Tourists generally find from November to April the best time to visit Jamaica, as it is then the coolest. Day after day the joyous hours can be passed away with the tourists' favourite hobby PHOTOGRAPHY. They can have their plates and films developed at the shortest notice; while the local stores can supply all their wants . VISITORS to the Island will find FIRST CLASS HOTELS and BOARDING HOUSES in all the principal towns and at very reasonable PRICES. The ROADS of the Island are kept in very good order so that TRAVE LING everywhere is easy and AUTOMOBILING becomes a comfort and a pleasure. All the TOWNS and PRINCIPAL PLACES OF INTEREST are connected by the main roads. There are DAILY TRAINS to different parts of the Island while CABS and MOTOR CARS can be hired at very moderate prices. The ELECTRIC TRAM CARS run in the city and the suburbs. Seeing Jamaica is the best way to appreciate its beauty, and what is meant by seeing Jamaica is not merely to look around the city of Kingston, but to go into the heart of the country and explore its natural beauty; to travel at will with an atmosphere of beauty, joy and gladness. The most convenient method of getting to the principal centeres of interest is by making daily excursions from Kingston in cabs or automobiles. One of these principal excursions is to CASTLETON GARDENS, about 19 miles to the north of the city.

The BLUE MOUNTAINS. No matter how nervous or tired one may be, the cooling shade beneathe the green foliage of the towering hills to the north of Kingston, the numerous and lofty palms, and the inviting bamboo groves in the CASTLETON GARDENS under which rustic tables and benches are set inviting the visitors to set out their picnic baskets, are well worth seeing. Here in these beautiful valleys beyond the hills no rules of etiquette are needed. The pure air, with the calm restful appreciation of it all, gives infinite satisfaction and unalloyed pleasure to the tourists.

SPANISH TOWN, the old Capital of the Island with its historic memories, formerly called ST. JAGO DE LA VEGA, or ST. JAMES IN THE PLAIN, is the next point of interest to TOURISTS with the town of BOG WALK and THE RIO COBRE IRRIGATION CANAL, which can easily be reached from SPANISH TOWN. THESE PLACES provide some of the most picturesque sights in the island and should be seen by every visitor. A trip by boat on the CANAL is very enjoyable and then back to KINGSTON, while luncheons and dinners can always be ordered in SPANISH TOWN at the MARBLE HALL HOTEL which is always very much patronised by both English and American visitors. After resting at this HOTEL visitors can then continue their journey by train to the railway terminus at EWARTON, then by cabs or motor cars to HOLLYMOUNT or MONEAGUE which brings them into the parish of ST. ANN known as the GARDEN OF JAMAICA from its luxuriant pastures and green foliage. From MONEAGUE or HOLLYMOUNT at both of which places there are very good HOTELS the journey can be made to the far-famed FERN GULLY of Jamaica, one of the finest piece of natural scenery to be seen in the Island. Then on the north coast of the Island to the famous ROARING RIVER FALLS. Some very interesting photographs of the several places mentioned will be seen in this book.

So far as Jamaica is concerned it is no exaggeration to say that one of its chief attractions for the TOURIST is its lovely CLIMATE. Indeed it would not be surprising if the visitor should find supreme delight in some other aspects of the Island that have not been touched upon in these lines; for, after all, nature, as the greatest of all artists, reveals such elements of colour, mystery and beauty, that elsewhere in the Island than those mentioned herein will be found scenes, glimpses, vistas and other surprises of natural beauty that will delight the eye and enthrall the mind. We have had but a passing glance at some of the attractions that the island of Jamaica holds out to the traveller, tourist or invalid but whatever may be said either for health, love or business concerning this Island, it is only those who have witnessed its manifold glories can become entranced by the thousand and one perfect pictures from nature's most delicate brush, and feel the refreshing influences of her glorious climate, and can best endorse the justness of the claim of JAMAICA to be

"THE PEARL OF THE ANTILLES"

THE Island of JAMAICA was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494 during his second voyage to the "NEW WORLD", and after remaining in SPANISH OCCUPATION for 161 years, it was surrendered to an ENGLISH EXPEDITION in 1655. From its central position as regards the other WEST INDIAN ISLANDS, being in a direct track between EUROPE, the UNITED STATES, and the ISTHMUS OF PANAMA, it cannot but furnish advantages and conveniences for trade between these points which are to be found elsewhere in the WEST INDIES; and now that the PANAMA CANAL is an accomplished fact Jamaica has become a very great factor in that enormous undertaking, and is and will be largely benefitted by the increased traffic which passes through the Canal. It is an important point of call for Ships using the CANAL.

The length of the Island is 144 miles, and its greatest width 49 miles, while from Kingston to a point on the northern coast near Annotto Bay it is only 31 miles across. It is divided into three COUNTIES, namely: CORNWALL, MIDDLESEZ and SURREY and subdivided into fourteen PARISHES for administrative purposes. The surface of the Island is extremely mountainous, and attains to considerable altitudes, particularly in the Eastern portion of the Island, where the Central Range is known as the western peak of which is 7,360 feet, the highest peak in the Island. A great diversity of climate is therefore obtainable from a tropical climate like Jamaica's, for while at the sea coast the thermometer generally rises to from 75 to 80 degrees in the shade, a temperature of from 45 to 50 degrees can be obtained on the tops of the principal mountains and with a dryness of atmosphere that renders the climate of the mountains of JAMAICA particularly delightful and suitable to the most delicate constitutions. There are many MINERAL SPRINGS in Jamaica, most of them possessing valuable properties for the cure of various diseases and afflictions of the body. Two of these, which are particularly famed, are the hot sulphuric springs at BATH in the PARISH OF ST. THOMAS IN-THE-EAST and the warm Salt Springs of MILK RIVER in CLARENDON. Both of these SPRINGS are very effective for the cure of rheumatism. There are some valuable Botanical Gardens belonging to the Government and under the direct control of the DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, the most picturesque of which are the BOTANIC GARDEN at CASTLETON in the parish of ST. MARY and situated on the JUNCTION ROAD between KINGSTON and ANNOTTO BAY, about 19 miles from KINGSTON and at an elevation of 580 feet; the HOPE GARDEN with an acreage of about 220 acres, is situated near the foot of the HILLS on the PLAINS OF LIGUANEA, about 5 miles from KINGSTON and is reached by ELECTRIC TRAM CARS; the HILL GARDEN AND CINCHONA PLANTATION is situated in the parish of St. Andrew on the slopes ol the BLUE MOUNTAINS about 21 miles from Kingston by way of GORDON TOWN. Here the trees which produce the Cinchona Bark from which quinine is made are grown.

The total population of the Island, according to the Census of 1921, is stated to be 857,921, the greater portion of whom were said to be Black, Coloured, Coolies, Chinese and others not stated.

The scenery of the island is of surpassing beauty, the view from STONY HILL over the LIGUANEA PLAINS being both grand and panoramic in effect. The celebrated ROARING RIVER FALLS which are famed for their beauty, the the rolling pastures of ST. ANN and the far famed FERN GULLY are amongst the most beautiful sceneries of the world. The town of PORT ANTONIO, the capital of the PARISH OF PORTLAND is a picturesque little town, and can boast of possessing the largest and most up-to-date HOTEL in the Island. This HOTEL is known as the TITCHFIELD HOTEL, and is owned and operated by the United Fruit Company. In and around the town of PORT ANTONIO there are some very fine sceneries, especially along the valley of the RIO GRANDE RIVER and up amongst the JOHN CROW MOUNTAINS.

The Military cantonment at NEWCASTLE, on one of the spurs ol the BLUE MOUNTAIN, is the station for the white troops stationed in JAMAICA. It is situated at altitude of 3,194 feet above the level of the sea amid the most charming scenery and in a healthy climate.

The Town of LUCEA to the Western end of the Island, the capital of HANOVER is one of the HEALTHIEST and most PICTURESQUE places in Jamaica. THE SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS are well-known for their charming climate, which is both cool and dry and the residents are justly proud of the bracing air of the mountains and their beautiful scenery. These mountains are situated in the parish of ST. ELIZABETH. MANDEVILLE, which is the chief town of the parish of MANCHESTER, is one of the prettiest towns in the island. It is situated in a bracing and healthy climate at an elevation of 2,200 feet above sea-level. It has the appearance of an English village, and is reached both by automobiles and the railway, the nearest station being Williamsfield, only five miles from MANDEVILLE. Excellent accomodation can be secured at this place in the well-known Mandeville Hotel and others. The "BOG WALK" gorge is one of the finest bits of scenery on the road to LINSTEAD. A torrent gushing in misty depths and fighting its downward course amongst scattered rocks, the narrowness of the ravine through which it rushes, and the steepness and loftiness ol the precipices on either side, along with the richness and variety of tropical vegetation, growing in all the exuberance of its foliage on every spot where a plant can find a foothold - these features unite in imparting to the scenery all the imposing effect of blending beauty and grandeur. These and other ATTRACTIONS should claim the attention of the TRAVELLER and make JAMAICA one of the greatest TOURIST RESORTS in the WESTERN HEMISPHERE.