JAMAICA, the most considerable as well as by far the most valuable of the British West India islands, is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, among what are called by geogra phers the Greater Antilles, in 18° 12' of North Latitude, and 4 5' West Longitude from London. .The latitude of Kingston, the principal town, is 18° north ; the latitude of Morant point east is 17° 56', and its longitude 76° 5' ; and the latitude of South Ncgril Point west is 18° 16'. and its longitude 78° Jamaica is nearly of an oval form ; 140 English miles in length, and in its broadest part about 50. It is the third in size of the islands of the Archipelago. It is bounded on the cast by the island of St Domingo, from which it is separated by the channel called by English sea men the Windward passage ; by Cuba on the north ; by the Bay of Honduras on the west ; and by Carthagena in New Spain on the south.
Jamaica is divided into three counties ; Middlesex Sorry, and Cornwall. The county of Middlesex is divided into eight parishes, which contain one town and thirteen villages. The town is called St Jago de la Vega, or Spanish Town ; and as this is the residence of the governor, it is accounted the capital of the island The county of Surry contains seven parishes, in which there are two towns and ten villages. The chief of these is the town and parish of Kingston. Port Royal is also in this county, and likewise the villages of Port Moroni and Nlorant Bay, the latter of which is a place of considerable importance, on account of its shipping. The parish of Portland in this county con tains the village of Port Antonio, the harbour of which is one of the most commodious and secure in the island. The parish of St George contains Annotto Bay, a shipping place. The county of Cornwall contains five parishes, in which are situated two towns and eight villages. The towns are Savannah le Mar, which being destroyed by the hurricane in 1780, consists at present only of sixty or se venty houses ; and Montego Bay Town on the north coast. The villages of Jamaica are generally small hamlets on the bays, where the produce is shipped in the droggers, to be conveyed to the ports of clearance. The few other places
worthy of mention are, Falmouth on the north coast, on the south side of Martha Brea harbour ; Lucca harbour, also on the north coast ; Bluefield Bay on the south coast, three leagues east of Savannah le Mar, the usual rendezvous of the homeward bound fleets ; and Carlisle Bay, also on the south coast. The chief headlands of the island are Point Mcrant, more generally known to seamen by the name of the East End of Jamaica, and dreaded by them for its thunder and lightning squalls. Nepil by North and Nepil by South are two promontories on the west end of the island. The islands deserving mention near Jamaica are, the Pedea Keys and Portland Rock, on a large bank south of the island, and Morant Keys, eight leagues south-east of Morant Point.
The island is crossed longitudinally by an elevated ridge, called the Blue Mountains. What is called the Blue Mountain Peak, rises 7431 feet above the level of the sea. The precipices are interspersed with beautiful savan nahs, and are clothed with vast forests of mahogany, lig num vitae, iron wood, logwood, brazilletto, &c. On the north of the island, at a small distance from the sea, the land rises in small round topped hills, which are covered with spontaneous groves of pimento. Under the shade of these is a beautiful and rich turf. This side of the island is also well watered, every valley haviug.its rivulet, many of which tumble from overhanging cliffs into the sea. The back ground in this prospect, consisting of a vast amphi theatre of forests, melting gradually into the distant Blue Mountains, is very striking. On the south coast the face of the country is different ; it is more sublime, but not so pleasing. The mountains here approach the sea in im mense ridges ; but there are even here cultivated spots on the sides of the hills, and in many parts vast savannahs, co vered with sugar canes, stretching from the sea to the foot of the mountains, relieve and soften the savage grandeur of the prospect.