Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
When the English captured Jamaica from the Spanish in 1655, the old capital of St Jago de
la Vega (now known as Spanish Town) was badly damaged during the invasion. Under Eng-
lish rule, the new settlement of Port Royal nearby rapidly became the island's chief centre
of commerce. Within a few decades it had become the richest city in the Caribbean. As a
magnet for pirates and privateers, Port Royal gained a reputation as 'the wickedest town in
Christendom'. After a powerful earthquake shook eastern Jamaica in 1692, destroying most
of the city, some contemporary religious commentators proclaimed it a just punishment for
the inhabitants' sins, comparable to the destruction of the biblical Sodom and Gomorrah. To
our eyes, a more apt comparison is with the legendary Atlantis, a fabulously wealthy ancient
city said to have been lost under the sea.
Port Royal enjoyed the economic advantages of a site at the entrance to a large natural har-
bour but the area was prone to tremors and strong winds. Much of the city had been construc-
ted on unstable land and many of the closely-packed buildings lacked adequate foundations.
When the earthquake struck shortly before noon on 7 June 1692, followed by a huge tidal
wave, about two thirds of the city sank beneath the sea. The difference between the coastline
before the earthquake (outlined on this map in blue) and afterwards (outlined in red) is a stark
reminder of the power of nature over human endeavour.
Only one tenth of Port Royal's buildings survived the earthquake and many of these re-
maining homes and businesses were looted by the survivors. Although some of the city was
later rebuilt, its recovery was hampered by several later disasters - including fires, floods,
hurricanes and smaller earthquakes - and it never regained its former status. A new commer-
cial centre was established in nearby Kingston, which eventually supplanted Spanish Town
as the official capital of Jamaica. Its urban area has since spread to encompass Port Royal.
Although this map was not created until 1870, it has a close connection with the events of
1692. Thomas Harrison, a government surveyor, copied it from an earlier survey of 1827 and
added the coloured outlines to indicate how the shape of the peninsula had altered. Suspect-
ing that money, jewels and other precious objects believed to have been submerged during
the earthquake might be recoverable using modern diving equipment, local officials debated
whether they should organise their own diving expedition or allow a private venture. They
referred the matter to the Colonial Office in London, enclosing this map with the correspond-
ence. The British government agreed that the Governor of Jamaica could issue a licence to a
firm called Stein & Company to undertake a search; the Crown waived its right to a share of
any profits in favour of the Jamaican government. We know that Stein & Company accepted
the terms because its director wrote to thank the Colonial Secretary for his support, but our
records contain no evidence that divers found any sunken treasure.
