Chap. XVIII. A M E R I C A. 37? 



jinaU (Boats may go out and in to Fijh. On the Soutb-Eajl and Wefterly part, it is all along a 

 %oad where Ships may P^de at Anchor, but more efpecially in four chief Places, Pjads and Bays 

 thereof. 



The principal Pjad or Bay is cali'd Cariiile Bay, and lieth on the South-Weft part of the 

 Jfland near its Center , and is a good Pgad, "Sphere five hundred Ships of any (Burthen may 

 j(idefafely from all but South and Wefterly Winds, which feldom in thefe Parts happen, they ge- 

 nerally blowing Eaflerly, whence it is that we call the Eaft parts Windward, and the Wejl 

 parts Leeward. Here lies alfo the chief Toim for Trade, cali'd formerly the Bridge-Town, 

 but.noTe St. Michaels, and having t^o Forts, anfwering each other, and a Platform between, 

 which Commands the P^oad, and Defends the Town ; the fir ft and chief eft Fort is caWd Charles 

 Vort,ftandingon Nedhams Point, lying out in the Sea to Windward of the (Bay and Town, fo 

 that an Enemy keeping out of Qommand of this Fort, cannot {probably) come to do the Ships or 

 the Town injury, for that they muft come full in or againft the Wind, This Fort is built ftrong 

 -frith Stone and Lime ; the Platform jojns to the Windward part of the Toion ; alfo the other 

 Fort joyns to the Leeward part of the Town, all Ht>hich are well fortifi'd and fiord with great 

 Guns. The Townconftfts of federal Streets and Lanes, being about thirty Chain in length, and fif* 

 teen in breadth, and hath many fair and large Buildings , thereof the moft are of Stone and Lime. 

 The fecond P^oad and Town is lately cali'd Charles-Town, fituate on Oyfters-Bay, and 

 lies about two Leagues to Windward of St. Michaels, haying alfo two Forts and one Platform ; 

 the ftoo Forts ftand the one to Windward, and the other to Leeward of the Tolon and Pgad, and 

 the Platform in the middle, all well furmfh'd with great Guns, jind although this Town be not a 

 Place of much Pgfort for Shipping, yet her ear e many con fide r able Store-houfes for Trade, wherein 

 Monethly are kept the Qourt of Common-Pleas/or tlxtt Precintl, and Weekly Markets. 



The third <%oad and Town is lately cali'd St. James's, formerly the Hall, and is about tvo 

 Leagues to the Leeward of St.Michaels, hath one very large Platform 7 and is othertbife well for* 

 tifi'd with (Breaftworks $ and although few Ships come to ${ide here, yet in this Town is main* 

 tain'd a great Trade "frith the Inhabitants adjacent 5 here alfo is kept Monthly the Court of Com- 

 mon-Pleas/or this Precintl. 



The fourth ^o ad and ToVn is lately cali'd Little Briftol, but formerly Sprights.Bay, 

 which lieth about four Leagues to Leeward of St. Michaels, and hath two Forts t»ell built, and 

 ftrongly fortifi'd. To this Place come many Ships, efpecially from the City of Briftol, the Ttbich 

 here %ide, unload and reload, it being the nextgreateft Place of Repute to St. Michaels in the 

 •tohole Jfland. , 



This IJland is divided into eleven Parifhes, and hath in it fourteen Churches and Chappels, 

 and being fubdivided into divers Plantations, fmall and great, hath Sugar »Tt>orks accordingly, 

 with fair and large (Build'mgs made of Stone and (Brickythe which generally are plea/ant Habi* 

 tations, and delightfully fituate d, moft having pie af ant Profpetls to the Sea and Land. 



The Inhabitants of this Ifland are Englifh, Scotch, and Irifli, and fome, but Very few of 

 the Dutch and French Nation, n>ho formerly liv'd here a time of Servitude, and now dwell as 

 Free-men, fome by their Trades, and others on Plantations ; alfo fome few Jews live here and 

 Trade as Merchants, they having obtain d Licence from Hit Majeftyfo to do r be fides Mulat- 

 to's^^ Negro's which are here kept, and accounted for Slaves, the number of which fome years 

 fince, uponfearch, Tbere found to be fixty thoufand Perfons, viz. forty thouf and Whites, and 

 twenty thou/and Blacks. 



The ftanding Militia of this Ifland that are in readme ft to meet together on all occafions, and 

 Tbhich at other times are often and yellVifciplin'd, confift of Wo Regiments of JJorfe, and five 

 Regiments of Foot, therein fever al Companies have near two hundred in a Company, and in fome 

 Troops more than a hundred Horfe in a Troop ; by all which you may eafily apprehend holt little 

 of truth there is in that Saying, That we hold this Ifland at the Courtelie of the Spani- 

 ards,^^ tbofefew Englifh in Jamaica give the Spaniards fuch work to defend themj elves. 



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