Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 11.djvu/116

* JAMAICA. 100 JAMAICA. fauna, Jamaica resembles the other West Indian islands (see West Indies), tliouf,'h it has a number of features peculiar to itself, especially in ils Uora, which is remarkably rich and varied. Venomous snakes are unknown. The climate of Jamaica is, next to its remarkable vegetation, the principal attraction of the isl.ind. Although it is quite liuniid and warm near the coast, the higlier regions enjoy a delightfully mild, dry, and equable climate, with an annual range of temperature scarcely exceeding 10°, and with especially salutary effect in cases of pulmonary diseases. The chief industry of the island is agriculture. The mountainous regitms are given up largely to pasture, while the plantations are found mostly in the lowlands. In lOOO there were over 178.000 acres under tillage, and about 380.000 under pasture. The sugar and coll'ce plantations eadi occupied about onescvontli of the total area under tillage; over '27.,'JOO acres were under bananas, while over 124.000 acres were sown with guinea-grass, which is fed to cattle. The cultiva- tion of sugar has greatly decline<l of late, owing largely to the eouqx'tition of beet-sugar, and it has been replaced ))artly by the cultivation of fruit, especially bananas. The chief agricultural products are fruit, cofi'ce, tobacco, and sugar. Dye-woods are also jiroduced to some extent. The land is divided into small holdings, those of five afres and less numliering over 72.000 out of the total numl)er of about 80,000. The manu- facturing industries are undeveloped. The chief industrial establishments are the sugar-mills, oil-presses, tanneries, etc. The annual exports of the colony sliow an in- crease during the period of 1870-1000 from £1,- .3.37,r):iO (.$,005.741) to £1,808,070 ( .'(0.(KW.O7'2 ) , and the imports from fl,.347,342 ($(„5.'">0.1fl) to £1.800.805 ($8,702.20.5) during the same period. The trade is chiefly with the I'niti'd States, Great Britain, and Cana.da, The imports from the L'nitcd States inerea.sed from 31.4 per cent, in 1879 to 45.1 per cent, in 1800: the share of Cireat Britain fell off during the same period from 50.9 per cent, to 44.7, and that of Canada from alxmt 14 per cent, to 7.1 per cent. The exports of the colony show the same tendency; the I'nited .States h-d with 50 per cent, in 1800, against 14.9 por cent, in 1879, the share of Great Britain having declined from 73.2 per cent, to 20 per cent, during the same period. The chief exports are fruit, sugar, nmi, coffee, dye-wood, and pimento. Tlic proportion of sugar in the exports of the colonv sliows a decline fiom 30.0 per cent, in 1879 to 9.8 in 1899; that of rum from 14.4 per cent, in 1879 to 0.1 in 1899; eolTee declined from 18.3 per cent, to 10.5 diiring the same period: while fruit showed an increase from 2.9 per cent, to 41.4 during the same period. The imports are composed chiefly of textiles, fish, and flour. .lamaica is administered by a Governor, assisted by a privy council, appointed by the Crown, and a legislative council consisting in 1900 of fifteen members nominated by the Governor, and fifteen elected by limited suffrage. .Ml financial meas- ures must receive the approval of the Governor before they are submitted to the consideration of the Legislature. The Governor has the right to increase the number of nominated mem- bers in order to insure a majority in favor of any measure vhicli he may consider important. I'or administrative purposes the island is divided into fifteen parishes, administered by local boards. .dministratively att:iched to .lamaica are the Turks, Caicos. and (.'aynian islands, and Morant and PcdroCays. Justice is admini.stered byahigh court, circuit courts, and by resident magistrates in the parishes. The revenue and expenditure of the colonv for 1901 amounted, respectively, to £71)0,380 (.$3,700,038) and £703,(102 ($3,715,979). .l)Out 50 |ier cent, of the revenue is derived fronv customs duties. The public debt, including the debts guaranteed In' the colony, amounted in 1901 to £3,702,303 ($18",0 15,098), With an annual ser- vice of £221,.323 ($1,070.9.58). The ro.ads of the island are under the control of the Government, which also owns and operates the railways. The mileage in 1901 was 185. The military forces of the island numbered, in 1900, 1739 r<gular oflicers and men and iiliouf 050 militia. There arc numerous fortifications, and thirteen slilps of the Royal Na'y are maintained at the North American and West India naval station. The population of Jamaica, (i3!),521 in 1891, was composed as follows: 488,024 black; 121,95.T colored or half-breed; 14,092 white; 10,110 East Indians: 481 Chinese: and the remainder un- classified. The Maroims, the descendants of fugi- tive slaves, are few In numl)er, and do not mix with the other inhabitants of the island. The negroes are engaged ])rlncipally in agriculture, and are to some extent peasant proprietors. The colored population is represented largely in the trades and professions, while the Chinese are chiefly shop-keepers. Education is optional and to some extent sup|)orted by the (Jovcrnment. In 1901 the island had 720 idementary schools (against 902 in 1895), with an average attend- ance of 47,441. Higher education is afforded by the I'niyerslty C(dlcge and High School at Hope, near Kingston. Cambridge local examinations have been held on the island since 1882. Capital, Kingston (q.v.). .lamaica was discovered by Columbus during his second voyage in May, 1494, and was taken ])ossession of by the Spaniards in 1509. The ollice of Governor was lield by the descendants of Columbus till the extinction of the line. Under Spanisli rule the native ]iopulatlon rapidly dwindled away, and before the middle of the seventeenth century had become extinct. In May, 1055, a British expedition under Admirals Penn and Venables captured the island, and tireat Britain was confirmed In the possession of it by the Treaty of Madrid in 1070. The sugar industry, which had its inception in 1073, soon developed into great importance, and the demand for plantation labor led t(i the Importa- tion of negro slaves. Between 1700 and 1780 more tlum 000.000 negroes were brought into the island. Many of them escaped to the forests of the interior; where they led a life of semi-brigandage, and threatened seriously the prosperity of the settlements on the co.ast. A fierce contest was carried on with them from 1715 to 1738. and they were not subdued com- pletely till 1790. A negro insurrection in 1831 hastened the approach of emancipation, which had liecn agitated for a long time in England, In 1833 an emancipation act was passed, pro- viding for the total extinction of slavery after Aucrust 1, 1S38, and awarding the sum of $29,- 987.000 (ffi.101.927) as compensation to the owners of the liberated slaves, who numbered