Page:A Picturesque Tour of the Island of Jamaica.djvu/90

 place till his death, which happened at his house, Polygon, near Southampton, July 15, 1800. His first publication was a pamphlet entitled, “Thoughts on the Proceedings of Government respecting the Trade of the West India Islands with the United States of America,” 1784. This was followed by “A Speech delivered by him at a Free Conference between the Council and Assembly at Jamaica, held on the 25th November 1789, on the subject of Mr. Wilberforce’s Propositions to the House of Commons concerning the Slave Trade.” But his distinguished performance is his “History, Civil and Commercial, of the British Colonies in the West Indies,” 1793, 2 vols. 4to. a work of very superior merit, and of the highest authority, particularly in the commercial part. To a new edition of this work, published in 1801, 3 vols. 8vo., is prefixed a short Memoir of his early Life, written by himself. In 1796 Mr. Edwards published “The Proceedings of the Governor and Assembly of Jamaica in regard to the Maroon Negroes,” 8vo. In all these works Mr. Edwards’ style is easy and elegant, and many of his remarks highly valuable, as the result of long experience and observation.