DESCRIPTION of   the WEST-INDIES.
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only all the productions growing in the other iflands, but likewife the greater part of the
plants and trees of the Weft-India Continent. At prefent its forefts afford an inex-
hauftible fund of timber of all forts and for all ufes ; among them we find a great
quantity of rofe-wood, fo efteemed by the cabinet-makers. The ifland abundantly
produces what is called in thefe parts ground-provifions, fuch as bananas, potatoes,
and manioc from which the caffada bread is made, which ferves for food to the
Negroes, and even to a great number of Europeans. All kinds of vegetables grow
there in profufion, and among the number of its rich fruits are diftinguifhed the
ananas, which paffes for the moft delicious in the iflands. It abounds in hogs, both
tame and wild, in game and fowls ; thefe articles, with other provifions, before the
ceffion, made the principal trade of its inhabitants with Martinico.
The ifland, properly fpeaking, has no harbours, but there is fafe and convenient
anchorage in the bays and coves, which indent the whole coaft ; the principal of
thefe, deep, capacious, and fandy, lies on the North-Weft, and is named after Prince
Rupert who formerly anchored there with his fleet. The furrounding mountains
fhelter it from moft winds, and it becomes fo much the more important to Great
Britain, as Dominica being fituated in the middle of the French Iflands, a fleet ly-
ing in Prince Rupert's Bay could eafily interrupt all their trade : on this bay, be-
tween the fhore and its falt-works, has been traced out the plan of a new town,,
which is to be called Portfmouth. Dominica is divided into 10 parifh.es, kven to
leeward, and three to windward. On the leeward coaft is the Capital, compofed
of two fmall towns, one to the North called Le Rofeau, and the other to the South
called Charlotte-Town. The Caribbs, formerly very numerous in this ifland, are
now reduced to a few families, fettled in a little diftrid towards the North-Eaft.
The defcription of the Englifh Caribbees, properly fo called, terminating at Do-
minica, we meet with, farther to the North, the Archipelago known by the name
of the Leeward Caribbees, of which ANTIGUA is the moft confiderable -, it
has been written fometimes " Antego" and "Antegoa," but the proper fpellingis An-
tigua, after St. Maria la Antigua, a famous church of Seville, whofe name Columbus
gave this ifland. It is above three leagues in its greateft length, and about four
broad; the circuit being near 22, and the furface reckoned at 108 fquare miles,
equivalent to 69,277 acres. In general the climate is hotter, lefs healthy, and the
hurricanes more frequent than at Barbadoes. The country is agreeably diverfified
by high and low grounds, but there is none fo high as to deferve the name of
mountains, although this name is given to the hills of Shekerly towards- the South-
Weft point ; fo that the ifland has no rivers 1 we find only fome fprings moftly brack-
ilk, and fome little brooks almoft always dry. The inhabitants, being deprived of
river-water, colled the rain in cifterns and ponds, as well for their own ufe as for
their cattle ; it is remarked that this water is very light, extremely pure, and very
wholefome.   This want of water has a long time retarded the fettling of Antigua,
begun