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Location:

Tryall, Jamaica
North America

Contributor

Karen Gulliver

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About 12 miles west of Montego Bay stands an 18th century water wheel. The wheel is still functioning despite the damage sustained in the slave revolt of 1831. Originally built by absentee British landlords, the wheel took advantage of the Flint River to power the crushing process for molasses production. The wheel’s diameter is approximately 35 feet long, and each of its pockets holds over a gallon of water. On rainy nights, the songs of frogs and crickets fill the air along with the swoosh of the turning wheel pouring water back into the river.