WEST INDIES. — BRITISH ISLANDS. 



433 



afterwards taken by the French, it was again confirmed fo the British, in 1783. Kingston is 

 the capital. Tliis island was nearly desolated, in 1812, by the eruption of the Souffrier Moun- 

 tain, which had remained quiet for a century. 



7. St. Lucia. ;Sf. Lucw, a few miles north of St. Vincent, is 25 miles long, and 12 

 broad. It consists of plains well watered with rivulets, and hills abounding in timber, and has 

 several good bays and commodious harbors. There are two high mountains, by which this 

 island may be known at a considerable distance. St. Lucia was alloted to France in 17G3. 

 In 1803 it was taken by the English, and confirmed to them by the treaty of Paris, in 1814. 



8. Dominica. Dominica^ situated between Guadaloupe and Martinique, is 31 miles long, 

 and 16 broad. It is an assemblage of lofty, clustering mountains, of which several are volcanic. 

 The forests abound with rose-wood and other ornamental trees. The coffee produced here is 

 of a choice quality. Roseau is the present capital of the island. 



9. MoNTSERRAT. Montscrrat is a small, oval-shaped island, containing about 30,000 acres 

 of land. The climate, soil, vegetable and animal productions, and commerce, are similar to 

 those of the other islands of this group. 



10. Antigua. Antigua, a few miles northeast of Montserrat, is 21 miles in length, and 

 nearly the same in breadth. The soil is chiefly a black mould, but in the dry season, there is 

 neither spring nor rivulet in the island. The inhabitants, therefore, carefully preserve the rain- 

 water. The chief staples are sugar, cotton, wool, and tobacco. The principal town is 8t. 

 John's, which stands on the northwest coast, and rises on a steep acclivity from the sea. Fal- 

 mouth is a port on the south side of the island. 



11. Nevis. JVevis consists merely of a conical mountain, more than 20 miles in circumfe- 

 rence, rising abruptly from the sea. Charlestoivn is the capital. 



12. St. Kitts'. St. Christoplicr^s or St. Kitts\ separated by a narrow channel from 

 Nevis, is little more than 15 miles in length, and 4 in breadth. The interior of the country is 

 a rugged mass of precipices and barren mountains, the loftiest point of which is Mount Misery, 

 which is an extinct volcano, and rises to the height of about 3,710 feet. The soil upon the 

 plains is extremely productive. This island, with Montserrat, Nevis, Antigua, and the Virgin 

 Isles, form one government, the governor generally residing at Antigua. The chief town is 

 Basse Terre, on the south coast. 



13. Virgin Islands. Tortola is the principal of the group called the Virgin Islanas 

 belonging to Great Britain. It is about 18 miles long, and 6 or 7 broad, and produces ex- 

 cellent sugar, cotton, and rum. The Virgin Islands are the most barren in the whole West 

 Indian archipelago. Besides those already described, there are some other small islands, and 

 several bays. Two of the principal of these are Barbuda and .inguilla. The latter island 

 is noted for its wild cattle, which have multiplied greatly in the woods of the interior. 



14. Bahamas. The Bahama or Lucayos Islands lie in a line stretching from S. E. to N. 



W. about 700 miles, and extending from 21° 

 to 28° N. latitude, and from 71° to 81° W. 

 longitude.* There are 2 extensive sandbanks 

 in these seas ; the Great and Little Bahama 

 Banks. The Keys or Cayos are rocks or sand 

 islands, scattered in great profusion over ibis 

 part of the ocean. Their number is comput- 

 ed at 700. The Bahamas in general are badly 

 supplied with water, which, however, is found 

 by digging to the level of the sea. A few 

 places consist of a rich soil, but in most parts 

 it is light and sandy. The principal products 

 are cotton, salt, turtle, fruits, mahogany, and 

 dye-woods. Turks' Islands are famous for 

 their salt ponds, which annually yield mor«» 



than 30,000 tons of salt for exportation. JVett; Providence is the seat of government, and ab 



* The principal islands or groups, in passing from the southern to the northern extremity, are the following, &c. 



1. Turks' Islands 5. Crooked Island Groupe 9. San Salvador 12. Andros 



2. Caicos C. Lon£r Island 10. Eleulhera 13. Lucaya or Abaco 



3. Heneagas 7, Wat'lings 11- Providence 14. Bahama. 

 4 Mavacruana ?. The Exurna.'; 



Picture of one of the Vessels of Columbus. 



