This rugged 10-sq.-km (4-sq.-mile) island (pop. 300) on the seaward (west) side of Tortola was named after a Dutch settler. In the 1700s, a Quaker colony settled here to develop sugarcane plantations. (One of the colonists, William Thornton, won a worldwide competition to design the Capitol in Washington, D.C.)
On the south shore are some fine, powdery beaches, especially at White Bay and Great Harbour. This tranquil island is a popular stopover point not only for the yachting set but also for many cruise ships.
