where very productive. It is doubted whether there is so large a spot of ground on the globe, more fertile than this. There are 6000 plantations, and 3700 farms. Not the 100th part of the island is under cultivation.

A chain of mountains runs from E. to W. from cape Maysi to cape Antonio. The Paps of Managua, a little S. E. of Havanna, are the highest summits. They often look above the clouds. Saddle hill, near Honda bay, is a well known eminence. The course of the ridge thence to cape Antonio is S. W. and its name the High Lands of Buenavista. The Pan of Matanzas near San Carlos, and the Anvil near Barracoa, are landmarks of the sailors.

PINOS, or the ISLE OF PINES, lies S. W. of Xagua bay, about 20 miles from the coast; and is 25 leagues in circumference. It is mountainous, and covered with pines.

HISPANIOLA, ST. DOMINGO, OR HAYTI.

Hispaniola lies between lat. 17 40 and 20° N.; and between lon. 68 30 and 74 30 W. Its length, from cape Engano to cape Tiburon, is 430 miles. Its greatest breadth, from cape Beata to point Isabella, is 160. It contains about 28,000 square miles. The Windward channel separates it from Cuba and Jamaica.

The natives called this island Hayti, a name which Dessalines lately revived. Columbus named it Espanola, or Little Spain : which, in pronunciation, nearly resembles the Hispaniola of the English. Bartholomew Columbus named the town of St. Domingo after his father, Domingo Columbus. From the town the name was at length transferred to the whole island. Columbus discovered the island on the 6th of December, 1492, on his return from Cuba; and landed the same day, at a small bay, which he called St. Nicholas. Here he left 38 Spaniards. This was the first European colony in America. Columbus founded a second town on the N. coast in November of the same year, and called it Isabella. His brother Bartholomew founded the town of St. Domingo in the S. E. part of the island in 1496, which thenceforth became the capital, and the chief focus of population. Sir Francis Drake pillaged the capital in 1536. The French buccaneers from Tortuga established themselves on the west end of the island about the year 1655. About 10 years after, this colony attracted the notice of the French government, which deputed Bertrand Dogeron to transform them into civilized beings. He introduced French women among them, reconciled the idle to labor, and allured new inhabitants to the island. In 1669 the number of planters amounted to more than 1500. Cape François was built by Gobin, in The culture of the sugar-cane was introduced in 1688. The planters, in 1695, made a descent on Jamaica, and carried off a considerable number of negroes. The next year, the English, from Jamaica, plundered Cape François, and reduced it to ashes. Spain ceded the western half of the island to France, by the treaty of Ryswick, in 1697. Port au Prince, in 1702, was made the seas of government.

1670.

In 1722 the French colony was freed from the yoke of exclusive trading companies. This was the era of its commencing prosperity. A company was formed at Barcelona, in 1757, to build up the Spanish colony which had always languished; but the decree of Charles III. in 1765, opening a free trade to all the Windward islands, first gave it life and activity. A new line of demarcation was run between the two colonies in 1776.

An alarming insurrection of the negroes broke out, in the French colony in 1791; which deluged half of the northern province in blood. The national assembly, in 1792, proclaimed the political equality of the whites and free people of color. The commissioners of the French government, in 1793, decreed the emancipation of all the slaves in the colony. Spain ceded the eastern part of the island to France, July 22d, 1795, and the Spaniards all withdrew to Cuba and Porto Rico. Toussaint received the appointment of general in chief, from the French government, in the latter part of 1796. The blacks proclaimed themselves independent, July 1st, 1801. The Spaniards, in 1808, assisted by the English, retook the eastern part of the island. St. Domingo is now their capital.

The Catholic religion was established in both colonies previous to the late revolution. Christophe has established it since, and has a white archbishop.

The population of the whole island was never exactly ascertained, nor that of the French part but in one instance. That of the Spanish colony was in the year

That of the whole island was estimated as follows in the year

1797

{

40,000 whites

28,000 mulat. 520,000 1801 452,000 slaves

{

42,000 whites

44,000 mulat.686,000 600,000 slaves

The blacks in the French part of the island have greatly diminished since 1801. Christophe maintains about 10,000 troops; and has 2 corvettes, 9 brigs, and several schooners, commanded by a white admiral. His ships have made some depredations on American commerce. Petion musters about 9000 men, but has no fleet. Philippe Dos has increased his numbers to more than 6000. The whole physical force of the island must be of some moment, for the French army, under Le Clerc, consisted of 20,000 regular troops; yet the blacks destroyed the greater part of it, and drove the rest out of the island.

CAPE FRANÇOIS before the revolution was the largest town in the west part of the island; and contained between 800 and 900 houses of stone or brick, 8000 free inhabitants, and 12,000 slaves. It lies on a bay on the N. side of the island.

PORT AU PRINCE is at the head of the Bite. It was the seat of government, and had an excellent harbor, but was very unhealthy. In 1790, it contained 2754 whites, and about 12,000 negroes. It had a valuable commerce.

ST. DOMINGO, the capital of the Spanish colony, is about 30 leagues from the E. end of the island, on the W. bank of the Ozama. The harbor is large but not very secure. The cathedral is a noble Gothic pile, in which the ashes of Columbus rested, till 1796, when they were removed to the Havanna. The population of the town, was estimated at 20,000, in 1810.

ST. NICHOLAS, or THE MOLE, was the first European settlement in America.

The average amount of exports from the French colony, in the years 1787, 1788, and 1789, and the actual amount in 1791, were as follows:

The amount of duties paid in 1791 was 6,924,166 livres. The imports from France, in 1788, amounted to 86,414,040 livres. The three principal articles were dry goods, wines, and flour. In the same year 98 French vessels imported from Africa 29,506 negroes, which sold for 61,936,190 livres. The imports from foreign countries, in that year, were 16,538,820 livres, in 1022 . small vessels, measuring 71,162 tons; making a total of imports in 1788 of 164,889,050 livres, in 1700 vessels of all descriptions. This is exclusive of the inland trade with the Spaniards.

A part of the interior is mountainous; but in the eastern part of the island are extensive plains or savannas, occupied by immense herds of swine, horses and horned cattle.

The soil, in general, is fertile in the highest degree, well water

ed, and producing every variety of vegetable for use and beauty. The following tables will exhibit the state and progress of agriculture in the French colony:

Produce of the different plantations.

Far the greater part of the Spanish province, in 1789, was still a wilderness. At that time they had only 24 sugar works. Their chief business was hunting wild cattle in the plains. About 11,000 head of horned cattle were annually furnished to the French colony, besides great numbers of horses and mules. Immense quantities of hides were also exported.

The Bite, or the Bite of Leogane, is a very large bay, at the W. end of the island, setting up between cape Maria, on the S. and cape Nicholas or the Mole, on the N.

Samana bay sets up at the E end of the island, between cape Samana, on the N. and cape Raphael, on the S. These capes are 7 leagues apart. The bay is 20 leagues long, and, on an average, 5 broad.

JAMAICA.

Jamaica lies between lat. 17 40 and 18 30 N; and between lon. 76 18 and 79 57 W. Its length, from Point Morant, in the E. to South Negril, in the W. is 170 miles; its greatest breadth is 60. The number of square miles is estimated by Edwards at 6000.

Jamaica is 30 leagues from Cuba; 40 from St Domingo, and 180 from the Musquito shore.

The aborigines of the island called it Jamaica, and Columbus preserved the name.

He discovered it on his second voyage, on the 5th of May, 1494 and marked it out as an estate for his family. In May, 1695, an English expedition, under Penn and Venables, conquered the whole island. Ever since that time it has remained in possession of the English.

The bishop of London claims this, and the other British WestIndies, as a part of his diocese; but his jurisdicton is renounced and barred by the laws of Jamaica.

The captaingeneral of the island is usually a nobleman of high rank, and is appointed by the crown. His stated salary is 50001.; but the perquisites are very great. The whole is not less than 10,000l. sterling. The legislature consists of a council of 12, nominated by the crown, and holding their places during life; and of a house of assembly, 43 in number, elected by the freeholders.

The revenues of the island consist of a perpetual revenue according to the law of 1728, amounting to 12,000l. of which 8000l. are appropriated; and of annual funds, provided by the legislature, amounting to 70,000l. of which about 40,000l. is a provision for the troops stationed on the island. The contingent expences, exclusive of the appropriations, in 1788 exceeded 75,000l. The estimated value of all the property in the island, in 1787, was as follows.

Plantations and their stock

Slaves at 501. per head

Property in towns and vessels

£25,000,000

12,500,000

1,500,000

Sterling £39,000,000

The estimates of the population of Jamaica, in 1787, and at pre

The number of regular troops in the island is always considerable. The militia are computed at 8000. A respectable naval force is usually on the coast.

ST. JAGO, ST. JAGO DE LA VEGA, or SPANISHTOWN, stands on the river Cobre, 6 miles from its entrance into Port Royal bay. KINGSTON lies on the N. side of a beautiful harbor, opening into Port Royal bay, about 20 miles S. of E. from St. Jago. It contain