to sudden flaws, and the transitions are always slow. The air is remarkably light and enlivening, producing great cheerfulness even in old age, and so equal is its pressure, that it rarely varies more than an inch at any time of the year. From July to October is the hurricane season. The quantity of rain falling in the year is about 50 inches. The seasons are divided into four, viz: the first, the vernal and moderate rains in April and May, lasting six weeks; the second, hot and dry, including June, July and August; the third, hurricane and rainy months, embracing September, October and November; and the fourth, serene and cool, comprising December, January, February and March. There is, however, considerable difference of climate on either side of the island, and the winters on the north side are felt at least a month earlier than on the south, and the other seasons are affected in like ratio.

The natural productions of Jamaica are those of the West Indies generally. The great staples now grown by the planters are sugar canes, the coffee plant, cotton, indigo and cocoa. Sugar growing was early introduced by the Spaniards. The quantity of sugar now made is very great; and the importations into Great Britain alone have, for some years, averaged 1,500,000 cwts., which represents as many sterling. The sugar of Jamaica is of a very fine quality. The quantity of rum manufactured is also very large, averaging at least 4,000,000 gallons a-year. Of coffee, and that too of excellent quality, about 25,000,000 lbs. is annually exported, of which 20,000,000 lbs. is sent to England. The coffee plant was first introduced into Jamaica in 1728. It thrives in almost every soil in the mountain districts, and in the very driest places has frequently produced very abundant crops. The cultivation of cotton, indigo and cocoa was formerly more extensively engaged in than at the present day; it has principally given way to that of sugar and coffee. Jamaica produces many drugs, dyestuffs and spices. Aloes, cochineal, spikenard, canella, liquorice root, castor oil nut, vanilla, peppers, arrow-root, ginger, ipecacuanha, scammony, jalap, cassia, euphorbia, senna, &c., all attest the fruitfulness and capacities of the soil and climate.

The cultivated vegetables of Europe arrive at great perfection. Maize is the principal corn grown, and together with calavances, the yam and sweet potato, cassava, &c., forms the chief food of the negroes. The grasses thrive luxuriantly, but Guinea-grass abounds; and in consequence of its indispensable importance in feeding the cattle which supply manure for the sugar plantations, it is considered next in importance to the sugar-cane itself. The native and exotic grasses are excellent for cattle and horses, in particular that called the Scotch grass, which vegetates rapidly, and grows to the height of five or six feet, with long and juicy joints. Five horses may be fed for a year on an acre of this vegetable, allowing each every day fiftysix lbs. of grass. Of vegetables,-potatoes, yams, cassava, peas and beans of every variety, artichokes, beets, carrots and parsnips, cucumbers and tomatoes, radishes, celery, choco, ochro, Lima beans, Indian kale, calalue, various salads, cabbage trees, (200 feet high), &c., all flourish in abundance; and, indeed it may be said that harvest is perpetual in Jamaica, for every month presents a new collation of fruits and vegetables, and some spices are at maturity all the year round. The bread-fruit, cocoa-nut, plantain and banana, alligator pear, the delicious mellow fig, pine, cachew, papaw and custard apples, orange, lime, lemon, mango, grape, guava, pomegranate, soursop, shaddock, plum, tamarind, melon, wall and chestnut, mulberry, olive, date, citron, and many other delicious fruits arrive at perfection.

The population of Jamaica, which numbers about 360,000, consists of 35,000 whites, or Europeans, and their descendants; of blacks and the colored races, about 320,000; and of some Coolies, &c., which have been transported from India and other parts as free laborers. The condition of that people is the same in all the islands as regards their political and social attributes. The original Indian race is extinct. All accounts agree that the island was thickly peopled on its discovery; within half a century after, not one existed! Las Casas says, speaking of the treatment the Indians received from the Spaniards:-" They hanged these unfortunates by thirteen, in honor of the thirteen Apostles ;—I have beheld them throw the Indian infants to their dogs;-I have heard the Spaniards borrow the limb of a human being to feed their dogs, and next day return a quarter to the lender!"

A Governor or Captain-General (appointed by the Crown) aided by an Executive and Legislative Council of 12 members, and a House of Assembly, (first convened in 1644,) form the government of the island. The Assembly consists of 45 members, each parish sending two, except Spanish-Town, Kingston and Port Royal, which send three. A representative must possess a freehold of £300 per annum, or a personal estate of £3,000, and an elector must be 21 years of age, and possess a freehold of £10 in the parish in which he votes. The Governor has a yearly salary of £4,200; the representatives receive no pay. The Judiciary consists of a Supreme Court, which sits at the capital three times a year, and has both original and appellate jurisdiction; Assize Courts, which have the same power, authority and jurisdiction, that the Justices of Assize and Nisi Prius, and Justices of Oyer and Terminer and Justices of Gaol Delivery, in England; and several inferior courts and Courts of Common Pleas. Every precinct has a Court of Sessions, held quarterly. The Governor is Chancellor, and holds a court with the same powers of judicature as the Lord High Chancellor of England. The Court of Error revises the decisions of the Supreme and Assize Courts. There are also Courts of Admiralty, a Court of Ordinary for the decision of ecclesiastical matters, and probate; and in which the Governor presides as judge-and several courts having reference to bankruptcy and insolvency. The system of jurisprudence is identical with that of England, only differing as affected by local and conventional interests.

The military establishment of this island consists, generally, of four European regiments, and one West Indian regiment, with a strong detachment of artillery, in all about 3,000 men. The colonial militia comprises three regiments of horse, well equipped and mounted, and twenty-one regiments of infantry, to each of which is attached two field-pieces and a company of artillery, in all from 10,000 to 12,000 men. All white males, from sixteen years old and upwards, are obliged by law to provide themselves with suitable clothing, and to enlist in the cavalry or infantry of the militia. Substitutes are not allowed. When on duty, each man has 2s. 6d. per day and rations; arms and ammunition are found by the government.

The trade of this important island is considerable. The shipping inward and outward varies little from seven hundred and fifty vessels of all kinds, respectively, and one hundred and fifty thousand tons annually, employing between seven and eight thousand seamen. The amount of exports is valued at between £3,000,000 and £4,000,000, and the imports at about £600,000. The principal articles of export are sugar, rum, molasses. ginger, pimento, coffee, &c., with a large variety of tropical fruits. The imports are British manufactures and colonial produce, with a variety of ticles from the United States and foreign countries. Kingston is the

chief port, but considerable business is done at Savannah le Mar, Morant Bay, St. Anne's, Annatto Bay, Port Maria, Port Antonio, Montego Bay and Falmouth.

The colonial revenue is derived from a variety of sources-as import and export duties, poll tax, stamps, licenses, tonnage, &c., internal duties and taxes. The annual expenditure of Jamaica is nearly £500,000, including £10,000, the perpetual revenue granted to the crown. Jamaica sustains the whole burden of its government, excepting the salary of the bishop. The local revenues, applicable for city and town purposes, amount to an additional sum of £200,000 annually.

The island is divided into three counties, viz: Middlesex, Surrey and Cornwall, each of which is subdivided into parishes, &c., as follows:

ST. JAGO DE LA VEGA, or SPANISH TOWN, the capital, is situated at the extremity of an extensive plain, and is distant from Port Royal harbor six miles. The Cobre, a river of considerable depth, passes near the city. The barracks and hospital are excellent. The buildings of the capital are in the magnificent style of Spanish architecture, and have an imposing appearance. The population is about 5,000. The King's House is a splendid building, having cost £50,000. It is situated in the south of the great square, facing an immense pile of buildings, containing under one roof the House of Assembly, the Supreme Court, and almost all the government offices of the island.

KINGSTON, the chief mart of commerce, is situated on a gentle slope about a mile in length, which is bounded on the south by an extensive basin through which all vessels must advance beneath the commanding batteries of Port Royal. The harbor is one of the finest in the world. It is commanded by Fort Charles on the east, on the west by Rock Fort, and opposite its entrance by Fort Augustin. For nine miles around Kingston is an alluvial plain surrounded by a series of irregular mountains, some of which, in the east and north-east, are of considerable elevation, and interspersed with vallies and chasms, which add much to the picturesque which forms so conspicuous a feature in the landscape of Jamaica. The streets of Kingston are long and straight, the houses in general of two stories, with verandahs above and below. The English and Scotch churches are really elegant structures, particularly the former, which is built on an elevated spot, and commands a splendid view of the city, the plains around it, the amphitheatre of mountains, and the noble harbor of Port Royal.

PORT ROYAL is situated at the extremity of a tongue of land, which forms the boundary of the harbors of Kingston and Port Royal. Towards the sea the tongue is composed of coral rocks covered with sand, which the tide frequently inundates, as a great part of the town is only a few feet above the level of the sea. The royal navy yard lies to the north; the naval hospital to the south-west, and the works of Fort Charles and the barracks to the southward. The fortifications are very strong. The harbor is capable of containing 1,000 large ships with convenience. In 1692 the whole town was destroyed by an earthquake.

The other most celebrated towns and ports are-PORT ANTONIO on the north-east, a strongly fortified place; FALMOUTH, or Marthabræ, 15 miles east of Montego Bay, built on the west side of the harbor; MAROON TOWN in the interior, on a very high mountain; MONTEGO BAY; LUCEA, or Fort Charlotte; SAVANNAH LE MAR, &c., on the western extremity of the island. Besides which, there are a number of towns and villages, all built in situations peculiarly well adapted either for internal or external commerce. CARLISLE AND BLEWFIELD'S BAYS on the south, are worthy of notice. The roads of the island are in general good, but narrow.

Jamaica was discovered by Columbus, 2d May, 1494. It was called Xaymaca by the natives, signifying abundance of water and wood, and San Jago by Columbus, in honor of the patron Saint of Spain. The first colony was attempted in 1503, by the Spaniards. In 1558, the Aborigines had entirely perished, and slaves were then introduced. The British attacked Jamaica in 1605, but restricted their exploits to predatory warfare. The battle of Passagefort, in which the Spaniards were completely beaten, and compelled to pay a large ransom to the British for the preservation of their capital, was fought in 1638. The island remained in the hands of the Spaniards until the 3d May, 1655, from which to the present period, it has remained in the possession of Great Britain. No less than twenty-six slave insurrections have occurred in the island since occupied by England. The expense of putting down that of 1832, (exclusive of the value of property destroyed, viz. £1,154,583,) was £161,596. On this occasion, the imperial parliament granted a loan of £500,000 to assist the almost ruined colonists. The present condition of every interest in the island is said to be in an unfavorable state, consequent on several causes which seem to operate wofully on the West Indies generally.

The provisions for religion and education on this island are ample. The efforts for the extension of church accommodation by the colonial legisla ture has been great; and at the present time, about £25,000 is annually expended for this purpose. The Bishop of Jamaica has £4,000 per annum, and the Archdeacon £2,000. There are twenty-one rectors and about sixty clergymen belonging to the established Church. The Scotch Presbyterians have four churches; the Wesleyan Methodists, 24; the Baptists, 16, and the Moravians, eight. The crown livings are in the gift of the bishop, but pluralities are forbidden. The value of livings is from £750 to £2,400 currency. Education is rapidly extending. Mr. Latrobe remarked universally throughout his tour of the island, that children of the colored class of every shade evinced a remarkable facility for the attainment of the rudiments of such branches of instruction as are taught them, particularly in writing and arithmetic, their progress in these being "truly extraordinary." Many of the country schools are carried on almost entirely through the agency of the more advanced scholars. The Sunday and evening schools are attended by all classes; the want of private schools of a superior order, in which the higher classes of the island could receive a liberal education, is much dwelt on by Mr. Latrobe, and the absence of a college, or some institution sanctioned by the legislature deplored. The private seminaries are little better than the "dame schools" in England.

THE CAYMANS.

THE CAYMANS, which are dependencies of Jamaica, are three small islands in lat. 19° 20′ N., from 30 to 40 leagues N. N.W. from Point Negrill on the westward of Jamaica, the Grand Cayman being the most remote. Cayman-braque, and Little Cayman lie within five miles of each other, and about 34 miles north of Grand Cayman, which is about one mile and a half long, and one mile broad, containing about 1000 acres. Grand Cayman, the only island inhabited, is so low, that the lofty trees on it appear from ships approaching like a forest of masts peering from the waters. It has no harbor, but the anchorage on the S. W. coast is good. The inhabitants are employed in catching and feeding turtle for the markets. The soil towards the middle of the island is very fertile, producing corn and vegetables in profusion, while hogs and poultry find plenty of provender. Columbus discovered these islands on his return from Porto Bello to Hispaniola, and observing the coast swarming with turtle, like ridges of rocks, he called them Los Tortugas. The Caymans were never occupied by the Spaniards, but became the general resort of adventurers or rovers (chiefly French), for the sake of the turtle. In 1655, when Jamaica was taken by the English, these islands were still uninhabited. The present race of inhabitants are descended from the Buccaneers, and being inured to the sea, form excellent pilots and seamen. They have a chief or government officer of their own choosing, and they frame their own regulations. Justices of the peace are appointed from Jamaica; but in no other way are the inhabitants interfered with by the authorities, in the chief settlement to which they nominally, but undoubtedly belong.

TRINIDAD.

THIS island extends from latitude 9° 20′ to 10° 51′ north, and from longitude 60° 30' to 61° 20′ west. The Gulf of Paria divides it from the main land. It is 90 miles long and 50 broad, having an area of 2,400 square miles. The northern front of Trinidad, as seen from the ocean, resembles an immense ridge of rocks, but on entering the Gulf of Paria, one of the most magnificent, variegated, richly-luxuriant panoramas that nature ever formed is presented to the eye; on the west is seen the mighty Orinoco, contending with the ocean, and the lofty mountains of Venezuela; while on the east, the cape, headlands, mountains, hills, vallies and plains of the island, enamelled with eternal verdure, present a coup d'ail truly sublime. From every elevation the scenery is transcendent, and the whole island enjoys in climate a perpetual spring. The fecundity of the soil, its gigantic and magnificent vegetation, its beautiful rivers, enchanting slopes, forests of palms, groves of citrons, and hedges of spices and perfumes-its succulent roots, delicious herbs and fruits, abundant and nourishing food, on the earth, in the air, and in the water-its azure skies and elastic atmosphere, have each and all combined to crown Trinidad with the appellation of "The Indian Paradise."

The highest land (about 3,000 feet) is to the north, near the sea; in the middle is a range of mountains less elevated, and to the south a series of lovely hills and mounds, contrasting strongly with the boldness of the northern regions. The navigable streams on the west coast are the Caroni, Cha