Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/596

 248 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — WEST INDIES

In 1891, 5,070 white, 23,320 coloured, and 99,333 black. In 1881 33,000 were Anglicans, 29,000 Roman Catholics, 30,000 Wesleyans, and 17,000 Moravians. Education is denominational. In 1896, 132 aided schools, with 25,439 pupils ; Government grant, 7,240Z. Also private schools. Grants of 2001. per annum are made to two schools in Antigua, and grammar schools in St. Kitts and in Dominica have recently been established. Tech- nical schools have been opened in Antigua and St. Kitts. Sugar and molasses are the staple products in most of the islands. Fruit-growing is increasing in some of the islands.

Antigua. Islands of Barbuda and Redonda are dependencies, with an area of 62 square miles, situated 61° 45' W. long., 17° 6' N. lat., 54 miles in circumference, with an area of 108 square miles. Antigua is the seat of government of the Colony. Chief town, St. John, 9,738. Chief products sugar and pineapples. In Government savings banks 1,833 depositors, 41,952Z, deposits. There is steam communication direct with the United Kingdom, New York, and Canada, and the island is connected with the West India and Panama Telegraph Company's cable.

MoNTSERRAT. Nominated Legislative Council. Chief town, Plymouth, 1,400. Chief products sugar, coffee, cocoa, arrowroot, and lime juice from fruit of lime trees ; 1,000 acres under lime trees.

St. Christopher and Nevis have one Executive Council nominated, and a Legislative Council of 10 official and 10 nominated unofficial members. Capital of St. Kitts, Basseterre, 9,097 ; of Nevis, Charlestown, 838. Chief produce sugar and rum. Produce of Anguilla, garden stock, and salt.

Virgin Islands consist of all the group not occupied by Denmark, except Crab Island, which is Spanish. Nominated Executive and Legislative Councils. Chief town, Roadtown in Tortola Island, 400. Mostly peasant proprietors ; sugar and cotton cultivated in small patches.

Dominica. Nominated Executive Council, and Legislative Council of 7 nominated members. Chief products, coffee (Liberian), fruit, cocoa, limes, and some sugar.

Sombrero is a small island in the Virgin group, but unattached adminis- tratively to any group. Phosphate of lime is shipped, and there is a Board of Trade lighthouse.

TRINIDAD.

Immediately north of the mouth of the Orinoco, includes Tobago adminis- tratively.

Governor.— Sir H. E. H. Jerningham, K.C.M.G. (5,000^.), with Executive Council of 7 official members and a Legislative Council of 9 official and 11 unofficial members, all nominated. Tobago has a subordinate commissioner, with a Financial Board of not less than 3 nominated members.

Area : Trinidad, 1,754 square miles ; Tobago 114. Population : Trinidad (estimated 1897) 254,518; Tobago (1897) 20,785. Capital, Trinidad, Port of Spain, 34,037. Births (1897), 7,923, deaths, 7,091, marriages, 965. Education : 196 schools, 23,951 inipils, Government grant, 33,896Z. There are many private schools, and a Queen's Royal College, with 95 students, and an attached Roman Catholic College with 195 students. Of the total area 1,120,000 acres, about 442,924 acres have been alienated. Under sugar-cane, 57,000