Antigua is divided into six parishes and eleven dis tricts, and it contains six towns and villages. No island in this part of the West Indies can boast of so many ex cellent harbours. Of these the principal are, St John's, the capital of Antigua, and.what is called English har bour. Both of these are well fortified, and at the latter, the British government has established a royal naval yard and arsenal, and conveniences for careening ships of war. The white population of the island appears to have been on the decrease, while the number of blacks has been considerably augmented. In 1741, according to the abbe Ravnal, the whites amounted to 3538, and the negroes to 27,418 ; but by last accurate returns, which were made to government in 1774, the white in habitants of all ages and sexes, had decreased to 2590, while the enslaved negroes amounted to 37,808.
The governor of the Leeward Caribbean islands, al though directed by his instructions, to visit occasionally all those under his auspices, remains generally station ary at Antigua. He is chancellor of each island by his office, but commonly holds the court in Antigua, and in hearing causes from the other islands, he acts alone ; but in causes which arise in Antigua, he is assisted by a council ; and by an act of the assembly of this island, the president, and a certain number of the council, may determine chancery causes, during the absence of the governor. The other courts of this island, are a court of king's bench, a court of common pleas, and a court of exchequer.
The legislature of Antigua is composed of the com mander in chief, a council of twelve members, and an assembly of twenty-five. It was the first which pre sented the example of an amelioration of the criminal law, with regard to negro slaves, by affording the ac cused party the benefit of trial by jury, and, allowing in the case of capital convictions, four days to elapse be tween the time of sentence and the execution. Tne legislature of Antigua has, in other instances, displayed a singular measure of courage and firmness. The islands belonging to Great Britain have no coin of their own ; what is in circulation being all foreign. In the beginning of the last century, the mother country thought it necessary to settle the value of it ; but as the arrangement which she made was considered to be con trary to the interest of the colony, they fixed it at a higher value. It was natural to imagine, that parlia
ment would annul an act so repugnant to their autho rity. But, notwithstanding this, the lawyers agreed, that, if the event should take place, they would never grant their assistance to any one who should refuse to accept the coin, at the price fixed by the assembly. The following occurrence exhibits, in a still stronger light, the spirit which prevailed in Antigua about that time. In 1706, colonel Park, a native of Virginia, came as governor of the Leeward islands. He was received with singular respect, and the assembly of Antigua add ed 1000/. to his annual income. His character, how ever, soon began to unfold, till he set at defiance every principle of justice and decency. After a thousand pro vocations, the whole country became exasperated against him, and they at length demanded and obtained his re cal. But, notwithstanding the orders of the crown, he declared, that he would not resign his government, and accordingly issued a proclamation to dissolve the assem bly. The populace, driven to desperation, surrounded the government house, and attacked it with the greatest fury. The governor met them with firmness, and shot their leader dead with his own hand ; but at the same instant he received a wound which laid him prostrate. His attendants, seeing him fall, threw down their arms, and the assailants seizing the person of the unhappy wretch, tore him into a thousand pieces, and scattered his limbs in the street. The mother country, more at tentive to the sacred rights of nature, than jealous of her own authority, overlooked an act which her vigi lance ought to have prevented, but which she was too equitable to revenge.
Antigua is encircled with a range of hills, which rise to a considerable height in the south and south-west. West Long. 61° 28'. North Lat. 17° 12'. See Raynal's History of the East and West Indies, vol. v. Edwards's History of the West Indies, vol. i. p. 437. M•Kinnen's Tour through the British West Indies, in 1802-3, p. 55. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, vol. i.
p. 35, and Gray's Travels in Canada, Appendix. (w. B.) (se)