50
ANTIGUA.
perous. Persons, returning to it after a year or two's absence, have been astonished at the change. The credit of planters is improved, and confidence restored. A few years ago, a gentleman offered to consign his produce to a mercantile house, on condition, that it would make him an advance to discharge a debt, due to his present merchants. The answer was negative. He has lately received a letter from the same party, offering advances. Another English firm, who, before Emancipation, were seeking to reduce their securities on estates as much as possible, have since sent out an | agent to Antigua, to see if there were any openings to extend them. During the last fifteen or twenty years, many estates, chiefly in the mountains, or poorer lands, have gone out of cultivation. Some of these doubtless will again come under culture. One has already been resumed ; the proprietor of which is paying his negros two shillings a day, greatly to the disturbance of his neighbours. But there are important exceptions. A few estates have been disorganised, if not ruined, by the change; but in most instances, if not in all, this can be traced to the harsh and injudicious conduct of the owners or their agents. With regard to changes, present and prospective, our informant said, that the cane ^ cultivation has been somewhat lessened, from several j causes: 1st. An anticipation, well or ill founded, that' it would be necessary to lessen it. 2nd. Because too, manj' canes were cultivated before, the land not having,^ been sufficiently cleaned and manured ; and lastly, be- • cause a few laborers have forsaken the field, whose ^ deficiency is not yet supplied by agricultural improve-, ments. There has also been in the last year or two, an, " invasion" of couch grass, which gives immense trou- .