They compute, that, when things are well managed, the rum and molaffes pay the charges of the plantation and the fugars are clear gain. The quantity of rum and molaffes exported from all the British West India iflands in 1789, to all parts, was, accurately, as follows: Gallons. Gallons. Rum 9,492,177 of which 1,485,461 came to the U. S. Molaftes 21,192 do. 1,000,000 do. The islands of the Weft Indies lie in the form of a bow, or femicircle, ftretching almost from the coaft of Florida north, to the river Öronoko, in the main continent of South America. BRITISH WEST INDIES... Jamaica.] THIS ifland, the most valuable appen Tdage to the Britifh dominions in America, is 180 miles long, and 60 broad; of an oval. form, lying between 17° 34' N. lat. and about the lon-gitude of Philadelphia. Jamaica is divided into the counties of Middlesex, Surry and Cornwall, which contain 23,000 whites, and 300,000 negroes. This ifland is interfected with a ridge of fteep rocks, from which iffue a vast number of small rivers of pure, wholesome water, which fall down in cataracts, and, to-gether with the ftupendous height of the mountains, and the bright verdure of the trees through which they flow, form a moft delightful landscape. The longest day in fummer is about 13 hours, and the fhortest in winter about eleven; but the most ufual divifions of the feafons in the Weft Indies, are into the dry and wet seasons. Sugar is the greatest and most valuable production of this island. Of this article was exported to Great Britain, Britain, in 1790, 1,185,519cwt. It produces alfo, cocoa, ginger, pimento, or, as it is called, Jamaica pepper, and vulgarly allfpice; the wild cinnamon; the machi neel, whofe fruit, though uncommonly delightful to the eye, contains one of the worst poisons in nature; the cabbage tree, remarkable for the hardness of its wood, which, when dry, is incorruptible, and hardly yields to any kind of tool; the palma, affording oil, much efteem. ed by the favages, both in food and medicine; the foap tree, whose berries anfwer all purposes of wafhing; the mangrove and olive bark, useful to tanners; the fuftic and redwood, to the dyers; and lately the logwood. The indigo plant was formerly much cultivated, and the cotton tree is still fo. They have maize, or Indian corn, Guinea corn, peas of various kinds, with a variety of.. roots. Fruits grow in great plenty; citrons, Seville and China oranges, common and fweet lemons, limes, fhadocs, pomegranates, mamees, fourfops, papas, pine apples, prickly pears, allicada pears, melons, pompions, guavas, and feveral kinds of berries; alfo garden stuffs in great plenty, and good. Port Royal was formerly the capital of Jamaica. The convenience of its harbour induced, the inhabitants to build their capital on this fpot, though the place was a hot dry fand, and produced none of the neceffaries of life, not even fresh water. But the advantage of its harbour, and the refort of pirates, made it a place of great confideration. Thefe pirates were called Buccaneers; they fought with a defperate bravery, and then fpent their fortune in this capital, with as inconfiderate diffipation. About the year 1692, no place of its fize could be compared to this town for trade, wealth, and entire corruption of manners. In the month of June, in this year, an earthquake, which fhook the whole ifl and to its foundations, totally overwhelmed this city, fo as to leave in one quarter, not even the fmalleft veftige remaining. In two minutes the earth opened and fwallowed up nine-tenths of the houses, and two thousand people. The water gufhed out from the openings of the earth, and tumbled the people on heaps; but fome of them had the good fortune to catch the beams and rafters rafters of houfes, and were afterwards faved by boats. Several fhips were caft away in the harbour; and the Swan frigate, which lay in the deck to careen, was carried over the tops of finking houses, and did not overfet, but afforded a retreat to fome hundreds of people, who faved their lives upon her. An officer, who was in the town at this time, fays, the earth opened and shut very quick in fome places; and he faw feveral people fink down to the middle, and others appeared with their heads just above ground, and were squeezed to death. At Savannah, above a thousand acres were funk, with the houses and people in them; the place appeared for fome time like a lake, was afterwards dried up, but no houfes were feen. In fome parts, mountains were split; and at one place a plantation was removed to the dif tance of a mile. They again rebuilt the city, but it was a fecond time, ten years after, destroyed by a great fire. The extraordinary convenience of the harbour tempted them to build it once more; and once more, in 1782, it was laid in rubbish by a hurricane the most terrible en record. Such repeated calamities feemed to mark out this place as a devoted fpot; the inhabitants therefore refolved to forfake it forever, and to refide at the bay, where they built KINGSTON, which is now the capital of this ifland. It confifts of upwards of one thoufand houfes. Not far from Kingfton ftands St. Jago de la Vega, or Spanifh town, which, though at prefent inferior to Kingston, was once the capital of Jamaica, and is ftill the feat of government, and the place where the courts of juflice are held. This ifland was originally a part of the Spanish empire in America. It was reduced under the British dominions in 1656, and ever fince has been fubject to the English. The government of it is one of the richeft places next to that of Ireland, in the difpofal of the crown, the ftanding falary being 2,500l. per annum, and the affembly commonly voting the governor as much more; which, with the other perquifites, make it on the whole little inferior to 10, 1ool per annum. Barbadoes.] This ifland, the most easterly of all the Caribbees, is fituated in 59 degrees weft longitude, and 13 13 degrees north latitude. It is 21 miles in length, ad 14 in breadth. When the English, fome time after the year 1625, first landed here, it had not the 1:aft appearance of ever having been peopled even by favages. There was no kind of beafts, no fruit, no herbs nor roots, fit for fupporting the life of man. In 1550, it contained more than 50,000 whites, and a much greater number of negro and Indian flaves; the latter they acquired by means not at all to their honour; for they feized upon all thofe unhappy men, and carried them into flavery-a practice which has rendered the Caribbee Indians irreconcileable to the English ever fince. They had begun a little before this, to cultivate fugar to great advantage. The number of faves was, in confequence of their wealth, ftill augmented; and, in 1675, it is fuppofed that their number amounted to 120,000, which, together with 50,000 whites, make 150,000 on this fmall fpot; a degree of population unknown in Holland, in China, or any other part of the world molt renowned for numbers. Their annual exports at this time, in fugar, indigo, ginger, cotton, and citron water, were about 350,cool.. and their circulating cath at home was 200,000l. This ifland fince has been much on the decline. Their numbers, at prefent, are faid to be 20,000 whites, and 100,000 flaves. Their capital is Bridgetown, where the governor refides, whole employment is faid to be worth 5,000 per annum. They have a college, founded and well endowed by Col. Corrington, who was a native of this ifland. Barbadoes, as well as Jamaica, has fuffered much by hurricanes. tires, and the plague. St. Chriftopher's. This island, commonly. called by the failors, St. Kitt's, i, fituated in 62 degrees weit longitude, and 17 degrees north latitude, about 14 leagues from Antigua, and is 20 miles long and 7 broad. It has its name from the famous Chriftopher Columbus, who difcovered it for the Spaniards. That nation, however, abandoned it as unworthy their attention; and, in 1626, it was fettled by the French and English conjun&tly; but entirely ceded to the latter by the peace of Utrecht. Befides cotton, ginger, and the tropical fruits, fruits, it produced, in 1787,.231,397 cwt. of fugar. h is computed that this island contains 6,000 whites, and 36,000 negroes. Antigua. Situated in 61 degrees weft longitude, and 17 degrees north latitude, is of a circular form, nearly 20 miles over every way. It has one of the best harbours in the Weft Indies; and its capital, St. John's, which, before the fire in 1769, was large and wealthy, is the ordinary feat of the governor of the Leeward iflands. Antigua is fuppofed to contain about 7000 whites, and 30,000 faves. Grenada and the Grenadines.] Grenada is fituated in 12° north latitude, and 60° weft longitude, about 30leagues S.W. of Barbadoes. This island is faid to be 30 miles in length, and 15 in breadth. It produces fugar, coffee, tobacco and indigo. A lake on the top of a hill in the middle of the ifland, fupplies it plentifully with fmall rivers, which adorn and fertilize it. Dominica.] Situated in 16° N. latitude, and in 62° W. longitude, lies about half way between Guadaloupe and Martinico. It is nearly 28 miles in length, and 13 in breadth; it obtained its name from being difcovered by Columbus on a Sunday. The foil of this island is thin, and better adapted to the rearing of cotton than fugar; but the fides of the hills bear the finest trees in the Weft Indies, and the ifland is well fupplied with rivulets of good water. It exported to Great Britain, in 1790, upwards of 50,000cwt. of fugar. St. Vincent. Situated in 13° N. latitude, and 61a W. longitude, 50 miles northwest of Barbadoes, 30 miles fouth of St. Lucia, is about 24 miles in length, and 18 in breadth. It is very fruitful. It fent to Great Britain, in 1790, 76,747 cwt. of fugar. Nevis and Montferrat.] Two fmall iflands, lying between St. Chriftopher's and Antigua, neither of them 18 miles in circumference, and are faid to contain 5,000 whites, and 10,000 flaves. They fent to Great Britain, in 1787, 108,324 cwt. of fugar, but much less in 1790. Barbuda.] Situated 35 miles north of Antigua, is 20 miles in length, and 12 in breadth, and fertile. The inhabitants amount to about 1,500. Anguilla |