stinguish'd from New England, or other Horses, which have rough Coats or Skins. A great many are wild in the Woods, who are taken with Cords, and tam'd by Horse-Catchers.
At the time of the first taking of the Island by the English, there was great plenty of wild Cattle in all the Savannas, and they were caught the most part by cutting the great Tendons of their Legs behind, whereby they were disabled to run, and were for the most part destroyed by the Soldiers who had little else to feed on. This way of taking wild Black Cattle by hunting, cutting their Tendons or Lancing, is what is used by the Spaniards in their Islands and Continent, and by the Privateers or Bucaniers; but in Jamaica there remain very few wild Cattle to be taken, and those are in the North side of the Island, in the less frequented parts. The manner by which the Spaniards and English kill'd these Cattle, besides the wild Dogs who used of themselves to hunt and kill them, was with a Lance or Halberd, on the end of which was an Iron sharpned, and made in the shape of a Crescent or Half moon. These wild Cattle are said much to exceed the others in taste.
When I was in Jamaica, the Town of Port Royal was situated on a sandy Point; at the farther end whereof, towards Liguanee runs a narrow Neck of sandy ground about three Miles long. This Town had a very good and secure Harbour, defended from all Winds by the Land, and by a Reef running out a great way beyond the Cayos. In this Harbour there was so deep water, that the greatest Ship might lie with her side to the Keys. The Town or Point with violent Sea-Breezes, had suffered some small Inundations of the Sea, and some small diminution; but by hindering People from taking Stones from the Reefs, and barricadoing the Town against it, no such thing had happened lately. The Town or Point was fortified very well with a Fort, and several Batteries both to the Sea and Land; and on the sandy Neck were likewise planted prickly Pears to hinder the march of any Enemy that way. The Winds have sometimes by making several Currents in the Water, forc'd the Sand into some parts of the Channel where Ships used to come in, wherefore 'tis now become straiter, and some Ships have been put on ground. The Town consisted of about Fifteen hundred Houses, which at first were of Wood, but lately were of Brick for the most part. It was built here for a Conveniency for Seamen and Soldiers on the English Fleets being in this Harbour, when they took the Island, and afterwards it came by degrees to what it lately was. It was in its Infancy design'd to have been removed to the Salt Pans, which is just opposite to it on the firm Land of the Island, that so there might be a readier Communication at any time betweenthis
