JAMAICA. 



BULLETIN 



OF THE 



BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT, 



New Series.] JULY, 1894. 



Part 7. 



REPORT ON THE COCKPIT COUNTRY. 



Sir, 



I was directed by His Excellency the Governor to inspect and re- 

 port on the country round Ipswich, considering it as a sample of the 

 Cockpit country, with reference to its capabilities for cultivation ; and 

 have now the honour to submit the following remarks for His Excel- 

 lency's consideration. 



I am unable to say whether the country along the railway for some 

 distance on both sides of Ipswich station, is a fair representation of what 

 the whole of the Cockpit country is like, but I imagine that at any rate 

 a very good idea can be obtained of the conditions necessary before this 

 part of the island can be utilised to any extent. 



The following statement of areas in the three parishes of Trelawny, 

 St. James, and St. Elizabeth, of Crown lands and lands liable to for- 

 feiture to the Crown, refers to this special formation known as / Cock- 

 pit," and shows that there must be cogent reasons which have hitherto 

 prevented these lands from being utilised : — 



Crown Lands. Forfeitable Lands, 



acres. acres. 

 Trelawny 24,800 31,000 



St. James 2,100 10,000 



St. Elizabeth 1,200 (about) 10,000 (about) 



Total 28,100 (about) 51,000 (about) 



Grand total of unutilised lands in the Cockpit country about 79,100 

 acres. 



The origin of the word Cockpit" is said to be due to the peculiar 

 appearance of immense hollows of the shape of an inverted cone. This 

 is not very evident near Ipswich, the hollows being rather trough-like, 

 very deep and the sides almost or quite precipitous. I was taken to the 

 top of a hill to see Bunder Hole, a huge hollow, several acres in extent, 

 with precipitous sides of limestone rock, the depth of which has been 

 estimated at over 400 feet. Such a spot as this appears to be quite 

 useless, even if the soil at the bottom is of the richest description, for 

 there is no means of entrance. The surface of the countrv is covered 



