The New Hampshire Gazette Newspaper, August 27, 1762, Page 1

“vaats, alf habited in blue. ITHE PEIY ke [4 wiry difiin® and moft aecurats deconnt of the Ha- ndeed by she é& peiver [ chiefly follow, filed vannah, éx the Jfandof Cuba ; its Situation; Comse!* maeu&‘{m{. lar {quate, with good sserce, Number of Inbabitants, &Fc. Extrasied from baftions, well mounted with cannon. = Between this a New publifbed in England.) ! eity-and thefenjthere i3 2 watch tower, wherea man - AVANNAH, a Town fitusted oni the fits ine-toused lsnthom at the top, and on the ap- N. W. partof the Ifland of Cuba, pne pearance of fhipsat fea, pat virt as many flags from of the greater Antillies,in America, at thente as there ' are’ fail.” Seme writers place this . the entrance of the Gulph of Mexico. tower on the othier fide of the channel : perhaps a ..Thcfi:’y*&di’m‘d “. ftands d ] imands the Gulph of that name. Ic;flnhflgg James V; %, who eonqured the Iland of s and fettled alittle towny which was the mother ofthis, inz1511. It was origin- ally calied the Port of Carendas ; afterwards, when the city by itsalteration of fite and encreale of wealth, s"w confiderable, it wias called St: Chriftophers of ¢ Havannah. Thefe alterations happened but by flow degrees, as we may conceive from the following account of the accidents which have befallen it, In 1536, it was taken by a French pyrate, and was of fo inconfiderable a value, that it was ranfomed for 0o pieces of eight. It was taken fome time after y the Englith, 2 {ecend time by the Feench ; nor was it till the reiga of Philip II. of Spain, that the importance of it was thoroughly underftosd, and any carc taken in foriifying it. What was then done, proved not {ufficient ; and moft of the . Fortifications were in a very bad condition, when Francis Coreal was there in 1666 ; and very little better when he vifited it again, 2o years afterwards. Since the accef- fion of the houfe of Bourbon to the throne of Spain, more pains have been taken about it,and therefore we fhall defcribe firlt the city, and then the port, in the condition they now are. The city of Havannah, according to the laft and moft exact map of thefe parts, lies in 23: .12, of lat. aad confequently within ze of the Tropick of Cancer: enditslong. W. from London is 82: 13. It ffiands on the ‘W, fide of the harbour, in a very bezatiful and pleafant plain, having the fea before it, and being furrounded on all fides by two branches of the river Lagida. The buildings are fair, but not high, built of ftone, and make a very good appearance, though it is faid they are but meanly furnithed. Here are eleven churches and monafteries, and two handfome hofpitals. The churches are rich and magpificent ; that dedicated to St. Clara, having feven altars, all sdorned with plate to a great value, and the mon- aftery adjoinihg contains 100 muns, with their fer- It is not, as fome have reported, a bithop's fee, though the bithop generally refides there ; but the cathedral is at St. Jago, and the reveoue of this prelate not lels than §0,000 pieces of eight per aonum. Aathors differ exceedingly as to the number of inhabitants in this city. A Spanifh writer, who was there in 1700, and who had reafon o be well acquainted with the place, computed them at 26,000 ; and we may very well fuppofe that they arc increaled fiace. They area more polite and fociable people than the inhabitants of any of the portson the continent, and of late imitatethe French both in their drefs and in their manners. One part of the ifland is under the jurifdi@ion of this city, as the other is under that of St. Jago ; but the diftrit belonging to the Havarnah is by far the beft cultiva- ted, and has the moft towns and villages in it ; and thefe are not above fix in number, which thews how ftrangely things are managed in this part of the world, " The port is not only the beft in the Welt Indies, but perhaps one of the finel in the univerfe. Itis {o capaciaus, that 1000 fail of thips may ride there commodiouily, without either cable or anchor ; and there is, generally (peaking, fix fathom water in the Bay. The entrance is by a channel about two- fourths of a mile in length, which is pretty narrow and of difficult accels to an enemy, being well defen- ded by forts and platiorms of guns ; and through it you come into the bay, which lies Like a bafon at the bottom of it, with a fmall ifland at the "E. corner thereof, two ftrong caft es, which are (uppofled to be capabie of defending the piace againft any number of fhips. The firlt of thefe is ftyled El Morro, and ftands on the E. fide of the chanuel, it is a kind of a triangle, fortified with baftions, on which are’ mounted about 40 pieces of cannon, filcd the twelve apofties, almoft level with the water, and carrying each a hall of 36 pounds. - On the otherfide of ‘the channel ftands a krong fort, called the Pantal by fome- authors, and At the entrance of the channel therg are’ neéw one may be built there:- The third is filed the fort : it is aimasll, but fr towards the end of the na channel; with foar bagtions, and’ 3 pliform, mountcd ‘with Go pitces of heavy cannon. . Befides thefe, there are two forts, one on the E. fide, called Cajemar, the other on the W, called the fort of Chorrera, of 12 . guas each. The governor is, generally fpeaking, a perfon of known courage and capacity, and has a very nu- merous garrifon, as indeed he ought to have, confi- dering that it is very properly fliled the key of the Wef Indies ; and if they lofe it, the whole of the Spanith monarch mautt lic at the mercy of the power poffefied thereof. If ever this place fhould be attacked by us, it muft be by a land force, for it is impofiible to.make any impreflion here by a. fleet only. The caftles which defend thechannel muft be taken before we can pretend to enter the port ; and indeed were they taken,the reft of the defign would eafily fucceed. We are now to fpeak of the commerce in this port, which is the moft confiderable of any in. Ame- rica. We will for the fake of perfpicuity, divide it into the particular commerce ofithe ifle of Cuba, and into the general by theigalleons. The former confifts in hides, ufually ftiled, of the Havannah, which are exeellent, and of great valoe ; fugar which is ' al{o a good commodity ; tobacco, admirable in its kind ; ginger, maftic, aloes, farfaparilla, and other drugs, and great quantities of tortoife- fhell. It muft be ob- ferved, that the commerce of that ifland of Cuba is not entirely confined to the Havannah, but extends itielf to other ports,. particularly St. Jago, where there are frequently many little veflcls from the Ca- naries, and other parts, which trade entirely for the commodities of the country. Asto the gencral com- fnerce, this port is the place of rendezvous for ail the thips, particularly from Porto Bello, and Vera Cruz, which retarn into Spain from the Indies ; fo that there are frequently 5o or 6o fail in the port at once. While they ride here, there is a. Fare kept on fhore, where they trade for immenfe fums ; and with fo great bonour, that it is faid they never open the bales, but take the goads according to the bills of parcels, without any infpeflion. While the ficet is in the bay, provifions are exceflively dear on fhore, and money fo plenty, that a Spaniard expells half a piece of eight a day from a male flave, and half fo much from a female, outof what they carn by their labour. The fleet generally fails from thence through the channel of Bahama, in the month of September ; and is the richeft in the world,fince in fiiver and merchan- dize there is feldom lefs than 30,000,000 pieces of eight on boardgor 6,750,000 pounds of eur money. Dr. Gemeili Careri, who was here in 1698, tells us of an extraordinary pearl that he faw here ; it was in fhepe a perfet pear, in weight 6o grains, was ab- folutely clear and ripe. This pearl was taken at Panama by a black belonging to a pricft, who refufed to fell it to the viceroy of Peru for 70,000 pieces of eight, faying he would'carry it to his majefty him- felf ; but he died at the Havannah, and the pearl was fent to the king by another prieft to whom he entrufted it. The town of Havannsh is not two miles in circuit ; and the number of inhabitants does not excceed 26,00e fouls, confifting of Spaniards, mulattoes, and negroes, befides the garrifon, the governor of which is ftiled captain general of the ifland. Here refides the bithopof St. Jago, which is the capital of Cuba, but now in a declining flate : and therefore mof per- {ons of figure and fortune live at the Havannah. It belonging to Spain, Havannah lies 18 Jeagues from Cape de Sed, which i a promontory on the N. fide of the ifland. ~ The heat hese is extreme, and more intolerable even in the night than in the day time. [ 4s another Piece of Improvement in Hiflory, befides the JSoregoing, we hawve made choice of the following [rom the fame corre@ Author ;s the rather, as both Places are o bicome the general opic of Converlation : And as the Generality of our Readsrs hae not that Opportumity to perufs the Author' W orks as thiy would - land, and 930 miles in circuit. On the work on the W. fide,”’ o 3‘@’8 | Wazks Tince this Pavsx was firft Publifi®d, "Forel:gn and Damefick. s, Thefe Extrass myfi be rbe more welcsmne 1o thok under. /o eafy a Conweyance as 4 NEWS PAPER ) TEWFOUNDLAND, a large ifland on the northern coaft of America, difcovered by Johin Cabot, in the year 1 . and fRill io the pof- fion of the Englifh. Tie o8 4l It is of a triangular form, about the bignefs of Ire- . it is fepe- rated from ‘[erra de Labrador, or New Britain, by the fireights of Belle Ifle ; on the W. it is wathed by the Gulph of St Lawrence ; and on S. E. by the - Atlantic ocean. Cape Raze, the moft fogtherly poin® of the illind, lies in the lat. 46. 43. N. the moft weftermoft point in 47. 35. ; The ifland is foll of hilis and mountains covered with pines, fo that the cosntry can be traverfed only in thofc parts where the inhabitants have cut roads throigh the woods: The trees of this {pecies of pine feldom exceed 18 or zo feet in height, except thofe growing in the valleys, where they are fheltered from the piercing winds, which are often 40 feet high. The cold durng the winter is exceffive here ; and the frofts, which are remarkably fevere, fet in about the middle of November and foon after the harbeurs and bays are intirely frozen: The whole circuit of the ifland it full of fpacious bays and harbour well fheltered by the mountains,; except their entrance ; fo that veflels lie in perfect fecurity. Some of thefe harboursare a league and & half ortwo in length,and near half a league in breadihs having feveral rivers and brooks of excellent water falling into tham from the adjacent mountains, They are alfo very near each ather, being only feparated by a point of land,feldom above two leagues in breadih § fo that the whole coaft of the ifland is a fucceflion of harbours. are towns or villages at every harbour; thefe are only to be found on the {larger and more commeogious bays,where the nature and difpofition of the country are moft convenient for & fettlemeant, the inhabitepth being few in number, confidering " the great extent of the coaft. Cod fithing is the only bufinefs follow - ed here ; and the inhabitants, befides their dwellings; have large ftore houfes for preparing and laying up their fith till the time arrives for fending it to Europe on their own account, or bartering it for European goods, with the fhips that frequent the ifland for that purpofe. None of thefe villiages are without a fort or battery for their fecurity in time of war ; it being common for {mall privateers to vifit them. Newfoundland was formerly peopled by & race of favage Indians, who have fince retired to the conti- nent ; but fometimes pay a vifit to their ‘ancient a- bodes: Thefe Indians generaly live by fithing and Kunting, and both Newfoundland and Cape Breton abound with buftards and wild geefe. Here are allo foxes, bears, beavers, and other quadrupeds found in Cawnada, though not in any great pleaty ; the con- tinual fearch after them, for the fake of their furs, having greatly lefiened their nuinber. Notwithftanding the feverity of the elimate, the Inhabitants are not diftitate of horned cattle, though they find it difficult to procure food for them during the feverity of the wiater. The inhabitants have alfo their fmall kitchen gardens for fummer herbs ; but all theother {pecies of provifions, flour, falt meat, &c. are brooght from Bofton, Penfylvania, and other colonies to the fovthward. With regard to theGeods of other kinds, they dre brouil]u from England. Though all the coafts of Newfoundland may be faid to abouid with cod, yet in fome parts it is forind in greater plenty than inothers, This is owing to the quality of the bottom ; for where it is fandy the filh are far more numerous than where it is rockey 3 but if the bottom be muddy, fih are very fcarce, The depth of water fhould be alfo confidered ; for though cod be found- at all depths, yet they are not tzken in fuch plenty as between 30 and 40 fathom. What is called the great bank of Newfoundland is, properly fpeaking, a vaft mountain under water, about 30 miles in-length, and 270 in breadth. The depth of the water is very unequal, from 15 to 6o fathom. The bottom is covered with a vaft quantity of fhells, and frequently by vaft fhoals of (mall fith, moft of which ferve as food to the cod, which are here.in amazing plenty ; for though 2 or3oo vefiela have been annually loaded with-them during the laft centuries; yet the prodigious confumptien has not yet leffened their plenty. And we cannot help ob- ferving, that this fifhery is a mine of greater value than any of thefe in Mexico or Peru, But it muft not be imagined that there . ¥ ' ! 3 {3 1] e Y.,