CLIMATE', 



107 



ter months. Various parts of the island are wetter or 

 dryer, according to the structure of the country and the 

 degree of its cultivation, a knowledge of which, will enable 

 persons to command at all seasons most delightful resi- 

 dences." 



It is one of the advantages of a residence near Kingston 

 that at any time in half a day's drive, one can command 

 cool weather. I left that city one morning on horseback 

 about half-past eight, and droye to Cold Spring Gap, in 

 the mountains, about 4,200 feet above the level of the 

 sea, in five hours, where I found the weather chilly, and 

 was soon glad to descend to a warmer temperature. A 

 little lower down, the climate is delightful. But nothing 

 can be imagined more picturesque than this ride from 

 Kingston to Cold Spring. We passed through the Hope 

 Estate, which was part of the immense fortune of the 

 Duke of Buckingham, whose bankruptcy rang through 

 all the public journals a year or two ago. After riding 

 some distance on a road which was bounded on every 

 side by the most luxuriant tropical vegetation, we came 

 to the Middleton Coffee Estate, which also belonged 

 to the Buckingham property. The coffee culture marks 

 a lower temperature. All these estates lie along the sides 

 of the mountains. We also drove through what is called 

 the " Cold Spring Coffee Field,'' which is owned in London 

 by a Mr. Hamilton, and is said to produce the finest coffee 



