i88 
HISTORY OF THE [book. iii. 
gislature. If it be difficult to reconcile this prece¬ 
dent with the doctrines which have been maintain¬ 
ed in the case of Grenada, it may perhaps be said, 
(as I believe the fact was), that the inhabitants of 
these islands were unapprised of the rights which 
they inherited as British subjects, when they vo¬ 
luntarily proposed to subject themselves and their 
posterity to the tax in question for permission to 
enjoy them; and their posterity may perhaps dis¬ 
pute the authority which their forefathers exercised 
on this occasion, 
v 
The chief, and almost the only staple prodqm 
tions of these islands are sugar and cotton. Of the 
quantity of land appropriated to the cultivation of 
either, I have no account, nor can I venture even 
to guess, at the quantity of unimproved land which 
may yet be brought into cultivation: Tortola itself 
is not more than fifteen miles long, and six miles 
broad; the exports of 1787 will presently be given, 
and I have only to add, that they were raised by 
the labour of about one thousand two hundred 
whites, and nine thousand blacks. 
Having so far treated of the several islands which 
constitute what is called the Leeward Island Go-^ 
vernment, as they stand distinct from each other, 
1 close my account, as in former cases, with an am 
thentic Table of their returns for 1787; after which, 
I shall, as proposed, offer a few observations on cir¬ 
cumstances which are common to them all. 
