CHAPTER X 
ANTIGUA 
Antigua (pronounced locally ‘‘ Anti’ga’’) is one of that part 
of the West Indian chain known as the Lesser Antilles, and the 
administrative center of the more restricted group known as 
the Leeward Islands. It is in latitude 17 north, and the exact 
position of English Harbor as given by the Admiralty chart is 
latitude 17 north, longitude 61 west. 
The island is oval in general shape, but with many deep in- 
dentations of the coast line, in which it differs notably from 
Barbados. It is about twelve miles across from east to west 
and nine and one-half miles from north to south, with a land 
surface of about 108 square miles. As compared with Barba- 
dos, it is almost mountainous, but it is quite flat in comparison 
with other Leeward Islands such as Dominica and St. Kitts; 
and these latter, with their high mountains secure a much more 
generous supply of moisture than Antigua. Although it suffers 
in scenic impressiveness when compared with its neighbors, it 
was nevertheless charming to the eye of the Iowans and really 
mountainous as seen by the dwellers of the prairie. The north- 
ern and central parts of the island are divided by a valley 
which geologists tell us was once filled with water, when there 
were two islands instead of one. This valley is the seat of an 
extensive sugar industry and contains a number of fine estates 
which contribute their cane to the central factory at Gunthorp’s, 
of which more will be said later. Still better sugar land lies to 
the north of the central valley. The most picturesque part of 
Antigua is in the southern portion in the vicinity of English 
Harbor, which is almost entirely surrounded by high hills. The 
trip by motor boat from St. John’s to English Harbor affords 
an exceptionally fine panorama of rugged coast scenery with 
here and there deeply indented harbors; several of which are ~ 
almost land-locked, while others have their entrances protected 
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