woods with pintados and other fowls, efcaped from the veffels after fome shipwreck. Upon this foil are fed oxen, horfes and mules, for the labours of the neighbouring fettlements. No other culture is known there, except that of the kind of corn which is neceffary for the feeding of the numerous herds in thofe feafons when the pafture fails. Its population is reduced to three hundred and fifty flaves, and to a small number of free men who are appointed to overlook them. This private property pays no tribute to the nation," though it be fubject to the tribunals of Antigua. The air here is very pure very wholetome.

and

Anguilla is feven or eight leagues in length, and is very unequal in its breadth, which never exceeds two leagues. Neither mountains, nor woods, por rivers, are found upon it, and its foil is nothing more than chalk.

Some wandering Englishmen fettled upon this porous and friable rock towards the year 1650. After an oblinate labour, they at length fucceeded in obtaining from this kind of turf a little cotton, a fmall quantity of millet feed, and fome potatoes. Six veins of vegetating earth, which were in proçefs of time difcovered, received fugar-canes, which, in the best harveft, yield no more than fifty thoufand weight of fugar, and fometimes only five or fix thoufand. Whatever elfe comes out of the colony has been introduced into it clandeftinely from Santa Cruz, where the inhabitants of Anguilla have formed feveral plantations.

In feafons of drought, which are but two frequent, the island has no other refource but in a lake, the falt of which is fold to the people of New-England; and in the fale of theep and goats, which thrive better in this dry climate, and upon these arid plains, than in the rest of America.

Anguilla reckons no more than two hundred free inhabitants, and five hundred flaves: nevertheless it has an affembly of its own, and even a chief, who is always chofen by the inhabitants, and confirmed by the governor of Antigua.

The coaft of this ifland affords, but two harbours, and even in these very Imall veffels only can anchor: they are both defended by four pieces of

cannon.

BERMUDAS or SOMMERSET ISLANDS.

THESE iflands received their first name from their being discovered by John Bermudas a Spaniard; and were called the Somer islands, from Sir George Somers, who was fhipwrecked on their rocks in 1609, on his pallage to Virginia. Their whole number it is faid to be about 400, but very few of them are habitable. They are fituated in weft longitude 65° North latitude 32° 30′ at a vaft dillance from any continent. From the laad's end their diflance is computed to be near 1500 leagues, from the Medeiras about 1200 and from Carolina 300. The principal of these islands is St. George's, which is not above 16 miles long, and three at most in breadth. Though the foil of them is adapted to the cultivation of the vine, the chief bufinefs of the inhabitants, who confift of about 10,000, is the building and navigating of light floops and brigantines, which they employ chiefly in the trade between N. America and the W. Indies. Thele veffels are remarkable for their fwiftnefs, as the cedar, of which they are built, is for its hard and durable quality.

The inhabited parts of the Berm.da iflands are divided into nine districts, called Tribes, viz. St. George, Hamilton, Ireland, Devonshire, Pembroke,

Pagets, Warwick, Southampton and Sandys. There are but two places On the large island where a fhip can fafely come near the fhore, and thefe are fo well covered with high rocks, that few will chufe to enter without a pilot : and they are fo well defended by forts, that they have no occafion to dread an enemy. St. George's town is at the bottom of the principal haven, and is cefended by nine foris. The town contains above 1000 houses, a hand fome church, a fine library, a noble town house and other elegent public buildings.

LUCAY's, or BAHAMA ISLANDS.

THE Bahamas are fituated between 22° and 27° degrees north

latitude, and 73° and 81' degrees well longitude. They extend along the coat of Florida quite down to Cuba, and are faid to be five hundred in number, fome of them only rocks, but twelve of them are large and fertile; all are, however, uninhabited, except Providence, which is two hundred miles eaft of the Floridas; though fome others are larger and more fertile, and on which the English have plantarions.

Thefe iflands were the first fruits of Columbus's discoveries; but they were not known to the English till 1667. The ifle of Providence became an harbour for the buccaneers, or pirates, who for a long time infested the American navigation. This obliged the government, in 1718, to lend out Captain Woedes Rogers with a fleet to diflodge the pirates, and for making a settleMeni. This the captain effected; a fort was erected, and an independent company was ftationed in the ifland. Ever fince this last fettlement, thefe ilands have been improving, though they advance but flowly. In time of war the inhabitants, as well as others, gain by the prizes condemned there, and at all times by the wrecks which are frequent in this labyrinth of rocks and fhelves. The Spaniards and Americans captured thefe iflands during the latt war, but they were retaken on the 7th of April, 1783.

BESIDES the above enumerated, Great-Britain poffeffes part of a cluf ter of iflands called the Virgin islands, of which there is but little authentic inteiligenee extant. Mr. Edwards obferves refpecting them, that if his enquiries were not neglected, his expectations were not anfwered. They were one wered and named by Columbus, but the Spaniards of thofe day's deemed them unworthy of their attention. They are about forty in number, whereof the English hold Tortola, Virgin Gorda, or Penifton, Jofvan Dykes, Guana ifle, Beef and Thatch illands, Anegada, Nechar, Prukly Pear, Camana's Ginger, Cooper's, Salt, and Peter's illand, with fome other of no value. Tortola is the principal, it was originally peopled by Dutch buccaneers, who were afterwards driven from thence by a party of Englishnen of the fame defcription.

The number of inhabitants on thefe iflands is about fifteen hundred whites, and feven thoufand blacks. In 1787, there was exported from the fe iflands, feventy-nine thoufand two hundred and three, hundred weight of fugar; Twenty-one thousand four hundred and feventeen galons of rum; two thouand and eleven gallons of molaffes; two hundred and eighty-nine thoufand and feventy-four pounds of cotton; dying goods to the value of fix thousand fix hundred and fifty-one pounds two fhillings and fix-pence, and other mif cellaneous articles to the value of two thoufand three hundred and forty pounds iterling.

CUBA

SPANISH WEST-INDES.

CUBA.

UBA is a large and very valuable ifland, and by far the most important of all the Spanifu W-Indies. On the call. fide it begins at 20° 21′ N. latitude, touches the tropic of Cancer of the north, and extends from 74° to 85° 15' weft longitude. It lies fix:y miles to the west of Hifpaniola, twenty-live leagues north of Jamaica, one hundred miles to the calt of Jucatan, and as many to the fouth of cape Florida, and commands the entrance of the gulphs both of Mexico and Florida, as alfo the windward paffages. By this fituation it may be called the key of the West-Indies. It was difcovered by Columbus in 1492, who gave it the name of Ferdinando, in honour of king Ferdinand of Spain, but it quickly after received its ancient name of Cuba. The natives did not regaid Columbus with a very favourable eye at his landing, and the weather proving very tempeluous, he foon left this ifland, and failed to Hayta, now called Hispaniola, where he was better received. The Spaniards, however foon became mallers of it. By the year 1511, it was totally conquered, and in that time they had defiroyed according to their own account feveral millions of people. But the poffelions of Cuba far from anfwering the expeétation of the Spanish adventur ers, whole avarice could be fatiated with nothing but gold. Thefe monflers finding that there was gold upon the ifland, concluded it must come from mines, and therefore tortured the few inhabitants they had left, in order to extort from them a difcovery of the places where thefe mines lay. The miferies endured by these poor creatures were fuch, that they almoft unani. moufly refolved to put an end to their own lives, but were prevented by one of the Spanish tyrants called Vafco Porcellos. This wretch threatened to hang h mielf along with them, that he might have the pleasure, as he faid, of tormenting them in the next world worfe than he had done in this; and fo much were they afraid of the Spaniards, that this threat diverted these poor favages from their defperate refolution. In 1511, the town of Havannah was built, now the principal place on the ifland. The houfes were at first built only of wood, and the town itself was for a long time so inconfiderable, that in 1536 it was taken by a French pirate, who obliged the inhabitants to pay feven hundred ducats to fave from being burnt. The very day after the pirate's departure, three Spanish fhips arrived from Mexico, and having unloaded their cargoes, failed in purfuit of the pirate hip. But fuch was the cowardice of the officers, that the pirate took all the three hips, and returning to the Havannah, obliged the inhabitants to pay feven hundred ducats more. To prevent misfortunes of this kind, the inhabitants built their houses of fione, and the place has fince been ftrongly fortitied.

According to Abbe Raynal, the Spanish fettlement at Cuba is very important, on three accounts : 1. The produce of the country, which is confiderable. 2. As being the flaple of a great trade; and, 3. As being the key to the Weft-Indies. The principal produce of this iftand is cotton; the commodity, however, through neglect, is now become fo fearce, that fometimes feveral years pafs without any of it being brought into Europe. In the place of cotton, coffee has been cultivated, but by a fimilar negligence, that is produ ced in no great quantity; the whole produce not exceeding thirty or thirtyfive thousand weight, one third of which is exported to Vera Cruz, and the

reft to Madrid. The cultivation of coffee naturally leads to that of fugar; and this, which is the most valuab e production of America, would of itself be fulfcient to give Cuba that flate of profperity for which it seems defigned by nature. Althongs the furface of the island is in general uneven and mountainous, yet it has plains iufficiently extenfive, and well enough watered, to fppy the confumpion of the greatell part of Europe with fugar. The incredible fertility of its new lands, if properly managed, would enable it to furpaís every other nation, however they may have now got the liart of it; yet fuch is the indolence of the Spaniards, that to this day they have but few plantations, where with the finell canes, they make but a small quantity of coarfe fugar at a great expense. This ferves party for the Mexican market, and partly for the mother country, while the indolent inhabitants are content to import fogar for themiftives at the expence of rear two hundred and twenty thousand pounds annually. It has been expected, with probability, that the tobacco imported from Cuba would compenfate this lois, for after farmifining Mexico and Peru, there was fufficient, with the little brought from Caracca and Buenos Ayres, to fupply all Spain. But this trade, too, has declined through the negligence of the count of Madrid, in not gratifying the general tale for tobacco from the Havannah. The Spanish colonies have an univerfal trade in Ik us, ara Cuba tupplies annually about ten or twelve thoufand. The number might cally be increafed in a country abounding with wild cattle, where fome gentlemen po ffefs large tracks of ground, that for want of population ca icarce be applied to any other perpofe than that of breeding cattle. The hundred.h" part of this igand is not yet cleared; the true plantations are all confined to the beautiful plains of the Havannah, and even those are not what they might be; all these plantations together may employ about twenty-five thould male and female laves. The number of whites, muflees, mulotees and free negroes upon the whole ifland, amount to about thirty thoufand." The food or thefe different fpecies contil's of excedent pork, very bad bief, and coffava bread. The colony would be more fleuritning if its productions had not been made the property of a company, whole cxclufive privilege operates as a conftant and invariable principic of difcouragement. If any thing could fupply the want of an open trade, and atone for the grievances occafioned by this monopply a Cuba, it would be the advantage which this ifland has for fuch a long time enjoyed, in being the rendezvous of almost all the Spanish veffels that fail to the new world; this practice commenced almof with the colony felf. Ponce de Leon having made an attempt upon Florida, in 1512, became acquainted with the new canal of Bahama'; it was immediately difcovered that this was the best route the ships bound from Mexico to Europe could poflibly take, and to this the wealth of the fland is principally, if not altogeter, owing.

HISPANIOLA, or St. DOMINGO.

HISPANIOLA, called alfo St. Domingo, is the largest of the

Caribbee utlands, extending about four hundred and twenty miles from east to well, and one hundred and twenty in breadth from north to fouth, lying betw ween 17 37 and 20° of north latitude, and between 67° 35′ and 74° 15° well longitude. The climate is hot but not reckoned unwholefome, and deme of the inhabitants are faid to arrive at the age of one hundred and twenty. freshed by breezes and rains, and its falubrity is in a great

meafure owing to the beautiful variety of hills and valleys, woods and river, which every where prefent themfelves. it is indeed reckoned by far the moft pleafant ifland of the Antilles as being the bell accomodated to all the purfes of life when duly cultivated.

This ifland, famous for being the earliest fettlement of the Spaniards in the new world, was at firft in high ellimation for the quantity of gold-it fupplied this wealth diminished with the inhabitants of the country, whom they obliged to dig it out of the bowels of the earth; and the fource of it was entirely dried up, when they were exterminated, which was quickly done, by a feries of the moft fhocking barbarities that ever difgraced the hiftory of any nation. Benzoni relates, that of two militons of inhabitants contained in the ifland when difcovered by Columbus in 1492 fearce one hundred and fifty-thre thousand were alive in 1545. A vehement defre of opening again this fourcee of wealth, infpired the thought of getting flaves from Africa; but, befides that these were found unfit for the labours they were defined to, the multitude of mines which then began to be wrought on the continent, made thefe of Hifpaniola no longer of any importance. An idea now fuggefted felf, that their negroes, which were healthy, ftrong, and patient, might be usefully employed in husbandry; and they adopted, through necelly, a wife refoldtion, which, had they known their own intereft, they would have embraced by choice.

The produce of their induftry was at first extremely fmall, because the labourers were few. Charles V. who, like moft fovereigns, preferred his favorites to every thing, had granted an exclufive right of the flave trade to a Flemish nobleman, who made ever his privilege to the Geno-fe, who conducted this infamous commerce as all monopolies are conducted; they refolved to fell dear, and they fold but few. When time and competition had fixed the natural and neceffary price of flaves, the number of them increafed. eafily be imagined that the Spaniards, who had been accullomed to treat the Indians as beafts, did not entertain a higher opinion of thefe negro Africans, whom they fubflituted in their place. Degraded fill farther in their eyes by the price they had paid for them, they aggravated the weight of their fervitude, it became intolerable, and thefe wretched flaves made an effort to recover the unalienable rights of mankind; their attempt proved unficcetsful, but they reaped this benefit from their defpair, that they were afterwards treated with lefs inhumanity.

This moderation, if tyranny cramped by the apprehenfion of revolt can deferve that name, was attended with fome good coníequences. Cultivation was pursued with fome degree of fuccefs. Soon after the middle of the 16th century, Spain drew anuually from this colony ten millions weight of fugar, a large quantity of wool for dying, tobacco, cocoa, callia, ginger, cotton, and peltry in abundance. One might imagine that fuch favourable beginnings would give both the defire and the mears of carrying them fariner: but a train of events more fatal each than the other, ruined thefe kopes.

The firft misfortune arofe from the depopulation of the iland; the Sp nish conquefts on the content fhould naturally have contributed to premere the fuccels of an ifland, which nature feemed to have formed to be the center of that vaft dominion arifing around it, to be the ftaple of the different colowies. But it fell out quite otherwife; on a view of the immenfe fortunes raifing in Mexico, and other parts, the richest inhabitants of Hifpaniola bean to defpife their fettlements, and quitted the true fource of riches, which is en the furface of the earth, to go and ranfack the bowels of it for veins of goid,