Jamabo. See Yamabo.
Jamaica, one of the largest islands of the West In- dies, was discovered by Columbus in 1494, and received in 1514 the name Isla de San Jago. In 1560 the native population had become nearly extinct. For a time Ja- maica remained under the administration of the de- scendants of Diego, the son of Columbus ; subsequently it fell by inheritance to the house of Braganza; in 1655 it was "occupied by the English, and in 1670 formally ceded to England, Avhich has ever siuce retained posses- sion of it. The importation of slaves ceased in 1807, and in 1838 the slaves obtained their entire freedom. The negro population increased very rapidly, and, ac- cording to a census taken in 1861, there were, in a total population of 441,264, only 13,816 whites, mostly English, against 346.374 negroes and 81,065 mulattoes. The col- ored population has always complained of being oppress- ed and ill-treated by the former slaveholders, who owai nearly the whole of the landed property, and a large number of them have withdrawn from the towns and plantations into the interior of the island, where they have formed a number of new settlements. In October, 1865, a negro insurrection broke out, in the course of which several government buildings were stormed by
JAMBLICHUS
752
JAJ^IBLICHUS
the insixrgents, and a number of plantations plundered. The English governor, E>Te, suppressed the insurrection ■with a severity which caused his suspension from office, and the appointment of a special commission of investi- gation. The latter had, ho«-ever, no practical result, and the (iueen's Bench, to which the case of governor EjTe had been referred by the jury, declined to insti- tute a trial.
Before the abolition of slavery the planters were in general opposed to the reUgious instruction of the slaves. In 175-1 the iMora\'ian Brethren commenced a mission in Jamaica, encouraged by several of the planters, who presented them an estate called Carmel. Their progress was but slow. From the beginning of the mission to 180-1 the number of negroes baptized was 938. From 1838, when complete liberty was granted to the negroes, the Moravian mission prospered greatly ; and in 1850, the number of souls under the care of the mission at the several stations was estimated at 1300. In 1842 an in- stitution for training native teachers was established. In 1867 the mission numbered 14 churches and chapels, with 11,850 sittings, 9350 attendants at divine worship, and 44G0 members. The number of schools was 17, and of scholars 30. The mission of English Wesleyans was commenced by Dr. Coke in 1787. It soon met with vi- olent opposition, and the Legislative Assembly of the island and the town council of Kingston repeatedly passed stringent laws for cutting off the slave popula- tion from the attendance of the Wesleyan meetings, and for putting a stop to the labors of the missionaries. From 1807 to 1815 the missionary work was accordingly interrupted, and it was only due to the interference of the home government and the English governors of Ja- maica that it could be resumed. But every insurrec- tionary movement among the negroes led to a new out- cry against the missionaries, in particular the Wesleyan, against whom, at different times, special laws were is- Buecl A great change, however, took jilace in public opinion after the abolition of slaverj', when the House of Assembly of the island and the Common Council of Kingston made grants to aid in the erection of AVesleyan cliapels and schools. In 1846 the number of Church members in connection with the Wesleyan mission amoimtcd to 26,585; but from that time it began to de- crease, and in 1853 had declined to 19,478. In 1867 the Wesleyans had 75 churches and chapels, with 34,105 sittings, 24,210 attendants of public worship, 26 minis- ters, 14,661 members, 5107 Sunday-scholars, and 36 day- schools, Avith 2563 scholars. The English Baptists en- tered upon their mission in Jamaica in 1814. It soon became very prosperous: in 1839 it numbered 21,000, and in 1841,27,706 members. Since then it has like- wise declined, and, according to the returns of 1867, the number of members has been reduced to 18,947. The mission has 87 churches and chapels, with 51,320 sit- tings, 34,200 attendants of public worship, 33 ministers, 1 college, and 14 students. The statistics of other re- ligious bodies and societies in 1867 were as follows :
Churches and Chapels.
Attendants of pub. worship.
Ministers.
Members.
Ch.ofEnKl.iiul..
8T
39,710
33
London Mission-
ary Society. . . . United Presbvt's
3R
.-ifilO
8
2150
26
7'J55
IS
4CS4
United Free "Ch.
Methodists
C
Roman Catholics
8
2920
ji
i794
Amer. Mission...
6
7.50
Ch. of^Scotlaud..
1
450
Altogether, the number of persons under religious mstruction was estimated in 1867 at 154,000, and the churches and chapels together could .seat 174,000 per- sons. Formerly the Church of England was the State church, and was supported by the local Legislature, but in 1868 the state grant was abolished. The island is the see of an Anglican bishop and of a Roman Catholic vicar apostolic. (A. J. S.)
Jamblichus, or Iajiblichus (Idn/iXixog), a cele-