Zl 



The Hi/lorjiof 



Book I. 



far thence, there is a fmall Point of Land, which reaches out 

 fo far towards the Ifland of Nieves, that it is not above half a 

 league of Sea between the two, infbmucb that there have been 

 thofe who have fwam»from one to the other. 



It is conceiv'd there is a Silver-mine in St. Chriflophers but 

 in regard the Salt-pits, Woods, Havens, and Mines are com- 

 mon to both Nations, no body looks after it : Befides, fuch 

 an enterprife would require a great ftock, and an infinite num- 

 ber of Slaves. The true Silver-mine of this Ifland is Sugar. 



A man may eafily . compafs the whole Ifland by Land, 

 but cannot pafs through the midfr. of it, by reafon of feveral 

 great and fteepy Mountains, between which there are dread- 

 ful precipices, and fprings of hot water : Nay there are fome 

 fprings of Sulphur, which hath occafiond one of them to be 

 called, the Sulphur-Mountain. Taking the Circumference 

 from without, the body of the Ifland feems to extend it felf, 

 by a gentle defcent, down to the Sea-fide, and is of an une- 

 qual breadth, according as the Mountains dilate their fkirts 

 more or lefs towards the Sea, or the more the Sea advances, 

 and forces the land againft the Mountains. The Soil, as far as 

 it is cultivated, that is, to the fteepy afcent of the Mountains, 

 is divided in a manner about into feveral {rages or ftories, 

 through which there are dfawn fair and fpacious ways, in a 

 frrait-line, as much as the places would permit. Thefirftof 

 thefe lines of communication begins at about a hundred paces 

 .from the Sea-fide 5 another three or four hundred paces high- 

 erj and fo afcending to the third or fourth, whence a man may 

 take a very pleafant profpect. of all the Plantations from thence 

 downwards. 



Every Stage,which makes a kind ofgirdle,or enclofure,great- 

 er or lefler about the Mountains,according to the greater or lef- 

 fer diftance of it from the Mountains, hath alfo its ways, which 

 like fo many crofting ftreets afford an eafie accefs to thofe 

 who live higher or lower 3 and this with fuch a noble fymme- 

 try, that when a man compaffes the Ifland by Sea, he cannot 

 imagine any thing more delightful, then to fee that pleafing 

 verdure of fo many Trees, which are planted along the high- 

 ways, and are the divifions between the feveral Plantations. 

 The profpec-t is fuch, that the eye can hardly be wearied with 

 it : If it be dire&ed upwards, it is terminated by thofe high 

 Mountains, which are crown'd with a perpetual verdure, and 

 cloath'd with precious Woods : If downwards , it is enter- 

 tain'd by the delightful profpect of Gardens, which taken in 

 from thofe places where the Mountains are inacceftible , are 

 thence by a gentle and eafie defcent continu'd to the Sea- 

 fide. The delightful bright-green of the Tobacco , planted 

 exactly by the line, the pale-yellow of the Sugar-Canes, 

 when come to maturity, and the dark-green of Ginger and 



Potatoes, 



