NEVIS.

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EVIS lies about seven leagues north of Montferrat, and is feparated from St. Christopher's by a narrow channel: it makes a beautiful appearance from the sea, being a large conical mountain covered with fine trees, of an easy ascent 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 sugar is four thousand hogsheads of fixteen hundred weight each. The island is divided into five parishes, and it has three pretty good roads or bays, with small towns in their vicinity: Charleston, the feat of government, Moreton bay, and Newcastle. This pleasant island was settled under the auspices of Sir Thomas Warner from St. Christopher's, in the year 1628, His fucceffor, Governor Lake, was confidered as the Solon of this little country, in which he disposed of every thing with such prudence, wisdom and justice, as procured him high reputation with the French as well as English. In the Dutch war they met with fome disturbance from the French, but by being covered by an English squadron, the enemy were obliged to desist from their intended invafion, after a smart engagement in fight of the island. Sir William Stapleton sometimes refided here, and Sir Nathaniel Johnson conftantly, at which time the inhabitants of Nevis were computed at thirty thousand. In the war immediately after the revolution they exerted themfelves 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 slaves, they were forced to capitulate. About four thousand of these flaves the French carried away and fold to the Spaniards, to work in their mines. The parliament, after making due inquiry into the loffes they had sustained, voted them about a third part of the sum in which they had suffered. These losses by war, an epidemic disease, and repeated hurricanes, exceedingly diminished 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 establishment. 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 assembly composed of three members from each of the five parishes into which the island is divided. The administering of justice is under a chief justice and two assistant judges. The commodities are chiefly cotton and sugar; and about twenty fail of ships are annually employed in this trade.

MONTSERRAT.

MONTSERRAT is a very fmall but pleafant island, fo

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called by Columbus from its resemblance to the famous mountain near Barcelona in Catalonia. It lies in weft longitude 61o 01, north latitude 169 15', having Antigua to the north east, St. Chriftopher's and Nevis to the north-west, and Guadaloupe lying fouth fouth-east at the distance of about nine leagues. In its figure it is nearly round, about nine miles in extent every way, twenty-seven in circumference, and is supposed to contain about forty or fifty thousand acres. climate is warm, but less so 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. present product is cotton, rum and sugar. There is no good harbour, but three tolerable roads, at Plymouth, Old harbour, and Ker's bay, where they ship the produce of the island. Public affairs are administered here as in the other ifles, by a lieutenant-governor, a council of fix, and an assembly composed 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 invasion by the French in 1712, and its capture by them again in the late war, at the conclufion of which it was restored 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 particularly in this, by gradually improving their produce, more especially of late years, fince the art of planting has been reduced to a regular system, and almost all the defects of foil so thoroughly removed by proper management and manure, that except from the failure of seasons, or the want of hands, there is seldom any fear of a crop.

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As far back as 1770, there were exported from this island to Great-Britain one hundred fixty-seven bags of cotton, seven hundred and forty hogsheads of rum; to Ireland one hundred and thirty-three ditto, four thousand three hundred and thirtyeight hogsheads, two hundred and thirty-two tierces, two hundred and two barrels of fugar; the whole valued at eighty-nine thousand nine hundred and seven pounds: and exports to NorthAmerica valued at twelve thousand fix hundred and thirty-three pounds. There are a few ships employed in trading to this island from London and from Bristol, and the average of its trade will be seen in the tables annexed. As to the number of inhabitants, according to the most probable accounts, they confift of between twelve and fourteen hundred whites, and about ten thoufand negroes, though some say not so many.

BARBUDA AND ANGUILLA.

BARBUDA,

ARBUDA, which belongs entirely to the Codrington fa mily, and the circumference of which is fix or seven leagues, hath dangerous coafts. It is, perhaps, the most even of all the American iflands. 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-stone. Nature hath placed great plenty of turtles here; and caprice hath occafioned the sending thither of deer and several kinds of game; chance hath filled the woods with pintados and other fowls, escaped from the veffels after some shipwreck. Upon this foil are fed oxen, horfes and mules, for the labours of the neighbouring fettlements. No other culture is known there, except that of the kind of corn which is necessary for the feeding of the numerous herds in those feasons when the pasture 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 subject to the tribunals of Antigua. The air here is very pure and very wholefome. Formerly, the fickly people of the other English islands went to breathe it, in order to ftop the progress of their diseases, or to recover their strength. This custom hath ceafed, fince fome of them indulged themselves in parties of destructive

chice.

Must men then be suffered to perish, in order that animals should be preserved? How is it possible, that fo atrocious a custom, which draws down the imprecation of almost all Europe upon the fovereigns and upon the lords of its countries, should be fuffered, and should even be established beyond the seas? We have asked this question, 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 ask, whether this right of property, which is undoubtedly facred, hath not its limits? Whether this right, in a variety of circumstances, be not facrificed to public good? Whether the man who is in poffession of a fountain can refuse water to him who is dying