chap, iv.] WEST INDIES. 195 
might close the third book of my history; but it 
has probably occurred to the reader, that I have 
omitted the two governments of Bahama and Ber¬ 
mudas-* to which indeed it was my intention, 
when I began my work, to appropriate a distinst 
chapter. An examination of my materials has in¬ 
duced me to alter my purpose ; finding myself pos¬ 
sessed of scarce any memorials concerning the civil 
history of those islands, that are not given in the 
numerous geographical treatises with which the 
shelves of the booksellers are loaded. Of the pre¬ 
sent state of the Bahama islands, I need not be 
ashamed to acknowledge my ignorance, inasmuch 
as even the lords of the committee of council for the 
affairs of trade and plantations, were unable to ob¬ 
tain satisfactory information concerning it. To their 
lordships inquiries, in 1786, as to the extent of 
territory in those islands,—the quantity of land in 
cultivation,—the number of white inhabitants,— 
productions, and exports, &c. the only answer that 
could be obtained from the Governor was this, 
that it teas at that time impossible to ascertain any 
of those particulars. It appears, however, from 
the testimony of other persons, that these islands 
in general are rocky and barren; that the only arti¬ 
cle cultivated for exportation is cotton, of which 
the medium export is fifteen hundred bags of two 
cwt. that thje inhabitants (who in 1773 consisted pf 
* I have also passed over unnoticed the small islands of Anguilla 
and Barbuda, as being of too little importance ,to merit particular 
■description. The former belongs to the Leeward Island government; 
the latter is the private property of the Codrington family. 
