NEVI S.

NEVIS lies about feven leagues north of Montferrat, and is fe

parated from St. Chriftopher's by a narrow channel: it makes a beautiful appearance from the fea, being a large conical mountain covered with fine trees, of an eafy afcent on every fide, and entirely cultivated. The circumference is about twenty-one miles, with a confiderable tract of level ground all around. The climate in the lower part is reckoned to be warmer than Barbadoes, but it is more temperate towards the fummit. The foil is very fine in the lower part, but grows coarfer as we afcend. The productions are nearly the fame with those of St. Christopher's, and the average quantity of fugar is four thoufand hogfheads of fixteen hundred weight each. The island is divided into five parishes, and it has three pretty good roads or bays, with fmall towns in their vicinity; Charleston, the feat of government, Moreton bay, and Newcastle. This pleafant ifland was settled under the aufpices of Sir Thomas Warner from St. Chriftopher's, in the year 1628. His fucceffor, Governor Lake, was confidered as the Solon of this little country, in which he dif pofed of every thing with fuch prudence, wisdom and juftice, as procured him an high reputation with the French as well as English. In the Dutch war they met with some disturbance from the French, but by being covered by an English fquadron, the enemy were obliged to defift from their intended invafion, after a fmart engage ment in fight of the inland. Sir William Stapleton fometimes refided here, and Sir Nathaniel Johnson constantly, at which time the inhabitants of Nevis were computed at thirty thousand. In the war immediately after the revolution they exerted themselves gallantly, and had two regiments of three hundred men each. In that of Queen Anne they behaved equally well, though they were less fortunate; for the French landing with a fuperior force, and having inveigled most of their flaves, they were forced to capitulate. About four thousand of these slaves the French carried away and fold to the Spaniards, to work in their mines. The parliament, after making

due

due inquiry into the loffes they had fuftained, voted them about & third part of the fum in which they had fuffered. Thefe loffes by war, an epidemic disease, and repeated hurricanes, exceedingly di minifhed the number of the people. They now, according to Mr. Edwards, do not exceed fixteen hundred whites and ten thousand blacks. All the white men, not exempt by age and other infirmities, are formed into a militia for its defence, from which there is a troop of fifty horse well mounted; but they have no troops on the British eftablishment. The principal fortification is at Charleston, and is called Charles fort, the governor of which is appointed by the crown, and paid by the inhabitants. There is here a lieutenant-governor, with a council of members, and an affembly composed of three members from each of the five parishes into which the island is divided. The adminiftering of juftice is under a chief justice and two affiftant judges. The commodities are chiefly cotton and fugar; and about twenty fail of fhips are annually employed in this trade.

MONT

MONTSERRAT.

MONTSERRAT is a very fmall but very pleasant island, so

called by Columbus from its resemblance to the famous mountain near Barcelona in Catalonia, It lies in west longitude 61° 0′, north latitude 16° 15', having Antigua to the north-eaft, St. Christopher's and Nevis to the north-west, and Guadaloupe lying fouth foutheaft at the distance of about nine leagues. In its figure it is nearly round, about nine miles in extent every way, twenty-feven in circumference, and is fuppofed to contain about forty or fifty thousand acres. The climate is warm, but lefs fo than in Antigua, and is esteemed very healthy. The foil is mountainous, but with pleasant valleys, rich and fertile, between them; the hills are covered with cedars and other fine trees. Here are all the animals as well as vegetables and fruits, that are to be found in the other islands, and not at all inferior to them in quality. The inhabitants raised formerly a confiderable quantity of indigo, which was none of the best, but which they cut four times a year. The prefent product is cotton, rum and fugar. There is no good harbour, but three tolerable roads, at Plymouth, Old harbour, and Ker's bay, where they ship the produce of the ifland. Public affairs are administered here as in the other ifles, by a lieutenant-governor, a council of fix, and an affembly, compofed of no more than eight members, two from each of the four districts into which it is divided. Its civil history contains nothing particular except its invafion by the French in 1712, and its capture by them again in the late war, at the conclufion of which it was reftored to Great-Britain. The wonderful effects of industry and experience, in meliorating the gifts of Nature, have been no where more confpicuous than in these islands, and particu larly in this, by gradually improving their produce, more especially of late years, fince the art of planting has been reduced to a regular fyftem, and almost all the defects of foil fo thoroughly removed by proper management and manure, that, except from the failure of feafons, or the want of hands, there is feldom any fear of a crop. VOL. IV.

As

As far back as 1770, there were exported from this island to Great-Britain ene hundred and fixty-feven bags of cotton, seven hundred and forty hogfheads of rum; to Ireland one hundred and thirty-three ditto, four thousand three hundred and thirty-eight hogf heads, two hundred and thirty-two tierces, two hundred and two barrels of fugar; the whole valued at eighty-nine thousand nine hundred and feven pounds: and exports to North-America valued at twelve thoufand fix hundred and thirty-three pounds. There are a few fhips employed in trading to this ifland from London and from Bristol, and the average of its trade will be feen in the tables annexed. As to the number of inhabitants, according to the moft probable accounts, they confist of between twelve and fourteen hun. dred whites, and about ten thousand negroes, though fome fay not fo many.

BAR

BARBUDA AND ANGUILLA.

BARBUDA, which belongs entirely to the Codrington family, and

the circumference of which is fix or feven leagues, hath dangerous coafts. It is, perhaps, the most even of all the American islands. The trees which cover it are weak, and not very high, because there are never more than fix or seven inches of earth upon a layer of lime-ftone. Nature hath placed great plenty of turtles here; and caprice hath occafioned the fending thither of deer and several kinda of game; chance hath filled the woods with pintados and other fowls, efcaped from the veffels after fome fhipwreck. Upon this foil are fed oxen, horfes and mules, for the labours of the neighbouring settlements. No other culture is known there, except that of the kind of corn which is neceffary for the feeding of the numerous herds in those seasons when the pafture fails. Its population is reduced to three hundred and fifty flaves, and to the small number of free men' who are appointed to overlook them. This private property pays no tribute to the nation, though it be fubject to the tribunals of Antigua. The air here is very pure and very wholesome. Formerly, the fickly people of the other English islands went to breathe it, in order to stop the progress of their diseases, or to recover their ftrength. This cuftom hath ceased, fince fome of them indulged themfelves in parties of deftructive chace.

Muft men then be fuffered to perish, in order that animals should be preferved? How is it poffible, that fo atrocious a custom, which draws down the imprecation of almoft all Europe upon the fovereigns and upon the lords of its countries, fhould be fuffered, and should even be established beyond the feas? We have asked this queftion, and we have been answered, that the island belonged to the Codringtons, and that they had a right to dispose of their property at their pleasure. We now afk, whether this right of property, which is undoubtedly facred, hath not its limits? Whether this right, in a variety of circumftances, be not facrificed to public good? Whether the man who is in poffeffion of a fountain can refuse Q02

water