laws, and to suffer the administration of justice in the island to remain on the precarious footing that has been described.

Such indeed was the actual situation of Jamai

ca till George II. ascended the throne of A. D. these realms, when a compromise was 1728. speedily effected. Then the assembly consented to settle on the crown a standing revenue of 8000l. per annum on certain conditions, of which the following are the principal: (1) That the quit-rents arising within the island should constitute a part of such revenue. (2) That the body of their laws should receive the royal assent. And (3) That all such laws and statutes of England as had been esteemed laws in the island, should continue the laws of Jamaica for ever.— The revenue act, with this important declaration in it, was accordingly passed, and its confirmation by the king put an end to a contest no less dis graceful to the government at home, than injurious to the people within the island.

Thus have we traced the political constitution of Jamaica from infancy to maturity: its principles are British; its outward form has been modified and regulated by many unforeseen events. In its present appearance and actual exercise, however, it so nearly resembles the system of government in the other West-India islands, that one general description, which shall be given hereafter, will comprehend the whole. A minute: detail of local circumstances would be equally uninteresting to the general reader, and incompatible with the limits of our volume.

When Columbus first discovered Jamaica, he approached it on the northern side, and was filled with delight and admiration at the novelty, variety, and beauty of the prospect. The country at a

small distance from the shore rises into hills, which towards the top are rounded with singular felicity. The most striking circumstances, however, attending these beautiful swells, are the happy disposition of the groves of Pimento or Jamaica pepper, with which most of them are spontaneously clothed, and the consummate verdure of the turf underneath. As this tree, which is no less remarkable for fragrancy than beauty, suffers no rival plant to flourish within its shade; these groves are not only clear of underwood, but even the grass beneath is seldom luxuriant. The soil produces a clean and close turf, as smooth and even as the finest English lawn, and in colour infinitely brighter. Over this beautiful surface the pimento spreads itself in various compartments. To enliven the scene, and add perfection to beauty, the bounty of nature has copiously watered the whole district. Every valley has its rivulet, and every hill its cascade. In a single point of view, where rocks overhang the ocean, no less than eight transparent waterfalls are beheld in the same moment. Those only who have been long at sea, can judge of the emotion which is felt by the thirsty voyager at so enchanting a prospect.

Jamaica is divided into three counties, Cornwall in the west, Middlesex in the centre, and Surry in the east. St. Jago or Spanish-Town is considered as the capital, but Kingston is the principal seaport. The number of negroes is computed at two hundred and fifty thousand, the whites are pro bably twenty thousand, the free negroes and mulattoes ten thousand. The chief exports are to Great-Britain, Ireland, and North America, in sugar, rum, coffee, indigo, ginger, and pimento; these were valued in 1787 at two millions sterling.

The imports were computed at a million and a half, of which the slaves from Africa formed a considerable part. There is a poll tax with duties on sugar and rum, yielding considerably more than 100,000. per ann. and the ordinary expenses of government in the year 1788, were computed at 75.000. The legislature consists of the captaingeneral or the governor, a council of twelve nominated by the crown, and a house of assembly containing forty-three members, elected by the freeholders; the three chief towns, St. Jago, Kingston, and Port-Royal, returning three members each, the other parishes two. The principal towns are within a short distance of each other. Port-Royal was the capital. till an earthquake destroyed it in the year 1692 *. The city was rebuilt, but it was again destroyed by fire. Notwithstanding this, the extraordinary conveniencies of the harbour tempted them to build it once more. But in the year -1722, a hurricane, one of the most terrible on the records of history, reduced it a third time to a heap of rubbish.

Jamaica is by far the most flourishing and impor

*The following awful but interesting particulars of this earthquake were transmitted by one of the sufferers, and published in the Philosophical Transactions.

"I lost all my people and goods, my wife, and two men, Mrs. B and her daughter. One white maid escaped, who gave me an account, that her mistress was in her closet, two pair of stairs high, and she was sent into the garret, where was Mrs. B. and her daughter, when she felt the earthquake, and bid her take up-the child and run down; but turning about met the water at the top of the garret stairs, for the house sunk downright, and is now near thirty feet under water. My son and I went that morning to Liguania: the earthquake took us in the mid-way betwixt that and Port-Royal, where we were near being

tant of all the islands belonging to Great-Britain, it produces more sugar and rum than are imported from all the rest together. Many great estates have been acquired in Jamaica, and the inhabitants in general vie in luxury and expense with

overwhelmed by a swift rolling sea, six feet above the surface, without any wind. Being forced back to Liguania, we found all the houses even with the ground, not a place to put our heads in but negroes' huts. The earth con tinues to shake (June 20th) five or six times in twenty four hours; and often trembling, great part of the mountains fell down, and fall down daily." Another writer, in the same collection, gives a still more lively description of the earthquake: "Between eleven and twelve (says he) we felt the tavern where I then was, shake, and saw the bricks begin to rise in the floor. At the same time we heard a voice in the streets cry, an earthquake! and immediately we ran out of the house, where we saw all peo ple, with lifted-up hands, begging God's assistance. We continued running up the street, while on either side of us we saw the houses, some swallowed up, others thrown on heaps; the sand in the street rising like the waves of the sea, lifting up all persons that stood upon it, and immediately dropping down into pits. At the same time a flood of water broke in, and rolled these poor souls over and over, some catching hold of beams and rafters of houses; others were found in the sand, that appeared when the water was drained away, with their legs and arms out. Sixteen or eighteen of us, who beheld this dismal sight, stood on a small piece of ground, which, thanks be to God, did not sink. As soon as the violent shake was over, every man was desirous to know if any part of his family was left alive. I endeavoured to go towards my house upon the ruins of the houses that were floating upon the water, but could not. At length I got a canoe, and rowed up the gr. at sea-side towards my house, where I saw several men and women floating upon the wreck out at sea; and, as many of them as I could I took into the boat, and still rowed on till I came where I thought my house stood, but could hear of neither my wife nor family. Next morning I went from one ship to another, till at last it pleased God I met with my wife and two of my negroes. She told me, when she felt the house shake she ran out, and called all

their fellow-subjects of Great-Britain. Of so much importance is this island to the commerce of the mother-country, that a squadron of ships of war is always stationed at Port-Royal for its defence. All the forts are kept in excellent order, a

the house to do the same. She was no sooner out, but the sand lifted up, and her negro woman grasping about her, they both dropt into the earth together, when at the very instant, the water came in, rolled them over and over, till at length they caught hold of a beam, where they hung till a boat came from a Spanish vessel and took them up."

The wharfs of Port-Royal sunk down at once, with many of the most eminent merchants; and water, to the depth of several fathom, filled the space where the street had stood. The earth, in its openings, swallowed up people, and threw them up in other parts of the town; nay, some of them survived this violence. About a thousand acres to the north of the town subsided, mountains were split, and plantations removed half a mile from the places where they formerly stood; and no fewer than two thousand blacks and whites are said to have perished in the town. The ships in the harbour had their share in this disaster. Several of them were overset; the motion of the sea carried the Swan frigate over the tops of houses, by which means she was the instrument of saving many lives. The rest of the island suffered in proportion; and scarce a house in it was left undemolished or undamaged. In short, it en

tirely changed not only its improved, but natural, appearance; scarce a mountain or piece of ground standing where it formerly did. Upon the whole, this earthquake was a mere wreck of nature, and its horrors were such as cannot be described.

When the first shock was over at Port-Royal, the clergymen assembled the people to implore the divine forgiveness; and some miscreant sailors took that opportunity of robbing the houses of the wretched inhabitants, when a second shock happened, by which many of those villains were swallowed up. The whole system of the air and soil was changed; putrid smells issued from the apertures in the earth, and occasioned pestilental disorders, which are said to have destroyed above three thousand of the white inhabitants.