THE CARIEBEE ISLANDS '.'>-'.'> 



the most valuable of England's possessions in the Lesser 

 Antilles. The northern half consists of undulating plains 

 of calcareous formation, like Sombrero and Barbuda, while 

 the southern side is of a more mountainous type, composed 

 of old volcanic tuft's and covered with forests. 



On the west side is the principal and practically the only 

 port at present utilized, that of St. John. The town lies 

 at the inner end of a magnincenl oblong bay, with a pictur- 

 esque island in its center. This bay is so shallow, however, 

 that steamers are obliged to lie five miles away from the 

 city and load from lighters. An immense sum has been 

 expended in preparing to dredge a channel to the city, but 

 through some financial difficulty the machinery lies in the 

 harbor unutilized. St. John is a pleasant place, consisting 

 of large and commodious frame houses situated upon clean, 

 well-graded, and macadamized streets. There are many 

 public buildings, handsome gardens and lawns, the public 

 institutions all being models of neatness and order. There 

 is an imposing English cathedral. A good public library, 

 freely patronized by the inhabitants, is found upon one of 

 the central streets. 



Royal Harbor, on the eastern side of the island, was the 

 headquarters of the British admiralty in the West Indies 

 during the French wars. The gateway leading into this 

 harbor from the landward side is now guarded by a single 

 marine, and the massive buildings in which English naval 

 heroes were formerly quartered are silent and deserted. 



filosl of Antigua is in a state of cultivation, being laid 

 out in neat plantations with extensive manor-houses and 

 sugar-mills, while finely constructed roads lead to all parts 

 of the island. Each estate has extensive sugar-houses, 

 with huge Dutch windmills for grinding cane, although 

 Steam machinery has been largely introduced, and the 



people believe that the introduction of improved processes 

 will benefit then i. The population is ."><U 19, mostly blacks, 



yet the land is held by less than sixty owners. The white 



planters intelligent and respectable Englishmen or their 



