San DOMINGO. 



93 



of Teveral forts : but while the fugar and indigo mines, as one of their writers 

 expreffes it, are fure to produce fuch a quantity, they are never likely to look 

 for any others. Spanijh coin is much more current in this ifland than 

 French. The fmallefl pieces are half rials, and the accounts are only kept in 

 pieces of eight, and rials. 



Though the flaves here are more numerous by far than their European 

 lords, the French and Spaniards, who are not a fifth part of the people upon 

 the ifland, yet the llavery is as intolerable as on the continent ; with this 

 difference, that the Spaniards lead a lazy indolent life, entirely depending on 

 their flaves ; whereas the French fometimes work themfelves. The colony 

 of the latter here is allowed to be the moft confiderable and important they 

 have in thefe parts. They are already polTeffed of fo many noble harbours and 

 forts as give them an opportunity of difturbingand ruining the commerce of any 

 nation which they happen to be at war with. And indeed fo many harbours 

 are all round the ifland, that failors can fcarce mifs of one in which they may 

 have freOi water and provifions. 



Sant DOMINGO. 



THE capital of this ifland, was firft built by Columbus^ on the fouth fide 

 of it, and is fituated at the mouth of the river Ozama, in a fine 

 plain, which fhews it to a great advantage from the fea. Bartholomew 

 Columbus, brother to the admiral, is faid to have founded it in the year I394> 

 and gave it the name of Domingo. It was taken by Sir Francis Drake, who- 

 held it a month, and then burnt a part of it ; but fpared the reft for a ran- 

 fom of 60,000 pieces of eight. It foon recovered itfelf ; but the trade, which 

 was confiderable in fugar, hides, tallow, horfes, hogs, and caflia, has de- 

 cayed fince the Spaniards have been tempted by later difcoveries to Havana, 

 &c. Neverthelefs it ftill makes a good figure ; and its inhabitants, including 

 the negroes, &c. are thought to exceed 25,000 ; and fome reckon them many 

 more. They confift of Spaniards Mejiizoes, Mulatos, and Saltatrazes, of all; 

 which together a fixth part is fuppofed to be Spaniards. St. Domingo is a 

 large well built city, a bar port, and it has feveral ftrudtures more magni- 

 ficent than is ufual in the Weji-Indies, efpecially thofe of the king of Spain's 



, col- 



