Chap. in. of the ENGLISH in AMERICA. a6/ 
The true Cortex Winteranus, for which the Drug- 
gifts fell this wild Cinnamon, was brought by Captain 
Winter^ who accompanied Sir Francis Drake in his Voy- 
age round the World, from the Streights of Magellan. 
There is plenty of Cotton in Jamaica., and it is finer 
than that in the Caribhee Ifiands. The Tobacco that was 
planted there was better than at Barbadoes \ but there’s 
fo little it deferves not the Name of a Commodity. Very 
good tanned Leather is made there ; The Tanners have 
three Barks to tann with. Mangrove, Olive Barks, and 
another. They tann better than in England ; and in fix 
Weeks the Leather is ready to work into Shoes. There’s 
abundance of Dyers Woods, as Fuftick, Red- wood. 
Logwood, and others; with feveral Sorts -of Sweet- 
woods. The Iftand abounds in Drugs and medicinal 
Herbs, as Guaiacum, China, Safaparilla, Caffia, Tama- 
rinds, Venilloes, many forts of Mifeltoe ; as alfo in falu- 
tary Gums and Roots ; the Plant of which Cochineal is 
made, grows in Jamaica ; and yet the Inhabitants, for 
want of Knowledge how to cure it, make no Advan- 
tage of it ; befides the Eaft Wind blafts it fo, that it 
feldom or never comes to Maturity. 
It is not doubted but that there are Copper Mines in 
the Ifland ; and the Spaniards fay the Beils of the great 
Church at St. Jago were made of Jamaica Metal ; ’tis 
fiippofed there are Silver Mines in it, as well as at 
Cuba., and on the Continent ; and there is a Place in the 
Mountains of Port Royal., or Cagiiag., where it is report- 
ed the Spaniards Silver, but xd\Q.Engliflj have not been 
fo happy as to find it. The Spaniards alfo found Am- 
bergreafe on the Coaft, but the Englijh have not often 
had that good Fortune : Yet fome Years ago an igno- 
rant Fellow found i8o Pound Weight of Ambergreafe 
caft upon the Shore, at a Place called Ambergreafe Point., 
where the Spaniards came ufually once a Year to look 
for it. This vaft Quantity was divided into two Parts, 
fuppofed by rolling and tumbling in the Sea ; fome fay 
it is produced from a Creature, as Honey and Silk ; and 
Mr. Fredway^ who viewed this Piece, writes, he faw, 
ill fundry Places in this Body, the Beak, Wings, and 
Part of the Body of the Creature, which he preferved 
for fome Time; he was alfo told by a Man, that he had 
feen the Creature alive, and believed they fwarmed as 
Bees on the Sea Shore, or in the Sea ; others fay it is 
the Excrement of the Whale, and others, that it iflues 
out of the Root of a Tree. 
But, after all, it is the Sugar Cane that is the Glory of 
Jamaica., by which the Inhabitants have acquired fuch 
immenfe Riches. It is generally faid, that the Sugar 
from St. ChrifiophePs, is the belt in the Leeward IJlands ; 
but, I think, it is agreed on all Hands, that the Sugar 
made in Jamaica exceeds that of all our Plantations, 
though it is made there with much greater Eafe, fince it 
cures fafter in ten Days at Jamaica than in fix Months 
at Barbadoes. There were in the Year 1670 upwards of 
threefcore Mills in Jamaica, which were computed to 
make about two Millions of Pounds Weight of Sugar ; 
but fome Writers tell us, they make ten Times as niuch 
at prefent ; whether that Computation be right or not, 
is impoflible for me to decide ; but this is certain, that 
there is Ground enough unoccupied in that Country to 
make much more, fince it is an hundred and forty Miles 
long and fixty broad ; and it contains, according to a 
moderate Computation, four Millions of Acres, of which, 
though there may be about one-fourth, in which Eng- 
lifo Subjeds have Property ; yet, it is certain, that not 
above a fourth of that fourth is adualiy planted, and a 
great deal of this is employed to other Purpofes, than 
that of raifing Sugar. It is impoftible to fay precifely 
what Quantity may be made here, bccaufe Seafons differ, 
and other Accidents intervene ; fome have thought they 
did not rife beyond the Truth, in affirming, that it pro- 
duces one hundred thoufand Hogfheads, which, thouo-h 
it appears a moft prodigious Quantity, yet there 5 e 
many Gircumftances that concur to render it credible. 
As for the f^umber of People in this Ifland various Com- 
putations have been made ; but according to the beft 
Accounts I have been able to gain, there may be,' at this 
Time, feventy thoufand white People therein, and one 
hundred and twenty thoufand Negroes. 
We may fi'om hence judge of the almoft inexpreffible 
Advantages which this Ifland affords to Great Britain ; 
for, as all our Hiftories of Jamaica, and almoft every 
Voyage thither, that has been printed, fpeaks largely of 
the Luxury and Expence of all Degrees of People there, 
which is a plain Proof of theirWealth and vaft Acquifitions ; 
fo we may reft fatisfied, that v/hatever Shew they may 
make, whatever Appearance there may be of Magnifi- 
cence there ; yet the real Produce of all their I^abour, 
and of all their Commerce, comes over here to Britain, 
and maintains and enriches the induftrious Part of our 
People ; fo that there can be nothing more abfurd, or 
unreafonable, than to grudge or envy the People fettled 
there, the great Fortunes they acquire and poffefs, or to 
repine^ at the Pomp and Splendor in vffiich they live ; 
becaiife, whatever it may be in Appearance, it is per- 
haps an indifferent Reward for their dwelling at fuch a 
Dift-ance from Home, and for the Flazards and Labours 
they run through to acquire fuch Fortunes, but this 
will appear much more clearly if we advert a little to the 
Situation of Jamaica, and confider the vaft Benefits that 
accrue from thence, in all Times, and under all Circum- 
ftances, of W'"ar as well as Peace. 
As we are at prefent in the former Situation, we will 
treat firft of that. There is conftantly in time of War a 
confiderable Naval Force kept here, and though this be 
attended v/ith a great Expence to the Britijh Nation, 
yet it certainly is, or at leaft ought to be, a great Com- 
fort to us, that our Money is fpent with our Country- 
men, that it increafes the Value of their Plantations, and 
which is ftill more to our Purpofe, ' that, fooner or later, 
all that is fpent and circulated there, by fome Channel or 
other returns hither, fo that at the long run the Nation 
lofes nothing by the vaft Charge flie is at in maintaining 
Fleets upon this Coaft. We ought likewife to refleft, 
that in a Time of War there are many Prizes taken and 
carried into Jamaica, which makes an unufual and al- 
moft incredible Plenty of Silver, and is the true Caufe 
of the Dearnefs and high Price of Neceffaries in that 
Country, all which alfo in Time comes' over hither ; fo 
that when we hear of vaft Eftates raifed there in a ftiort 
Space of Time, it ought to afford us the higheft Satif- 
faftion ; becaufe, thofe who make thofe large Fortunes, 
or their immediate Defcendants, come over hither, and 
either veft their Money in our Funds or purchafe Lands 
here. Thus a State of W^ar, which implies a Sufpenfion 
of Trade, produces few of theinconveniencies that ufually 
attend ftich a Sulpenfion ; becaufe, in Jamaica, the very 
Confequences of War become a kind of Trade, and the 
Wealth arifing from them takes the fame Courfe, and 
runs in the very individual Channels that any other 
Trade would do, that is, they finally enrich and tend to 
the Benefit of the Mother-Country. 
But, in time of Peace, befides what we draw from 
Jamaica, confidered barely in the light of a Sugar Plan- 
tation, we are to confider likewife whatever accrues to 
the Inhabitants from their Intercourfe and Dealings with 
other People, fince whatever they gain is for us ; and 
therefore, it may not, in this Place, be improper to fay 
fomething of the Trade carried on by the Englijh at Ja~ 
maica with the Spaniards on the Continent, which is 
thus managed ; The Merchant or Mafter of the Englijh 
Ship bound for this Voyage being furnifhed with a proper 
Cargo of dry Goods and Negroes, commonly makes 
firft for the Coaft near the Harbour of Porto Bello ; and 
in War at the Grout, within Monkey-Key , a very good 
Harbour, within four Miles of the Town ; from thence 
it is ufual for the Merchant or Mafter of the Ship to fend 
one who can fpeak Spanijh, as many of thefe Traders 
do to the down, to give Notice of her Arrival to the 
Dealers, who appoint the Time and Place for the Spa- 
niards Canoe to attend them ; they come accordingly, 
and having purchafed as many Negroes and as much 
Dry Goods as they think fit, they return to the Town, 
fetch the Money, bring it aboard, and take the Goods. 
Here fuch a Ship lies fometimes five or fix Weeks trad- 
ing with the Spaniar ds ; for after the firft IMarket is pretty 
well over, the Dealers, who have foon Information of her 
being on the Coaft, come from Panama over the IJihmus 
to trade, travelling like Peafants, with Mules bearing 
their 
