Mandeville

Perched on the Manchester plateau 2000 feet above sea-level, Mandeville is unlike other rural Jamaican towns: it is cool, it is clean, and there are no slums. Thanks to energetic promotion by the Central and Southcoast Tourism Organization, the town is a magnet for discerning visitors and an excellent base for exploring the central hills and the south coast.

The parish of Manchester was created in 1814 by the then governor, the Duke of Manchester. The parish capital, founded in 1816, was named after his eldest son, Viscount Mandeville, and was one of four hill stations for the Army. Once a haven for English gentlefolk who deemed it the closest thing to home, it was a prim and rather static place until the advent of the bauxite industry in the 1950s. Overnight Mandeville became a roistering boom town, began to grow and flourish and has continued to do so ever since. As a market centre for farmers, a dormitory town for two large alumina companies and the first choice of returning retired Jamaicans, the town enjoys a relatively stable economic base and offers the pleasures of rural life with the convenience of a mini-city.

The largest of 12 shopping plazas is the Manchester Shopping Centre on Caledonia Road; there are cinemas and discos, several first-class restaurants, a large public library, two hotels, several guests houses and a golf club. number of schools and colleges include: Manchester High School, Bishop Gibson High School, DeCarteret College, Belair, St Joseph's Academy, The Church Teachers Training College and the West Indies College.

In Mandeville's benign climate both temperate and tropical plants flourish: agapanthus lilies and sweet peas beside hibiscus and bougainvillea, robust vanda orchids beneath peach and lychee trees, begonias and nasturtiums growing wild on the banksides. Mandeville has one of the oldest Horticultural Societies in the world and is famous for its annual flower show and splendid private gardens some of which can be toured by appointment.

PLACES OF SPECIAL INTEREST

KIRKVINE WORKS

Alumina Jamaica, a subsidiary of the Alumina Company of Canada Ltd, (ALCAN), was the first aluminium company to begin operations in Jamaica. It acquired its bauxite reserves in the 1940s, began construction of its Kirkvine plant near Mandeville and its shipping facility at Port Esquivel near Old Harbour in late 1950, started mining in 1952 and shipped its first cargo of alumina in January 1953. Subsequently, Kirkvine was expanded and another plant built at Ewarton to process the large deposits of bauxite acquired in St Ann. Ore is mined in open pits using dragline excavators and front-end loaders, then transported by dump trucks and cable belt conveyor (at Ewarton) or aerial ropeway (at Kirkvine) to the plants. A limestone quarry at Kirkvine supplies the raw material for the burnt lime used in transforming bauxite into alumina. Alcanís own rolling stock transports alumina via the Jamaica Railway tracks to their shipping facilities at Port Esquivel in Clarendon.

Only a small portion of the land bought by the company is used for mining at any one time. To utilize the rest of their holdings Alcanís agricultural department developed a model livestock (beef and dairy cattle) and citrus operation on 8,000 acres. They also supervise 4,600 tenant farmers on another 23,000 acres. In 1978 a joint venture agreement with the government of Jamaica transformed Alcan Jamaica into Jamalcan with the government company, Jamaica Bauxite Mining Ltd, acquiring 7% of Alcanís mining and refining assets and all bauxite lands. Alcan Jamaica retains the management of Jamalcan. Alcan has proved to be the most dependable of the bauxite/alumina companies operating in Jamaica. It has never closed, and was first to appoint a Jamaican as Chief Executive. The current General Manager is Dr Keith Panton. At the bottom of Shooters Hill, as you approach Mandeville from the north, the first thing you see is the Kirkvine factory. A large mined out area and the red mud lake are visible to the R as you begin the climb via Kendal to Mandeville. Alcanís corporate office flanks the golf course on Brumalia Road. Their staff Sports club in the residential area of Ingleside offers badminton, swimming pool and gymnasium. Use of these facilities can be arranged by a member. Tours of the factory by appointment.

ALPART

As you leave Mandeville at Spur Tree, you will pass Alpartís corporate offices and see their Nain factory on the plain below. Alpart was originally a partnership between Kaiser Bauxite, Anaconda and Reynolds who during the 1960s pooled technology and land assets and invested US$200 million in a state of the art plant which began operations in 1969, but became a cost nightmare when oil prices skyrocketed during the 1970s. Anaconda sold out to the other two partners and by 1985 Alpart had closed. Subsequently Reynolds sold out to Kaiser and Norsk Hydro and in 1990 the plant re-opened under Kaiserís management.

A 9 mile cable belt conveyor built in the early 1980s allows Alpart to mine high quality ore on the Manchester plateau. The alumina is transported by private railway from the factory at Nain to Port Kaiser near Alligator Pond; a port that was built by Kaiser and originally used to export bauxite.

Like other bauxite/alumina companies Alpart has an extensive land rehabilitation and agricultural program, run by Alpart Farms, and is also involved in community work. Perhaps their greatest gift to the area is water. St Elizabeth is a notoriously dry parish and Alpart provided water free from their wells at Nain to surrounding districts. However, red mud disposal has created problems. Before Alpart closed in 1985, U.W.I. scientists had documented the fact that the water table at Pepper was being polluted by seepage from the Alpart mudlake. The condition of the aquifer since the plant re-opened is unclear. Tours can be arranged by appointment.

KLAS Radio Station on Brumalia Road. Jamaicans are vocal people, addicted to talk shows, and this station has the two most cerebral  and popular  on the island. The Breakfast Club is broadcast from the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston every morning beginning at 6:00 am. Former politician and advertising consultant Anthony Abrahams and broadcaster Beverly Anderson-Manley (ex-wife of Prime Minister Michael) host discussions on topical issues of the day. Their guests include celebrities, experts or relevant commentators. Straight Talk, broadcast from Mande-ville is hosted by acerbic journalist/broadcaster Wilmot ìMuttyî Perkins who wastes no time getting to the meat of the matter and gives no quarter to equivocators. Often his commentaries become the topic of the day.

MANCHESTER CLUB

The oldest country club in the island has seen major changes since its Golf and Tennis weeks were the most eagerly awaited social events of the year. The old clubhouse has been sold to Scotia Bank Jamaica to be the site of its computer centre. A new clubhouse complete with tennis courts is on the other side of the challenging golf course, the oldest in the Western hemisphere. Admission can be arranged through your hotel.

WEST INDIES COLLEGE

This Seventh Day Adventist complex offering education from primary to tertiary level enforces a strict code of conduct, a vegetarian diet, and emphasizes the dignity of manual labour by requiring all students to complete a number of hours in the College bakery, printery, workshops or farm before graduation.

CHARLTON MANSION

Mr Cecil C. Charlton is a retired politician, self-made millionaire (Charles-Off betting shops), farmer and philanthropist whose palatial octagonal home, Huntingdon Summit, is open to the public by appointment. Charlton served as Mayor of Mandeville for over 20 years and to some people will always be ìMayor Charltonî. The house crowns a hill on the eastern edge of town, the first of a growing number of palatial Mandeville residences.

MARSHALLS PEN

An eighteenth century great house set in a delightful garden on a 300 acre cattle property. Once a farm house and coffee factory owned by the Earl of Balcarres, Governor of Jamaica 1795 to 1801, it has been continuously occupied ever since and is filled with antiques, paintings and curios, each item with its own fascinating story which the owners Mr Arthur Sutton and Mr and Mrs Robert Sutton will relate to you. Tours can be arranged through Countrystyle Ltd. Birdwatching and hiking are also available here. Robert Sutton, an ornithologist and his wife Anne, an environmental scientist, are both extremely knowledgeable about the island's wildlife and ecology. Accommodation is also available by arrangement.

ROXBOROUGH

The birthplace of Jamaican National Hero, the Rt Excellent Norman Manley, founder of the People's National Party and Premier 1955-1962. The site is maintained by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust. The house was destroyed by fire, leaving only the barbeques used for drying pimento grains and a terraced garden. There is a stunning view over the plains of Clarendon. Manley's older cousin and future political rival Alexander Bustamante worked on the farm here for a short time before leaving for a life of adventure in Cuba, Spain and the U.S. In later years Manley remembered him as a skilled horseman.

Manley, a British trained barrister, was a brilliant advocate.  A somewhat austere person, lacking the charisma of his cousin ìBustaî, Norman Manley possessed an ironic sense of humour and in his younger days was an outstanding athlete. His sophistication and singleminded pursuit of political independence made him the hero of the emerging middle class. He married his English born cousin Edna, an artist in her own right. The couple lived at Drumblair (then a suburb of the city) and attracted a circle of Jamaican artists, writers and scholars. ìThe Drumblair Setî has had a profound impact on politics and art for almost three decades. Manleyís younger son Michael graduated from Trade Union leader to succeed his father as President of the PNP and twice Prime Minister of Jamaica. An official function marking the national heroís birthday is held here every year.

THINGS TO DO

HIKING AND HORSEBACK RIDING: at Perth Great House, a Georgian mansion built in 1760 and owned by John Nightingale's family for over 100 years. Phone 962-2822.

CUSTOM BUILT ECO TOURS: When he is not too busy

planning and lobbying for alternative energy projects for rural districts, Tony Goffe will plan and conduct eco-tours to cater to special interests, be it fossiling for agates, hunting for orchids or exploring the source of rivers. Phone 962-2149.

MRS STEPHENSONíS GARDEN: Reputed to be one of the finest in the island. Tours, conducted by the horticulturist herself, can be arranged.

FACTORY TOURS: The High Mountain Coffee and Chocolate Factory at Williamsfield, the Pickapepper Sauce Factory at Shooters Hill and the Bammy Factory in Mandeville can all be toured by appointment.

COUNTRYSTYLE TOURS: This local company, based at Astra Hotel and owned by Mandevilleís tourism dynamo Diana MacIntyre-Pike, can introduce you to all the above. They also have listings of accommodation options from luxurious villas with maids and butler to modest bed and breakfast rooms.

Their latest project ìVillage Tourismî provides an authentic introduction to the life of a rural Jamaican village using trained community guides ñ the local school marm, postmistress, pastor or shopkeeper, etc. ñ and allows you to attend or participate in community events like church harvests, school fairs, independence celebrations, etc.

PLACES TO STAY

MANDEVILLE HOTEL just off the town square in a pleasant garden: a small hotel, with pool, restaurant and bar. It is owner-managed by the McIntyre family and noted for good food and service. Prior to 1875, the site was the Officers Quarters and Mess of the incumbent British regiment. This was converted into the Waverly Hotel, then the Brooks Hotel and became the Mandeville Hotel in 1912. Very popular with locals for over 100 years.

ASTRA is a Country Inn, Tourism information centre and home away from home marketed by Diana McIntyre-Pike, (daughter of the owners of The Mandeville). Comfortable rooms, good food and Jamaican hospitality.

GOLF VIEW INN: New, comfortable rooms overlooking the Golf Course, owned by Mr and Mrs James, operators of Olde Wharf Hotel in Treasure Beach.

CALEDONIA GUEST HOUSE: Refurbished great house on a hill off Caledonia Avenue. Good View of Mandeville. Operated in association with Caribic Tours.

RESTAURANTS: Popular restaurants include The Feeding Tree (Chinese cuisine) on Manchester Road, Bamboo Village (Chinese) on Ward Avenue, The Den (Jamaican Cooking) on Caledonia, Snappers (for sea food) on Manchester Road and International Chinese Restaurant on Manchester Road.

TOURS

DI'S WHIRL AROUND MANDEVILLE

Diana MacIntyre-Pike, manager of Astra is unique among Jamaican hoteliers in that she urges her guests to travel around and experience ìthe real Jamaicaî. Her Mandeville Town Tour ñ on the house for Astra guests ñ takes the following route: from Astra on Ward Avenue to Greenvale Road and then to Manchester High School; turn R up Perth Road and R again up Bloomfield hill to the former Bloomfield Guest house, once the site of Bill Laurieís popular Steak House, it recently changed hands. But whatever it becomes, the crest of the hill is still the best place to get a bird's eye view of the town centre.

From here through Grove Road to Newleigh Road and past Bishopís High School for girls, an Anglican institution now government funded, on the site of the old Newleigh hotel. On

to DeCarteret School, a crumbling Victorian mansion, once the King Edward Hotel and now resembling more than ever the horror house in Hitchcockís ìPsychoî. ìD.C.î, founded over a century ago as an exclusive Anglican boyís school is now government aided and co-educational. Turn R along DeCarteret Road and L into Godfrey Lands, a pastoral residential subdividsion. A short excursion along the Newport road reveals in the distance

L Mayor Charltonís mansion, (see above) and on the hill ahead and R the West Indies College (see above); visitors welcome at both. A sign points the way to Roxborough, birthplace of Norman Washington Manley (see above). Back into town along Manchester Road you pass R a JDF camp and then L St Josephís Academy, a Catholic school now government aided, and L St Paul of the Cross Catholic Church. Further on L is the Church Teacherís Training College ñ once the site of the Manchester Hotel, then on your R the Methodist Church. Willogate Plaza

on your L has a variety of shops.

Next stop the square where there is one way traffic clockwise around The Green now renamed Cecil Charlton Park after the ebullient former Mayor. Here you may meet ìShutî, one of several official ìgreetersî coached by Countrystyle Ltd. Another of the friendly people you may meet as you stroll on the Green is Denis Roberts, a photographer who has operated an open-air studio here for nearly 15 years. The Georgian Courthouse, north of the Green is usually swarming with litigants. It faces, across the Green, the market (busiest on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays) and St Markís Parish Church. Just east of the Green on Hotel St is the Mandeville Hotel, probably the oldest in the island and dating from the late 1800s when everybody who was anybody tried to spend the summer there.

Manchester road leads north and downhill past the Mayorís parlour and offices of the Parish Council, the Library, and two hospitals.Tucked behind them is the SWA Craft Centre sponsored by the Womenís Club of Mandeville where girls learn and practice home economics skills producing crochet, embroidery, cloth dolls and pastries for sale. At the junction with Caledonia road turn L for Manchester Shopping Centre (just about everything you need available here, including fast food), then R along New Green Road and R again into Ingleside with the Alcan Sports Club and executive residences complete with fireplaces. (Yes, it does sometimes get cold enough to use them.)

Or bear left and then R along Brumalia road passing R KLAS Radio Station, then the entrance to the Manchester Golf Club and then the Alcan Corporate offices, then past the Bible School, the undulating fairways of the golf course and the playing fields of Brooks park venue for football matches. You have come full circle to Astra, where you can always get more detailed information on other interesting places like the following:

TOURS OUT OF MANDEVILLE

YS Falls

Off the beaten track and approximately 24 miles or 30 minutes from Mandeville via Santa Cruz and Lacovia, are a refreshing contrast to crowded Dunns River. The owners do not advertise, do not accept large groups and there is not even a sign on the highway. YS estate is located just beyond Bamboo Avenue a short distance along an unpredictable country road. One of the leading racehorse stud farms in the island, YS also produces beef cattle and export papayas. The base for visiting the Falls is an extension of what used to be a tiny crossroads rum shop. There are picnic tables, bar, snack shop, grill, restrooms and a gift shop. You ride a tractor-drawn jitney to the falls over a stream and through the pastures with grazing cows and brood mares. The owners, the Browne family, are descended from the Marquis of Sligo, the colourful (and colourblind) Governor of Jamaica when slavery was abolished in 1834. The origin of the name YS is obscure. It has been suggested that it derives from the Gaelic ìwyessî meaning winding which describes the course of the river.

Up at the falls you can relax on an emerald green lawn and just look, or you can climb to the top beside them. The dramatic three-tiered waterfall is most dramatic when the river is in spate and the brown water thunders and foams, misting you with spray as you climb. In dry weather the postcard pretty river sings a gentler song as it plunges and froths into green-blue pools. Swimming is permitted and there are lifeguards on duty. A sign posted at the base reports the condition of the river each day. Some of the flora at the falls, like the Cartwheel plant are extremely rare.

Appleton Rum Tour

The Appleton Estate has been producing sugar and rum since 1749. It is the largest of three sugar estates/factories owned

by J. Wray and Nephew, the others being New Yarmouth in Clarendon and Holland, adjacent to Bamboo Avenue in St Elizabeth. This billion dollar company began in 1825 as a

popular Kingston ìrum shop.î John Wray, owner of The Shakespeare Tavern at Parade in Kingston, made his fortune blending and selling rum. Just before his retirement in 1864

he took his fashionable nephew Colonel Charles Ward into the business. Ward expanded the scope of the company, acquiring sugar estates and import agencies. Today, J. Wray and Nephew is one of the islandís leading exporters and its core business remains the production, blending and bottling of rum.

Appleton, located at the edge of the Cockpit Country where the Black River meets the St Elizabeth plain, produces 16000 tons of sugar and 10,000,000 litres of rum annually. This

ìwhite rumî is then blended and bottled in their Kingston production plant.

The ìRum Tourî covers all aspects of production with an introductory video presentation followed by a visit to the distillery. En route you will see the 100 year old donkey driven cane mill and sample fresh cane juice, molasses, wet sugar, ìhigh wineî and finally Appleton Rum, considered by some connoisseurs to be the finest in the world. Should you wish you can purchase all you want, plus other Appleton products like ìMad Annieî and Rum Cream in the gift shop which also features items made by St Elizabeth craftsmen.

Tour 6

Circle St Elizabeth

From Mandeville there is a choice of routes to the beaches of the south coast.

ROUTE A

via Newport to Alligator Pond

Take the road past the West Indies Training College and through the village of KNOCKPATRICK. You will drive beneath Alpartís cable belt conveyor connecting the bauxite mines of the Manchester plateau to the lowland plant at Nain. Newport is a cool rural village. Between ROSEHALL and REST STORE you get the first glimpse of the sea and Alpartís pier at PORT KAISER. If the day is clear you can observe offshore and to the south east a coral atoll in the making on Alligator Reef. PLOWDEN with its Moravian church, school, and bauxite-pink landscape is typical of the area. Descending towards Rowes Corner via many hairpin curves, the landscape has a surreal quality with monstrous towers and outcrops of rock dwarfing cottages and cultivations.

Alligator Pond has a large fishing beach, well equipped with modern fibreglass boats plus high powered outboard engines. A good place to sample fried fish straight from the ocean or purchase fresh fish and lobster. Some boats are available for hire, price negotiable. Interesting Detour: Turn left at the Alligator Pond crossroads passing several holiday cottages and landmarks with evocative names like CUCKOLD POINT, OLD WOMANíS POINT, GUT RIVER, CANOE VALLEY, ALLIGATOR HOLE RIVER and GODíS WELL (see Tour 7).

These coastal waters are the preferred habitat of manatees (local name: sea cows) which come to drink the fresh water bubbling into the sea from underground springs. In Arawak times there were large manatee herds but the current islandwide population is estimated as less than 100. They are protected under the Wild Life Protection Act, but that does not stop some fishermen from killing those snared in their nets. Four manatees, rescued from fishermen are kept in captivity in the Alligator Hole river. Unfortunately, because they are all female there is

no hope of a captive breeding program. Mournful-looking sea mammals, manatees may have given rise to legends about mermaids. They are extremely gentle and shy, feed on sea grasses and can grow to be 13 foot in length and 3,300 lbs

in weight.

West of Alligator Pond crossing, a clear cold river enters the sea near the site of an old fort. At its mouth, Sea River resort,

a 12 room hotel, belongs to the local member of parliament Derek Rochester. Further west is Alpartís Port Kaiser. Alumina, transported by private railroad from the Alpart refinery, is shipped from here.

Despite the scanty rainfall, south St Elizabeth supplies most of the vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, escallion, thyme, onions) sold throughout the island. The traditional thrift, industry and ingenuity of the farmers here are reflected in the small, sturdy houses dotting the hills, and the patchwork of fields neatly mulched with guinea grass ñ a local technique known as ìdry farmingî. Many of the people hereabouts are light-skinned, some with blue or green eyes and are known locally as ìSt Elizabeth Red Manî. Theories about their origin differ. One is that their male ancestors were the crew of a Dutch ship wrecked off the coast long ago. Another that the local white planters were exceptionally libidinous and prolific.

It is farming country all the way through BULL SAVANNAH, JUNCTION, and TOP HILL where there is a monument to two children shot in a 1970s political campaign. Erected by the

JLP, it is a grisly reminder of things better left unsaid in a tour book. SOUTHFIELD, where both routes converge, is a large and prosperous village.

ROUTE B

via Santa Cruz to Malvern

Leaving Mandeville for SPUR TREE you pass R a residential subdivision at Hatfield boasting some elaborate residences like Rolling Hills ñ a hilltop mansion belonging to the Hammond family, Jamaicans who made a bakery fortune in New York. This is one of Countrystyleís Bed and Breakfast listings.

At the Spur Tree cross roads there is a gas station and the small Bus Stop cafe. From the brow of the mountain, while viewing the St Elizabeth plain for the first time, try to remember that the belching smokestacks of Alpart are vital to the islandís economy. L of the main road and overlooking the lowland plant are Alpartís corporate headquarters. The Spur Tree switchback descends to a large mined-out bauxite pit that used to be the village of GUTTERS. At the T-junction near the bottom of the hill you can turn L to TREASURE BEACH via LITITZ. Almost immediately you come to the relocated Gutters, with a gas station, a few shops and JIMíS HQ, with a restaurant and a disco reputed to

be the most popular in the island.

Or you can continue straight on to MALVERN via Santa Cruz. You drive through pasture and farmland infrequently punctuated by landmarks like St Andrewís Church at GILNOCK or Mr Brownís Bar half a mile further on. The prosperity of Santa Cruz is expressed in bulky new houses encased in fantastic burglar bar designs.

St Elizabeth has always been famous for horse breeding and Santa Cruz grew up around a livestock market. Now it is the most vibrant town in the parish, a dormitory town for Alpart, and a centre for farmers with a typical Jamaican market overflowing into the surrounding streets. In the centre of town turn

L for Malvern, along the road where the livestock market is still held every Saturday. Past an entity called ìChariots Entertain-ment Centre (Bar open around the Back)î you start the climb into the Santa Cruz Mountains, reputed to have the healthiest climate in the world. There are groves of Pimento (allspice) and bracken (a temperate climate ëbushí) either side of the winding road. You will also notice Logwood trees (fortunes were once made by selling the logs for dye, nowadays the fragrant blossoms produce the best honey) and the indispensable guinea grass. You are in the centre of MALVERN when you reach a T-junction, facing a line of small shops with L the Police Station and El Paraguas Tavern.

Malvern is an educational oasis. The BETHLEHEM Moravian teacherís college, founded in 1861 at Bethabra in Manchester soon moved to Malvern where there had been a Moravian community since 1823. (Every Sunday, the newly converted slaves walked 20 miles to church at Fairfield near Spur Tree.) Moravian missionaries were brought to the island by the owners of Elim estate in 1754 to preach Christianity to their slaves. In the hot, mosquito-ridden lowlands they were plagued by fevers and many died. The survivors relocated in the mountains. Practical Christians, the Moravians concentrated on education (ìMihi cura futuriî is Bethlehemís motto) and imparted among other things the useful skill of building cut stone water tanks and catchments. Today, the Bethlehem educational complex, partially funded by government, comprises the college, primary and all-age schools. Rev Justin Peart, Minister of the Church is an affable gentleman with the ability to deliver an enthralling history of the Moravian church and its mission in Jamaica in about fifteen minutes. Its founder, a scholar named John Hus, was burnt at the stake for heresy in 1415. He ìproclaimed the priesthood of all believersî ñ a credo shared by genuine Rastafarians.

THE MALVERN SCIENCE CENTRE in an old estate house opposite Hampton Girls School was established by the Masthead Foundation with some support from local donors like Alcan. Its mission ñ to provide an information centre for science teachers, students and aspiring environmentalists ñ is energetically supervised by Mrs Heidi Reidel. Exhibits in the Sun, Sea and Sand rooms cleverly relate the world of science to the physical resources and economy of the island. A small Hall of Fame includes local celebrities like Dr Thomas Lecky, who against

official disapproval pursued cross-breeding experiments to produce the Jamaica Hope, an acclimatized dairy cow; and

Mrs Beth Jacobs, a family planning pioneer. MSRC also

distributes How-to literature and advice on environment

friendly options like Solar Ovens and Banana Circles. Heidi,

an adopted Jamaican, is also a fund of information on St Elizabeth. HAMPTON HIGH SCHOOL and MUNRO COLLEGE were established in the late nineteenth century by a trust left

by two philanthropic merchants named Munro and Dickenson. Both schools have excellent academic records. Because of location they were originally elite boarding schools, today they are government aided and cater also to day-scholars.

Visitor accommodation is nil except for a cottage at Windy Manor (turn L off the Malvern to Mountainside road). Owners Winsome and Roy Manning (an aquaculturist) are also planning cabins and campsites on their 17 acre coffee and pimento farm.

Near Munro there are two routes down the hill. The first (turn R before the College) drops almost vertically offering spectacular views. Windswept Munro looms L above the road, living proof of an old school cheer which claims that ìMunro Boys eat rice and peas, Munro boys feel mountain breeze, it makes them cold but it makes them boldî. At the first crossroads the JAH BHQ bar and restaurant boasts 24 hour service ñ ìif necessaryî. Turn R for Southfield, then R again at the next junction opposite the South St Elizabeth Holistic Medical Complex and you are in SOUTHFIELD, a prosperous mini-town. Past a church, turn L to LOVERS LEAP approximately 1 mile east. En route, the unpretentious Lovers Leap Guest House, Drive-In and Lounge is operated by Ms Yvonne Burton. Opposite Lovers Leap, there is a populous goat pen. From this cliff, legend says, two young slaves leapt to their death rather than be parted. The reality is a near vertical escarpment plunging thousands of feet to the sea and the view is spectacular.

So much so, that neither the adjacent army camp and radar facility nor an unfinished concrete structure littered with goat droppings can break the spell. In fact the view is enhanced by climbing to the unrailed balcony. It is possible to look down on small aircraft flying below you along the coast. A detachment of US military help to man the radar station ñ their mission is unspecified but locals believe that their main function is to monitor drug flights and shipments between the island and South America.

Returning to Southfield, turn L past a supermarket, bakery and ice-cream parlour heading south through ìdry farmingî country for Pedro Cross, where the Police Station overlooks the coast and the two Pedro salt ponds.The climate here is semi- desert, but the land blooms miraculously with the slightest rainfall. Bear left for Treasure Beach. Before you get there, turn L towards GREAT BAY. On either side, the smooth brown pastures, neatly fenced with gnarled timber and barbwire are sparsely filled with goats and sheep. There is a sprinkling of farmers homes and a line of cottages for rent around the bay. Three afternoons per week the beach is the scene of much activity when the fishing boats return from the PEDRO CAYS. The rest

of the time it is almost deserted except for men playing dominoes under the thatch at Spanner Elliotís Water Hole. Fishing trips can be arranged. Price negotiable. Unofficial mayor of Great Bay is Desmond Henry, a former Director of Tourism and now eco-tourism consultant and practitioner.

TREASURE BEACH is less a village than a series of bays and coves, edged with cottages for rent. The locals, independent small farmers and fisherfolk have awakened belatedly to the economic potential of tourism as the area becomes increasingly popular. The inevitable side-effects of tourism, high prices, harassment and even crime are not unknown but still vestigial and the culprits are usually from other areas.

Places to stay: Numerous cottages and villas from basic to luxurious can be rented through Countrystyle or JAVA/Vacation Network. TREASURE BEACH HOTEL on a hilltop overlooking Frenchmanís Bay (good bathing but watch the surf and the currents) has a beachside swimming pool and colourful garden shaded by Lignum Vitae and Palms. Cheerful decor, courteous service and reasonable rates.

THE OLDE WHARFE RESORT is unique among seafront hotels for its unimpeded 360 degree view including the Great Salt Pond, the plains, the mountains, Pedro Bluff, Great Bay, and Calabash Bay. If you are lucky you may even see manatees close to the rocky shore. The owner, Mrs Sharon James Rose, says that she ìhates to use the word eco-tourismî but offers something very similar. Olde Wharfe has a family oriented Jamaican atmosphere with swimming pool, sheltered beach, ironshore grotto, bird sanctuary and an old white mare called Snowflake grazing nearby.

Vegetable fields and smooth pastures line the road through NEWELL and WATCHWELL to the edge of the Black River Morass. A short detour R to MOUNTAINSIDE takes you to MISS LURíS one of the best restaurants in the south ñ if you like roast pork. The owner, Lurline Patrick is the retired Postmistress.

At Salt Spring, the left fork takes you to PAROTEE BEACH and the sea; take the R fork to BLACK RIVER capital of St Elizabeth. The town, with a deep water harbour but no pier is still a fairly active port. Ships are loaded by large open boats called lighters. The Black River, dark as molasses, is the largest in the island and drains an extensive wetland soon to be declared a national park. Its clear water reflects the colour of the peat lining banks and riverbed. The riverís main source rises as Hectorís River near Troy in the Cockpit Country and goes underground twice before resurfacing near Balaclava. Long ago Black River was an important waterway navigable for almost 25 miles upstream. Today it is used primarily for shrimping, and tourism. The uncontrolled increase in pleasure traffic is threatening the habitat of crocodiles and other species. Trips start from the bridge. On the east bank, SOUTHCOAST SAFARIS is operated by crocodile buff Charles Swaby who pioneered trips up the river through

Man-grove Avenue ñ a fine spot to swim. On the west bank

Dr Dan Bennettís St Elizabeth Safari offers more of less the

same itinerary in pontoon craft.

The townís somnolent charm is enhanced by old buildings and a historic Anglican parish church of rosy brick. A neglected mineral spa to the west of town, once a favourite place for King Leopold of the Belgians, continues to await rescue.

Places to stay: Cottages along Crane Road and Parottee beach are available for rent through Countrystyle, or JAVA/Vacation Network. Hotels and guests houses include: PORT OF CALL

and BRIDGE HOUSE along the coast road east of town are both noted for good food. WATERLOO GUEST HOUSE on the coast-road west of town has a comfortable new wing. This old Victorian mansion was the first house in Jamaica to get electricity when the original owner, a Mr Leyden, installed a lighting plant so that he could air condition the stables of his racehorses. INVERCAULD HOUSE, a restored Victorian mansion plus its modern mirror image, replicated in concrete is clean and comfortable. HOTEL PONTIO overlooks the sea on the western edge of town.

The Black River and its many tributaries meandering across the plains of St Elizabeth have contributed to the formation of THE GREAT MORASS ñ a huge area of freshwater swamp dotted with islands and covered with lush wetland vegetation including stands of majestic palms. The road north to MIDDLE QUARTERS skirts south west of the morass. Unsuccessful attempts to develop this area date back to 1783 when the British government decided to settle some loyalist American refugees here. Local opponents to the scheme gleefully reported that even a settler whose name was Frogge found the area too damp, so the scheme was abandoned. More recently there have been unsuccessful attempts to extend rice production and a successful project to introduce fish farming. Jamculture has a large fish

and shrimp farm at Barton Isles. To date, however, the most lucrative crop is illegal ñ marijuana (ganja); hence the sporadic activity on several unofficial airstrips constructed in the morass during the 1970s.

At Middle Quarters, vendors squat on the roadside with baskets and plastic pails of hot peppered shrimp. Some of the shrimps come from the adjacent wetland streams but most of them are imported from Big Bridge in Westmoreland. The design of the bamboo crayfish pots is of African origin and centuries old. One mile from Middle Quarters a road leads L to the beautiful YS Falls (See Page 91).

Back on the main highway you travel to LACOVIA through photogenic BAMBOO AVENUE, a cool green tunnel three miles long formed by bamboos arching from both sides of the road. Midway there is a JTB reststop with washrooms and snacks. The farmland either side is leased to Appleton estate and grows cane and mangoes.

LACOVIA, the longest village in the island, sprawls on both sides of

a bridge over the Black River and was the site

of a battle between the Spanish and British in 1655. Lacoviaís famous tombstone beside the gas station marks the site of two ancient tombs now covered by the road. One legend says that the tombs are those of a British and a Spanish soldier who were chosen by their respective armies to do battle in single combat but another legend claims that the duel was over a lady. Both duelists died and one of the seconds got the girl. The remaining tombstone, relocated by the roadside, commemorates one Thomas Jordan Spencer aged 15 and the engraved Coat of Arms on it connects the lad with the family of Winston Churchill and Princess Di.

An interesting crop in these parts is the Cashew. The slow growing trees produce gourmet nuts encased in a hard shell at the tip of the fruit that make a delectable preserve and heady liqueur.

Possible detour: Turn L at the gas station for MAGGOTTY, APPLE VALLEY PARK and APPLETON ESTATE. Or continue north through SANTA CRUZ , then GUTTERS where you start the climb up Spur Tree Hill and back to Mandeville.

Tour 7

Mandeville to Milk River

and the Clarendon Plains

Milk River is 36 miles from Mandeville. Take the highway

south from Williamsfield down Melrose Hill via Porus past stalls replete with luscious citrus and other fruit to TOLLGATE and turn R Flat canefields and pastures border seven miles of road to REST crossroads where you turn R to Milk River Spa another 3.5 miles away.

MILK RIVER SPA AND HOTEL belong to the government and is operated by the Ministry of Tourism. The hotel, built against a limestone cliff and upstairs of the mineral baths, overlooks the Milk River. Manager Desmond Edwards heads a friendly staff, including a trained masseuse. Accommodation is not plush, but clean and comfortable. The food is good, with plenty of fish from nearby FARQUHARíS BEACH.

Downstairs there are nine tiled baths with a continuous flow of lukewarm mineral water. The analysis of the mineral spring shows it as more radioactive than leading European spas, (fifty-four times as active as Baden in Switzerland and three times as active as Karlsbad, Austria). The waters are reputed to cure numerous ailments including rheumatism, gout, neuralgia, sciatica, lumbago, ìnerve conditionsî and liver disorders. The recommended treatment is 3 baths per day, each lasting no longer than 20 minutes. There are two springs, the water of the second can be taken internally for digestive complaints. The baths are open 24 hours a day to hotel guests and 7am to 9pm to the public. There is also a public mineral water swimming pool open at weekends.

Milk River is popular with Jamaicans. The atmosphere is

very ìhomeyî. You are likely to meet hotel guests wandering around in their dressing gowns on their way to or from the baths or sipping early morning coffee on the screened verandah. Locals drop by for a bath or a meal. At weekends there is usually a crowd.

The spa was discovered in the eighteenth century by a

slave belonging to Jonathan Ludford. The slave, who had been punished and severely beaten escaped from Ludfordís estate and hid in the nearby hills where he discovered a salty spring, drank the water and bathed his battered body before returning in fine shape to the slave village. Ludford, amazed at the manís recovery promised never to punish him again if he would show him the miraculous spring. He then fenced the place, put the slave there as a watchman and eventually willed the property to the government. The first baths were constructed and opened to the public in 1794.

Milk River is a comfortable base from which to explore the south coast of Clarendon or St Elizabeth. FARQUHARíS, a small fishing beach, is one mile from the hotel via a primitive road. Fishing trips can be arranged by negotiation with the boatmen ñ short trips to ALLIGATOR HOLE or deep sea expeditions to BOON ROCK. You will have to provide your own tackle.The Milk River itself is said to harbour crocodiles and although they are reclusive and shy animals, do not push your luck by swimming here.

About a mile before Milk River Spa is a sign directing you

to Canoe Valley and the ALLIGATOR HOLE project of the National Resources Conservation Authority, not to be missed

if you are a nature lover. The road winds between low hills cloaked in dry limestone forest. The only persons you are likely to see are charcoal burners piling bulging sacks by the roadside for the coal truck. The short Alligator Hole river springs crystal clear from the limestone hills above and provides a habitat for a wide variety of birds, plants and aquatic creatures. An environmental display in a small wooden cabin tells you all about it. Supervisor Keith Jones is even more informative, especially about the four female manatees who were all rescued from

fishermen who had caught them in seine nets. They were put

in the river for safe keeping and have been here for ten years. Though no longer restrained, they have elected to stay in the river rather than return to the open sea. To date the NRCA has not attempted to acquire a male manatee and start a captive breeding program. Keith says that there are doubts that the vegetation in the river could support a larger population ñ manatees are large creatures that consume their body weight

in aquatic plant food each day. They stuff the plants into their mouths with their flippers.

There is a small boat and the wardens will gladly take you on a short river trip (tips at your discretion). Sometimes, when a south wind increases the height of the sand bar at the river mouth the river floods the surrounding mangrove and the water becomes dark and opaque. More often, the river is blue-green, crystal clear and almost icy. A prominent sign says ìno swimmingî, but whoís looking when the sun is scorching down?

The wardens can point you to a hiking trail that will take you to LONG BAY beach ñ a crescent of black sand nearly 10 miles long stretching from Farquharís to GUT RIVER. The seven miles of coast road from Alligator Hole to Gut River should not be attempted unless you have a 4 wheel drive vehicle.

OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST

Also in this area is GODíS WELL, an immensely deep sinkhole that leads to subterranean, water filled tunnels and caverns. Old legends say that the place was an Arawak religious site.

East of Milk River is the sugar belt of Clarendon. Hidden in the canefields is VERNHAM FIELD. An airfield and U.S. army base during World War II, it is nowadays sometimes used for auto racing but more frequently for the airlift of marijuana. Not a place to visit casually.

Nearby is the GARVEY MACEO SECONDARY SCHOOL, a gift from the Cuban government during the 1970s.

NEW YARMOUTH sugar estate and factory is owned by the ancient firm of J. Wray and Nephew. A private consortium that includes J Wray and Nephew and Booker-Tate of the U.K. has recently bought MONYMUSK from the government. (Insert).

As you drive from Milk River to the MONYMUSK factory at Lionel Town, the vast fields of cane are interspersed with small shabby settlements teeming with children, livestock, churches and rumshops. In the village of ALLEY there is beautiful little Anglican Church, under the vigorous stewardship of Archdeacon Wright. A plaque erected by the Jamaica Historical Society says that it was founded in 1671 as the parish church of the former parish of VERE. The existing building dates from 1715. The churchyard has whitewashed brick tombs, some dating from the eighteenth century.

Another gem for photographerís is the Monymusk branch library in a converted windmill. Goats and cows browse in the grounds and the library is mostly used by local schoolchildren.

LIONEL TOWN is a bustling village with schools, churches, police station, hospital and gas station. A few miles to the south is ROCKY POINT one of the largest fishing beaches in the island; and a few miles west at another ROCKY POINT is the JAMALCO port.

ALCOA, the Aluminum Company of America, the largest aluminum producer in the U.S. was the last bauxite/alumina company to come to Jamaica. In 1960, Alcoa Minerals of Jamaica began mining bauxite in the Mocho Mountains and processing it at their Clarendon Alumina Works 4 miles south

of May Pen. In 1981 the joint venture company JAMALCO was created with the government of Jamaica acquiring a 6% interest in the mining and refining operation and Alcoa retaining management. During the aluminum slump of the 1980s, when Alcoa was preparing to ìmothballî the plant the Jamaican government averted the shutdown by creating another company (Clarendon Aluminum Products Ltd) which assumed responsi-bility for production, and retained Alcoa on a Management contract. The rescue was facilitated by a controversial 10 year supply contract with the notorious metals trader Marc Rich, which had been negotiated by the incumbent Minister of Mining, Hugh Hart.

When the aluminium market improved Alcoa returned as managing partner. The refinery is capable of producing 800,000 tons of alumina annually. Ore, alumina and supplies are transported via 22 miles of railroad belonging to the defunct Jamaica Government Railway and operated at Alcoaís expense.

One of Alcoaís founders, Charles Martin Hall, the first person to discover a low-cost process for making aluminum, had Jamaican connections. His parents worked as missionaries near Brainerd Station in St Mary from 1850 to 1860 and the Sunday School register shows entries for five of their older children. Charles was born shortly after they returned to the U.S. He developed his aluminum process in an old woodshed at age 22.

Driving from Lionel Town to the Alcoa Plant you will pass

L the large Vere Technical High School, a government housing scheme, and a high mud wall enclosing the Red Mud lake containing waste sludge from the alumina process. You canít miss the Alcoa plant R and its Sports Club. ìNew Bowensî.

R a short way further on is a tidy village created by Alcoa for residents displaced from ìBowensî by the mudlake.

L of the highway is the packing plant for Victoria Banana Ltd, which produces export bananas in a hi-tech operation on the Clarendon plains. Far L of the highway their banana fields can be seen stretching into the distance behind HALSE HALL. This historic great house has been restored and furnished in period style by Alcoa. It is used for functions and to accommodate visiting V.I.P.s. The foundations of the house may date back to the Spanish period when the property was called Hato de Buena Vista (Ranch of the Beautiful View). After the Spanish were driven from the island, the place was settled by Thomas Halse. The house that he built, half residence, half fortress, was maintained until modern days. One owner, Sir Henry de la Beche, was a renowned geologist and president of the geological society in London (1847ñ 1849). In the Halse Hall grounds is a family graveyard, a feature of many rural Jamaican homes, both great and humble.

MAY PEN, parish capital of Clarendon lies over the Rio Minho one of the longest rivers in Jamaica but frequently nothing more than a trickle in a wide silted bed. May Pen is just 25 miles and at best 45 minutes from Mandeville. It is one of the largest, most prosperous rural towns and a market centre surrounded by fertile land producing citrus, cocoa, ground provisions and cane. A large sugar estate, Sevens, lies on the northeast of the town. There are three factories: The Citrus Development Company Ltd., the Jamaica Cordage Co., which produces all the rope

sold in the island, and Jamaica Bags Ltd.

Traffic, handcarts, shoppers and vendors swirl around the Town Clock and market. Overlooking the main road Storks De Roux and Company is the businessplace of the jovial Custos of Clarendon, Jimmy de Roux.

HOTEL VERSAILLES (locally pronounced Ver-Sallies) on the edge of May Penís affluent, residential section has all necessary mod cons: rooms with private bath, satellite tv, air-conditioning, telephones plus a swimming pool, two bars and restaurant.

DENBEIGH SHOWGROUND on the western outskirts of town is the site for the islandís largest agricultural show ñ held annually for 3 days over the Independence weekend in August.

Along the May Pen ñ Kingston route about 2 miles out at Freetown (better known as Rastaman Corner) there are

a series of roadside stalls specializing in Lignum Vitae utensils, everything from chopping boards to wine goblets. The slow growing Lignum Vitae is Jamaicaís national tree. Other stalls between here

and OLD HARBOUR offer

honey in quart bottles.

The elegant Victorian town clock in Old Harbour seldom tells the correct time, and the market spills into the main road so drive with care. One and a half miles northwest of Old Harbour is COLBECK CASTLE, a rather mysterious ruin, the largest of its kind in Jamaica. The corner towers are reminiscent of the mansion/fortress at Stokes Hall, but no one is certain when it was built, for what purpose or whether it was ever occupied

by the presumed owner Colonel John Colbeck. Further north

in the hills between Bellas Gate and Rock River gold has been found and a Canadian company is still hoping to mine it in commercial quantities.

Tour 8

The Hills North of Mandeville

The Mandeville to Kendal highway gives a birdís eye view of Jamalcaís huge red mud lake glowering beneath Shooters Hill. At the junction north of Kendal the L fork leads L to Grove Place, an agricultural research station. A detour this way takes you through citrus groves and dairy pastures to Balaclava, Appleton and Maggotty.

BALACLAVA is a pleasant village, a backwater since the closure of the railway. It has a pretty Anglican church and

proximity to the huge Oxford Caves.

APPLETON ESTATE on the edge of the Cockpit Country is a privately owned sugar estate and factory, producer of famous Appleton rum. Closure of the railway has put an end to a tourism tradition ñ The Appleton Express from Montego Bay, but the Appleton Rum Tour, currently via bus, is still very popular.

MAGGOTTY, another rural community isolated by the closure of the railway, was once the site of magnificent waterfalls long since sacrificed for hydro-electricity. A sad and rather shabby village, Maggotty is the site of Apple Valley, a pleasant water park offering boating and fishing on a mini-lake and river swimming. Picnic areas, barbeques and campsites are also available. The owners, the Lee family, run the store and bakery opposite the entrance and operate a guest house nearby.

Or turn R at the junction north of KENDAL for SHOOTERS HILL, site of the Pickapeppa factory. Based on a secret formula, both the hot and the sweet Pickapeppa sauces are prized by gourmets all over the world. It is a stiff hike to the top of Shooters Hill but the view on clear days is magnificent. A former owner, Alexander Heron, left instructions that he was to be buried here. The current owners maintain his tomb and the original great house. Across from the Jamalcan refinery, turn left up to the hills. MIZPAH Moravian church, L overlooks the highway. It was begun in 1869 by a German minister Theodore Sonderman and completed in 1870 by Heinrich Walder, a Swiss missionary who founded the nearby village of Walderston. Here, an observatory known locally as ìThe Castleî was built by an English peeress and is now the site of a workshop/home that produces decorative jigsaw craft items.

The villages of WALDERSTON, SPALDINGS, CHRISTIANA, COLEYVILLE and countless small homesteads meander across the mountains and appear to merge. You can see for miles in all directions and after dark the myriad lights twinkle through the mist like fallen stars.

At Walderston, bear left for Christiana. Hotel VILLA BELLA on the brow of a hill and set in a three acre garden, has 22 rooms and a gourmet menu that includes English High Tea. Information about places of interest including HIBERNIA, a

farm offering hiking and pony trekking, is available at the front desk. They can also give you directions to BETHANY another interesting Moravian Church founded in 1835. It was in Christiana, in 1898 that an American minister called George Lopp first introduced the Irish potato to the island. His first plot is still maintained at Bethany by the Minister of the Church.

The town of CHRISTIANA is surrounded by small farmers who produce ginger, bananas, yams and the bulk of the islandís Irish Potatoes. The light-skinned farmers of Christiana Bottom are of German descent. Some of their forbears fought as mercenaries for King George III during the American War of Independence and afterwards received land grants. Two turn-of-the-century cut stone buildings ñ the Police Station and another Moravian church ñ overlook Christianaís main street. If the mountain air makes you hungry, Juicibeef patties, arguably the best in Jamaica, are available at a snack shop nearby.

The road winds west through Coleyville, another farming district noted for strawberries. Past the Bryce United Church

and School the road L leads to the Christiana Potato Growers store house and the GOURIE cave. At a crossroads marking the district of DUMP you can turn R for an adventurous trip skirting the Cockpit Country through ALBERT TOWN, ULTSTER SPRING and ALPS back to the northcoast at DUNCANS.

Or bear L up a hill and explore an equally unfrequented

road towards CRAIG HEAD and TROY. Approaching PIKE you will spy L a gigantic golf ball looming above the peak that is 3226 feet high. This is a radar station that was established with the help of the Canadian government some years ago, reportedly for tracking illegal flights. It has now been superseded by

a more functional facility at Lovers Leap, set up and manned

by U.S. military personnel. Nowadays,the lone inhabitants of

the Pike station are security guards and the fine for trespassing is J$20,000, but the road up to the peak entrance is good and offers interesting views including a close-up of a dry limestone forest: lush vegetation springing from bare rock. On this road you will meet pick-ups laden with yams bound for market and view an extensive patchwork of Jamaican hill farms. Troy is the destination for the long hike from Windsor in Trelawny through the Cockpit Country ñ just about as far into the ìinteriorî as you can get on wheels.

Heading southeast from Christiana, it is about 3.5 miles on a good road to SPALDINGS the largest town in these hills with a busy main street, a choice of banks, a large hospital and KNOX COLLEGE; a unique educational centre, the brain child of the late Rev Lewis Davidson and sponsored initially by the Presbyterian church (now the United Church of Jamaica and Grand Cayman). Davidson, a Scotsman, came to Jamaica as headmaster of Wolmerís Boys School in Kingston but his concept of education proved too revolutionary for the Wolmerís board of the day and his contract was not renewed. Knox was founded in 1940 and deliberately sited in a remote area to test Davidsonís axiom that an educational institution must contribute to the development and well being of the surrounding community. Knox puts great emphasis on character building and the

teaching of practical skills. Today the complex includes a

Junior School, High School, Community College, farm,

printery and dental clinic.

The route from Spaldings to the northcoast via BOROBRIDGE, winds through hill country and yam, cane, coffee and banana cultivations. Thence through AENON TOWN and CAVE VALLEY where the Cave River sinks to emerge miles downstream at STEWART TOWN as the Rio Bueno. Cave Valley has a busy Saturday market, specializing in the sale of livestock: goats, cows and donkeys. En route to BROWNS TOWN, about 16 winding miles away, you pass through ABOUKIR, a rural educational centre and CLARKSONVILLE, one of several ìfree villagesî created by the emancipated slaves with the help of Baptist missionaries.

From Spaldings, the route to the south winds through the Clarendon hills, and above and along the RIO MINHO valley (the longest river in Jamaica) between citrus orchards, through FRANKFIELD and CHAPELTON to MAY PEN. These once fertile hills, were the childhood home of Jamaican author and poet laureate Claude McKay and a continuing source of inspiration

to him. Books like ìMy Green Hills of Jamaicaî and ìBanana Bottomî provide a compelling picture of rural life sixty years ago. About a mile west of Frankfield there is a famous fossil bed. Fossils here, including an extinct species of gigantic shellfish,

are estimated to be between 65 and 70 million years old.

Some of these can be seen in the small museum in the

Geology Department of the UWI.>

Home

and School the road L leads to the Christiana Potato Growers sto