t.1762. A defcription of the Havannah. The city stands in the most fruitful part the island, and the only part where e are any farms, the reft being alt deftitute of inhabitants. It is built the weft fide of the harbour, in a detful plain along the fhore, which ads fo much, that above half of it is hed by the fea, and the reft by two nches of the river Lagida. The stone dings are elegant, but not lofty: the ets are narrow, but ftraight and in; and the houfes very handfome, ill furnished. Here are eleven church and monafteries, and two handfome pitals. Near the middle of the town i fpacious fquare, furrounded with unim buildings. The churches are rich 1 magnificent; the lamps, candlesticks, 1 ornaments for the altars, being of d and filver. Some of the lamps are the most curious workmanship, and igh near an hundred weight." The collects church, which ftands on the ft ground in the city, has twelve beaual chapels in it; and in the monastery e cells for fifty fathers. The church of Clare has seven altars, all adorned th plate: and the nunnery contains an ndred women and fervants, all cloathed blue. The church belonging to the Auftines has thirteen altars, and that of St hn de Dios nine, with an hofpital for Idiers of 12,000 pieces of eight revenue. It is the feat of the governor and capin-general of Cuba, and of the royal ficers, as well as of an affeffor for the liftance of the governor and captain-geeral of the Indies. It is in fact a city of the greatest imortance to the Spaniards of all their ities in America, as being the place of endezvous for all their fleets in their reurn from that quarter of the world to pain, lying at the mouth of the gulf of lorida, through which they are all obliged to pass. Here the navy of Spain, ftaoned in the Indies, ride; and here the galleons, flota, and other merchant-fhips from other ports, both of the continent and iflands, meet in September, to take En provifions and water, with great part of their lading, and for the convenience of returning to Spain in a body. A continual fair is held till their departure, which generally happens before the end of the month, when proclamation is made, forbidding any perlon belonging to the fleet to flay in town on pain of death; and accordingly on firing the warning gun, they all retire on board, VOL. XXIV. 477 The commerce carried on in this port, which is very confiderable, we will, for the fake of perfpicuity, divide into the particular commerce of the ifle of Cuba, and that more general by the galleons. The former confifts in hides, ufually ftyled of the Havannah, which are excellent, and of great value; fugar, tobacco, admirable in its kind, &c. Though frangers are prohibited to trade, yet a contraband commerce is carried on brifker here than at La Vera Cruz. It must be observed, that the traffick of the island of Cuba is not entirely confined to the Havannah, but extends itself to other ports, particularly St Jago de Cuba, where there are frequently many little veffels from the Canaries and other parts, which trade entirely for the commodities of the country. As to the general commerce, this port is the place of rendezvous (as already mentioned) for all hips, particularly from Puerto Velo, and Vera Cruz, which return into Spain from the Indies. The Havannah is regularly fupplied with European goods, only by the register-fhips from Cadiz and the Canaries. The flota and galleons bring there no more than the refufe of their cargoes, which they had not been able to difpofe of at Carthagena, Puerto Velo, or Vera Cruz. When the fleet. is in the bay, provifions are excellively dear on fhore, and money fo plenty, that a Spaniard expects half a piece of eight a day from a male flave, and a quarter from a female, out of what they can earn by their labour. The fleet generally fails from thence, through the channel of Bahama, in the month of September; and is the richest in the world; fince, in filver and merchandise, there is feldom lefs than thirty millions of pieces of eight on board, or fix millions feven hundred and fifty thoufand pounds of our money. It is natural to imagine, that a place of fuch importance to Spain fhould be properly fortified, in order to render it capable of making a long defence against the inoft powerful attack; its ftrength, therefore, is an article of the greatest confequence.On the land fide, the city has a wall fortified with baftions, and a caitle on the fide towards the harbour; at the mouth of which are alfo two other ftrong caftles, fuppofed fufficient to defend the raflage against any number of fhips. The chief and frongest of thefe caftles is called El Moro, (the Headland), from the point on which it ftands, on the 3 R ealt eaft fide of the entrance of the harbour; but the British failors call it Moor-castle, and others El Muro, (the wall). It is fituated at the foot of two hills, and built on a rock, in which a ditch is cut, filled with fea-water. It is of a triangular figure, with three large baftions, and mounted with forty pieces of cannon, twenty-four pounders. From this cattle there runs a wall or line mounted with twelve very long pieces of cannon, lying almost level with the water. These are all thirty-fix pounders, and most of them brafs, being called, by way of emninence, The Twelve Apofiles. At the point between this caftle and the fea, ftands a tower, having a round lantern at the top, where a centinel continually watches, to fee what fhips are approach ing the harbour, and of which he gives notice by hoisting as many flags as they are in number. The fecond caftle at the mouth of the harbour is called the Pontal, and by fome others Mefa de Maria, (the Virgin Mary's table). It stands on a plain ground, on the fide of the entrance, oppofite to the former, is a regular forti fication, with four baftions, and well mounted with cannon. The third fortification is called by the Spaniards El Fuerty, (the Fort), by way of eminence, to diftinguith it from the other two. It is a small, but ftrong work, near the end of the narrow channel on the weft fide of the harbour, having four regular baftions, and a platform, mounted with about fixty large pieces of brafs cannon. Befides thefe three forts, there are two others, of twelve guns each, fituated on the fhore, four or five miles from the port. That on the eaft fide is called Cojamar, and the other on the west Chorre ra.-- But the fortifications, however ftrong they may be of themselves, are rendered incapable of making any great defence by their fituation, being all of them commanded by the lands called the Cavannos, running along the north-east fide of the harbour. All the fortifications at the Point gate, fronting the mouth of the harbour, are overlooked by thefe Cavannas, and may even be flanked from thence by mufquetry. From the above account it is evident, that though the Havannah is well fortified, and perhaps fronger than any other place belonging to the Spaniards in the West Indies, yet it is far from being impregnable, as fome have pretended. There is however one particular that may baffle the beft-concerted attempts upon this place, we mean the rainy fea fon, which begins in the month of July. The lofs of this place would ruin the Spanish trade, and all their ports on the eaft-fide of the continent would eafily fall into the hands of the conquerors, if they purfued the blow with refolution and intrepidity. The Havannah is fupplied with fre water by a final river called Lagida which rifes from the hills on the fouth weft fide of the town, and divides itfelf into three ftreams, one of which falls into the fea on the eaft fide of the town; but the other two flow through the place,enter ing the walls near the middle of the city. The other ports on this large ifiand are little frequented; though that called Cumberland harbour, fituated in the fouth east part of the ifland, is one of the belt in the Weft Indies, capable of fhelter ing the largest fleet, and fupplied with a fine fresh-water river, navigable feveral leagues up: the country round it is healthy, and abounds with cattle and provifions. Royal Mag. A letter from a farmer who has been many years an attentive obferver of the yearly feafons and yearly crops in Britain, to his friend in London. Wrote to you the 21st of May laft, that I had for a long while thought it was too likely, that a very unexpected, and, in all appearance, a great dearth of corn would arife in Britain in the year 1763. The caufes, which I there aligned at more length, were, that the corn-raifers had been induced, or driven by neceffity, to fow much less corn, for fome years paft, than in former years; because for this, and the three preceding years, there had flood a difadvantage against all undertakers of corn-raising, of 20 per cent. at loweft, by reafon of the high price of labour for thele years, and the low price of corn: for that the price they had drawn for thefe four years, for all their grain, at medium-prices, for the four years, was thought to have been even 25 per cent. lower than the medium-price of any ten years of the century paft, which is the ufual beacon the corn-raifer keeps in his view yearly, while he is laying down his yearly plan for fowing: That from thefe motives, the corn-raifers all over Britain had converted a great part of their arable corn-lands into meadow and pasture; the returns of which had suffered no discount by Sept.1762. Of the feafons and crops for fome years paft. by low price, but had rather become of more value; and had turned other large quantities of their arable corn-lands to the production of various other gainful crops; fuch as potatoes, turneps, flax, grafs-feeds, &c. none of which can be ftored up, over year, as corn can, for prevention of fcarcity of food: That the flow returns being now fo much impaired by that low price, had ftopt the progrefs of improvement of waftes; the product of which fort of lands had increafed corn, and kept pace for forty years paft, to the full, with the increasing numbers, and the increafing confumption of this ifland; but that this fource was now no longer in a way of raifing that fupply. I added, that this diminution of fowing was an evil on the growth, and that by this time it must have arrived to a high pitch; and that of confequence the fowing for this crop 1762, must have been much lefs than any former year; and that the whole growth of this crop 1762, though it fhould prove of great increafe, could not amount to a quantity fufficient for our confumption in the year 1763. I alledged, that the circumftance of the continuation of the ftop put to the distillery, had contributed greatly to imprefs and confirm the minds of corn-raifers with a thorough belief, that corn was funk at leaft 20 per cent. below the par value of former years; and was a further induce ment to them to fow lefs corn; and that as these motives had affected every indi. vidual corn-raifer's fcheme, it must have amounted on the whole to a high article of diminution of fowing. I added, that befides this voluntary diminution of fowing, the corn-raisers had been reftrained from fowing even this diminifhed quantity of feed, which they were intending to fow for the corp 1762, by the impracticable feafons of the autumn 1761 and fpring 1762. I fignified, that I was even doubtful, whether we could ftave off this dearth till the year 1763. Very foon after I had wrote you in this ftrain, the prices of corn began to rife; upon which event I wrote to you again of the 11th of June, that my furmifes were too likely to prove true; and obferved, that in order to gain a fuller credit to my hypothefis, before the full completion of it fhould make it felt, I fhould fet fome marks which you might judge by. I faid, that you would fee that thole parts of the island who were felling oats, upon this rife of price, would foon be in 479 want; and that the inhabitants there would be offering double price for the fame grain within two or three months; and this you know literally happened in a fhorter space, by a rife of cent. per cent. upon that article. I likewife fet marks of the wheat and barley prices, which you know have come to pafs. I told you, that the barley, which kept moderate in price, would be much wanted when the time of demand for it came. My reafon for faying fo was, because I had then learned, (and am more confirmed in it fince that time), that the higher expence of culture for barley than for other grain, and its being the most unvendible and ufelefs grain upon the corn-raiser's hands, had determined the corn-raifers, in many parts of Britain, to leave that grain out of their fucceflion of crops altogether; or to fubftitute in its room peafe or oats, which two forts you fee have been fearched for by the merchants, and are found to be very fcarce in Britain. You will hear it faid, that the wheat-crop now on the ground, or reaping, is univerfally good and well-looking. That is likely enough: but you will find it a proof of my pofitions; for it fhews, that the bad feafon of 1761 had been fo univerfally bad, and the rains so uninterrupted, that inftead of one third lefs being fown than was intended, which I fet it to in my letter of the 21st of May, it appears, that none at all has been got fown after the first fall of the rains about the middle of September N. S. before which time they could not in England have got above one half of their wheat-feed fown: for had they attempted to fow any after these rains fell, every body knows that the growth from that sowing must have looked ill, or at leaft difplayed fome vifible defects from fo wet a fowing. You'll obferve too, that it is likewife become evident, that this crop 1762, (feemingly little able to bear a fhock), meets with an unforeseen very bad accident from this unparallelled drought, which occafions a great fcarcity of hay; and still a greater fcarcity of foggage, or aftermath, on the meadow and pasture grounds. This muft occafion fo very great and unufual a confumption of our stock of corn, by every perfon who is poffeffed of horfes or cattle, endeavouring to keep up, or at leaft to keep alive, their ftock of beafts, by the help of corn-feeding, as must bear very hard upon this fcanty product of crop 1762, which is all we have to main3 R 2 tain From Mr MORRICE's Memoirs of the fir Upon the ruin of the royal family, and I have heard him repeat a remarkable incident that happened during his redence there; which, as it will fhew the diftrefs of the royal party in those days, may, perhaps, be acceptable to the curi ous. tain us in the year 1763. The wafte that may be occafioned in this way would bear a great poife, if put in the balance against the highest export we ever made. If the train of thefe arguments is well founded, it feems to call for the ferious confideration of all concerned, and more efpecially of corn-railers; feeing it may be very long before we can, in the ordinary courfe of things, meet with relief. For in order to lanch out for increafing the quantity of fowing, the corn-raifers begin with a confumption of corn, and an expence of money, as it were in November or December 1762, (if their other The parish-church of Marfton is very works allow them to begin fo early), by near to the manfion-houfe: Lord Orrer? ploughing their lands for fallow; they never failed to go thither on a Sunday, continue that land in fallow till autumn but one Sunday, having fat there fore 1763, when they fow their wheat; and time, and being disappointed of the then they do not reap this wheat before au qualified minifter, his Lord/hip was pretumn 1764, nor can it be brought to paring to return home, when his fervants market much fooner than the year 1765. told him, a perfon in the church offered The process for barley is much the fame; to preach. His Lordfhip, though he fo that if the diminution of fowing has looked upon the propofal only as a piece been growing upon us, the increase of it of enthufiafin, gave permillion; and was again comes by a progreffion fo tedious never more furprifed, or delighted, than and flow, that it feems, in the prefent cir with the fermon, which was filled with cumftances of this nation, to become a learning, fenfe, and piety. His Lordvery alarming prospect. If proprietorship would not fuffer the preacher to eof lands, and their farmers, fee this in the fame light as I have long feen it, it would appear to be greatly for their intereft, to break up meadow and pasture fward grounds this autumn with one furrow, and fow them on that furrow with wheat; and thefe lands were never in a more proper condition for this practice than now. A very fmall and inconfiderable portion of the meadow and pafture Jands of England employed this way, would bring in very high returns to the farmers of thefe lands; and in all probability might prove the only means of preventing a higher and a longer continued dearth of corn coming upon us, than has been heard of in our times. Many are able to apply this remedy; but there are few of the corn-railers in Britain, at prefent, able to extend their undertakings in the ordinary courfe defcribed, fo as to bring us relief in that flow and tedious way, even at the diftant period of the year 1765; for the 20 per cent. difadvantage lying against that body of men for four years, and the difinal fcarcity of food for their cattle now come upon them, must greatly retard any endeavours they can make; and indeed I am afraid that the violence of the difeafe will very foon fhow, that it much requires the quickest remedy. fcape unknown, but invited him to dinner; and inquiring of him his name, life, and fortune, received this anfwer: "My Lord, my name, is Aberry: I am a clergyman of the church of England, and a loyal fubject to the King: I have lived three years in a poor cottage under your warren-wall, within a few paces of your Lordship's houfe. My fon lives with me, and we read and dig by turns. I have a little money, and fome few books, and I fubmit chearfully to the will of Provi dence." This worthy and learned man (for fuch Lord Orrery always called him) died at Marston fome years after; but not till his Lordship had obtained an allowance of 301. per ann. for him, without any ob ligation of taking the covenant. Thus far Mr Morrice. As a memorial of the above tranfac tion, the poor cottage in which Mr Alber ry lived, with a little garden adjoining to it, is ftill kept up in its old form by the prefent Earl of Cork and Orrery, being taken into his gardens; and the two rooms of which it confifts, tiz, a kitchen poflible in the tafte of thofe times, and with and a chamber, are furnished as much as all forts of ufeful furniture, and books, prints, &c. of equal antiquity. Gent. Mag, |