where I was pleased with the appearance of the mules and cattle fattening on the rich pastures, and with the luxuriant crops of Guinea corn, which is cultivated to a great extent in the parish of Vere, as the principal support of the negroes. On enquiry in the course of my ride this day, I found that this district is frequently visited with long and severe droughts, which render the cultivation, of the plantain extremely precarious; and the mountains are too far distant from most of the estates, to afford the usual conveniences of provision grounds. The planters are therefore obliged to have recourse to the Guinea corn, which is sown, or rather set, in the ground during the October rains, and gathered in February. The produce is generally very abundant, and, when got in, is packed as close as it can be trodden down, in immense barns, or stores, as they are here called, for the future use of the negroes. On well regulated estates, they consider they ought to have as much as two years' consumption before hand in these stores; and that he must be very improvident who has not one. This grain is served out weekly, or oftener if necessary, to the negroes,

in quantities fully sufficient for the maintenance of their families. When freed from the husk, and pounded in a wooden mortar, it produces a meal as white as snow, which is formed into a kind of bread, and small delicious cakes. The abundance of this corn produces also an abundance of fat pork, and excellent poultry of all sorts, which are carried for sale to Spanish Town and Kingston, and form a source of comfortable revenue to some small settlers, and to the wives of some of the richer planters, who are careful to fill a private purse. As I rode along, I passed through several large estates, the soil of which is the richest I have seen in the island, and, in tolerably good seasons, yields the most valuable crops of sugar, both in quantity and quality. I went sometimes out of my road to look at the mills which were at work, and were moved by steam engines, which, besides saving the planter's oxen and mules, enable him to grind his canes and finish his crop with much greater expedition than with the old and usual medium of the cattle mill. The other buildings in this district, such as boiling houses, still houses, and curing houses, are on a much

larger scale than I had hitherto seen. The dwelling houses of the proprietors are also large and commodious, and generally fitted up with well-polished mahogany floors, wainscots, doors, &c. But these are now deserted by their owners, who for the most part are rich absentees. They serve, however, as the temporary or permanent residence of some great attorney, who has charge, perhaps, of many estates in the neighbourhood. How long the attornies may enjoy their comfortable births is a problem not difficult to solve: I apprehend that the general distress, which prevails among all West Indians, will oblige even the Vere proprietors to occupy again their family mansions. Leaving this rich plain, I reached the western extremity of Old Harbour Bay, where there are some snug coves, on the shores of which are erected large store-houses for the reception of the sugar and rum, sent from the different estates, to be carried off by the ships' boats. Commodious wharfs, with cranes, are here established, with wharfingers appointed to superintend the shipping of the crops and landing of the supplies. The bustle of business on the one side, and

the quiet repose of the trees overhanging the sea on the other, form an agreeable contrast, and the scenery is very picturesque.' The road here enters the Coratoe hills, so called from the abundance of that plant, the large American aloe, or agave, which is seen in every direction shooting up its magnificent pyramids of flowers through the surrounding brushwood. Passing this range, I descended into the plain of St. Dorothy, and reached the small town of Old Harbour Bay, situated on the shore, and so distinguished from the town of Old Harbour market, which is two miles north of this, and stands on the great Leeward road. I here put up at an excellent tavern, kept by Mr., a white man, who finds his account in keeping a clean house, with good beds and good wine, for the accommodation of the captains of merchantmen, and others engaged in the shipping which frequent this port.

CHAPTER XXVII.

TIME, that softens all the asperities of imported nomenclature, and brings the ear at last familiar with the exotic barbarisms of remoter tongues, has so blended the once fiery designations of towns and districts in England with the dingy mass of modern language, that we mention them with indifference, if not in ignorance of their Teutonic, or Gothic, or Celtic origin and import. Time may do the same for Jamaica: future generations may imagine that the names of estates were all of one language; but if they take the pains to etymologize them, they will hardly conceive that one race of people would use appellations so little related to each other. Here we have Chantilly and JerusalemTobolski and Mesopotamia-Old Shoes and Y. S.-Bull Dead, Far Enough, and Tryall;