A True DESCRIPTION OF JAMAICA, With the Fertility, Commodities, and Healthfulness of the place.  
As also The Towns, Havens, Creeks, Promontories, and the Circuit of the whole Island.  
LONDON, Printed by J. M. 1657.   

A True DESCRIPTION OF JAMAICA, With the Fertility, Commodities, and Healthfulness of the Place.  
THis Island is situated West from Hispaniola, South from Cuba, which Columbus heretofore called the Isle of St. james, but it's now better known by the name of jamaica. The eighteenth Degree of Northern Latitude cuts the middle of it. It is of equal distance from the two former great Islands, viz. twenty Leagues from each. The compass or circuit of the Island is an hundred and fifty leagues; its length from East to West is fifty leagues, the breadth is twenty, or better. This Island excels the others for the goodness both of the Air, and bounty of the soil, it is for the most part a plain and even Country, yielding in great abundance whatsoever is necessary for man's life. It breeds and nourishes very great store of Horses, Bulls, Cows, and Hogs: The Yucam (whereof Cassavi is made) is so plenteous, as that this Island (and most deservedly) may be reckoned the Granary of the rest of the Islands; Cotton-wool grows very frequently up and down the Island, which makes it to excel most in clothing; also whatever fruits God and Nature have planted from the beginning, or have by the industry and diligence of man been transplanted thither from any other part, do thrive in this Land wonderfully. The Spaniards, when first they arrived here, found the Island very well furnished with barbarous people, which since are strangely decreased; partly through the cruelty of their Lords, partly by reason of their own sloth and idleness.  
The Towns here (considering the bravery and goodness of the Island) are but few in number: at this day not above three, the chief of which is Sevil, upon the North side of the Island, not far from the Sea. Here was an Abbaty, whereof Peter Martyr, that famous Writer of the Indian affairs, was sometimes Abbot. The next Town to this, at an eleven Leagues distance Eastward, stands Melilla, famous for Columbus his Shipwreck, when in a tempestuous passage that he had from Veragua, he would so gladly have put in thither. The third Town is Oristan, upon the west side of the Island, fourteen Leagues from Sevil: But of the City de la Vega, whence the Columbi had the Title of their Dukedom, there is scarce at this time any memorial or remembrance.  
A great part of this Island, with the chief City of it, was subdued in the year 1596, by Sir Anthony Shirley.  
The Sea shore, where it most vergeth and bendeth itself toward the East, hath the high Promontory Moranta upon it, from which the said shore goes back by little and little toward the South-west, taking in the Sea in certain Creeks, than it goes directly forward toward the West so far as to the Promontory de Falcon, whence it turns to the westward, till it come to the Promontory del Negrillo, which lies outmost to the West, from thence again the shore turns in towards the East: In the Northern quarter of it, it hath many Stations and Ports, the chief of which lies nigh to Sevil, the next to Melilla, ten leagues from the former to the Eastward; the third janta, a like distance off, ten leagues from the former, and as many from the Promontory of Moranta, towards the west.  
In short, this Island for the richness and goodness of the soil, for the pleasantness of its woods, and the abundance of all good things, may very well contend with any other of the American Islands whatever, and in this respect excels them, that it hath so convenient and advantageous a situation between the greater Islands and the Western Continent of America: So as if our Countrymen would but raise up their dull spirits, and seriously set themselves to plant there, they would not only exceedingly advance the Public Interest, and benefit their Native Country, but very much advantage and enrich themselves, their children, and posterity; there being no Adventure or Merchandise in any part of the world undertaken as yet by the English, that is like to be of less hazard, and more certain profit, as evidently appears, in that he that first discovered these Countries, and best knew to make his choice, was only a Suitor for this Island; and when afterward he was asked by the Portugal why he did not cause the mines there to be wrought; he made answer, They would first go farther off, and when they had wrought out those, they would return thither, being a place nearer home, and of great security. I need not inform you of the great variety of Fish, and Fowl, nor the healthfulness of the place, when a man hath some little time been acquainted with the Ayr.  
And so my Countrymen, wishing such noble thoughts to possess your souls, as may incline you to some gallant endeavour and undertaking herein, that after times may say, this active Age hath not consigned us to one poor corner of the earth, but stirred us up to look upon that which the negligence of our Ancestors did cause them so unhappily to foreslow and forsake, I recommend you to the direction and Assistance of the Almighty.  
FINIS.