a cluster of islands situated in the Atlantic ocean between 59 and 63 degrees of west longitude, and between 11 and 18 degrees of north latitude. They lie in the form of a bow or semicircle, stretching almost from the coast of Florida north, to near the river Oronoque. Those that lie nearest the east have been called the Windward Islands, the others the Leeward, on account of the winds blowing generally from the eastern point in these quarters. Abbé Raynal conjectures them to be the tops of very high mountains formerly belonging to the continent, which have been changed into islands by some revolution that has laid the flat country under water. The direction of the Caribbee islands, beginning from Tobago, is nearly north and N. N. W. This direction is continued, forming a line somewhat curved towards the north-west, and ending at Antigua. In this place the line becomes at once curved; and extending itself in a straight direction to the west and north-west, meets in its course with Porto-Rico, St Domingo, and Cuba, known by the name of the Leeward Islands, which are separated from each other by channels of various breadths. Some of these are 6, others 15 or 20 leagues broad; but in all of them the foundings are from 100 to 120 or 150 fathoms. Between Grenada and St Vincent's there is also a small archipelago of 30 leagues, in which the foundings are not above ten fathoms. The mountains in the Caribbee islands run in the same direction as the islands themselves. The direction is so regular, that if we were to consider the tops of these mountains only, independent of their bases, they might be looked upon as a chain of hills belonging to the continent, of which Martinico would be the most northerly promontory. The springs of water which flow from the mountains in the Windward islands, run all in the western parts of these islands. The whole eastern coast is without any running water. No springs come down there from the mountains: and indeed they would have there been useless; for after having run over a very short tract of land, and with great rapidity, they would have fallen into the sea. In Porto Rico, St Domingo, and Cuba, there are a few rivers that discharge themselves on the northern side, and whose sources rise in the mountains running from east to west, that is, through the whole length of these islands. From the other side of the mountains facing the south, where the sea, flowing with great impetuosity, leaves behind it marks of its inundations, several rivers flow down, the mouths of which are capable of receiving the largest ships. The soil of the Caribbees consists mostly of a layer of clay or gravel of different thickness: under which is a bed of stone or rock. The nature of some of these soils is better adapted to vegetables than others. In those places where the clay is drier and more friable, and mixes with the leaves and remains of plants, a layer of earth is formed of greater depth than where the clay is moister. The sand or gravel has different properties according to its peculiar nature; wherever it is less hard, less compact, and less porous, small pieces separate themselves from it, which, though dry, preserve a certain degree of coolness useful to vegetation. This soil is called in America a pumice-stone soil. Wherever the clay and gravel do not go through such modifications, the soil becomes barren, as soon as the layer formed by the decomposition of the original plants is destroyed.—By a treaty concluded in January 1660, between the French and English, the Caribs were confined to the islands of St Vincent's and Dominica, where all the scattered body of this people were united, and at that time did not exceed in number 6000 men. See St Vincent's and Dominica.

As the Caribbee islands are all between the tropics, their inhabitants are exposed, allowing for the varieties resulting from difference of situation and soil, to a perpetual heat, which generally increases from the rising of the sun till an hour after noon, and then declines in proportion as the sun declines. The variations of the temperature of the air seem to depend rather on the wind than on the changes of the seasons. In those places... places where the wind does not blow, the air is excessively hot, and none but the easterly winds contribute to temper and refresh it; those that blow from the south and west afford little relief; but they are much less frequent and less regular than that which blows from the east. The branches of the trees exposed to the influence of the latter are forced round towards the west; but their roots are stronger, and more extended under the ground, towards the east than towards the west; and hence they are easily thrown down by strong west winds or hurricanes from that quarter. The easterly wind is scarce felt in the Caribbee islands before nine or ten o'clock in the morning, increases in proportion as the sun rises above the horizon, and decreases as it declines. Towards the evening it ceases entirely to blow on the coasts, but not on the open sea. It has also been observed, that it blows with more force and more regularity in the dog-days than at any other time of the year.

The rain also contributes to the temperature of the Caribbee islands, though not equally in them all. In those places where the easterly wind meets with nothing to oppose its progress, it dispels the clouds as they begin to rise, and causes them to break either in the woods or upon the mountains. But whenever the storms are too violent, or the blowing of the easterly wind is interrupted by the changeable and temporary effect of the southerly or westerly ones, it then begins to rain. In the other Caribbee islands, where this wind does not generally blow, the rains are so frequent and plentiful, especially in the winter season, which lasts from the middle of July to the middle of October, that, according to the most accurate observations, as much rain falls in one week as in our climates in a year. Instead of these mild refreshing showers which fall in the European climates, the rains of the Caribbee islands are torrents, the sound of which might be mistaken for hail, were not that almost totally unknown under so burning a sky. These showers indeed refresh the air; but they occasion a dampness, the effects of which are not less disagreeable than fatal. The dead must be interred within a few hours after they have expired. Meat will not keep sweet above 24 hours. The fruits decay, whether they are gathered ripe or before their maturity. The bread must be made up into biscuits, to prevent its growing mouldy. Common wines turn sour, and iron turns rusty, in a day's time. The seeds can only be preserved by constant attention and care, till the proper season returns for sowing them. When the Caribbee islands were first discovered, the corn that was conveyed there for the support of the Europeans, was so soon damaged that it became necessary to send it out in the ears. This necessary precaution so much enhanced the price of it, that few were able to purchase it. Flour was then substituted in lieu of corn; which lowered indeed the expenses of transport, but had this inconvenience, that it was sooner damaged. It was imagined by a merchant, that if the flour were entirely separated from the bran, it would have the double advantage of being cheaper and keeping longer. He caused it therefore to be fitted, and put the finest flour into strong casks, and beat it close together with iron hammers, till it became so close a body that the air could scarcely penetrate it. This method was found to answer the purpose; and if, by it, the flour cannot be preserved as long as in our dry and temperate climates, it may be kept for six months, a year, or longer, according to the degree of care taken in the preparation.

However troublesome these effects of the rain may be, it is attended with some others still more formidable; namely, frequent and dreadful earthquakes. These happening generally during the time or towards the end of the rainy season, and when the tides are highest, some ingenious naturalists have supposed that there might be a connexion between them. The waters of the sky and of the sea undermine, dig up, and ravage the earth in several different ways. Among the various shocks to which the Caribbee islands are exposed from the fury of the boisterous ocean, there is one distinguished by the name of roas de maree, or whirlpool. It constantly happens once, twice, or thrice, from July to October, and always on the western coasts, because it takes place after the time of the westerly or southerly winds, or while they blow. The waves, which at a distance seem to advance gently within 400 or 500 yards, suddenly swell against the shore, as if acted upon in an oblique direction by some superior force, and break with the greatest impetuosity. The ships which are then upon the coast, or in the roads beyond it, unable either to keep their anchors or to put out to sea, are dashed to pieces against the land, and all on board most commonly perish. The hurricane is another terrible phenomenon in these islands, by which incredible damage is occasioned; but happily it occurs not often.

The produce of the Caribbee islands is exceedingly valuable to the Europeans, consisting of sugar, rum, molasses, indigo, &c., a particular account of which is given under the names of the respective islands as they occur in the order of the alphabet.