384 
debentures, “ partly to meet deficiencies of revenue, and partly to 
roads and improvements of old ones, improvement of the streets 
of the town, extension of the jetty, a new hospital," &c. 
27, The new roads, as well as those previously existing and 
absolutely necessary for the traffic of the island, were severeiy 
damaged by the flood of November 1896, which in other ways also 
has caused much distress in the island. The Colonial Engineer of 
Dominica, who reported upon the damage done, and a copy of 
whose = was Supplied to us, has recommended that no attempt 
be made repair or maintain the greater part of the new roads ; 
but it is piti ani that the cost of indispensable repairs to the 
other roads and to those portions of the new roads which it is 
advisable to keep open will be about 2,650/., whilst an expenditure 
of 500/.will be required to repair the Plymouth waterworks ; and the 
present jetty, which, though recently constructed, is already ina 
precarious state, must, if shipping facilities are to be maintained, 
be replaced at a cost of not less than 07, 
428. It will not be possible, with such a fall in the revenue as 
must be siad, for the Presidency of Montserrat to meet this 
expenditure, and to repay the short-term debentures for 3,5007., 
x.—ANTIGUA. 
29. We reached Antigua, seat of the Government of the 
Leeward Islands, on the morning of Thursday, the 18th of March, 
and r depen: nm in the island till Monday, the 22nd of the same 
month, ing evidence from 25 witnesses, receiving written 
Ie an. and visiting. several districts of the island. The 
poverty of many of the inhabitants was forcibly brought to dd 
notice during these excursions, and by our residence in St. John' 
as well as by the written itd oral sppe nikde to us for 
430. The population of Antigua is 36,119. The area is ‘the 
50 acres. 
431. The value of the total exports of the produce of the island 
in 1882 was 262,145/, in 1896 this had fallen to about 127,000/. 
The value of the exports of sugar and molasses for 1882 was 
260,1972, or for 1896 it was £118, 634, being 96 per cent. and 91 
per cent. of the total exports for these years respectively. Hardly 
any rum was exported from Antigua during this period, and none 
has been exported since ed pee these figures it will be seen 
how entirely Antigua is depen upon its exports of sugar and 
molasses, and how great the A e in We value of these has been. 
432. There are no em central factories, and, except at one 
estate, vhich has a vacuum pan and centrifugals, sugar is made 
