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Show 136 JAMAICA. labor (or in other words to retain slavery under a new form) interrupted the prosperity of these fertile districts. A better understanding had begun to prevail among the parties; and these parishes were aftording abundant evidence that wherever liberty ·is lej~ alone, thrift goes along with it, to the comfort and benefit of all classes of the people. We observed one large merchantman waiting for sugar, at St. Anne's Bay, three at Falmouth, and about twelve at Montego Bay. A pleasant drive of twenty-two miles, by the sea coast brought us, on Seventh day (Saturday) evening, to the last mentioned place. It is a town of about 12,000 inhabitants, situated at the foot of wooded hills, and at the inland extremity of a very beauti· ful bay-quite a good-looking place, and, like other towns in Jai;llaica, rapidly improving. We met with the kindest reception from the wife of our friend, Thomas Burchell, the Baptist missionary. He was himself absent at a country station, but his people flocked about us, and seemed overjoyed at our arrival. Although the notice of our coming had been short, and no service had previously been expected, nearly 3,000 of them assembled at the chapel the next morn· ing, with scarcely any mixture of white persons, and displayed a seriousness and propriety of demeanor, which reflected much credit both on themselves, and on their absent pastor. In the afternoon, I was ac· companied by Walter Finlayson and Levi Lewin, two of the magistrates, on visits to the house of correction and jail, for the county of Cornwall-that is, for about one third of the island. The jail was nearly empty. In the house of correction, I found about fifty offend· JAMAICA. 137 ers, in a very insecure prison without 1 .6 . I li ' c as~t cation and ear great! y neglected as to r . ' ' . re lgwus care or culture Wretched l. unatiCs were mingl e d W.i t h the othe · · mates of this sad abode. The . . r Ill- . . prJsoners, m each plac hsten.e d With atten.t ion to 'a "•h ort a dd ress, delivered' te , them on the occaswn, and I trust th, .11 1 . 0 . d . . ey WI c atm the mcrease chr1st1an care of pious . d" "d . • • Ill IVI nals hvino- · their own neighborhood · Afte r an overflowingo aIsl l sembly for worship in the evening at the M h d'. - · h ' et o 1st meetmg ouse, the day ended in peace. I am, &c. &c. |