Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/595

 LEEWARD ISLANDS

247

eastern groups. The government is administered by a Commissioner, assisted by a Legislative Board of five members appointed by the Crown. The Governor of Jamaica has a supervising power over the local government. There are upwards of thirty small cays ; area 169 miles. Only six inhabited ; the largest. Grand Caicos, 20 miles long by 6 broad. Seat of government at Grand Turk, 7 miles long by 2 broad, the town having 1,883 inhabitants. Population, 1891, 4,745 (males, 2,211 ; females, 2,534).

Education free : Government grant 563Z. ; 8 elementary schools, attend- ance, in 1897, of 728. Public library and reading-room at Grand Turk ; a weekly newspaper.

Only important industry, salt raking. About two million bushels are raked annually and exported to the United States, (!anada, and to Newfound- land. There is also a small sponge fishery. 46 vessels registered, of 6, 080 tons.

Covimissioner. — E. J. Cameron (salary 600i!.) ; residence. Grand Turk.

Cayman Lslands, attached to Jamaica, consist of Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, and Cayman Brae. Grand Cayman, 17 miles long, 4 to 7 broad ; total population 4,322 (males, 1,904 ; females, 2,418). Good pasturage. Coco-nuts and turtle exported. The government is administered by a Commissioner. There are also magistrates appointed by the Governor of Jamaica.

Commissioner. — F. S. Sanguinetti (500Z. salary). Residence : Grand Cayman.

The Morant Cays and Pedro Cays are also attached to Jamaica.

LEEWARD ISLANDS

Comprise Antigua (with Barbuda and Redonda), St. Kitts-Nevis (with Anguilla), Dominica, Montserrat, and the Virgin Islands, and lie to the north of the Windward group, and south-east of Porto Rico.

Governor and Commander-in-Chief. — Sir Francis Fleming, K.C.M.G. (2, 600^. ). Colonial Secretary. —George Melville, C. M. G. (800Z. )

The group is divided into 5 Presidencies, viz., Antigua (with Barbuda and Redonda) St. Kitts (with Nevis and Anguilla), Dominica, Montserrat, and the Virgin Islands. There is one Federal Executive Council nominated by the Crown, and one Federal Legislative Council, 10 nominated and 10 elective members. Of latter, 4 chosen by the elective members of the Local Legislative Council of Antigua, 2 by those of Dominica, and 4 by the non-official members of the Local Legislative Council of St. Kitts-Nevis. In Antigua and Dominica the representative element in the Legislature was suppressed in 1 898. The Federal Legislative Council meets once a year.

The following table shows the area and population of the Leeward Islands : —

,

Area: Square miles

Population 1881

Population 1891

Antigua. ) Barbuda and Redonda j Virgin Islands Dominica St. Kitts \ . Nevis Y . Anguilla J . Montserrat.

108 62 58

291 65 50 35 32

1 34,964

5,287

28,211

( 29,137

\ 11,864

i 3,219

10,083

36,819

4,639 26,841 30,876 ^ 13,087 Y

3,699 j 11,762

Total.

•

701

122,765

127,723