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A55720
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The present state of Jamaica with the life of the great Columbus the first discoverer : to which is added an exact account of Sir Hen. Morgan's voyage to, and famous siege and taking of Panama from the Spaniards.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing P3268; ESTC R1042
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34,539
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128
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about seven Leagues from Port St. Thomas as far from Port Royal there is several Ale-Houses and Store-Houses At Liguania the in-side of the Harbour opposite to Port Royal about two Leagues is several Houses some of them very handsom and well Built which place in time is like to become a pretty Town Port Royal is Situate on the extream Point of Land that makes the Harbour It runs about Twelve Miles from the Main off the Land Westernly It has to the South the Sea to the North the Harbour which is the largest safest and most convenient in America This Neck of Land is exceeding narrow and nothing but a loose Sand that has neither Grass Stone Water nor Trees But being so Commodious for Ships that they are Secure all Weathers and can unload a Float at the Merchants Key It is the most Populous place for Trading in the Island and there only Ships enters and are dispatch'd In the Spaniards time there was no Houses the Sea-men of Cromwel's Fleet begun the Town by Building Store-Houses and called it Cogway as we judge corruptly from the Spanish word La aguia Col. Doyly caused it to be laid out as a Town but not very Regularly In Sir Char. Littleton's time it was called Port Royal from the Excellency of the Harbour It now contains above 1500 Houses there is a House though none of the best belonging to the King And in the Earl of Carlile's time a fine New Church Built partly by Liberal Subscription of divers Gentlemen Inhabiting the Island and partly by an Assessment laid upon the Inhabitants of the Port. Going from Port Royal to St. Jago de la Vega People Land at Passage where a Fort was in Col. Doyly's time and there is about Thirty Houses that are Store-Houses Ale-Houses and Horse-keepers and Hackney Coaches this being the greatest Passage in the Island it is two Leagues from Port Royal by Sea and six Miles from St. Jago by Land St. Jago de la Vega is Situated in a large Plain by a River that is called pro de Cabre as having a taste of that Metal or coming out of those Mountains in Liguania where the Spaniards told us they found of it This Town was almost quite Deserted when Sir Tho. Lynch came to the Government but in his time about Forty Houses were Built and Repaired about one Hundred more The Grand Court is holden Quartâ—rly in this Town and a Fair was Erected in Sir Tho. Lynch his time it has one Spanish Church and Gentlemens Houses that made it look well during the time the Governour Lived there but since that time it is much increased in Number of Beautiful Buildings and Inhabitants At Old Harbour about seven Miles West from St. Jago are about Thirty Houses for the Uses and Accommodation of Vessels and Store-Houses for Planters Goods this being esteemed the best Harbour excepting Port Royal in the South side By the Spaniards it was more Frequented At Withy Wood Twenty Miles to the West is about forty or fifty Houses for the Accommodation of Vessels that Road being more frequented than any other on the South side there being good Land many Settlements and a Pleasant Countrey all about it At the Extensive Point of Port Royal was Built a Round Tower by Cromwel's Sea-men in 1656 in 1657 and 1658 Col. Doyly laid the Foundation of a more Regular one which Sir Charles Littleton near Finished in 1664 and Sir Tho. Modyford in his time which was to the Year 1671 quite finished and Mounted in it about 36 Guns Employing the Round Tower only as a Store-House for Ammunition Besides this he Built a Breast-work of stone that run from the Harbour to the Sea about 200 Yards this was to Defend the Town from any surprize by Land as the Castle was to Defend the Mouth of the Harbour It was Named by Sir Charles Littleton Charles Fort in Honour of His Majesty In Sir Tho. Lynch his time was Built a Fort called James Fort Built by Sir Thomas and the Voluntary Contribution of some Gentlemen On the Island Point of the Town to flank the Ships at turning into the Harbour and Batter them when at Anchor in it which the Castle cannot He likewise made a slight Work for that purpose at Prison Point where six Guns were Mounted and at Port Morant four Guns and a Breast-work raised to Defend the Port. Another likewise at Old Harbour which was done in Sir Tho. Lynch his time but many more were added in the time of the Earl of Carlisle The Commodities the Countrey produces are Excellent Sugars Cocoa Cotton Hides Ginger Tobacco Tortoise shell Indico Primento Fustick Brazilletto Lignum Vitae Granadilla Ebony besides some Gums Achot Drugs c. This Island abounds with Cattle and the Islands of Spaniola Portico and Cuba do the like so does many Parts of the Main the first Breed being brought out of Europe for before the Discovery there was none of our Cattel great or small in the West Indies In Jamaica they Multiplyed so exceedingly that when the English took the Island a Cow was not worth above a Piece of Eight and a Horse half as much But the Army destroy'd them so that in the Year 1671 when Sir Tho. Lynch came to the Government a Cow was worth Twelve or Fourteen pounds but by the goodness of the Pasture and the Cattle Sir Thomas Imported from the Spaniards they increased so that in the Year 1675 they were worth but four pounds per Head one with another Besides here is plenty of good sprightly Horses some Mules and Asnegroes abundance of Hogs Goats and Sheep whose Wool is hairy the Flesh not generally so good as in England they breed often but live not well unless about Alligater Ponds Rabbets live well enough but there 's no Hare nor Deer in the Island In this Countrey is Hens Turkeys and Ducks bred better and are better flesh than in England Geese are but rare there 's abundance of Excellent Wild Fowl as Guiny Hens Flemingoes Teale Ducks Curlews with great variety of Pidgeons Turtles Parrots Maces and other Birds whose Flesh is good and Feathers finely coloured There is store of Fish both in the Sea and divers Rivers not much common to England but a King of Lobster Craw-fish Eels Mullers and Spanish Mackrael with abundance of all sorts of Admirable Fish proper to those Seas Tortoise are taken much on this Coast but chiefly at the Island Cay Manos 30 Leagues to the West of this Island whither the Vessels go May June and July to Load of their Flesh that they Pickle in Bulk and take them in that Season when they come on shore to lay their Eggs which they do and cover them with Sand that hatches them and then by instinct they crawl to the Sea where they Live and feed on Weeds that grows in the bottom or floats In many Rivers and Ponds of Jamaica there 's vast Numbers of Crocodiles or Allegators that is an Amphibious Creature and
one And in the end of his Government Land was risen to five times the value it was at in the beginning Col. Tassel and Mr. Rogers at his command run a Chain round the Island An exact Mapp and Survey was sent home by my Lord Vaughan in his time were abundance of Cattel Imported from Cuba which brought down their Price from 12 to 14 l. per Head to 4 and 5 l. In his time Fairs and Markets were Erected at St. Jago Liguania Port-Royal c. Sir Thomas Linch remitted to the Kings principal Secretary of State a large and exact State of the Government of Jamaica of the Church the Laws the Militia and Revenue which was in brief thus His Majesty is Soveraign Lord and Proprietor of this Island in all Writs Commissions and Grants He is stiled King of England c. and Lord of Jamaica the Governour Represents His Person and is invested with his Power being enabled by his Commission under the Great Seal and directed by his Instruction how to Govern and it is alwaies during his Majesties pleasure Here 12 Councellours are chosen by the Governour and Constituted in all Emergencies and Causes like the King's Councel here the which they Resemble and the House of Lords because they Sit with the Assembly the Governour cannot suspend them without giving Advice to the Principal Secretary of the Cause This Government by practice as well as order from His Majesty is Assimulated as near as possible to that in England which renders it grateful to the People who believe they ought to enjoy their Property and Native Right where they are under the King's Dominion so nothing be inflicted on them but by the course of Law nor taken from them but by Acts themselves have consented to Therefore they have by His Majesties Order in Jamaica Assemblies that consist of 32 Persons chosen indifferently by the Freeholders of the 14 Parishes In these Assemblies the Governour has a Negative Voice he Calls Prorogues and Dissolves them at pleasure the Governour the Councel and the Assembly are invested with the Legislative Power and are Convened to make some little Municipal Laws proper to the usage of the Island about Governing Servants Slaves Officers High-waies Church Militia but chiefly to raise Money for the support of the Government What Laws they make are to be sent into England and to be of force but for two years unless the King consent then perpetual unless Revoked as they were made There is but seven Churches in the Island that is one at St. Davids Liguania Port-Royal St. Jago St. Johns and Vere The Governour seems to be the King's Deputy or Bishop of London's Suffragan for he Presents and Inducts and the Parsons being admitted every Parish is bound to allow 100 l. per annum at the least Pot-Royal 200 l. St. Jago 130 l. by Act of the Assembly made in Sir Thomas Linch his time when only these Parishes above-named were supply'd The Governours Residence was at St. Jago more within the Land and easier for People to apply themselves to him he named or appointed all the Officers only such as the King made under the Great Seal of England as the Secretary of the Island that makes all the publique Dispatches keeps the Office of Inrollment And the Marshal who is the Executive Officer of Justice in the nature of a Sheriff Usher of the Black-Rod and Jaylor for the Administration of Justice and better Government of the Parishes There is Sessions of the Justices Quarterly held at Morant Liguania Port-Royal St. Jago St. John Clarendon St. Elizabeth every of these Precincts have a particular Custos Rotulorum appointed who with the Justices and other Officers Present Reform Examine and punish all Crimes Disorders and Misdemeanors that are within their Cognizance by the Laws of England or those of the Island All Pleas of the Crown and Civil Causes are heard and Determined in the Grand Court that Sits Quarterly at St. Jago and thither Errours and Causes are brought from the Inferiour Courts this being like the Kings-Bench Court of Exchequer and Assizes in England In some extraordinary Cases the Governour Grants Commissions of Oyer and Terminer The Governour is Chancellor and Keeper of the Great Seal of the Island which the King sent by Sir Charles Littleton to my Lord Windsor It 's a Cross charged with four Pines the Reverse his Majesty in his Throne an Indian kneeling and presenting him All publique Commissions and Grants are seal'd with this Seal To every Planter the Governour Grants Thirty Acres per Head for which he gives his Warrant then the Surveyor of the Precinct within which it lies runs it out and returns it to the Clerk of the Pattents which draws the Grant so 't is held of the King in Common and pays for what Sir Thomas Modyford Granted 25 s. per 1000. for what Sir Thomas Linch Granted a half penny per Acre By an Act of the Assembly an Office of Inrollment is Erected and kept by the Secretary where the Pattent and all Deeds and private Writings are Recorded to prevent Law-suits and fraudulent Conveyances and is in the nature of a Registry All Actions at Law between Neighbours are tryed in the Inferiour Courts which are in the nature of Court Barons here There 's one at Morant Liguania Port-Royal St. Johns Clarendon St. Elizabeth and the North side each Court has its Judge 12 Assistants Clerk Marshal and any person may plead his own Cause They hold Pleas of any sum under 20 l. and of greater sums when they take a Justicias out of the Chancery which the Governour grants of course and here all Appeals with the assistance of some of the Councel that sit as the Probate of Wills Licences for Marriages c. are dispatch'd in the Secretarys Office and the Governour seems to be in the nature of Judge of the Prerogative Court At Port-Royal is establisht a Naval Office that takes care of the Entrys dispatches of Vessels and the observance of their Acts of Navigation The Governour is Vice Admiral to his Royal Highness and has a Commission to Command all his Majesties Ships that come to the Island and likewise a large Commission to Erect Courts of Admiralty and exercise all those Maratime powers his Royal Highness hath so there 's at Port-Royal a Judge-Admiral with all the needful Officers that proceed in the Court according to the forms of Admiralty used here and in other parts The Militia is Commanded by the Governour according to the power he Reigns from His Majesty and the Laws of the Country for there 's a particular Act that appoints the time of Mustering the Persons the Arms aad the Places of Rendezvous Here 's no Souldiers paid by the King all the Officers are made by the Governour At St. Thomas and St. Davids is one Regiment another at St. Andrews Port-Royal St. Catherines St. Johns Clarendon St. Elizabeth and North side and in every one of these Regiments is one Troop of