Digital Grainger

An Online Edition of The Sugar-Cane (1764)

13

  • And where the magnet first its aid declin’d;1
  • Alone, unterrified, didst thou not view?
  • Wise Legislator, had the Iberian King2
  • Thy plan adopted, murder had not drench’d
  • In blood vast kingdoms; nor had hell-born Zeal, [115]
  • And hell-born Avarice, his arms disgrac’d.
  • Yet, for a world, discover’d and subdu’d,
  • What meed3 had’st thou? With toil, disease, worn out,

VER. 111. and where the magnet] The declension of the needle was discovered, A. D. 1492, by Columbus, in his first voyage to America; and would have been highly alarming to any, but one of his undaunted and philosophical turn of mind.

This century will always make a distinguished figure in the history of the human mind; for, during that period, printing was invented, Greek-learning took refuge in Italy, the Reformation began, and America was discovered.

The island of Jamaica was bestowed on Columbus, as some compensation for his discovery of the new world; accordingly his son James settled, and planted it, early [A. D. 1509] the following century. What improvements the Spaniards made therein is no where mentioned; but, had their industry been equal to their opportunities, their improvements should have been considerable; for they continued in the undisturbed possession of it till the year 1596, when Sir Anthony Shirley,4 with a single man of war, took and plundered St. Jago de la Vega,5 which then consisted of 2000 houses. In the year 1635, St. Jago de la Vega was a second time plundered by 500 English from the Leeward islands, tho’ that capital, and the fort, (which they also took) were defended by four times their number of Spaniards. One and twenty years afterwards, the whole island was reduced by the forces sent thither by Oliver Cromwell,6 and has ever since belonged to England. It is by far the largest island possessed by the English in the West Indies. Sir Thomas Modyford, a rich and eminent planter of Barbadoes, removed to Jamaica A. D. 1660, to the great advantage of that island, for he instructed the young English settlers to cultivate the Sugar-cane; for which, and other great improvements which he then made them acquainted with, King Charles,7 three years afterwards, appointed him Governour thereof, in which honourable employment he continued till the year 1669.8

  1. Refers to magnetic declination, the deviation of a compass needle from true north. ↩︎

  2. King Ferdinand II of Aragon. ↩︎

  3. Recompense, reward, gift. ↩︎

  4. Count Sherley (1565-1635?), English adventurer and diplomat who led ill-fated expeditions against the Portuguese in Cape Verde and against the Spanish in Jamaica. He later went to Persia to engineer an alliance against the Turks. ↩︎

  5. St. Jago de la Vega (or Santiago de la Vega) was the capital of Jamaica under Spanish colonial rule and then under English colonial rule until the late nineteenth century (the English renamed it “Spanish Town”). It lies just west of Kingston, the current capital of Jamaica. ↩︎

  6. Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), lord protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland (1653-1658). One of the leaders of the English Civil War and a signatory to Charles I’s death warrant. In 1655, he launched what was known as the Western Design with the intention of dislodging Spanish power in the Caribbean and establishing an English presence there. English forces first tried to conquer Hispaniola and failed, but they did succeed in expelling the Spanish from Jamaica in 1655. Cromwell died in 1658, and his remains were exhumed in 1661, at which time he was posthumously “executed.” ↩︎

  7. Charles II (1630-1685), king of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Son of Charles I (1600-1649) and brother of James II (1633-1701). He became king after the rule of Oliver Cromwell and the restoration of the British monarchy in 1660. ↩︎

  8. Thomas Modyford, first baronet (c. 1620-1679), served as governor of Jamaica from 1664 to 1669. ↩︎