A Description of the island of Jamaica with the other isles and territories in America, to which the English are related ... : taken from the notes of Sr. Thomas Linch, Knight, governour of Jamaica, and other experienced persons in the said places : illustrated with maps / published by Richard Blome.

Their Harbours, Roads, and Bays▪

This Island abounds with goo•• Bayes, Roads, and Harbours: th•• Principal amongst which are

Port-Royal, formerly called Cag¦way, situate on the extream en•• of that long point of Land whic•• makes the Harbour, which is e••¦ceeding commodious for Shippin•• and secured by one of the stronge•••• and most considerable Castles th•••• his Majesty hath in all Americ•• in which are mounted about 6•• peeces of Ordnance, and is we•••• guarded with Souldiers. It is land lock't by a point of Land that run 12 miles South-East from the mai•• of the Island, having the great R••¦ver that runs by Los Angelos, and•• St. Jago falling into it, where Ship•• do commonly water, and conven••¦ently

wood. The Harbour is 2. or 3. leagues cross in most places, and hath every where good Ancho∣rage, which is so deep, that a Ship of a 1000 Tunn may lay her sides to the shore of the Point, and load, and unload with planks a Float: which commodiousness, doth make it to be the most frequented by Men of War, and Merchants Ships of any in the Island, and as much inhabited by the Merchants, Store∣house-keepers, Vintners, & Alehouse-keepers, being the only noted place of Trade in the Isle, and doth con∣tain (since the English became Ma∣sters of it) about 800. Houses, being about 12 miles and a half in length, and the houses are as dear-rented as if they stood in well-traded Streets in London; yet it's situation is very unpleasant and uncommodious, ha∣ving neither Earth, Wood, or Fresh∣water,

but only made up of a hot loose Sand, and being thus popu∣lous, and so much frequented, as well by Strangers, as by the Plan∣ters, in the negotiation of their Affairs as being the scale of Trade, provisions are very dear. This Town or Port is seated about 12 miles from the Metrapolitan Town of the Island called St. Jago, or St. Jago de la vega, or the Spanish Town; of which I shall treat anon.

Port-Morant in the Eastern Point, a very Capacious and secure Har∣bour, where Ships do convenient∣ly Wood, Water, and Ride safe from the Windes, and about this place is a potent Colony of the English seated.

Old-Harbour Westwards, from St. Jago, a good Bay for Ships to Ride in.

Point-Negril in the extream

Western Point, very good and suf∣ficiently convenient, and secure to windward, in which men of war do often ply, when they look for the Spanish Ships, whence a little North-west, was seated the Old town of Melilla, founded by Colum∣bus, after the shipwrack there; which was the 1^st place that the Spaniards setled at, and afterwards deserted.

Port-Antonio seated on the North, a very safe land-lock't-Har∣bour, only the coming in is som∣what difficult, the Channel being narrowed by a little Island that lies off the mouth of the Port, be∣ing wholly taken up by the Right Honourable, Charles Earl of Car∣lisle, Visc. Howard of Morpeth, Lord Dacres of Gilsland, Lord Lieute∣nant of the Counties of Cumber∣land and Westmerland, and one of the Lords of his Majesties most Honourable Privy Council, &c.

Here are several other good Bayes, and Harbours, along the Coast of this Island; the names of which are set down in the Map, a∣mongst which, these are very com∣modious and good, viz.

In the South-part

• Michaels Hole.
• Micary Bay.
• Allegator Pont.
• Point Pedro.
• Pallate Bay.
• Lewana Bay.
• Blewfelds Bay.
• Cabaritaes Bay.
  • All very good and Commodious Bayes for Ships.

In the North-part

• Porto-Maria
• Ora Cabessa
• Cold-Harbour
• Rio-Nova
• Montega-Bay
• Orang-Bay
  • All very good Bays for Shipping.

Notes

• Port∣Royal.
• Port-Morant.
• Old Har∣bour.
• Point-Negrill.
• Port-An∣tonio.
• Other good bayes & Harbors.