Dee. 15, 1881 | 
century of being the oldest of the English possessions in 
the new world—Barbadoes was settled in 1695 ; Jamaica 
was capitulated in 1655—it has, though with many vicissi- 
tudes, been the most successful, and it has always shown 
strong signs of a healthy life, in that it has recovered 
promptly and well from its periods of misfortune. The 
extreme length of this fertile island is about 144 miles, 
while its greatest width is 49, and its least width 21 miles. 
Its surface is extremely mountainous, attaining a maxi- 
mum in the Blue Mountain Peak of some 7360 feet. Of 
its superficial area of 4139 square miles only about 646 
are flat, consisting of marl, alluvium, and swamps. It 
possesses numerous rivers and springs, and a fertile soil. 
Its total of population in 1861 was 441,264; in 1871, 
506,154. 
A Handbook to Jamaica, compiled from official and 
other records, has lately been published at the Govern- 
ment printing establishment at Kingston. It has been 
most judiciously edited by two members of the Jamaica 
Civil Service, and forms a volume of 450 pages, which 
deserves to be known to all interested in our colonies. 
Passing over the first two parts of the volume, which 
contain matter of chiefly local interest, the third part 
contains a chronological history of the island, with an 
account of its various parishes, its mountain ranges, lakes, 
and rivers, and an excellent sketch of its mineral re- 
sources, from which it would appear that the natural 
resources of the island have not as yet been satisfactorily 
explored. The fourth part is devoted to the considera- 
tion of the meteorology and climate, and of the birds, 
fishes, and insects of the isle. 
Mr. Maxwell Hall is to be congratulated, that, after 
some opposition and under great difficulties, he has suc- 
ceeded in some measure in establishing a system of daily 
weather reports, which are sent daily to the local press 
for publication. As the result of the reduction of a series 
of observations on the rainfall in different stations, and 
extending over periods of from five to fifteen years, Mr. 
Hall has been able to make out a certain systematic 
distribution of the rainfall over the island. It would thus 
appear that, while the May and October rains are every- 
where strongly marked, the northern part of the island 
has winter rains in November, December, and January, 
the southern part has summer rains in August and Sep- 
tember ; and it would appear from the tables given that 
each part is further divided by the amount of the rainfall. 
Thus the north-eastern has the greatest rainfall; the 
west central comes next; the northern division third, 
and the southern has the least annual rainfall. Some 
such distribution, Mr. Hall thinks, was also existing at 
the time Sir Hans Sloane wrote his ‘‘ Natural History of 
Jamaica” (about 200 years ago), and although he sees in 
the records of Sloane a change in the rainfall, yet he 
believes this to be not a constant change, such as might 
indicate a continually diminishing rainfall, but a variable 
change, probably systematic and periodic. On the ques- 
tion of the influence of forests on the rainfall, he decides 
that woods and forests are chiefly beneficial in reducing 
the range of temperature, and in maintaining the moisture 
of the ground, thereby preserving a constant supply of 
water for the springs and rivers. It may be noted that 
the central and uncultivated parts of Jamaica are still 
densely wooded, thereby aiding the constant river supply. 
Jamaica has two rainy and two dry seasons. The rainy 
seasons are in May and in October, lasting about two 
months, the intervening periods being dry. The climate 
may generally be described as a sedative one. 
The Catalogue of the Birds of Jamaica is compiled by 
the well-known ornithologists Alfred and Edward Newton, 
the latter Colonial Secretary. Forty-three birds are enu- 
merated as presumably peculiar to the island, that is to 
Say, not known to have been found elsewhere. The list 
of the fishes is large. The river chub (Labrar mucro- 
natus) is described as a “surpassingly, delicious fish.” 
NATURE 
153 
Though fish abound in the seas, and each district has a 
sea-frontage, yet the yearly importation of cured “‘ fish 
stuffs” of different kinds amounts in value to 200,000/. a 
year. To help and remedy this state of things the 
Jamaica Institute has offered a series of prizes for pre- 
served fish. 
The fifth and sixth parts treat of the economic botany 
of the island. The Government Surveyor, in reporting 
on the timber supply, estimates that there are at present 
about 800,000 acres of timber-producing forest in the 
island; that out of this there might be cut each year— 
without permanent injury—4oo feet to the acre, say 
320,000,000 as an annual supply; of this large amount 
only some 3,509,000 a year are actually cut for building pur- 
poses. About 166,000/. worth of fine timber was exported 
in 1880, but a large quantity of lumber and shingles is im- 
ported. This state of things Mr. Harrison accounts for 
by the difficulty of getting the timber out of the moun- 
tain fastnesses where it grows. He does not seem to 
agree with Mr. Hall on the subject of the change in the 
rainfall, for he declares that he has ascertained beyond 
doubt that forests exercise a great influence on it, that 
where the forests have beer destroyed the rainfall has 
diminished, and he alludes to springs becoming dried up, 
and rivers that have ceased to flow. A very interesting list 
of some fifty of the woods of Jamaica, their qualities and the 
uses they are generally put to, is appended to this report. 
The island would appear to be a-paradise for the fern 
collector, over 450 species being enumerated. Within a 
radius of five miles, taking Morce’s Gap as a centre, over 
200 species are to be found. The orchids are not so 
numerous, only 135 being named. 
Of the main crops of the island, sugar still heads the 
list, the value of that exported in 1880 being 768,792/. 
The value of the coffee raised in the island in the same 
year is calculated at 381,595/. The coffee of the Blue 
Mountains is celebrated for its superiority, but a good 
marketable article is grown throughout the island. Ina 
most valuable report by Mr. Morris, the present Director 
of Public Gardens strongly urges the propagation of the 
Liberian coffee, which was introduced in 1874. From the 
fact that this coffee will grow on the plains, where the 
preliminary expenses in the acquisition and clearing of 
land are lower than on the hills, where labour, too, is 
cheaper and more abundant, and where the difficulties 
and expenses of labour would be avoided, Liberian coffee 
possesses advantages not only over the Arabian coffee, 
but over almost any cultivation requiring the same capital 
andattention. Among the minor crops, that of the fruit 
crop is steadily and remarkably increasing in value, from 
10,0007, in 1834 to 51,0002, in 1880. Jamaica tobacco is 
finding its way into the market. In the German markets 
—considered the most important for leaf-tobacco—Ja- 
maica tobacco is well thought of, and in price ranks next 
to Havanna leaf, and since 1879 the consumption of 
Jamaica cigars in England has spread in an extensive 
manner. The cocoanut export, from a value of 3,3572 in 
1870, has risen to 20,5257. in 1880, Ginger, pimento, and 
cacao are all successfully grown. The introduction of 
cinchona cultivation into Jamaica through a liberal supply 
of seeds sent in 1861 by Sir W. J. Hooker, promises to be 
a great success. For the year 1879-80 the quantity of 
bark shipped was 27,399 lbs., which realised the net sum 
of 51467, From an elaborate report by Mr. Morris we 
take the following :—The plantations are estimated to 
cover nearly 400 acres; owing, however, to the practice 
of wide planting, the actual area occupied by regularly- 
planted trees is probably only a half of this. The advan- 
tages of close planting are undoubted. The climate of 
Jamaica would seem to be peculiarly well adapted for the 
successful cultivation of one or other of the various species 
of cinchona, at all elevations, from about 2500 feet to the 
Blue Mountain Peak itself. Thus Cinchona succirubra 
flourishes in the parish of Manchester at an elevation of 
