So now wee'l cross and run athwart to the North side of our more narrow Jamaica, following as much as may be the natural cut through the Mountains, which the rapid Rivers and violent Rains through a long duration of time, hath effected more powerful then Hannibals Vinegar through the Alpes. It's four miles from St. Jago ere we need take the advantage of this way-preparing River de Coure, and then we chiefly make use of its marginal Cut, elaborated by many hands and continual Industry, preserved a tolerable good path, at least such as is most strangely different from any other, affecting the pensive passenger with new thoughts from the unusual novelties presented to his passing eye. For now he rides at the bottom or neer the same of the high Mountains split a sunder to wall in the Passenger on both sides from stragling deviations, pleasantly imprisoning him in his own way, which like to that of the Stygian Lake can nere be missed: And here it is reasonable to look before us, as well for our pleasure as preservation, although we can be but short sighted , being soon terminated in our prospect by a rocky upright Wall exceeding far both in height and strength, that of China or any other whatsoever artificial one. For here Nature her self is prodigal in the number and bigness of her rocky Tablets, heaped one on the other to a portentous of the uprear'd structure, as if the Giants of old had here begun their work of invading the Empyraeum. And left the horror of these daring Rocks affright too much by their threatning Imminency, Mother Nature hath kindly mantled them with a green vesture of delighting Trees strangely ranging one over the other, as if the superior were rooted on the tops of the inferior, propagating various lengths of (as it were) Trees to a portentous height, and least such continued sights should glut the eye, the bare supporting Wall peeps out now and then with its scraggy aspects, to render the scene more solemn:- Especially while the hoarse murmuring River sets the Base to the shrill Choristers of the wood, & affects the Daughters of musick as well as the enamored eye at the same time, by all which unusual pleasure we beguile our selves of our way till it brings us to the Elizian plains, a most pleasant Vale opening her kind Bosom to receive us from the passed shades into the more open Air of St. Thomas in the vale or sixteen mile walk, where to wonder notwithstanding its surrounding Mountains and great ascending Fogs which skreen off the morning Sun some hours, it hath hitherto been reputed a wholesom and healthy place, greatly planted and almost crowded with the greatest settlements.
note: The phrase 'River de Coure' fazed me: I'm not sure I have the correct explanation - the Rio Cobre is the 'Copper River' either because it tasted of copper, or was the colour of copper when in flood. 'Coure' as far as I can discover is 'copper' in Catalan, so that would give 'River of Copper' - but why Catalan, I have found no explanation. Can someone help out on this?