Jamaica (One of the West India Isost)

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

one of the West India Isost valuab lands, 80 or 90 miles S. of Cuba, the Britain; third in extent, and the most valuable of those belonging to Great Britain; 146 :ares, 4 miles in length E. to W., and 49 miles 904,681. broad at the widest part; area, 4,200 about 60,0 square miles; pop. (1917) 904,681. The a number capital is Kingston; pop. about 60,000. Royal or The coast is indented with a number of most consid good harbors, of which Port Royal or the versed by lo harbor of Kingston is the most considerons; the pr able. The interior is traversed by lofty ue Mountai mountains in all directions; the prin- 7,290 cipal chain, called the Blue Mountains, aving nome reaching the height of 7,270 feet. Verthquakes Jamaica is well watered, having numerbeen freque ous rivers and springs. ngs. Earthquakes of a violent character have been frequent. The climate in the districts along the ho unhealthfu coast is, in most places, exceedingly hot, but is not on the whole unhealthful dry season There are two rainy and two dry season: Among the indigenous forest trees ar ironwoody log mahogany, lignum vitæ, ironwood, logof them deliwood, braziletto, etc. The native fruits are numerous, and many of them delicious; they include the plantain, guava, kont зop, sweet ole, etc. The custard apple, pineapple, sour sop, sweet o, grape, bread sop, papaw, cashew apple, etc. The orange, lime, lemon, mango, grape, bread island. The fruit tree, and cinnamon tree have all products aro been naturalized in the island. The ento, bananas, chief cultivated vegetable products are arrow root. sugar, coffee, maize, pimento, bananas, and bananas and other fruits, ginger, arrow root. Uscks. The Sweet potatoes, plantains, and bananas troduced, and form the chief food of the blacks. The imals only tho cinchona tree has been introduced, and is spreading. Of wild animals only the agouti and monkey are numerous. Cattle-raising has become profitable. Fish abound in the sea and rivers. The gov The exports are sugar, rum, coffee, dyewoods, fruit, and pimento. The govand a legislaernment is vested in the governor, asmembers, 14 sisted by a privy council, and a legislaed or ex officio. tive council composed of 29 members, 14 elected, the others nominated or ex officio. the James and The English Church is presided over by infer indulged in a bishop, assisted by a regular staff of parochial clergy. The Baptists, Method and of thei Mark x: ists, Presbyterians, and other Protestant rging their may infer bodies are well represented, and there is mthelr warm and a considerable number of Roman Cathanerges, ably, of olics and Jews. mes was th charging Jamaica was discovered by Columbus ostles. Cle from their in 1494, in his second expedition to the New World. In half a century the Boanerges, James was cruelty of the Spanish conquerors exe tribunal apostles. terminated the natives. It was taken by claration o fragment Cromwell in 1655, and ceded to England If also a that the by the treaty of Madrid in 1670. Of hich he wa the tribunal late many Chinese and coolies have been Ce is the p declaration employed in agriculture. In 1865 a seri- AMES, the self also a ous revolt broke out among the blacks at 2 apostles which he Morant Bay, and was put down with con- Luke vi: 15 He is the siderable severity by Governor Eyre. ame was