Antigua and the Antiguans, Volume 1 (of 2) / A full account of the colony and its inhabitants from the time of the Caribs to the present day

A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE COLONY AND ITS INHABITANTS FROM THE TIME OF THE CARIBS TO THE PRESENT DAY, Interspersed with Anecdotes and Legends. ALSO, AN IMPARTIAL VIEW OF SLAVERY AND THE FREE LABOUR SYSTEMS; THE STATISTICS OF THE ISLAND, AND BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICES OF THE PRINCIPAL FAMILIES. “Sworn to no party, of no sect am I.”​—​Pope. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. LONDON SAUNDERS AND OTLEY, CONDUIT STREET. 1844.
TO THE HON BLE ROWLAND EDWARD WILLIAMS, LATE CAPTAIN IN THE 10th REGIMENT OF HUSSARS, ONE OF HER MAJESTY’S PRIVY COUNCIL IN ANTIGUA, THE LINEAL DESCENDANT OF THE FIRST WHITE CHILD BORN IN THAT ISLAND, AND THE FRIEND AND BENEFACTOR OF ITS INHABITANTS OF EVERY HUE AND COLOUR, This Work, DESCRIPTIVE OF ANTIGUA AND THE ANTIGUANS, IS, BY HIS KIND PERMISSION, INSCRIBED BY HIS FAITHFUL AND OBLIGED SERVANT,
THE AUTHOR.
Although in the present day the writing of a preface may be considered almost a work of supererogation on the part of an author, since it is that portion of a work seldom or ever looked into, still, as custom demands the form, and there may be some among my readers who may desire to learn what first led me to undertake this work, I am induced to follow the fashion, more especially as on one or two points I am desirous of offering a few words of comment and explanation.
Not being a native of the West Indies, and visiting that part of the world for the first time at an age when all looks bright around us, the novelty of the scenes which passed before my eyes struck me forcibly, and induced me to make notes of the impressions I then received. Pursuing the same practice at subsequent visits, and during prolonged residences, in process of time my memoranda expanded to a considerable bulk. The increasing interest I took in everything relating to Antigua, led me to inquire into its early history, and to search out the origin of the numerous ancient families whose descendants have resided in the island from the period of its colonization.
Some of my friends in the island who had become acquainted with my pursuits, were gratified by the specimens of my labours, which were exhibited to them, and urged me to throw my scattered notes into form. I yielded to their solicitations, and the result has been the following pages, which, while they afford a condensed history of the colony from its earliest days, present also a record of the impressions produced on one, at first, fresh from English society, but now, by long continued residence, become almost an Antiguan; having, it is hoped, lost all relics of English prejudice, but not become so biassed by her new connexions, or blinded by the many charms of Antigua or Antiguan society, as to hold the scales of justice unevenly.