An Account of the Island of Jamaica Author:Peter Marsden Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: captain of a fhip muft take fuch perfoo oa board. : . Sunday being a day of reft, it is afto- jiiflxing to fee the number of kittereens and other carriages on... more » the roads: The flores are all fhut; and even the Haves are allowed to recreate themfelves. It is the negroes' market day; they bring all forts of fruit for fale in great abundance, and by their chear- ful looks one would imagine them the hap- pieft creatures breathing. In the afternoon ' they walk out in fwarms; the wenches in gowns white as fnow, white hats, and a handkerchief of the fame colour over their woolly heads. The gowns are made like negligees; and being moft of them very tall, and always preferving an upright poŁ. ture, they appear to great advantage. Some are of a jet black, extremely well made, have beautiful features, lively piercing eyes, and teeth like ivory. They commonly end the day with dancing, the man.r ner of which will be defcribedhereafter. . The merchants in general live well, Turtle, and various other kinds of filh, are very plentiful They kill no calves for veal, giving the preference to animal food of riper age. Of this the price is never lefs than one bit per pound, which is equal to fix- pence fterling, They ufually kill their own mutton which is either fat to an extreme or very lean, according to the wetnefs or drynefs of the feafon. When meat is very icaree, they have recourfe to fait beef, pork herrings, and cheefe; the common price of the latter is two bits per pound, as is alfo that of butter. Thefe and flour are fent from, home; with ale, porter, cyder, wine, and many other,, articles. The negroes live chiefly upon frefh and dried fifh, yams% fweet potatoes, caflava, plantains, Cocoas, bananas, Indian corn roafted, Guinea con) made into cakes, peafe and beans of various kinds, wh...« less