18 4 HISTORY OF THE [book hi, 
wards (1596) they were visited by the earl of Cum¬ 
berland, in his way to the attack of Porto Rico; and 
the historian of that voyage, whose narrative is pre¬ 
served in Hakluyt’s collection, calls them “ a knot 
of little islands, wholly uninhabited, sandy, barren, 
and craggy.” The whole group may comprehend 
about forty islands, islots, and keys, and they are 
divided at present between the English, the Spani¬ 
ards, and Danes. The English hold Tortola, and 
Virgin Gorda,* Josvan Dykes, Guana Isle, Beef 
•and Thatch islands, Anegada, Nichar, Prickly Pear, 
Camana’s, Ginger, Cooper’s, Salt island, Peter’s 
Island, and several others of little value. The 
Danes possess Santa Cruz,*]* St. Thomas, with 
about twelve smaller islands dependant thereon, 
and St. John, which last is of importance as having 
the best harbour of any island to the leeward of 
Antigua, and the Spaniards claim Crab island, the 
Green or Serpent island, the Tropic Keys, and 
Great and Little Passage. 
The first possessors of such of these islands as 
now belong to the British government were a par¬ 
ty of Dutch buccaniers, who fixed themselves at 
Tortola about the year 1648, and built a fort there 
* This last is likewise called Penniston, and corruptly Spanish 
Town. It has two very good harbours. 
f St. Croix, or Santa Cruz, belonged originally to the French, and 
was sold by them to the Danes, in 1733, for the sum of £.75,000. 
Its inhabitants are chiefly English, and the lands being exceedingly 
fertile, the produce of this little island (most of which I believe is 
smuggled into Great Britain as the produce of Tortola) is very consi¬ 
derable, particularly sugar. 
