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This plain is the north-weft extremity of that 

 famous Vega Real, fo much fpoke of in the Spa- 

 nifh hiftories of St. Domingo, and faid to be eigh- 

 ty leagues in length, and by the famous bifhop 

 of Chiappa, Bartholomew de las Cafas, to be wa- 

 tered by five and twenty thoufend rivers. But 

 founding names coft the Spaniards nothing ; thefe 

 pretended rivers are, for the moft part, no- 

 thing but fmall brooks, the number of which is 

 indeed incredible, and would render this royal plain 

 fomething more delightful and charming than- 

 the valley of Tempe, fo much boafted of among 

 the Greeks, if it did not lie within the torrid 

 zone. There are even places where the air is ex- 

 tremely wholfome, and heat fupportable, fuch as 

 that where the town of St. Jago de los Caval- 

 kros has been built ; and the fame thing may be 

 faid of the vallies between the mountains, with which 

 the plain of the Cape is bounded to the fouthward. 

 They are beginning to be peopled, and will be foon 

 more fo than the plain itfelf, on account that 

 there are few fick people there \ and that thofe 

 who come from other places foon recover of their 

 diftempers, after all other remedies have failed of 

 fuccefs. 



I was in all the plantations near the town, but 

 had not Jeifure to make many obfervations on 

 them. Befides, in the day-time it was extreme- 

 ly hot ; and in the evening after fun-fet, mufket- 

 toes and other fuch like infects prevented me from 

 walking far. Thefe infects fix particularly upon 

 new comers, who have a tenderer fkin and frelher 

 blood. I have been informed, that in the Spanifh 

 part of this ifland, they are free from this incon- 

 venience ; but in recompence we have no venom- 

 ous ferpents, of which they have great numbers. 



B b 3 It 



