Notes of a journey through Canada, the United States of America, and the West Indies (Volume 3, no. 197) - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1838 Excerpt: ... CHAPTER IX. JAMAICA. Passage to Jamaica.--A Shark caught St Domingo.--Port Royal Kingston Spanish Town Excursion to Roxburgh Castle in the interior General account of the Island, management of Estates, cultivation of Coffee, Character of the Negroes Abolition Act The late Governor.--Return to Kingston; visit several Establishments there; Remarks on Improvements Voyage along the Coast to Black River Pirates Passage to England/ Leaving Havannah in a Spanish schooner bound for Kingston, and having several passengers on board, I had an opportunity of seeing some of the wonders of the tropical seas, with which the narratives of voyagers have made us in a measure familiar from infancy. The first object of interest that occurred was a shark, which we hooked, but which the captain would not allow to be taken on board, lest it should inflict injury on some of the men. They therefore lashed it to the side of the vessel, and hacked at it with an axe. Supposing it to be dead, they then let it slip into the water, when it swam slowly away, as if nothing had happened to it. Vast multitudes of flying-fishes and nautili swarmed around us. The latter animals are of an oval form, with a fin similar to a sail, and as they swim on the surface of the water, exhibit a variety of colours, some of them being of a beautiful pink. On our coming in sight of St Domingo, a gentleman, a Mr P., on board the schooner, who had been resident some time there engaged in mercantile pursuits, gave me the following account of it:--This island, now the centre towards which all the eyes of Europe are turned, as developing the working of a republic of black population, has not come up to the expectations of the speculator on the system of precipitate emancipation. The Negroes of St Domingo or Hayti...