[fol. 170]
There is a small Uninhabited Island of a Mile and half Long that Lyeth Over against Jamaica so near the Spanish-Court that the East End of it is within a Cables Length of the shore, and the West End not half Gun shott, with a Deep Chanel for ships Each Way and a Perfit fine Port Betwixt, the English Call it Monkey Key, the Dutch the Grout, and the Spaniards Little Jamaica, the Island is Well Wooded and Watered and Abounds With Birds and Fish, Lyeth High, is health, and hath a Good Soyle for Planting, it is 10 Miles to the Eastward of Portobello, and sees all the ships that Goeth there, and Will Infallibly Coman the Isthmus of America and its silver in times of Warr, and have the hade in Peace.
The Continent Over against it is all a Perpetuall Wood and Uninhabited, Nothing Nearer to it then PortoBello which is 10 Miles, and Panama on the South Sea Which is 60 Miles, There is 2 or 3 fine Rivers that Run Downe Just by the Island and the soyle all Round is Rich Like the Island and Capable of Produceing Ginger, Cotton, Indico, Pieamento, Suger, Cacao, Fustick, Lignum Vite, Ebonie, with Gumes and Druges, Enough for all Europe, the Suger of Jamaica is 50 p’r Cent finer then that of Barbados and the Leeward Islands, soo that the same Labour that Getts 20 shillings in the one Place Gets 30 Shillings in the Other, and in the Worst Place it Produces 4 Times as much Vallew as it Doth in England, the Sun and the Soyle Conduceing thereunto, This Island and the parts about it that Never was Ocupied by the Spaniards Lookes as if it Could Produce Sugers as the Brasiels; it is at this Very Place where the Greatest Trade is allways Caried on for Our Manufactorys for Silver, the Jamaica Sloopes being heer a Tradeing all the Year Round, and the Spaniards, Comeing Cross the Land with their Silver. The Dutch and the French are heer allso Tradeing, and all Nations are suposed to Vend heer for Near a Million Sterling a Year, But it is Lyable to be Fortified and kept by the First Nation that thinks on it, the Dutch have Corriso [Curacao] and Surinam on and Near the Continent and the French Caian [Cayenne] on the Continent and Half of Hispaniola, and Now a New Settlement they are Makeing of half the Bay of Mexico, Notwithstanding the Spaniards Claimes it all by the Popes Grant.
There are abundance of People in Scotland and Ireland and Perhaps some from his Maj’ts Dominions in Germani that Can make a Most advantagious settlement heer, which Will be of More Vallew to England then all her Other Collonys, But the Port alone is of the Utmost Consiquence, for if his Maj’ty shall be Pleased to Fortifie and keep it, which may be Dun Imediatly with Only the Charge of One Third Rate ship of 460 Men on his Maj’ty signing a Warrant to the Treasury and Make it Perpetuall That the Mony the Parliament shall Give Yearly for Maintaining that Number of Men at Sea, insteed of Being paid to the Treasurer of the… be paid to the Agent of the Comander or Governour of this Plave as is Usually… Agent of a Regiment and that he the Governour provide 460 picked…
for the sick and With a sleep or two at is Own Charges to attend the Island and with it Guners for the Garison and as Many of the Number of 460 men as he can Conveniently Procure to be Picked Stout Seasoned Marien Soldiers his Maj’ty allowing a Transport ship or two to Carry them all over at Once With the 70 Guns and Guners Stores that is allowed a third Rate ship for sovereigne Voiages, With some Tooles for Building a Fort and clearing Ground and 2000 Muskets Spare for a Magazien, the Men shall be Imediatly Got and caried out and set to Build the Fort, and its advantagious Lyeing South from Jamaica and the Winds allways East the Sloop Can Goe Forth and Back and Fetch Supplyes of What is Wanted in a Weekes time all the Year Round.
If his Maj’ty shall Declare this a Free Port, for all Nations to Come, upon paying the Small Allowances, and if there allowances be 5 per Cent on all English Manufactorys and 10 per Cent on all those of Foreigners they Will Gladly pay it, for all the Merchants at Jamaica Do Now Give 10 per Cent to the Captaines of the Men of War that Goe Over to this Very place to Trade, and 4 years agoe they allways Gave Much more (Viz) half the Profit from Jamaica to the Spaniards, so that there is no Doubt but the Merchants will Gladly Consent to the thing, and that it Will allso bring in Twice as Much as the Whole Charges, and the Nation of England Will Trade 10 per Cent Cheaper then any Foreigner, and as this is a Thing soe soon and soe Easely Done and of such Prodigious Consiquences that the Whole Trade of the Galions Can not be safe to the Crowne of Spaine Except his Maj’ty Pleaseth, The Woren out soyles of Barbados and the Leeward Islands Can heer be Largely Provided for with Greater Plenty and Much more safly then those Litle Places that are Constantly taken and Plundered by the Enemy at the Great Expence of England to Restore by Great Soms from Parliament as well as Men of War and Regiments to Guard them, and Where they have no such thing as a Spanish Trade to Bring in Silver. it is Most Humbly hopes his Maj’ty Will be Graciously Pleased to take so Great An Advantage Whilst it is to be Had.
Tho Ekhines
