little cultivated in Jamaica till the year Coffee. 

 1788. The coffee plantations are generally situated in 

 the hilly regions, of which nearly two-thirds of the 

 island consist, and which are, from their soil, climate, 

 and situation, unfit for sugar plantations. The in- 

 crease of coffee plantation* may be seen from the fol- 

 lowing facts, taken from the report already referred to. 



