60
DEATH OF THE GOVERNOR.
mislaid or lost. This year, (1696,) the Hastings frigate was at Antigua, and sailed for London as convoy to a fleet of eleven ships, which were eleven weeks upon their voyage. In 1697, public pounds were erected in the several towns of Antigua, and imposts laid upon all liquors imported into the island. This had been hitherto a custom, but had expired some short time before. The year 1693 was a year of mourning to the Antiguans ; their friend and patron, as well as governor, breathed his last sigh, and exchanged an earthly for a heavenly home. General Codrington was, as before remarked, the first person who planted the sugar-cane in Antigua: its chief productions before were indigo, ginger, and tobacco. He removed from Barbados (of which island he was a native) in 1674 ; and some authors make that year his appointment to the governor-generalship of the Leeward Islands, and that of Colonel Rowland Williams, deputy-governor of Antigua. This assertion is, however, evidently incorrect ; for we have already seen, that Sir William Stapleton was acting as such at that period. The mistake must have arisen from General Codrington having removed to Antigua in that year. After the demise of General Codrington, the captaingeneral of the Leeward Islands, Colonel John Yeamans, a resident proprietor of Antigua, exercised the office of governor of the island. The Antiguans came to the resolution this year (1698) of appointing an agent for the island, who was to reside in London, and solicit the confirmation of such laws as should from time to time be made in Antigua, as well as to transact any other island business. The salary then given was 100/. sterling per annum, to commence from 1st January, 1689; but since the year 1800, it has been augmented. About this period, the notorious Captain Kidd * paid Antigua a visit; * The colonists of North America had, for the last few years, been greatly addicted to piracy : a practice which it behoved the English government to put an immediate stop to, if possible. A person of the