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A55720
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The present state of Jamaica with the life of the great Columbus the first discoverer : to which is added an exact account of Sir Hen. Morgan's voyage to, and famous siege and taking of Panama from the Spaniards.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing P3268; ESTC R1042
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34,539
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128
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Thomas Morgan and Capt. Linch these being got high enough to wind-ward Landed and took Cumana afterwards rang'd down all that Coast and Landed again at Puerto Cavalla Babanta where they took two Ships thence again for Corow where they met with about 30 or 40 Chests of the King's Money so returned to Jamaica with more Plunder in Money Plate and Jewels than ever was brought thither before by the English In 1658. the Spaniards Landed 300 men at Chircras on the North side and endeavour'd to Fortifie and provide for a great Body that was to come from New Spain by way of St. Jago de Cuba But the General having notice sent a Party that Razed the Fort and kill'd and took almost all the Spaniards Before this time all the Women and Children were gone to Cuba and only the men and Slaves remained under the Command of the Governour who skult up and down the Mountains and lived so wretched a life that most of his Negroes had deserted him and were come in to submit to the English General under the conduct of one Juan de Bola an ingenious Slave that had from Col. Doyly a Commission as 't was call'd to settle with them at Caymanos by St. Jago where he Govern'd them and was afterwards kill'd by some of our Run-away Negroes In 1659. the Spaniards sent the long expected Body of men that consisted of about 1200. who Landed and fortified at Rio Nova on the North side as soon as we had notice the General himself went thither with about 600 choice men and Volunteers that were embarked on the Grantham a Fifth Rate and Blackmore a Sixth Rate and some other small Vessels who Landed the General and his men in the very Port the next day they Attaqued and took the Fort the most of the Spaniards being kill'd and taken in it which was the bravest and last Action the English Army did on Jamaica for after this the Spaniard sent no more People or Supplies But the Governour Don Christopher endeavour'd to get off himself The latter end of this year Col. Doyly sent to Cromwell 10 or 12 Colours as Marks and Trophies of this Victory But the Messenger Col. Barry found him Dead so he never had one syllable of any thing that was grateful from the vastest Expence and greatest Design that was ever made by the English In 1660. there was a Mutiny for which Col. Tyson and Col. Boymond was shot to Death In 1661. his Majesty sent Col. Doyly a Commission for Governour with order to Disband the Army upon which he Erects a Civil Government and People begin to Plant judging the Island would not be surrendred again to the Spaniard In 1662. came my Lord Windsor a Governour and brought with him 〈◊〉 Donative of 20000 l. which the King was pleased to give the Army at their Disbanding My Lord presently after his Arrival sent Capt. Mims in the Centurion with some Souldiers to take St. Jago de Cuba which they performed with most Remarkable Resolution and Success on their return My Lord being very sick and uneasie embarques on the Bear for England Sir Charles Littleton in 1633. is Deputed Governour by my Lord Windsor he sent Capt. Mimms in the Centurion with divers Privateers and Land-men in the Bay of Campeach where he bravely enough took the Town but no great Plunder neither there nor at St. Jago In Sir Charles Littleton's time was Charles Fort almost built the Government form'd and the first Assembly call'd and Laws made But he being sick and having left all his Family was likewise disposed to return and having the King's Licence for as also an Order to Invest the Council with the Power In the beginning of 1664. the Council chose Col. Thomas Linch their President and Sir Charles Littleton made him Commander in chief which he exercis'd till the Arrival of Sir Thomas Modyford Sir Tho. Modyford came in June 1664. and a week before him Col. Edw. Morgan and now People began vigorously to apply themselves to Planting Sir Thomas understanding and incouraging it exceedingly In the Griffin he sent his eldest Son the Major General for his Lady But the Frigat and he was both cast away near the Gulph of Florida so she came not till the year following At the beginning of his Government he endeavour'd a Peace with the Spaniards But not being able to effect it he encourages the Privateers and Capt. Henry Morgan having signalized his courage by burning a Spanish Admiral that shut him and Capt. Pennant and other Privateers up in the Bay of Maricaio Sir Thomas made use of him to Imbody the Privateers which he effects in the year 1668. and Sir Thomas makes him Admiral And that joyning with several French by the assistance of a Dutch man Lands in the Bay and came over the Mountains by night into the Town of Porto Bello which they surpriz'd and resolutely took the Castle that commanded the Town and afterwards that which commanded the Harbour then quitted both having pieces of Eight for delivering the Powder and not Razing their Forts With this Money he brought the Plague to Jamaica that kill'd my Lady Modyford and many People And in the year following Sir Thomas Modyford employ'd Major Beeston to draw the Privateers together again to serve under Admiral Morgan which he effected and they joyning with divers French Vessels went for Panama and bravely took the Fort of Changra But before they came to Panama they found it set on fire by the President so returned to their Ships but in beating up to Jamaica many Vessels fail'd so that Men most miserably perish'd on barren Islands and Rocks By this and such like Designs many brave men were lost and no real advantage brought to the Island And in the year 1670. the Treaty about the West Indies was concluded at Madera and Sir Thomas Modyford removed Sir Thomas Linch made his Majesties Lieutenant Governour and Commander in Chief and arrived at Jamaica June 24. 1671. The same Month he sent Major William Beeston to Cartagena in the Assistance Frigat to notifie the Peace and the March following he made Sir Thomas Modyford a Prisoner aboard the Frigat and sent him for England for breaking the Peace with the Spaniards contrary to his Majesties Express Orders And five or six Months after Admiral Morgan on the same account Sir Thomas Linch endeavoured to procure a good un-understanding between the two Nations according to the Treaty and his Orders and put to Death One Jonson a Dutch man which was the only Privateer ever suffered for all the Murther Rapine and Violence those dissolute People have committed on the Spaniards In his time the Portland took a Caper and the Thomas and Francis His Majesties Hir'd Ship and a Privateer took a Dutch Ship of 544 Negroes which were more beneficial to the Island than all the Prizes ever brought to it During the time of his Government many Ships were loaded with the Product of the Island before it never
one And in the end of his Government Land was risen to five times the value it was at in the beginning Col. Tassel and Mr. Rogers at his command run a Chain round the Island An exact Mapp and Survey was sent home by my Lord Vaughan in his time were abundance of Cattel Imported from Cuba which brought down their Price from 12 to 14 l. per Head to 4 and 5 l. In his time Fairs and Markets were Erected at St. Jago Liguania Port-Royal c. Sir Thomas Linch remitted to the Kings principal Secretary of State a large and exact State of the Government of Jamaica of the Church the Laws the Militia and Revenue which was in brief thus His Majesty is Soveraign Lord and Proprietor of this Island in all Writs Commissions and Grants He is stiled King of England c. and Lord of Jamaica the Governour Represents His Person and is invested with his Power being enabled by his Commission under the Great Seal and directed by his Instruction how to Govern and it is alwaies during his Majesties pleasure Here 12 Councellours are chosen by the Governour and Constituted in all Emergencies and Causes like the King's Councel here the which they Resemble and the House of Lords because they Sit with the Assembly the Governour cannot suspend them without giving Advice to the Principal Secretary of the Cause This Government by practice as well as order from His Majesty is Assimulated as near as possible to that in England which renders it grateful to the People who believe they ought to enjoy their Property and Native Right where they are under the King's Dominion so nothing be inflicted on them but by the course of Law nor taken from them but by Acts themselves have consented to Therefore they have by His Majesties Order in Jamaica Assemblies that consist of 32 Persons chosen indifferently by the Freeholders of the 14 Parishes In these Assemblies the Governour has a Negative Voice he Calls Prorogues and Dissolves them at pleasure the Governour the Councel and the Assembly are invested with the Legislative Power and are Convened to make some little Municipal Laws proper to the usage of the Island about Governing Servants Slaves Officers High-waies Church Militia but chiefly to raise Money for the support of the Government What Laws they make are to be sent into England and to be of force but for two years unless the King consent then perpetual unless Revoked as they were made There is but seven Churches in the Island that is one at St. Davids Liguania Port-Royal St. Jago St. Johns and Vere The Governour seems to be the King's Deputy or Bishop of London's Suffragan for he Presents and Inducts and the Parsons being admitted every Parish is bound to allow 100 l. per annum at the least Pot-Royal 200 l. St. Jago 130 l. by Act of the Assembly made in Sir Thomas Linch his time when only these Parishes above-named were supply'd The Governours Residence was at St. Jago more within the Land and easier for People to apply themselves to him he named or appointed all the Officers only such as the King made under the Great Seal of England as the Secretary of the Island that makes all the publique Dispatches keeps the Office of Inrollment And the Marshal who is the Executive Officer of Justice in the nature of a Sheriff Usher of the Black-Rod and Jaylor for the Administration of Justice and better Government of the Parishes There is Sessions of the Justices Quarterly held at Morant Liguania Port-Royal St. Jago St. John Clarendon St. Elizabeth every of these Precincts have a particular Custos Rotulorum appointed who with the Justices and other Officers Present Reform Examine and punish all Crimes Disorders and Misdemeanors that are within their Cognizance by the Laws of England or those of the Island All Pleas of the Crown and Civil Causes are heard and Determined in the Grand Court that Sits Quarterly at St. Jago and thither Errours and Causes are brought from the Inferiour Courts this being like the Kings-Bench Court of Exchequer and Assizes in England In some extraordinary Cases the Governour Grants Commissions of Oyer and Terminer The Governour is Chancellor and Keeper of the Great Seal of the Island which the King sent by Sir Charles Littleton to my Lord Windsor It 's a Cross charged with four Pines the Reverse his Majesty in his Throne an Indian kneeling and presenting him All publique Commissions and Grants are seal'd with this Seal To every Planter the Governour Grants Thirty Acres per Head for which he gives his Warrant then the Surveyor of the Precinct within which it lies runs it out and returns it to the Clerk of the Pattents which draws the Grant so 't is held of the King in Common and pays for what Sir Thomas Modyford Granted 25 s. per 1000. for what Sir Thomas Linch Granted a half penny per Acre By an Act of the Assembly an Office of Inrollment is Erected and kept by the Secretary where the Pattent and all Deeds and private Writings are Recorded to prevent Law-suits and fraudulent Conveyances and is in the nature of a Registry All Actions at Law between Neighbours are tryed in the Inferiour Courts which are in the nature of Court Barons here There 's one at Morant Liguania Port-Royal St. Johns Clarendon St. Elizabeth and the North side each Court has its Judge 12 Assistants Clerk Marshal and any person may plead his own Cause They hold Pleas of any sum under 20 l. and of greater sums when they take a Justicias out of the Chancery which the Governour grants of course and here all Appeals with the assistance of some of the Councel that sit as the Probate of Wills Licences for Marriages c. are dispatch'd in the Secretarys Office and the Governour seems to be in the nature of Judge of the Prerogative Court At Port-Royal is establisht a Naval Office that takes care of the Entrys dispatches of Vessels and the observance of their Acts of Navigation The Governour is Vice Admiral to his Royal Highness and has a Commission to Command all his Majesties Ships that come to the Island and likewise a large Commission to Erect Courts of Admiralty and exercise all those Maratime powers his Royal Highness hath so there 's at Port-Royal a Judge-Admiral with all the needful Officers that proceed in the Court according to the forms of Admiralty used here and in other parts The Militia is Commanded by the Governour according to the power he Reigns from His Majesty and the Laws of the Country for there 's a particular Act that appoints the time of Mustering the Persons the Arms aad the Places of Rendezvous Here 's no Souldiers paid by the King all the Officers are made by the Governour At St. Thomas and St. Davids is one Regiment another at St. Andrews Port-Royal St. Catherines St. Johns Clarendon St. Elizabeth and North side and in every one of these Regiments is one Troop of