Report by the Central Board of Health of Jamaica / presented to the legislature under the provisions of the 14th Vic. chap. 60, and printed by order of the Assembly.

Jamaica. Central Board of Health

Date:: 1852

Credit: Report by the Central Board of Health of Jamaica / presented to the legislature under the provisions of the 14th Vic. chap. 60, and printed by order of the Assembly. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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$Clares, wfrc more enlightene(], kijid,and j2;entle, than any ils diseoverers had met wilh. Columhus de- scril)ed it as (he most beautiful island in these seas, and said, tlrat the innumera})le canoes which came ofi to him, alt(fsled an abundant population. Las Casas, an eye witness, declares that the island abound- ed with inhabitants. as an ant hiil with ants.— There can be no doubt then, that Jamaica was thick- ly populated, and its favored spots, the savannas, richly thou,i;it rudely cultivated. Jt would be foreiii;n to the object of this report, to enter into the interest- ing history we possess of the simple habits and cus- toms of these people. The oiily remains of their exist- ence, when the lilniilish forces took possession of the island in lOoo, v\ere tlieir bones mouideriuii; in caves, Vr hither, when pui sued, they had fied for refuge ; and accumiilations of br<jken pottery, and beds of shells of marine animals, used by them for food, pointing out where tiieir viila.'2;es had once been. Certain it is, that when subjugated, the island did not contain a single Indian ; so effectually had the Spanish blood-hound, and the Castilian blade per- formed their w ork. At the time of its discovery, the Tiidian name for it, was Xaymaca, supjjosed by some, though on this point authorities diifer, to signify an abundance of rivers—hence Jamaica has been called, The isle of springs. The surface of the island is very irregular, and is chielly occupied by bold and lofty mountains of vari- ous heights, intersected by corresponding valleys. The principal and highest range runs froni east to west, forming almost a perfect barrier between the north and south portion of the island. This is known by the irame of the Blue mountain range, and is situ- ated in the parishes of Port-Royal, St. David, St. Thomas in the East, Portland, and St. George. On its suniuiit are three principal masses termed peaks, stated by Robertson to be of the respective heights of eight tbousand one hundred and eighty six, seven$