district of the island of St. Christopher, one represents the island of Nevis and one Anguilla. These members are elected by ballot by voters of the electoral districts they respectively represent. As no residential qualification is necessary it is possible for a person from any one of the islands, provided he is a registered voter and is standing for election, to be elected to represent any one of the other districts. Each island is a separate electoral district. The President of the Council enjoys a casting vote in the event of a tie in the votes of members at a meeting. The Council meets at the town of Basseterre in St. Kitts.

Industry, Trade and Customs.

Sugar is the principal crop in St. Kitts (202,994 tons of cane in 1938 crop, from 9,760 acres, 27,935 tons of sugar manufactured). It is grown in the Basseterre Valley and on the lower slopes round the island (the northern side showing the best average yield), and the cane is crushed and sugar produced at a central factory a mile from Basseterre. A light railway for haulage of canes encircles the island.

The only other important crop in St. Kitts is cotton, the lint produced in 1937 being 216,811 lbs.

on 1,190 acres.

Cotton and coconuts are the chief products exported from Nevis. Small quantities of tomatoes are also exported to Canada during the winter months.

Vegetables and cattle, chiefly for export to St. Kitts and for local consumption, are also produced

in Nevis.

Salt is the chief product of Anguilla, and is also produced from ponds at the south eastern part of St. Kitts, the quantity from Anguilla in 1937 being 2,519 tons valued at 2,9681.

Anguilla also produces cotton in small quantities. There are no manufacturing industries (other than the manufacture of sugar) in the Presidency.

The Customs import tariff is mainly on an ad valorem basis with a surtax of 25%. A preferential reduction varying in amount, but in most cases equal to one third of the general rate, is accorded to Empire products. The percentage of trade in 1937 is as follows:

The central part of the main body consists of a range of lofty rugged mountains, which traverses it from south-east to north-west, attaining its greatest height at Mount Misery, which is about 3,711 feet above the sea. A branch of this range encloses the spacious and fertile valley or plain, on the seaboard of which lies Basseterre, the principal town, with a population of about 8,000. Near the town of Sandy Point is Brimstone Hill, strongly fortified and fiercely besieged during the French wars. It is quite isolated, and about 750 feet in height.

The circle of land formed by the skirts and lower slopes of the mountain-range of the main body of the island, and the valley of Basseterre, constitute nearly the whole of the arable and cultivated portion of the island. The higher slopes of the mountains are covered with short grass, affording excellent pasturage, while their summits are crowned with dense wood. The island is of volcanic formation, and the soil, save in the mountains (where it is clayey) is peculiarly light and porous, sandy yet fertile.

The climate, for a tropical one, is decidedly healthy. The highest temperature in the shade is about 88°, the lowest 66°, and the mean average about 79°.

The average rainfall in St. Kitts for the year 1937 was 44.78 inches.

St. Christopher or St. Kitts, the Carib name of the first settled of the British West Indies, the which was Liamuiga, "The Fertile Isle," was settlement having been founded by Mr. Thomas Warner and other settlers, who landed on the

28th January, 1623, at the present village of Later, French settlements formed at the two ends of the island. The whole island was finally assigned to England under the Treaty of Versailles in 1783.

Nevis.

The island of Nevis is situated in 17° 40′ N. lat., and 62° 33′ W. long. It was discovered in 1498 by Columbus, and was colonised by the English from St. Kitts in 1628. Charlestown, the principal town, has a population of about 1,100. The population of Nevis largely consists of peasant proprietors.

The island, which is divided into five parishes, is nearly of a circular form; its area is about 50 square miles, or about 32,000 acres, of which about 15,000 acres are fit for cultivation; its greatest elevation 3,596 feet above the sea.

The soil is very different from that of St. Kitts, being of stiff clay, encumbered everywhere with volcanic boulders.

There are hot mineral springs adjoining the Bath House Hotel near Charlestown. These springs have valuable medicinal properties.

The climate is very similar to that of St. Kitts, from which place it is separated by a strait of about two miles in breadth at its narrowest part, which, however, lies out of the direct course for boats plying between the two islands. The distance between Basseterre (St. Kitts) and Charlestown (Nevis) is about twelve miles.

Anguilla

Anguilla is situated in 18° 12' N. lat., and 63° 5' W. long., about 60 miles N.W. of St. Kitts, and is sixteen miles in length, and varies in breadth from three to one and a half miles, containing an area of thirty-five square miles. The "Dogs" and neighbouring islands are dependencies of Anguilla.