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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
country_n	call_v	great_a	inhabit_v	1,448	5	9.6227	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A46390	The laws of Jamaica passed by the assembly, and confirmed by His majesty in council, Feb. 23. 1683 : to which is added, A short account of the island and government thereof, with an exact map of the island.; Laws, etc.	Jamaica.; Hanson, Francis.	1683 (1683)	Wing J124; ESTC R8077	81,296	288

THE LAWS OF JAMAICA Passed by the Assembly And Confirmed by His MAJESTY IN Council Feb. 23. 1683. To which is added A short Account of the Island and Government thereof With an Exact Map of the Island LONDON Printed by H. Hills for Charles Harper at the Flower de Luce over against St Dunstan's-Church in Fleet-street 1683. TO THE READER Reader I Have now neither time to write the particulars of the History of that Flourishing Island of Jamaica nor conveniency to insert it into this Book of the Laws of that Country because I should thereby make it to swell beyond the intended conveniency of a Pocket-Book But for the better satisfaction of any that may be inclin'd to remove themselves to that Island I have been desired to write this short but true account of that Country which please to take as followeth The Island of Jamaica fell first into the Possession of the English the 10th day of May in the year 1655. The Middle of it is situated nearest in 17 degrees 40 minutes of North Latitude so that their longest day from Sun Rising to Sun Setting is 13 hours 4 minutes and their shortest 10 hours 56 minutes The difference of Longitude from the Meridian of London to the Meridian which passes over Port-Royal the chiefest Town there is 78 degrees 45 minutes Westward which causes 5 hours 15 minutes difference in time so that when it is Noon-day there it is a quarter of an hour past 5 in the Afternoon in London The length of the Island lies nearest East and West and is accounted to be 180 Miles and the bredth in the broadest part of it 45 Miles so that its Figure is nearest an Oval It lies under that which is called the Torrid Zone nevertheless the Air is moderately temperate occasion'd by the long absence of the Sun every night by the strong Easterly Breezes which generally blow from 8 or 9 in the Morning to 4 or 5 in the Afternoon and by the Land Wind which is a small cool Breeze that comes off the Shoar from all parts of the Island in the Evening and blows gently all Night The Nights are for the most part fair and not a Cloud to be seen in the Sky so that by their clearness and coolness they are exceedingly pleasant The Day time is much more hot and troublesome by reason of the Sun and the Sea Wind which most days blows very hard If the weather be such as is accounted seasonable it commonly rains a shower in the inland parts under the Mountains more or less every Day about 1 or 2 a Clock from the beginning of April to the beginning of December with Thunder and Lightning and this makes the Island fertile especially if accompanied with those they call the general seasons which are commonly great rains in May and November that continue Night and day with small intermission for 8 or 10 Days together but these failing as sometimes they do is prejudicial to all things in the Country the rest of the Year is for the most part very fair and delicate weather without much rain Thunder or Lightning and not at all too hot There are Earthquakes sometimes two or three perhaps in a Year but so moderate that they are over before one can well be sensible what they are and never have yet been so violent to do any harm The Middle parts of the Island are very full of Mountains which towards the Eastward end of it are so high that they are not habitable scarce accessible These Mountains for the most part are covered with large Timber-trees of divers sorts of Wood fitting for building and several uses as well as for bearing many sorts of Fruits which maintain great plenty of Pigeons Doves Parots and other sorts of Birds and also of wild Hoggs all very good for food betwixt these Mountains there run many Rivers several whereof by the acquisition of divers of the smaller Rivulets become large but few Navigable by reason they are for the most part barr'd at their falling into the Sea and many of them sinking into the ground when they come into the Low-lands before they can reach thither these Rivers are well stored with good Fish Mullets Creafish and Eeles such as are in England the rest strangers to the English Climate though all very sitting to be eaten The Sea about this Island is also plentifully stored with many sorts of very good Fish and likewise with Tortoise and Manates both pleasant and delicious Food The Low-lands and Plain grounds are where the People generally Inhabit and in these are Level tracts of several Miles in length and bredth like our Meadows full of Grass called Savannas which Name they retain from the Spaniards in these are bred great plenty of Cattle Sheep Horses Asses and Mules sufficient both for food and service there is also in the Country great stocks of Hogs Hens Ducks Pigeons Rabbets Turkeys and divers kinds of wild Fowl and also sufficient stores of all sorts of Garden Herbs and Roots Pulse and Sallads and with excellent Fruits some known here as Grapes of divers sorts and from several Countries Lemons Oranges Citrons Pomgranats and Musk Mellons besides other very good Fruits proper to that Country as the Celebrated Pine many more not much inferiour to that incomparable Fruit and that which makes these Fruits of the more use and beauty and the Country thereby the more pleasant is that they as well as the leaves on all the Trees continue all the Year there being no Winter or decay but a continual Spring on every seasonable shower of rain so that there is nothing wanting for a necessary plentiful or delicate living In this Island are many convenient Harbours for Shipping besides several Bays and Roads fitting for the landing or takeing off of Goods The chiefest of these is Port-Royal which in its safety for Shipping depth of Water cleanness of Ground and conveniency of the Shore and Wharfs for lading and unlading of Shipping may compare with any in the known World and to add the more to the security of this and the other Harbours of this Island those dreadful Hurricans which often afflict the Islands of Barbados Nevis c. never yet came near this Country Adjoyning to this Harbour on an Isthmus of Land is a handsome Town of the same Name built from the Foundation by the English the ground it stands on is but 53 Acres and cannot be inlarged in its buildings otherwise then what the Inhabitants gain by the height of their Houses for it 's incompassed all round with the Harbour and Sea unless on the East part and there the Isthmus being narrow is cut off from the Sea to the Harbour with a strong and well fortified Wall built with Brick and Stone and sufficiently Gunn'd to secure the Town from any attempt from the Land part without which Wall none are suffered to build that so there may be no shelter for an Enemy This Town for its bigness is

very Populous and contains about a 1000 Houses many of which are built with Bricks and beautified with Balconies after the modern way of building in London the Streets are also regular and kept very clean there is also in it a fair Church built with Brick and Stone and handsomely finished within and for the defence of the Town and Harbour there are 5 Forts strongly built with Stone on which are mounted about 110 large Guns all kept in good order hither resort most of the Ships here is the Custom-house here live the Merchants and here is mannaged the chiefest part of the Trade of the Island To this Harbour belongs about 100 fine sailing Sloops from about 12 Tuns to 40 Tuns in bigness most of them built in the Country which find very good imployment in trading and carrying goods about the Island and to the Spaniards catching of Tortoise and other ways by which their owners live very well About 7 Leagues to the Westward of this is an old Harbour a very large good and safe Harbour for Shipping and here also is a small Town built which daily encreases as the inland parts of the Country about it are more and more setled and planted More Westerly is Carlisle Bay a safe Road for Shipping and there is likewise built a pretty Town of that name of about 100 Houses which has a fine Trade that also increases as the Country does in Plantations farther West is Bluefields Bay and other good Roads and the like there is also in St. James's St. Anns and St. Maries on the North side of the Island and in the Parish of St. Georges in the North-East parts is Port Antonio a safe and good Harbour and such another in the South-East part called Port Morant besides divers good Bays more on the South side as Morant Yallahs c. So that there want not conveniencies for the Importing or Exporting of their Commodities in any part of the Country There are no Poysonous or hurtful Creatures known to be in this Island nor any voracious but the Crocodil of which though there are many in the Sea and the Rivers yet it is rare to hear of any injury done by them There is but one Town in the inland parts of the Country and that is called St. Jago de la Vega it is seated near the banks of a fine River on the one side and on the other is A large Plain or Savanna of several Miles extent it is about 6 Miles from the Sea of Port Royal Harbour and was built by the Spaniards many years since and in their time was a large Town and well built after their manner but on the first Peopling of the Island by the English when they were only an Army many of the Houses were destroy'd by the Souldiers and have not since been rebuilt because the trade of the Country consisting wholly of Planters and Merchandizing the one sort whereof living scattered about the Country as Farmers do in England and the other dwelling in the Sea-port Towns there is no occasion in the Inland parts for such a Community of Men to dwell together as that Town would have receiv'd had it continued in its former greatness yet here are still many Streets and fair Houses here is also the seat of the Government The Governours House and Chief Courts of Justice here the Assembly met and here are kept all the Records of the Island The chiefest Commodity that this Island makes is a sort of Muscovadoe Sugar that excells any that is made in any other of his Majesties Plantations the quantity of which increases so much every Year that it gives Addition to the number of Ships Trading thither besides this Sugar there are great quantities of Indico Cotton Ginger Tobacco Piemento Cacaes Hydes Achiots Tortoise-shell and divers sort of dying and other woods for fine Joyners work and Cabinets growing there all which Commodities are as good in their kinds as are in any Country and excepting the Sugar Indico Cotten Ginger and Tobacco are peculiar to this and are in no other of His Majesties Plantations there are also many other accidental Commodities brought in from the Spaniards as Log-wood Plate Pieces of Eight Gold Pearl Emeraulds c. by means of which Manufactory and Trade there is not less then 20 Sail of Ships of 300 Tuns a piece Burthen and upwards besides others which only use that Voyage and of all sorts above 100 sail of Ships now laden every Year and as the Island fills with English and is supplyed with Negroes the Trade and Shipping will both encrease This Island depends wholly on His Majesty without any other Proprietors or Companies and ever since His Majesties happy Restoration he has been graciously pleased it should be Govern'd by a Governour fully Impowered by His Majesties Commission who has a Council consisting of 13 of the gravest and chiefest Gentlemen of the Island to advise with on all occasions and to them when it is requisite there is called an Assembly of Two and thirty of the Gentlemen of the Country chosen by the Free-holders from among themselves by vertue of His Majesties writ which to that end is Issu'd out by the Governour into the several Precincts of the Country These together with the Governor and Council make such Laws as are necessary for the well Governing of the Island and to the making of any Law there must be the consent of the Governour Council and Assembly as three distinct States of which if any one dissent no Bill can pass into an Act so that the making of Laws there is Assimilated as near as may be to that of our Native Country of England and these Laws so made are of Force at all times until His Majesty be pleased to declare his pleasure to the contrary And for the Incouragement of any of His Majesties Subjects to go thither with intent to settle and Plant His Majesty is graciously pleased to give every Man for himself Wife Children and Servants and all he brings with him or shall at any time after import 30 Acres of Land for every head in any part of the Island that they themselves shall choose which is not already possest by others they paying only the common charges of the Surveying and the Patent and this passes to the Possessor his Heirs or Assigns for ever by his Majesties said Grant under the great Seal of the Island in common Soccage which Patent being enrolled in the Office for that purpose established there is good against His Majesties claim or any pretenders whatsoever though the Patent it self should happen to be Lost Burnt or any otherwise destroyed the manner of the civil Government there is as in England by Sessions of the Peace Justices Constables and other necessary Officers which are appointed in the several parts of the Country as there is occasion that Justice may be equally distributed And for the Military Government and defence of the Island every Man from 16 years old to