one of the Antilles or Caribbee islands, belonging to the English, and situated in about W. Long. 62. N. Lat. 17. 30. It is above 50 miles in circumference, and is reckoned the largest of all the British Leeward islands. This island was long thought to be uninhabitable, because of its being destitute of fresh water; but this loss was supplied by the industry of the inhabitants, who have discovered some springs, and made reservoirs for preserving the rain water. It is the best provided with harbours of all the Leeward islands; but the approach to it is dangerous to any but skilful pilots, on account of the vast number of rocks with which it is surrounded. One of those is called Five-isle-harbour; and, though difficult of access, is often of great service to ships in distress. St John's harbour, which lies due north, would be the best in the whole island, were it not for a sandy bar that runs across it. At the mouth of St John's river, is a fort, which is mounted with 14 cannon; and several batteries, mounting in the whole 26 guns, are raised for the defence of as many landing-places. None such harbour lies on the west side of the island, in a spacious bay. Willoughby bay is almost a league over at the mouth; but is above two thirds blocked up with a shoal stretching from the north to the south point; from whence lies Sandy-point, with an island in it; but between the north and south point there is an open channel where ships may enter, and, when entered, may have good riding. But the most convenient harbour in Antigua, or perhaps in the West Indies, is English harbour; which is proper for careening ships of war, and might be improved in such a manner as to admit those of the greatest burthen. At the bottom of Falmouth harbour, lies Falmouth town, which is defended by Fort Charles, and Monkhill Fort. The latter contains a magazine of 410 muskets and 800 bayonets, and is mounted with 30 pieces of cannon.

The climate of Antigua is very hot, and liable to hurricanes, that were it not for the great conveniency of its situation and harbours, it must have lain a mere desert. Wild cinnamon grows in the low lands; and this island is generally said to have greater plenty of venison upon it than any other of the Carribbees; besides its producing abundance of fowl, and black cattle. Its chief commodities are sugar and tobacco; but the inhabitants formerly cultivated indigo and pepper. The annual export of sugar from this island is computed to be 16,000 hogsheads; but the inhabitants do not make rum in proportion.

Antigua was very early planted by some English adventurers, whose history is now uncertain. According to some French writers, the English, so far back as the year 1640, were very numerous, insomuch that they gave offence to the native Carribbees, who had probably received them kindly at first. The event of the quarrel was, that the natives killed fifty of the English, and carried off the governor's lady. Long after this the island was inhabited both by French and English, who lived together with great cordiality; but the former were at last treated with such severity, because they hesitated at swearing allegiance to the English government, that they were forced to retire to Guadaloupe. Those exiles immediately disclosed to their countrymen the weak state of the English colony, and how easily it might be reduced; upon which an expedition was immediately undertaken. The English were besieged in form, their forts taken, their governor made prisoner, and they themselves obliged to accept of a capitulation for surrendering the whole island. Before this capitulation, however, could be put in execution, a reinforcement arrived, which prevented its taking place. The governors of the French Carribbees understanding this, mustered a greater force, and landing upon Antigua in 1667, the English governor, Fifth, was obliged to ratify the treaty; the island was, however, restored to the English the following year, by an article of the treaty of Breda.

From this time, the colony of Antigua began to flourish, chiefly through the prudent management of colonel Christopher Codrington; who, having been appointed captain-general, and general-governor of all the Leeward islands, removed from Barbadoes to Antigua, which he made the seat of his government; and here, by his great knowledge and experience in West-India plantations, he introduced a new and better system of colonizing and improving. It was not in his power, however, to prevent the effects of those dreadful hurricanes to which the island is subject, and which more than once in his time rendered it a scene of desolation, particularly in 1681; and nine years after, it was almost entirely ruined by an earthquake.

The Indians, instigated by the French, never failed to avail themselves of those natural calamities by making descents upon the island; but after having plundered the plantations nearest the sea, they were generally driven off with loss. Sometimes, however, they made their descents with a force sufficient to carry off negroes and other prey. On these occasions the French privateers were partly manned with Irish Roman-catholics, whom the inhabitants found to be their most cruel enemies. To make themselves some amends for these depredations, the Antiguans made a descent upon the French island of Marigalante, where they took and burnt the chief town, demolished the fort and spiked up its guns, drove the inhabitants into the woods, and returned to Antigua laden with plunder.

Notwithstanding these skirmishes, the trade of Antigua continued to flourish, so that in 1696, eleven loaded ships were sent from the island at one time. This year died Colonel Codrington, and was succeeded by his son, of the same name and rank; and who had distinguished himself equally in arms, and in the polite arts. This gentleman very early formed a design of attacking the French West-India islands; and, having used his utmost endeavours to procure a sufficient armament for this purpose, as well as encouraged the merchants and planters to fit out privateers, to which he himself contributed largely, he made a descent upon Guadaloupe. Here he first dislodged the enemy from a post called Le petits Habitans, and having landed about 800 men, they boldly marched up to a town called the Bayliffe, where the French had manned a breast-work, which they vigorously defended, and killed three English captains at the head of their grenadiers. But the English soldiers having briskly kept up their fire, at last laid the muzzles of their pieces across the top of the breast-work, and soon became masters of it. This was followed by the conquest of all the other breastworks, of the town of Bayliffe itself, and of the Jacobite church and plantation, both of which were strongly fortified. At last the main town of Basse Terre was taken, and the French retired to the fort, leaving all the open country to be plundered and destroyed by the English. When now nothing remained to complete the conquest of the island, but the reduction of Basse Terre fort. fort and castle, a disagreement arose between the sea and land officers, the particulars of which were so little to the credit of either, that they were never made public; the expedition, however, was abandoned, on pretence that the reduction of the island was a matter of much greater difficulty than had been foreseen; and that, considering the vigorous defence made by the French, the English army, which was now both weak and fickle, was unable to do duty any longer.

Colonel Codrington was succeeded, in 1704, by Sir William Matthews, and he by colonel Park, who received the government from the hands of John Yeomans, Esq.; the president of the island, and of the council. All this time, notwithstanding the repeated attacks of the French upon the other West-India islands, Antigua remained unmolested; and the inhabitants grew rich by their privateering, in which they became so expert, that a French flotilla with 50 men was taken, and 40 of her men killed by an English vessel having no more than nine men and six boys on board.

The new governor began his administration in the most unpopular manner that can be conceived. He appointed a common foot-soldier to act as provost-marshal of the island; and that too without obliging him to give any security, which was highly necessary. When talked to upon this head, he refused to give any other answer than, that a foot-soldier was a gentleman. In other respects he behaved in a manner so unbecoming his station, that an impeachment of his conduct was transmitted to England by the principal inhabitants of the island, and he was in the end ordered home. With this command, however, he did not comply, but suffered a ship to sail without him, in which he ought to have returned to England. Upon this, the islanders began to look upon him as an usurper, and formed a design of taking him prisoner and sending him home by force. Park prepared for his defence against the islanders, who appeared in arms against him to the number of 400. He had garrisoned his house with all the regulars he found upon the island, and was attended by some of his worthless creatures whom he had raised to places of power and trust. He now sent his provost-marshal to the inhabitants, with a proclamation, requiring them to disperse; but this they despised, declaring that the governor's troops should not prevent him from being sent prisoner to England. The more moderate among them were for compromising matters, and Park himself now offered them very reasonable terms; but the greater part thinking that they had gone too far to retract, attacked the house, and having wounded the governor and then got him into their hands, murdered him in a shocking manner.

From this time, no very remarkable transactions have happened with regard to the island of Antigua. It hath continued unmolested in all the late wars with France. The number of white inhabitants is reckoned about 10,000. It is divided into five parishes; that of St John's-town, which is reckoned the capital of the north-west part, and consists of above 200 houses; those of Falmouth, Porham, and Bridge-town, on the south-side; and St Peter's, which is no town, but lies almost in the middle of the island.