ANTIGUA, one of the West Indian Islands, in the British Leeward group, situated 50 miles E. of St Christopher, in lat. 17° 6' N., and long. 61° 45' W.; with an area of 108 square miles, and a circumference of about 50 miles. There is often a great scarcity of water in the island, which has also suffered severely from hurricanes; but it is on the whole healthy, and its soil is very fertile, producing large quantities of sugar, and usually enough of grain for home consumption, as well as some cotton and tobacco. Its high and rocky coast is much indented by bays and arms of the sea, several of which form excellent harbours; that of St John’s, the capital, is safe and commodious, but is much inferior to English Harbour, which is capable of receiving vessels of the largest size. Goods to the value of £234,011, and including sugar, molasses, ram, and cotton, were exported in 1870, being an increase of £33,038 as compared with 1869; the value of the imports, on the other hand, had increased during the same period from £174,357 to £164,178. In 1870, 422 ships of 25,228 tons entered, and 425 of 24,977 tons cleared the ports of the island. The government of Antigua is vested in a governor and executive and legislative councils, while four of the ten elective members of the general legislative council of the Leeward Islands are chosen from, and by, the legislative council of Antigua, in addition to one non-elective member nominated from the same body by the Queen. In 1870 the revenue amounted to £41,136, the expenditure to £31,315, and the public debt to £52,195. The chief source of revenue is the import duty, which amounted to about £20,000 in the same year. Antigua was discovered in 1493 by Columbus, who is said to have named it after a church in Seville, called ...