USVI Public Records

Document text

This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project to make the world’s books discoverable online. It has survived long enough for the copyright to expire and the book to enter the public domain. A public domain book is one that was never subject to copyright or whose legal copyright term has expired. Whether a book is in the public domain may vary country to country. Public domain books are our gateways to the past, representing a wealth of history, culture and knowledge that’s often difficult to discover. Marks, notations and other marginalia present in the original volume will appear in this file - a reminder of this book’s long journey from the publisher to a library and finally to you. Usage guidelines Google is proud to partner with libraries to digitize public domain materials and make them widely accessible. Public domain books belong to the public and we are merely their custodians. Nevertheless, this work is expensive, so in order to keep providing this resource, we have taken steps to prevent abuse by commercial parties, including placing technical restrictions on automated querying. We also ask that you: + Make non-commercial use of the files We designed Google Book Search for use by individuals, and we request that you use these files for personal, non-commercial purposes. + Refrain from automated querying Do not send automated queries of any sort to Google’s system: If you are conducting research on machine translation, optical character recognition or other areas where access to a large amount of text is helpful, please contact us. We encourage the use of public domain materials for these purposes and may be able to help. + Maintain attribution The Google “watermark” you see on each file is essential for informing people about this project and helping them find additional materials through Google Book Search. Please do not remove it. + Keep it legal Whatever your use, remember that you are responsible for ensuring that what you are doing is legal. Do not assume that just because we believe a book is in the public domain for users in the United States, that the work is also in the public domain for users in other countries. Whether a book is still in copyright varies from country to country, and we can’t offer guidance on whether any specific use of any specific book is allowed. Please do not assume that a book’s appearance in Google Book Search means it can be used in any manner anywhere in the world. Copyright infringement liability can be quite severe. About Google Book Search Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world’s books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at http://books.google.com/ Se be Toe ion i Ae iy} ony SANATIS. SS SQ ei Ty Uy — ~* 4 —A A een AN se =—— = A > 4 on hi \ lg 2, | 8 peter (re o 4 6: X38) VO AN ae e “rs ‘PP 4T \ & WS ki, Ja lee Lip A) li S CcCLk Vii Hi SS SS etree oS ie Ss — nt 198 fi / i hel ea AU Abily! ie Ks 4a S30 | ae ee , ow ee, oe? ecocoe ose evens ooo eo eee e? ee ee. ee eevee seats eevee eoace eaene econ ee eee oe oor? eeccce me ee erece eovce eccce eof oP ee eo ,? Pee? eocce ba fee, Peet ore €) ooo” ee eooee eccce af ecece eovce eccoce * ecco eee” ecoe ce ee ee ee ty) i 1 Ti a4 i ve nt | uv »/ lal fa i a 7. is ry ‘ o “TERE,” THE LAND OF THE HUMMING BIRD, BEING A SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD == SPECIALLY WRITTEN FOR THE TRINIDAD COURT OF THE WORLD’S FAIR, CHICAGO, BY HENRY JAMES CLARK, F.8.8. me et TRINIDAD : PRINTED AT THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, PORT-OF-SPAIN. —_ 1893. FAS CG THIS BOOK HAS BEEN PRINTED THROUGHOUT AT THE GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE ; THE ILLUSTRATIONS BEING REPRODUCTIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHS BY F. MORIN OF PORT-OF-SPAIN, . PRINTED FROM MEISENBACH PLATES. oor ee ee ave ewe ao? ee? ee ae eee. Peon ee oe ee oe ee eee ove oe eee eee eoce aye eooee © ee 7°.e a ON a per CONTENTS. INTRODUCTORY wee GEOGRAPHICAL Position, AREA, &c. EARLIER HISTORY ... LatER HIstorRy sae THE CLIMATE ses THE SCENERY aes Le wee INHABITANTS sas wee see THE CAPITAL wee OTHER Towns tee tee oe Propucts AND MANUFACTURES... THE ILLUSTRATIONS ... wee ase PorTs AND COMMUNICATION APPENDIX—STATISTICS OF TRINIDAD M144329 Pace. eo Ww eae ILLUSTRATIONS. PaGE. PoRT-OF-SPAIN FROM THE HARBOUR w. facing title. PoRT-OF-SPAIN FROM THE LAVENTILLE HILLS... facing 9 Group oF EstaTE LABOURERS... wee ” 25 A VIEW IN THE CAURA VALLEY ... tes ” 37 Maracas WATERFALL ... wee tee ” 41 THe Pitch Lake—La BREA tee eee ” 45 Group oF VEGETABLE-SELLERS... ase ” 51 OuTsIDE A SuaaR Facrory—Cror TIME tee oy 61 InsIDE A SuGaR Factory wee tee 2” 69 CuTtiIna CANES vee tee tee ” 73 Cocoa TREE IN FULL BEARING .., wee ” 79 DiacriuM (EPIDENDRUM) BICORNUTUM ae » 91 LApPa oR LappE—Cavia Paca ... eee ” 95 ° e ARS > 4 ee = - cs) 3 4 ue fa = ~ a) —— SF © J = SSS Oe = INTRODUCTORY. Me 4 =~, EADER: Have you ever seen a humming-bird? a No! not a stuffed specimen, even were it the ie ’ ce peerless trophy of the texidermist’s art: No! nor u& even one of those wonderful art-productions that adorn the more recent monographs of the Trochilide; but one of these lovely feathered gems as they are to be seen in the bright warm sunlight of a tropic clime; now darting with lightning speed from flower to flower, anon poised in mid air under some favourite Bignonia, the bill buried in the recesses of the flower, the vibrations of the wings so rapid as to make them almost invisible, while the sheen from the plumage of the diminutive body and crested head makes it appear like some natural pendent, studded with a thousand gems all set with the matchless skill of Nature’s lapidary. If it has been your good fortune so to view these tiny- feathered gems in all their natural life and loveliness, you will be able to form some idea of the beauty and brilliancy of the scene that met the view of THE GREAT DISCOVERER, when, bo SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. instead of the parched and sterile land he had expected to find as he approached the equator, he gazed for the first time on the mass of gem-studded foliage and flower that clad with perpetual verdure the hills and vales in the new found land which he called “La Trinipap,” but to which the natives had given the name “Iére” or “The Land of the Humming-bird,” from the number and variety of these tiny creatures that had made their home in the island. It is to this beautiful island—“the gem of the Caribbean Sea,” the “Iére” of the Indians, the “Trinidad” of to-day —that the writer invites your attention, in the hope that in the following sketch, brief and imperfect though it be, you may find something to interest you—something that will awaken a desire for a more extended knowledge of, if not a personal acquaintance with, the vast resources and almost unlimited capabilities of a colony which can justly claim to be one of the most beautiful, most healthy, and most highly fertile of the many tropical possessions of the British Crown. = ete . ‘ . © ceeee oe ° GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION, AREA, &c. SSDS aDDDDDDDDDDD ADD DD DS \.\ RINIDAD, the most southern of the chain of islands 1 (4 : AK J separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean SEY yy Sea, is situated to the eastward of Venezuela, Ses between 10° 3’ and 10° 50’ north latitude and 61° 39 and 62° west longitude. It was discovered by Columbus, -then on ‘his third voyage, on the 3lst July, 1498, and ‘was so named by him in pursuance of a vow taken some time ‘previously. In shape, it was not inappropriately described by the ‘Spaniards as resembling an ox hide, but more recent and correct observations prove it to be almost rectangular in shape, with how- -ever two arms or horns which stretch out respectively from its ‘north-western and south-western points towards the neighbouring -continent of South America. These arms and the western side of the island enclose the Gulf of Paria on its eastern side, whilst it is ~similarly enclosed to the westward by the South American conti- -nent, into which it runs for a depth of fifty or sixty miles. The greatest length of the island from North to South is fifty miles ; “the average length, 48 miles; its greatest breadth is sixty-five miles, but its average breadth only thirty-five miles. No topo- . e . oreee erece eevee eecc5e ° e &KPTOR OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. graphical survey of the island has as yet been made, but the superficial area is estimated at 1,7544 square miles, or 1,122,880: acres. The general, physical aspect of Trinidad is that of a compara- tively level country, none of its mountains possessing the towering grandeur of the lofty peaks which distinguish the smaller Antilles. In the three ranges of hills which, running parallel with one- another, divide the northern portion of the island into two prin-. cipal valleys or basins, there are however one or two peaks of con- siderable elevation, such as TUCUTCHE (3,012 feet) in the west, and’ the CERRO DE ARIpo (2,740 feet) in the east. The central and southern ranges of hills are much less elevated, the highest peak in the former, TAMANA, being only a little over 1,000 feet, whilst the highest elevation in the southern range does not much exceed 700 feet. The valleys and plains are watered and drained by several large rivers supplied by innumerable smaller tributary streams, and the mountain ranges are everywhere deeply indented with ravines and deep gorges, through most of which flow more or less abundant streams of water. There cannot be a doubt but that the island owes much of its richness and fertility to these: numerous streams, which, flowing through its valleys, cover them with never-fading verdure and beauty. Without entering into scientific details, it may be said that the geological formation of Trinidad, although volcanic rocks are- entirely wanting, displays great variety, and that its soil is equally diversified, ranging from the rich dark chocolate-colour soil that covers the marl formations down to the poorer sandy soils found. SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 5 in connection with the arenaceous series chiefly in the southern portion of the island ; and yet even there the soil is, in many parts, highly fertile, as is proved by the large and thriving cocoa cultivations lately established in recent years, at Erin and Cap-de-Ville. Although thus possessing a soil of such sin- gular fertility and of so diversified a nature as to render it capable of producing almost every vegetable product of tropical or inter-tropical countries, as well as not a few of those of more temperate regions,* yet it is only of late years that cultiva- tion has been much extended, and there are still vast tracts of virgin forest in which the ring of the woodman’s axe has never been heard. The geographical position of Trinidad promises to the colony a commercial development in the future as great, if not even greater, than its agricultural. Standing, as has been aptly said, “like a geographical sentinel” at the entrance to one of the great waterways of the world, it must sooner or later become a great commercial centre. Sir Thomas Picton, the first British Governor of the island—a man of great shrewdness and foresight, and a military commander of no mean reputation —was so convinced of its importance both from a strategic and commercial point of view that, during the period between the capitulation and the final cession of the island to Britain by the treaty of Amiens, he repeatedly urged its retention-—stating that “it would be * The great diversity of soil seems to indicate that the country, limited in extent as it may be, is calculated to become the home of a highly varied agricul- ture .”—Geology of Trinidad: Wall & Sawkins, 6 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD, extremely impolitic to restore it to Spain on any terms or for any equivalent.” Of the importance of Trinidad from a commercial point of view,. Picton thas writes :— ‘* The island possesses the most extensive and, perhaps, one of the best and * finest harbours in all America, wholly free from hurricanes (the effects of which. ** are so dreadful in all the other West India Ports). It is so situated as to com- ** mand the commerce of an immense Continent, extending from the banks of the ** Rio de las Amazones to those of La Magdalena, including the rich Provinces of ** Guayana, Varinas, Santa Fé, Venezuela, Caracas and Cumana, with which there * are navigable communications by means of the different rivers which traversing *€ those extensive countries, at length lose themselves in the great River Orinoco, ‘which discharges into the Gulf of Paria opposite the south-east point of “ Trinidad.” : , But Picton was not the only one who thus early realized the full value and importance of Trinidad. The great Napoleon, then First Consul, has left on record a document that shows how well he understood the advantageous position of the island and its. value to the British Crown. In a letter written in August, 1801, to the French Plenipotentiary in London, after instruct- ing him firmly to oppose any proposal for the’ cession of the island to Great Britain, he adds :—“ Trinidad from its “ position would not only afford a means of defence for the “ English colonies, but also of attack on the Spanish mainland. “Its acquisition would in other respects be of immeasurable “ importance and value to the British Government.” Nor does Napoleon stand alone among the great men of the period, in his estimate of the value of the colony. That calm, thoughtful and most practical of statesmen, Mr. Canning, SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. beat | in introducing his well-known motion in regard to Trinidad,* spoke eloquently in favour of making the island a strong naval and military station and a sanatorium for the British troops in the West Indies—instead of handing it over to those who could see nothing in a West Indian colony but a field for the production of sugar—while at the same time he pointed out with much force and clearness that from its geographical position it ought to be the emporium of the trade with South America. So impressed was Trinidad’s first British Governor with the idea of making the island the great entrepot for the trade of the Orinoco and its tributaries, that he did not hesitate to propose a plan of armed interference in the affairs of the neighbouring Spanish Provinces, in which there were already signs of that growing spirit of resistance to the Spanish yoke, which was to culmi- nate in the protracted but ultimately successful struggle for independence. Picton’s proposals were not acted upon, and in the ever-shifting current of events we find him, a few years later, bravely fighting side by side with the troops of the very nation against whose South American Provinces those hostile proposals were made. ‘“‘ There is, however,” to use the eloquent words of Trinidad’s latest historian :+ “a force more powerful even than that of armed ‘bat- “ talions—a force which has rendered easy and commodious what “ to the greatest heroes of ancient and modern times was difficult * ‘That no grants should be made of unclaimed lands in the newly ceded island of Trinidad, except on the express condition that no newly imported slaves be employed thereon.” —(27th May, 1802.) + L. M. Fraser—History of Trinidad—Vol. I. 8 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. “ and irksome—which has overcome both natural obstructions, “and the all but impassable barriers of ignorance and prejudice. “ That spirit of commercial enterprise which has pierced the Alps, “ opened the Suez Canal, and is now bringing into close connexion “ the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans by means of that Isthmus which “has hitherto separated them, will at last effect peaceably and “ without any armaments what Picton would have brought about “‘by conquest. That which he desired and the great Napoleon “ feared will, it is to be hoped, before long come to pass, and then, “ when the whole trade of New Grenada and of the rich and fertile “ countries lying between the Andes and the Atlantic finds its way “by the Meta, the Rio Negro, the Casanare, the Apure, and a “hundred other streams down the broad bosom of the Orinoco “into the Gulf of Paria, Trinidad will become a second St. “ Thomas, and Port-of-Spain a West Indian Liverpool.” oe, ee eccce ercce oe fe eorzce eonee Chee) ee re eeece e eo? oe° fee wooee eecce woos eeene fe eovce evese cove eee ecco oe eooce eccce eccce woove Se e eoece eeeee d 4? ‘y evses a ee 4 Ve F| “Ke oy a we fay: a5 $ es ( v3 say aed bay 3: } A a “. rr ed sts "4 a a hast Wek + \y -% t th ee ‘By % ath a 4 ea ah) ow , . - + =: e*? EARLIER HISTORY. AN NAAN SERRE EE VERY OR more than thirty years after the discovery of | the island no formal attempt to take possession of ‘a 4] it by force of arms was made by Spain. About Me the end of that period Don Antonio Sedefio, then holding the office of Royal Treasurer of Porto Rico, proceeded to Spain and obtained a license for the conquest of Trinidad, the King. at the same time appointing him, by Letters Patent, Governor and Captain-General of the island. Returning to Porto Rico he completed his preparations and sailed for Trinidad early in the year 1530. On their arrival Sedefio and his followers were well received by the native Indians, whom he at first treated with consideration and justice, and so for a time all went well. Sedefio improved this short period of peace by building a fort and otherwise preparing to defend himself and his followers against any treachery on the part of the Indians. From various causes, into which it is unnecessary to enter in a sketch like the present, the Spaniards soon began to be harsh and exacting. This treatment the Indians resented, and on the Spaniards attempting to use force, they became 10 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. exasperated and fighting began—fighting which lasted all through the period of Sedefio’s rule and continued intermittingly for many years after. Before long his own followers also became dis- contented and rebellious, their insubordination amounting some- times to open rebellion against his authority. After a pre- carious occupation of the island for a period of about ten years, during which he experienced many vicissitudes of fortune, being often reduced to great straits and exposed to imminent danger, Sedefio died—-poisoned, it is alleged, by a female slave—while on a visit to the neighbouring mainland. From the death of Sedefio in 1540 little or nothing of an authentic nature is known of the history of Trinidad until the arrival, circa 1584 of Don Antonio de Berrio y Orufia, an honest and upright man of great energy and firmness of character. Don Antonio de Berrio, although holding no direct appointment-from the Spanish Crown, appears to have considered that as he had been specially appointed by the Captain-General of New Grenada (the famous Gonzalo Ximenes de Quesada) to prosecute the search for, and conquest of, the fabled El Dorado which was believed to be situated in the province of Guiana, he had ample authority to select Trinidad as the base of his operations. With this object in view he obtained reinforcements from Margarita and Cumana, and with their aid suc- ceeded in subduing many of the Indian tribes who had resisted his predecessor, and so secured a tolerably strong footing in the island. Finding that, from its situation on the shore of the Gulf of Paria, the town of Puerto de los Hispafioles (Port-of Spain) was constantly exposed to attacks from the corsairs who infested SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. ll the Gulf, he decided on building another town some six miles inland. The site chosen, on rising ground two miles above the junction of the St. Joseph and Caroni rivers, was well adapted for the purpose. To this town de Berrio gave the name of San José de Orufia,* making it at the same time the capital, a position which it continued to hold till within a few years of the capture of the island by the British. For some years previous to this date and for many years after- wards, owing to the wide-spread opinion that El Dorado, with its golden city of Manoa, was to be found somewhere in the near vicinity of the great river Orinoco, many expeditions in search of this grand prize touched at Trinidad, and it was during the occupation of the island by de Berrio that one of these, commanded by Sir Walter Raleigh, entered the Gulf of Paria. Sir Walter had, in the previous year, sent out Captain Widdhon with the object of obtaining information respecting El Dorado. During his stay in the island, eight of his crew who had been induced by the Indians to accompany them on a deer hunt, were never again heard of, the Indians alleging that they had been killed by a party of Spanish soldiers posted in ambush. Whatever representations Widdhon may have made to de Berrio, he does not appear to have taken any steps either to discover the murderers of his men or to bring them to punishment. But the sequel will show how soon the avenger appeared on the scene and how savage and merciless was his retaliation. Sir Walter Raleigh entered the Gulf on the 22nd March, * Now St. Joseph, 12 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 1595, and soon after came to anchor off Puerto de los His- pafioles. De Berrio, who had received Captain Widdhon with every show of friendliness and granted him permission to obtain the water and other supplies he stated he was in need of, extended to Sir Walter a most favourable reception. At the same time it is evident that he suspected the intentions of the English, for he sent to Margarita and Cumana asking for immediate reinforcements. Notwithstanding his favourable reception and his apparent good faith-with the Spaniards, Sir Walter entered into secret communi- cation with the Indians, and after obtaining full information as to the route to San José (where de Berrfo was then staying), the small number of soldiers in the island and other matters, he decided to attack de Berrio and his town. Taking advan- tage of a favourable opportunity, he surprised the guard of Port-of-Spain in the evening, and having put the soldiers to the sword he sent forward Captain Colfield with sixty men to attack San José, following himself soon after with forty more The town was taken at daybreak and set on fire at the request of the Indians, de Berrio being made prisoner while fighting bravely at the head of his men. Sir Walter then returned to Port- of-Spain, bringing with him de Berrfo and one of his lieutenants as prisoners. In view of the plea that this otherwise totally unjustifi- able attack was made in order to punish the Spaniards for the alleged murder, in the previous year, of the eight men of Widdhon’s crew, it is only fair to state that Sir Walter himself admits that the only evidence he had against the Spaniards was that of an Indian Cacique who was one of their bitterest enemies, and who at SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 13 the risk of his life, went on board Raleigh’s vessel in order to incite him to attack them. Raleigh doubtless felt the weak- ness of any plea resting on such evidence, and he therefore fell back on the necessities of his position. He says: “To depart 400 « or 500 miles from my ships, and leave a garrison in my back, “ interested in the same enterprize, which daily expected supplies “from Spain, I should have savoured very much of an ass.” Having, as we have seen, summarily disposed of the “ garrison in “his back,” Raleigh now set out on what was the real object Sf the expedition, namely the search for the famed El Dorado. He took de Berrio with him, doubtless in the hope of obtaining from him valuable information in regard to the wonderful land of gold, in the existence of which they both seem to have had implicit faith. This expedition, like all the others, ended in failure, and Sir Walter and his prisoner returned to Trinidad. When Sir Walter left the island to return to Europe, de Berrio was released, and again resumed the governorship. Being, how- ever, still firmly bent on the discovery and conquest of El Dorado, he decided to place one of his Lieutenants in command of Trinidad, and to take up his residence at San Tome’on the main- land, as being a better position from which to prosecute his life-long purpose, after many failures and misfortunes, and there he died—disappointed, if not broken-hearted. The belief in El] Dorado, with its golden city of Manca, does not seem to have been much affected by the failure of Raleigh or the death of the brave but unfortunate de Berrfo. Other expeditions followed, and towards the end of 1617 Sir Walter Raleigh again 14 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. returned to Trinidad. Entering the Gulf by the Serpent’s Mouth (Boca de la Sierpe) or southern passage, he brought his ships to anchor under Punta de los Gallos at the south-western extremity of the island, from whence an expedition under the command of Sir Lawrence Keymis was despatched to attack the Spanish town of San Tome. The town was taken by storm after a stub- born resistance, and the expedition ascended the Orinoco in the hope of finding provisions and discovering gold. Finding neither they rowed down the river and returned to Trini- dad, where Sir Lawrence Keymis was so scornfully received by Raleigh that he committed suicide. With the failure of this - expedition and its tragic sequel the long-continued search for El Dorado may be said to have come to an end, and the whole story of its existence was in a few years relegated to the realm of myths and fables. Strange though it may appear, this phantom land of golden promise that had been the day- dream of Sir Walter Raleigh and the many other adven- turous spirits of the sixteenth century—and that, like a golden “ will-o’-the-wisp,” had allured so many to endure hard- ship, danger and often cruel death in its pursuit, has in our days proved to be a reality. The Indians’ stories of the lake with the golden sands, on whose banks stood the fabled city of Manoa with its untold stores of gold, and which the Spaniards located in the province of Guiana, have received singular confirma- tion by the discovery some thirty years ago of the rich and valuable gold mines of Caratal in Venezuelan Guiana, by the subsequent discovery of gold in both Dutch and French Guiana, SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD, 15 and again quite recently by the discovery in British Guiana of a gold district that promises to equal, if not exceed, the famous Caratal district in its wealth of precious metal. The history of Trinidad, during the two hundred years that elapsed between the death of de Berrio and its capture by the British, presents few features likely to prove interesting to general readers. In addition to being successively attacked by the Dutch in 1640, the British under Sir Tobias Bridges in 1672, and the French under the Marquis de Maintenon in 1677, the island suffered severely from the frequent raids of roving adventurers who, although described as Buccaneers, were in reality little better than pirates. Altogether, Trinidad as a Spanish colony was most unfortunate, and its population had so dwindled that in 1773 there were in the whole island only 162 male adults exclusive of slaves and Indians, the total revenue being $221 or less than £48 sterling. In 1778 a French colonist resident in Grenada, M. Roume de Saint Laurent, paid a visit to Trinidad and was so struck by its many and great natural resources and the extraordinary fertility cf its soil, that he decided not only to settle in the island himself, of which he gave an earnest by the immediate purchase of land at Diego Martin, but to do all he could to induce his country- men and others to follow his example. He drew up a liberal scheme of colonization which, after many difficulties and delays, was approved by the Court of Spain, and a new Cedula of Coloni- zation was signed at Madrid on the 24th November, 1783. 16 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. This Cedula was brought to Trinidad by one who was destined to be the last of its long line of Spanish Governors. Don José Maria Chacon, appointed some time previously Governor and Captain General of the island, arrived in September, 1784. He was, to use the words of another, “a man of ability “and education, honourable, philanthropic and intelligent, but “wanting in decision and strength of mind.” He spoke both French and English and was in all respects specially well qualified to carry into execution the scheme of St. Laurent—and he lost no time in doing so. The Cedula translated into French and English was published soon after his arrival, and copies circu- lated in the neighbouring English and French colonies. The real colonization of the island dates from the pro- promulgation of this Cedula, the success of which is shown by the fact that during the five years 1784—1789, the popu- lation had increased from 1,000 to 10,422. The large majority of these immigrants were of French descent, so much so that the island, although stiJl a Spanish possession, soon became virtually French in population. A further increase to the French element in the population took place in 1793, due to a considerable immigration from San Domingo, caused by the terrible events that occurred there in June of that year. These new comers, if not all Royalists pur sang were all staunch up- holders of Monarchical government. A year or two later, on the capture of the French islands by the British forces, another addition to the French element was caused by the arrival of a large number of immigrants from those islands, nearly SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 17 all of whom were Republicans of the most pronounced character. And thus it happened that a colony which had never belonged to France became largely peopled by persons of French des- cent, many of them holding diametrically opposite political views and opinions. To this hostility of opinions may be traced much of the turbulence and excitement, and many of the actual disturbances which marked the closing years of the Spanish and the opening years of British rule in the island. Governor Chacon reorganized the whole administration of the colony. Royal decrees were issued reducing the duties on various kinds of goods, and making permanent privileges which had been granted for a limited time only. Encouraged by the -success of the Cedula, and anxious to promote in every way the welfare and prosperity cf the largely increased numbers over whom he now ruled, Governor Chacon was busily engaged in schemes of further advancement and -improvement, when he learned of the somewhat sudden, but not unexpected approach of that expedition which was to result in the transfer of the island from the Spanish to the British Crown, SE Ra LATER HISTORY. NNN RAesmnmemrmrmnns ow" HE expedition to which reference is made at the close of last chapter, consisted of a British fleet of seven ships of the line and thirteen smaller * vessels under command of Admiral Harvey, and having on board General Sir Ralph Abercromby with a land force of nearly 8,000 men. While it must be admitted that Governor Chacon had made no defensive preparations, yet it is not easy to . See what defence was possible. ‘To meet the powerful armament of the British, Chacon had under his command barely 500 regular Spanish troops. It is true that a Spanish squadron of four ships of the line and a frigate under command of Admiral Ruiz de Apodaca was anchored in Chaguaramas Bay, but the crews of these vessels had been greatly reduced by sickness and death. The British fleet entered the Gulf of Paria in the afternoon of the 16th February, 1797, and took up a position so as to prevent the escape of the Spanish squadron. Admiral Apodaca immediately assembled a Council of War of the captains of the vessels under his command, and it was unanimously agreed that as escape was impossible in face of so vastly superior a force, the ships should SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 19 be burned rather than allowed to fall into the hands of the enemy. The crews were landed during the evening, and shortly after mid- night the ships were set on fire and burned fiercely until near daylight. One line of battle-ship, the San Damaso, was captured, the flames having been extinguished by the crews of two of the British ships. During the forenoon the British troops were landed and advanced upon Port-of-Spain. The only show of resistance was at a point about two miles outside the town, where a few shots were exchanged with a party of Spanish troops sent out to reconoitre. The British troops continued their march, and passing to the north of the town, took up a commanding position on the Laventille hills. At eight o’clock in the evening Sir Ralph Abercrcmby sent an officer with a flag of truce to the Spanish head-quarters. This officer was instructed to point out the superiority of the British forces and the impossibility of resistance and to offer Governor Chacon an honourable capitulation. A . conference was held next morning when the terms of surrender were agreed upon, and before the close of the day, 18th February, 1797, the capitulation was signed, the Spanish troops laid down their arms, and the island became a British possession.* About two months after the capitulation Sir Ralph Aber- cromby left the colony, leaving as Governor and Captain- Genera] thereof his aide-de-camp, Lieut-Colonel Picton. The responsibilities and difficulties of the position to which Colonel * Trinidad was finally ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Amiens—25th March, 1802. 20 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. Picton was thus appointed were such as would have deterred any man of less firmness of character from accepting it. Not only was the island a conquered country with a population almost entirely alien, but that population was composed of a motley aggregation of different races and nationalities, divided into hostile sections—all more or less dominated by the strong national antipathies and violent political animosities of the period. Such were the people over whom Picton was called to rule, and among whom he was instructed “to execute Spanish law as well as he could, and do justice according to his conscience.” But Picton was one of those men whom no dangers daunt and whose energy and determination overcome all difficulties, and, with all that firmness which was so marked a feature of his character, he set to work to bring order out of chaos, and to compel respect for, and obedience to, the existing lav—such as it was. Although, like all the military men of the time, a strict and stern disciplinarian, he was nevertheless an energetic and able administrator, and his government of the colony, under most trying and difficult circum- stances, during six of the stormiest years of its history, if marked by acts of stern but needed repression and punishment, was also distinguished by great administrative ability. The population of the colony, when he assumed the government in 1797, was 17,643, when he left in 1803 it had increased to 29,154, while the exports of sugar, then as now, the staple product of the island, had increased from 75,177 cwts. to 142,982 cwts. To attempt a description, however brief, of the troubles that occurred just before Picton left Trinidad, of his subsequent trial, SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 21 of his ultimate acquittal, of his heroic bravery during the Penin- -sular campaign, and of his death on the field of Waterloo “ while gloriously leading his division to a charge with bayonets,” would be to go far beyond the scope of the present sketch. Nor is it possible to do more than notice very briefly the leading events that have marked the administration of the more prominent of Picton’s successors. During the ten years immediately following Picton’s administra- tion the colony continued to be governed by military men. At the end of that period, however, the whole aspect of international affairs in Europe had so changed as to permit of, if indeed it did not suggest, some deviation from the strictly military system of government hitherto existing in the West Indian colonies; while the condition and circumstances of Trinidad were such as to call for an able and progressive civil administration rather than a strong military one. Under these circumstances the selection of Sir Ralph James Woodford, Baronet, to be the first civilian Governor of the colony was alike fortunate for it and creditable to the Home Government. Sir Ralph arrived on the 14th June, 1813, and at once took over the government from his predecessor, General Munroe. He belonged to a good old English family, was graceful and dignified in person, and. although somewhat haughty in manner, was always accessible and ready to receive all who wished to see him. Young,* active, and energetic, he accepted nothing at second hand, but went * He was only in his twenty-ninth year when he assumed the government. 22 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. everywhere, saw everything, and made his own enquiries. In this way he not only obtained a personal knuwledge of the different districts of the island and their various wants, but also made him- self acquainted with the views and feelings of all classes of the inhabitants. Under his administration the colony underwent a complete transformation. By his own exemplary life and character, as well as by precept and counsel, he did much to raise the social and moral tone of the community.* He brought all schools under Government supervision and control, and issued a code of “Rules for Schools,” which, for conciseness and * The following Proclamation, dated 16th November, 1823, affords so striking @ proof of the earnest Christian character of the man, as well as of his extra- ordinary powers as Governor, as to justify its being given in extenso:— ‘Wuereas it is a Duty incumbent upon every Christian Government, to recommend, in the most earnest manner to the Subjects of it, a punctual observance of the Sabbath, and a regular and devout attendance at the places consecrated to the Service of Almighty God. AND WHEREAS a Church has been lately consecrated to the Service of the Blessed Trinity, according to the Forms and Usages of the Church of England, and an Edifice More capacious than the present has been commenced, and is gradually approaching to completion for those who profess the Tenets of the Church of Rome; and there are other Churches already in the Island, and it is in contemplation to augment the number of them. It therefore becomes desirable that the propriety of duly attending the Service of the Church should be impressed in an especial manner upon the minds of all Classes. ‘WE DO HEREBY, acting in virtue of the Powers confided to Us, exhort all His Majesty’s Subjects, to take into their most serious consideration the obligation on each Member of the Church of Christ, to an attentive observance of the Solemn Worship of the Divine Majesty, as well as of the moral obligation which he has contracted, whether as a Parent or as a Head of a Family, to cause the same to be duly had by those whom he has reared, or whose services he has retained for his use or benefit ; taking care that sufficient time and opportunity be afforded to them for that duty, by which they can alone publicly testify their adherence to the Church of Christ, and their belief in the merits of our Blessed Redeemer, ‘WE DO THEREFORE HEREBY REQUIRE AND COMMAND all Persona, decently and reverently, with their Families and Servants, to attend the Worship of God, where convenient opportunity is afforded to them: And we do especially require and expect all Persons in place of authority, to give good example, by a virtuous life, to the end that all ill habits and practices may be reformed, and that Religion, Piety, and Morality may flourish and increase, to the Honour of God, and the prosperity of the Land. SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 23 brevity, as well as in several other particulars, might well serve as a model for the educationists of the present day. He encouraged” agriculture, stimulated commerce, and greatly improved both the internal and external means of communi- cation. It is to his taste and foresight that Port-of-Spain owes the width and regularity of its streets as well as its two beautiful squares. He laid the foundation stones of the Roman Catholic Cathedral, the Anglican (Trinity) Cathedral, and the Roman Catholic Church of St. Joseph, all of which he had the satisfaction of seeing completed during his term of govern- ment. It is to him also that the colony is indebted for the formation of the Botanic Gardens at St. Ann’s—now considered one of the sights of the colony. There is one fact connected with the period of Sir Ralph Wood- ford’s government that, perhaps more than any other, shows the progressive spirit that animated him: viz., the formation in 1817 of “THe TRINIDAD STEAM-BOAT Company.” The company was stated to be “ under the patronage of His Excellency the Governor and the Illustrious Board of Cabildo,’’ and both the Board and His Excellency became shareholders. Although to a large extent a commercial venture—all the principal mercantile firms being shareholders—yet to the encouragement and support of Sir Ralph is due in great measure the ultimate success of the undertaking, resulting as it did in the building of the steamer Woodford which degan to ply between Port-of-Spain and San Fernando on the 20th December, 1818. This fact is all the more noteworthy seeing that not only was the Woodford the first steamer to ply in West Indian 24 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. ‘waters, but that her first trip in the Gulf of Paria was made only six years after Henry Bell’s Comet had-begun to ply on the Clyde and within three years of the first appearance of a steamer on the Thames. Sir Ralph Woodford left for England, on sick leave, in April, 1828, but did not reach his destination, having died at sea on the 16th May. Eighteen years afterwards—on the 22nd May, 1846—Lord Harris arrived as Governor of the colony. During these eighteen years the emancipation of the slaves throughout the British West Indian Colonies had taken place, an event which, as is well known, was followed by an immediate scarcity of labour and a consequent depression in the sugar industry throughout these colonies. Trinidad, owing to the comparatively small number of its labouring population, and to the almost unlimited field for squatting afforded by its thousands of acres of virgin soil, suffered more severely than any of the- neighbouring islands from the effects of this want of labour. Some idea of the gloom and depression that prevailed in the colony at the time of Lord Harris’s assumption of the Govern- ment may bé formed from the following quotation from one of his earlier despatches :— ‘Tt is sad and painful to see men expecting ruin quickly to overcome them ; it is, perhaps, sadder and more painful to see them struggling and toiling against adversity, but with their energies dulled and their arms palsied from their knowledge that their labours must be unremunerative, and that failure can be the sole result: it is most distressing to witness this, and, at the same time, to be aware that much of the misery from which they are suffering and which awaits them, is of a nature which they are unable to avoid by any acts of their own.” fee, ve" veers veers se veces veuee ve a wuss vu “es Yous we wveve evues vee Seve veal. vee wove ve views we eooce eseoe © eceoe eo? eooee fee. >= eoose e008 ee eoooe eeeee ch eooce eooee ra >» Fr sean = és — a> s™ we » = - > ~~) os e,) 7 « ts = G . h ¥e. wie> Ns we A an we => Pa » . Uv Se b we —— To og wire S pw Wy , > f SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 25 It was indeed fortunate for Trinidad that at such a time the government had been entrusted to one whose great ability was more than equal to the situation—critical and well- nigh desperate, though it was—whose confidence in the great natural resources and wonderful capabilities of the colony never wavered, and whose high position, as a peer of the realm, gave such weight to his opinions as to make them almost invariably all-powerful at the Colonial Office. Lord Harris, as has already been seen, fully realized the critical position of affairs, and although the remedy proposed by him—Indian immigra- tion—had been suggested many years previously, and had actually been commenced before his arrival, still it is to his persistent efforts that the colony owes the inauguration of that improved system of Indian immigration which, with the modifications suggested by later experience, has been continued up to the present time. A system which involved the transport of im- migrants from such a distance was naturally a costly one, parti- cularly at the outset, and it was only by Lord Harris’s all-powerful advocacy and the unflagging zeal of the then Attorney-General, the late Charles William Warner, that the difficult task of providing ways and means to carry out the scheme was at length successfully accomplished. Whatever differences of opinion may now exist in regard to the further continuation of Indian immigration, there can be no doubt as to the necessity which called it into existence, or the undoubted benefit that it has proved to the colony. It is not, however, in connection with immigration alone, that Y 26 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. Lord Harris will always be remembered as one of Trinidad’s best and ablest Governors. He left many other mementos of the deep interest he took in the material and moral welfare of the colony, and of the marked ability and success of his administration of its affairs during seven years of great depression, commercial as well as agricultural. He was the first to introduce an organized system of primary education. It was a purely secular system under Government supervision and control, but it was cer- tainly not a “ Godless” system; for although no religious instruc- tion whatever was allowed to be given in the schools or by the schoolmasters, yet special provision was made for such instruction being given elsewhere; one of the seven “fundamental prin- — ciples” of the system being—according to Mr. Keenan*—* That the religious instruction of the children was to be committed to their respective pastors, who, upon a day set apart for the purpose in each week, the schools being closed on that day, were to impart such instruction in the churches or elsewhere.”—The new system was favourably received and cordially approved by all denominations, and might have become all that its distin- guished founder fondly hoped, had it not been for the entire absence of any hearty co-operation on the part of the clergy, the great majority of whom, made but little effort to take advan- tage of the facilities given them for the religious instruction of the children. Under such circumstances it is not surprising to find that, in this latter respect, the system proved a failure. * Report upon the state of education in Trinidad by P. J. Keenan, Esq. (1869.) SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 27 It is to Lord Harris that the colony owes the introduction of municipal institutions similar to those existing in the mother country, as well as the division of the island into Counties, Ward Unions and Wards, and the inauguration of the Ward system of local government, under which each Ward raised its own revenue by levying rates, &c., while the expenditure was controlled by a Board of Auditors elected annually by the rate- payers. The Ward system has since undergone many and sweeping changes, and, as at present existing, can scarcely be said to be more than the shadow of its former self, or of local government, properly so called. Thirteen years after Lord Harris had left the colony, Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon, then Governor of New Brunswick, was appointed to the governorship of Trinidad. Sir Arthur arrived in the colony on the 9th November, 1866, and although his administration was a short one, lasting only till June, 1870, it was one of great activity and marked progress. Of the many important measures introduced during his administration, the one by which, more than by any other, his name is inseparably linked _ with the history of Trinidad is the Crown Lands Ordinance passed in Octuber, 1868. By this enactment he threw open the Crown lands of the colony, the natural result of which was an increase both of revenue and cultivation—an increase which, with all its other benefits both to the Government and the people, has been more or less steadily maintained ever since. Although this measure was strongly opposed at the time, still such have been the wonderful results accruing from it, that even its bitterest 28 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. opponents now readily admit the greater wisdom and clearer foresight that induced Sir Arthur to carry it through in the face of much opposition. Of Sir Arthur Gordon’s numerous successors, the majority held office for short periods only, the two longest administrations having been those of Sir Henry Turner Irving (1874—1880) and Sir William Robinson (1885—1891). The former remodelled and improved several branches of the Public Service, established the Volunteer Force, and further amended the system of primary education, first introduced by Lord Harris, and subsequently amended by Sir Arthur Gordon. The latter took a marked interest in the development of the agricultural resources of the colony, established District Agricultural Boards with a Central’ Board meeting in Port-of-Spain, and by exhibitions, prizes and other means endeavoured to stimulate agriculture generally, and. to encourage the cultivation of a greater variety of products. He established a fortnightly steam service round the island, thereby greatly facilitating communication with the outlying districts. Sir William must also be credited with having largely increased the revenue, and that without any addition to the burdens of the taxpayers; for, notwithstanding the wide dif- ferences of opinion that exist as to his policy in regard to the Pitch Lake, the fact remains that when he assumed the government in 1885, the total annnal revenue derived from that valuable Crown property was only £1,574, whereas when he left the colony in 1891 it was no less than £31,988 ; while in the past year (1892) it amounted to £37,232, or SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 29 within £434 of the total charge on account of the PuBLic Dest. The granting of “The Concession,” under which this large revenue has accrued, was as bitterly opposed as Sir Arthur Gordon’s Crown Lands Ordinance, but it is more than probable that, in this case also, the results will, before long, bring home conviction even to the fiercest of the anti-monopolists. The present Governor of the island, Sir Frederick Napier Broome, assumed the government on the 19th August, 1891. While the writer is fully aware that any remarks on the existing administration would be highly unbecoming on his part, he considers it only fair—especially in view of the context— to state, that within a few months of his arrival, His Excellency, in the course of an address to the Central Agricultural Board, showed that on the question most intimately connected with the future development of the colony, his views and opinions were quite as liberal as those of any of his predecessors. Speaking in regard to the most effective mode of securing the best occupation -of unalienated Crown lands, His Excellency said :— It was evident to him that both in that Board and outside there was a considerable concensus of opinion that something could be done and ought to be done. From what he had learned, his predecessors had from time to time dealt ably with this question, but perhaps the alienation and settlement of Crown lands could still be placed on a further improved basis. We could always improve as we went along. * * * * * * * Only a small portion of our total land was settled, and a large extent of rich soil, which might grow valuable products, was not yet occupied. Riches and progress should come to the colony by its increasing occupation, and they should try in every way to increase the number of bond jide agricultural occu- * ‘piers, for if the small holder thrived and prospered he would become in time the backbone of the community. 30 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. That a longer residence in the colony has in no way altered His Excellency’s opinion as to the necessity of endeavouring in every way to induce an “increasing occupation,” with all its resulting advantages, is shown by the fact that, in a Despatch to the £ecretary of State for the Colonies, dated 5th January of the present year, His Excellency asks His Lordship to sanction a further loan of £5C0,00C—*to be issued as works are finally decided upon, and to be chiefly employed for opening up the island by railways.” In support of this request, His Excellency, very justly states that the proposals he makes are of the first importance to Trinidad, and adds “The additional burden, which would be something under £25,000 a year, for interest and sinking fund on the new loan, would be easily borne, for it would, I feel confident, be soon far exceeded by the additional revenue which would accrue in consequence of the thorough opening up of the island which would be the result of the new railways.” His Excellency is now in England, and will no doubt endeavour to obtain the necessary sanction for the loan above referred to, or for such portion of it as may be required for the gradual extension of the existing Railway system. That His Excellency’s efforts may be crowned with success should be the earnest wish of every one who has at heart the best interest of the colony—for in the improved means of communication that will be afforded by these railway extensions, supplemented, as it is to be hoped they may be, by a more liberal land policy,. the colony will, in a few years, possess an incentive to colonization. more powerful than even the famous Cedula of 1784. THE CLIMATE. \ the OLUMBUS in relating the discovery of Trinidad man to Ferdinand and Isabella, dwells on “the stately “a a: 4) groves of palm trees and luxuriant forests pam Se | which swept down to the seaside with foun- tains and running streams beneath the shade;” and on “ the softness and purity of the climate, and the verdure, freshness and sweetness of the country which appeared to him to equal the delights of early spring in the beautiful province of Valencia in Spain.” The climate of Trinidad has, however, been sadly maligned since the days of THE GrEAaT DiscovERER. It is undoubtedly true that, in years gone by, some districts of the island were at certain seasons more or less unhealthy, especially for natives of northern climates; but this was chiefly due to a total want of all sanitary precautions, to an imperfect knowledge of the causes of disease, and of the proper modes of treatment, and to a still more imperfect acquaintance with the natural causes which render certain localities less healthy than others. Of late years all this has been changed: the recognition of the absolute necessity of proper sanitary arrangements has led to the enact- 32 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. ment and enforcement of stringent regulations in regard to such matters, while a better knowledge of the nature and causes of disease, combined with improved modes of treatment, and a more perfect acquaintance with the hygienic conditions of the various parts of the island, have resulted in more general healthfulness and a* greatly reduced mortality-rate. The death-rate of the colony in 1892 was only 25°86 per 1,000.* This rate, although in excess of the death-rate of the United Kingdom, was consi- derably less than that of some European countries, notably Austria, Italy and Spain, and was but little, if at all, in excess of the normal death-rate in the larger cities of Europe and America. Of the deaths recorded in 1892, 474 or 8:4 per cent. were of persons over 70 years of age. The climate of Trinidad while inter-tropical is at the same time insular, and is therefore much cooler and more uniform than that of a continental country under the same conditions as to altitude and latitude. The natural physical formation of the island, divided as it is into two great parallel valleys running almost due east and west, tends also to modify its climatic condition. The mean temperature varies from 76° during the cool season to 79° in the hot season.t In the evenings and mornings of the cooler seasons the temperature seldom exceeds from 66° to 68°. The transition from daylight to darkness, although, as in all tropical countries, a rapid one, is not so sudden as is generally supposed. There is a perceptible, though very short twilight, darkening into * See Appendix, Table V. + See Appendix, Tables XXIII. to XXYV. SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 33 night as the last rays of the setting sun fade away on the western horizon. With the close of day there is a marked change in the temperature, the heat and glare of the day give place to a delicious -coolness, often made more refreshing by the soft blowing of the evening breeze. Then comes what Kingsley calls “the long balmy night,” to be in turn succeeded by daybreak and sunrise. ‘These latter have been thus graphically described by a well-known traveller: “A little before five o’clock the first glimmer of light -becomes perceptible it slowly becomes lighter, and then increases ‘80 rapidly that in about an hour it seems full daylight. For a ‘short time this changes very little in character ; when suddenly, ‘the sun’s rim appears above the horizon, decking the dew-laden foliage with glittering gems, sending gleams of golden light far into the woods, and waking up all nature into life and activity. ‘The early morning possesses a charm and a beauty that can never be forgotten, all nature seems refreshed and strengthened -by the coolness and moisture of the past night. The temperature ‘is the most delicious conceivable. The slight chill of early -dawn, which was itself agreeable, is succeeded by an invigorating -warmth; and the intense sunshine lights up the glorious vege- ‘tation of the tropics, and realizes all that the magic art of the painter or the glowing words of the poet have pictured as their ideas of terrestrial beauty.” The climate of Trinidad has often been recommended as being ‘particularly favourable to persons suffering from the milder forms of pulmonary affections, and that it is so is clearly shown by the mumber of well-authenticated instances in which young persons 34 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. who had left their homes in colder climates, with more or less marked symptoms of one or other of that numerous class of ailments, popularly called “chest complaints,” have not only recovered their health in Trinidad, but continued in the full enjoyment of it during many years’ residence, and in not a few instances until, at a ripe old age, they have been laid to rest beneath the palms in the land of their adoption. Although in some of the instances referred to above, there undoubtedly were symptoms of incipient consumption, and although there are many equally well-known cases in which persons (especially young persons) suffering from consumption in its earlier stages have derived marked benefit and prolonged their lives by a temporary sojourn in Trinidad, yet it must not be inferred that the climate is likely to prove favourable in cases. of confirmed pulmonary disease; on the contrary, the general opinion among local medical men is that confirmed “consump- tives” should avoid Trinidad. On the other hand, to the thousands both in Europe and America, who, from constitutional delicacy, are compelled year after year to flee from the rigours of a northern winter, Trinidad,. with its genial climate and its entire freedom from hurricanes or extreme seasons of drought, offers the beau ideal of a winter resort; while to the almost equally numerous class who are daily “borne down” on the great battle fields of modern life—worn out and completely run down—and who long for rest and quiet in some sunnier clime, it offers advantages that, if equalled, are certainly not surpassed by those of any of the numerous health. SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 35 resorts in either the old or the new world. In mildness and geniality the climate closely resembles that of Southern Europe, and is certainly quite as healthy for Americans or Europeans, provided they avoid unnecessary exposure or excess, and live as regularly and prudently as they would do in Italy or the South of France. These latter countries are not, as tourists and travellers have good reason to know, by any means free from malaria and other dangers ; and while both the South of France and the more frequented parts of Italy have in recent years been, from time to time, most unhealthy, Trinidad has, for several years past, been entirely exempt from epidemic disease of any severity. In the matter of hotel accommodation it must be frankly admitted that this colony has been a sad laggard. While, for many years past, other West Indian colonies, with not a tithe of its advantages or attractions, have been subsidizing steam lines of communication, erecting palatial hotels, and doing all in their power to attract a larger number of visitors, it is only within recent years that Trinidad has made any effort to provide really comfortable accommodation for the yearly increasing number of its visitors. The first forward movement in this direction—and a very successful one—was the establishment a few years ago of the “Family Hotel,” by Messrs. C. L. Haley & Co. Within the past month another advance, and it is to be hoped an equally successful one has been made. A new local company has been formed and registered as the Queen’s Park Hotel Company, Limited. An admirable site has been secured for the new hotel, which, it is expected, will be ready to receive visitors early in 36 SKETOH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. December next. With ample and suitable hotel accommodation and the additional facilities afforded by the fine new steamers of “The Trinidad Line of Steamships,’* Trinidad only requires to be better known in order to become a far more popular winter resort for our American cousins than either the Bahamas or Jamaica. ® The Steamers of the above Line sail regularly every ten days between New York and Trinidad. For details as to this and other steam-lines, see subsequent chapter—“ Ports and Communication.” Sa wee oe” eeoue eee we eeuee vuvee we we ve” oe wwe ve ves eevee cues pews vueve vevee vues wee vo vues ~ ve —a eee? ee evcce os fee seer” ee ee * @ovce ee oe ee Af Pt Pa] ee? Ley f on >» \* ae ‘dy *, “4% he bs | 5" Sid. ar o i; ha = 4 e) bee by te t $5 4) pw =i J oad age s “oy cs —o ia # ae. =, a\ Amy, iv) ee fo yR os ra) ae phat, % “% ae ak) “— ah x Ye = at cat ot a mat EN yee Ws Se Fate sd VFA > 2a te wag ‘* EA a \ <- is ip bom Fh ,= 4% | ee whe \ Ee, Be AS pe * wet *" i Oe 7 Te x — & is ee Ss Mie iS \eg fd =<* ie) “gs = & a ae f- > 74 f oe ~~ =F ~T ig - oe: 2 Fe om _—- a “* ~~ em, Se wt > fe Oe ~ Se i Oy Si <4 <b ae bas cdl THE SCENERY. AANNANNUVEW ARTEL EEA LTHOUGH the scenery of Trinidad presents none of that imposing grandeur which is derived from altitude or vastness, it possesses a natural charm and sylvan beauty that is all its own. Foliage and flowers of unrivalled beauty and in endless variety everywhere adorn the landscape in such rich and rare profusion as almost to baffle description. So much so indeed, that even Kingsley was forced to confess that:—“In the presence of such forms and such colouring, one becomes painfully sensible of the poverty of words, and of the futility, therefore, of all word-painting.” The mountains, or rather hills of Trinidad—for as has been already stated, with the exception of a few isolated peaks, none of the ranges rise much above 700 to 1,000 feet—although neither “rugged” nor “grand” are singularly picturesque. Their slopes, covered to the very summit with luxuriant forest growth, appear when seen from a distance, like one vast sea of wavy woodland, presenting in the clear atmosphere and bright sunlight, an ever-changing diversity of shade and colouring, varying from the lightest of greens to the deepest of russet 38 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. browns, lit up every here and there by dense clusters of bright yellow or blazing crimson tree-flowers, making the whole pros- pect look more like a scene in fairyland than a natural land- scape—even in the tropics. It is, however, in the valleys that lie between those mountain-spurs and ranges that the real gems of Trinidad scenery are to be found. Through these valleys meander the crystal-clear streams described by Columbus as “fountains and running streams beneath the shade.” These streams. rising high up in the mountains, flow through the valleys with all the wanton waywardness so characteristic of mountain streams everywhere; twisting and turning hither and thither at their own sweet will, now rushing with tumultuous din through some narrow gorge, anon widening out until, “with scarce a depth at all, they gently ripple o’er their pebbly bed.” In their general characteristics they so closely resemble the “burns” so dear to all Scottish hearts as at once to recall the well-known lines ;— “* Here, foaming down the shelvy rocks, In twisting strength I rin ; There, high my boiling torrent smokes, Wild-roaring o’er a linn. Nor does the similarity end here: “the bonny bowers,” the “shady nooks” are all reproduced with striking exactness—only with tropical surroundings and under a tropical sun, the latter, however, only making all the more refreshing the delicious cool- ness of their shade. Such a bamboo-embowered scene is shown in our illustration of a view in Caura Valley. This view brings out with great clearness and minuteness the sylvan beauty of the spot, and gives an excellent idea of the valley scenery of the ‘SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD, 39 island generally, but the real charm and chief attraction of all tropical scenery—the ever changing light and shade, the rich colouring and endless variety of leaf and flower—cannot be portrayed by pen or pencil: to be fully appreciated they must be seen, but once seen, they can never be forgotten. But the Caura valley while undoubtedly one of the loveliest in the island, has many compeers in beauty and diversity of scenery. Of these the St. Ann’s and Maraval valleys are within walking dis- tance of Port-of-Spain. Both possess many natural beauties, and the latter in addition to the rich adornments of nature, has in the reservoir and its beautiful site, “a sweet quiet spot” that has become a regular Mecca for visitors to the island. It is indeed a lovely spot, with the densely wooded hills in the back ground, the large expanse of clear bright water, shaded by an environment of gracefully arched bamboos, and surrounded by quite a unique collection of ferns, crotons, oleanders and other ornamental shrubs. At the head of this valley is the Silla or Saddle, a depression in the ridge of hills dividing it from the Santa Cruz valley, over which the road passes at a height of 628 feet, both the ascent and descent being somewhat steep. On the other side of the Saddle lies the Santa Cruz valley, watered by a stream of the same name and one of the oldest and most noted of the Cocoa* districts of the island, containing among many other splendid properties, the well known estates, Sen Antonio, La Pastora and Soconusco. Only two other of the many and all equally beautiful valleys * More properly, “Cacao”—it being the Cacao Theobroma of Linneus. 40 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. that nestle among the mountain ranges of Trinidad can be noticed within the limits of this sketch—the Diego Martin and the Maracas valleys. In the former, at a distance of about nine miles from Port-of-Spain, is situated the Cascade and Blue Basin. The cascade is one of the most picturesque waterfalls in the island. It is formed by the junction, high up in the mountains, of several small streamlets whose united waters, after several intermediate descents, here fall into the valley below, the basin at the foot of the fall being known as the blue basin. The water of the fall is highly translucent,* and this may perhaps account for the bluish tint it presents in the basin, especially on a bright and cloudless day. The Maraccas Valley, like that of Santa Cruz, is one of the great Cocoa districts ; and as the visitor rides or drives along the winding road, he will see Cocoa estates to right of him, Cocoa estates to left of him, and splendid estates too, for the soil of these “vega lands” is of unsurpassed fertility. Before reaching the head of the valley the river has to be crossed some six or seven times. At most of these “crossings” or fords the stream is but a rippling brook, but at others though neither deep nor dangerous (except Ed when “down,” i.e. in flood) it asserts its right to a passage— *This translucency is probably due to filtration. Joseph states that at one of the intermediate levels above referred to, the water ‘‘falls into a large basin of above 60 feet in extent, and 10 feet deep, this basin is composed of micaceous schistus (mica slate), and concretions of lime and earthy matter, through different parts of this basin, which is called the drip-stone, the water exudes and falls into another in the hills below.” History of Trinidad page 23. eee? Poe. eceon ee vecce ee ee, eeee eosece aoe" eecece ee ee ee eocce ee ee ee en0ece woe? wooo ee wy, al eee » a, tthe cern os At —— *. N ~ “" o~;, a» t. a ¥f re, » — , se >< way ~~, vow. aks os i Ee . + ~~ ee *? ~ > ~~ -_- » ~~. , -* fe Tal we > 4 ade ~ ae" ay war et eS ad iy hy MARACAS WATERFALL. SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 41 huge boulders notwithstanding—and rushes onward fuming and foaming around these obstructions in true mountain torrent style, In ascending the valley the scenery on every side is equally attractive and varied. In front towers Tucutche, the highest peak in the island, while every turn of the winding road brings into view fresh natural beauties and more picturesque scenes; here the eye is charmed by the light and shade playing fitfully over the wooded hillside; there it catches a glimpse of some lovely bower, shaded by forest giants, their forms reflected in the clear stream that flowing on its way “murmurs sweet tales of love and joy and constancy.” The great sight of the valley is, however, the Chorro or Cascade. This fall, 340 feet in height, and distant about thirteen miles from Port-of-Spain, forms the subject of the illustration facing this page. The view here repro- duced is from a photograph of great technical and artistic merit, the work—as are also all the others reproduced in this sketch— of Felix Morin of Port-of-Spain, whose beautiful and carefully- finished views of the sights and scenery of the colony are so justly prized and so widely known. To attempt to describe the Cascade, admittedly the most pic- turesque of all West Indian waterfalls, would be more than presumption on the part of the writer, seeing that even so great a master of word-painting as Kingsley preferred to fall back on the description written many years before by that ripe scholar and enthusiastic botanist, Herman Cruger. Before reproducing that glowing word-picture, the writer ventures to lay before his readers the following extract from a description of 42 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. another fall*:— ‘The rocks of the rift, close to the heart of the fall, are bare and lifeless; but at the entrance they ate bespread with moss and flowers, while whole reaches are covered with the film fern, the hymenophyllum Wilsoni, which no one can get at, and only the clear-sighted can distinguish from moss. The water here is absolutely colourless—pure, limpid, unstained world, which splashes merrily at your feet and flies daintily, all refined to spray, into your face as you scramble up the wet rocks and front the whispering Naiad shrouded behind her long white veil.” This description, especially the latter part of it, cannot fail vividly to recall to the mind of any one who has visited the Maracas cascade the whole scene as it comes into view from the valley below. Cruger, with all that intense love of nature born of close com- munion and deep study, thus describes the approach to the fall: “To reach the Chorro, or Cascade, you strike to the right into a ‘path’ that brings you first to a Cacao plantation, through a few rice or maize fields, and then you enter the shade of the virgin forest. Thousands of interesting objects now attract your attention : here, the wonderful Norantea or the resplendent Calycophyllum, a Tabernemontana or a Faramea filling the air afar off with the fragrance of their blossoms; there, a graceful Heliconia winking at you from out some dark ravine. That shrubbery above is com- posed of a species of Boehmeria or Ardisia, and that scarlet flower belongs to our native Aphelandra. Nearer to us, and low down * Scale Force in Cumberland, vide The Lake Country by E. Lynn Linton. SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 43 below our feet, that rich panicle of flowers belongs to Begonia; and here also is an assemblage of ferns of the genera Asplenium, Hymenophyllum, and Trichomanes, as well as of Hepatice and Mosses. But what are these yellow and purple flowers hanging over our heads? They are Bignonia and Mucunas—creepers stray- ing from afar which have selected this spot, where they may, under the influence of the sun’s beams, propagate their race.” Of the fall he says :— “Here it is, opposite to you, a grand spectacle indeed! From @ perpendicular wall of solid rock, of more than three hundred feet, down rushes a stream of water, splitting in the air and pro- ducing a constant shower, which renders this lovely spot singu- Jarly and deliciously cool. Nearly the whole extent of this natural wall is covered with plants, among which you can easily discern numbers of ferns and mosses, two species of Pitcairnia with beautiful red flowers, some Aroids, various nettles, and here and there a Begonia. How different such a spot would look in cold Europe! Below, in the midst of a never-failing drizzle, grow juxuriant Ardisias, Aroids, Ferns, Costas, Heliconias, Centropogons, Hydrocotyles, Cyperoids, and Grasses of various genera, Trade- scantias and Commelynas, Billbergias, and, occasionally, a few small Rubiacaee and Melastomacem.” There is one other spot—a dark spot amid all the surrounding brightness, and yet one of deep interest to all visitors to the Island, which cannot be left unnoticed, namely, the Pitch Lake. Before coming to that, however, the writer would briefly note a few of the many other scenes and sights of this beautiful Island. “4 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. The Cocal, with its long stretch of fourteen miles of Coco palms and the surge of the Atlantic ever thundering on the shore; Montserrat, which has been called the Switzerland of Trinidad, with its beautiful mountain slopes, their wavy seas of green studded thickly with the bright scarlet flowers of the Immor- telles ; that weird spot ‘The Devil’s Woodyard,’ where are to. be seen those wonderful salses the Mud Volcanoes; the beautiful Islands of the Bocas, and the charming Diego Islands, better known as ‘The Five Islands.’ : | The Pitch Lake is so singular in every respect as to be almost indescribable. Speaking of the first view of it Joseph says :— “Before you a most extraordinary spectacle presents itself, which words cannot describe and which the pencil has failed to delineate.” In proof of which latter statement he appends the following footnote :— ‘* A slight and but very slight idea may be formed of this lake of asphaltum by looking at a lithographic print designed by R. Bridgens and published by Jennings & Co. The lagoon is a subject that defies the painter’s skill.’’ The above was written in 1836, before Daguerre’s and Niepce’s long years of patient research and experiment had resulted in that great discovery, which was the first glimmer in the dawn of anew era in the art of reproduction. What wonderful pro- gress has been made since then! Little did Joseph—scholar and scientist as he evidently was—dream of the advent of a painter greater than any of the Masters old or new—of a discovery by which nature has become her own delineator, and which promises, as science advances, to place in the hands of old Sol a brush greater than that of Titian or Rembrandt and to touch the magic pictures we . - wee wows eu wuvee wees we -- we wore wee - oe ers wanes ween eevee ve weeee euuee weve zee vee Prd ory ooo? eens we, eeoee ee erece eccece eo? ce eccce oe? ee ee ee ij 7 coude eee “y we Pee ee eer” eco cease Peoce © week ercce oo? iit woos ee a eee oe” ° 6 re ih pe "i. if “AN ta pea hf ec { he, ‘a; oH ke SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 45 of the camera with every tint and shade of nature’s own colouring. ‘To the wonderful progress of photographic art just referred to, readers of this sketch are indebted for the illustration that faces this page and of which the writer can say—There is the Pitch Lake! Nota slight idea of it, but an exact reproduction, true to nature in every detail, and from which the reader can form @ more correct idea of this wonderful natural phenomenon than from any written description, however clear or minute.* Indeed, it is scarcely possible to give any description of the Pitch Lake that would convey a correct idea of its actual appearance . ‘There is nothing with which it can be compared, for nothing at all resembling it is to be seen elsewhere; while the misnomer of “lake” as applied to it, has so confirmed the popular idea of a lake of liquid pitch as to greatly interfere with a correct concep- tion of its true condition and appearance. The reader may, however, obtain a very good idea of this very peculiar spot as it appears to unscientific eyes, if, having dispelled from his mind all idea of “a lake,” he suppose that there is stretched out before him a plateau, more or less circular, having an area of from 90 to 100 acres, “laid” with asphalt paving of a somewhat darker shade than usual and over which some mighty giant of Mytho- logy had driven his war-chariot hither and thither, leaving * The illustration, as will at once be seen, does not show the whole Lake—no single view could do so. It, however, embraces about one-half of the total area. The water filled chasms or channels that extend in different directions over the entire surface are clearly shown in the illustration, while in the back-ground appear that forest of Moriche fan-palms and high woods, which Kingsley describes as ‘‘a paradise on the other side the Stygean pool.” 46 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. the whole surface seamed and scarred by deep ruts, which had since filled up with water. The general surface of the Lake is not even during the heat of the day, softer or more yielding than an ordinary asphalt pavement under a mid- summer sun. In certain places, however, it is much softer. Kingsley says: “No doubt there are spots where, if a man stayed long enough he would be slowly and horribly engulphed.” No such catastrophe has ever occurred, probably, because no one has as yet been seized with any strong desire to be turned into asphaltum—“a metamorphosis” as Joseph remarks, “not mentioned by Ovid.” Joseph, however, narrates a singular personal adventure on the Lake, in the course of which he seems to have had serious apprehensions of some such terrible. fate. The narrative is inserted here on account of the vivid description it gives of the Lake under two widely different. aspects :— “‘ The night was fine and clear when I set out, but scarcely had I entered on the lagoon ere the weather turned so cloudy that no star was to be seen; the natural blackness of the scene so added to the darkness of the night, that I was in a state of the deepest gloom; the forests around were black, so were the. clouds, one could not be discerned from the other ; the bushes beside the lagoon, those on it, the lagoon itself, and the waters in its chasms, were all one deep sable colour. My eyes for the first time were worse than useless: they not only did not serve me but they completely deceived me, inasmuch as I continually mistook the water for asphaltum. The first notice I had of this mistake was a tumble into one of the chasms of the depth of four or five feet ; scrambling out of this, I crept cautiously, feeling my way with my feet, until I came to what I took to be another crack ; I made a leap over this supposed aperture, cleared it, but alighted just as the asphaltum commenced to slope into another chasm ; the fact is I leaped over solid matter and alighted on the edge of a slant of pitch ; the result may be guessed—my heels were tripped, and I had a second involuntary bath. I floundered on thus for a few minutes, and found that. SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 47 vision was no use in the present scene ; repeated submergings so confused me, that I had no idea of the points of the compass ; such utter and intense darkness as I was surrounded by, can scarcely be imagined, save by those who have been in a coal mine without light. «I now began to have serious apprehensions. I might, by proceeding, blunder into where the pitch is liquid, and thus miserably lose my life, by being turned into bitumen, asphaltum, petroleum, or even, for aught I knew, in the regions below, I might be converted into Naphtha. All these chemical transitions I by mo means wished to experience in my own person. ‘*T knew the moon would soon rise over the forest, and was therefore constrained to await her friendly light, to avoid sinking into the asphaltum, I lay down where the water was shallow. * * “IT had not lain long when a few flashes of lightning illumined the deep black scene, and shewed me that I had wandered about fifty yards from the border of the lagoon where the road lay; the thunder sounded awfully over the silent lake of darkness. “The atmosphere now cleared almost as rapidly as it grew obscure ; the sky became as brilliant and bland as it usually is in Trinidad, and in no part of the earth are the nights more delightful ; the moon shone on the lake with splendour, and never shall I forget the scene that presented itself to my now-useful eyes: the Luna rays falling on the solid pitch and watery chasms, gave the whole the appearance of an immense silver net spread over a great plain of ebony, but no words that present themselves to my memory can describe the extraordinary appearance of the lagoon at La Brea seen by moonlight.” In recent years the Pitch Lake has become almost as remark- able for its revenue-giving powers, as for its natural peculiarities, but this phase of its history will be dealt with in a subsequent chapter. INHABITANTS. oe | rae any he had hitherto seen, people all of good stature, == well made, and a very graceful bearing, with much and smooth hair.” In their subsequent conflicts with the Spaniards, the aboriginal Indians of Trinidad proved themselves to be a much more warlike race than the natives of Porto Rico and San Domingo. In common, however, with all the Indian races of the New World, they suffered ruthlessly at the hands of the invaders. Many were kidnapped and carried as slaves to the other Spanish possessions, numbers fell in the incessant conflicts with the Spaniards, and still greater numbers were at different times carried off by small-pox and other epidemics, until in 1783, the total Indian population numbered only 2,032. At the date of the capitulation that number had declined to 1,082, and thirty years later to barely 700. At the present time, the only repre- sentatives of those original possessors of the soil are a few scattered families of more or less mixed descent. According to the Census of 1891, the total population of the SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. 49 colony amounted to 200,028, being an increase of 46,900, or 30°6 per cent. on the number shown by the previous Census. During the three decades, 1861 to 1891, the population more than doubled itself, the increase having been 115,590, or 1368 per cent. This rapid increase was, however, mainly due to immigra- tion—principally from India and the ‘neighbouring British West Indian colonies. In the decennium, 1881 to 1891, the increase of population by natural increment, or excess of births over deaths, was only 10,892, or 7:11 per cent., while the increase by imii- gration was no less than 36,008, or 23:52 per cent. To the latter total, Indian immigration contributed 19,848, and immigration from other countries, 16,160. In a population so largely recruited by immigration, diversities of race and nationality would naturally be expected, but, in no other part of the globe of equal size is such diversity more marked than in this colony, of which a recent writer pithily remarks :—“Ethnologically Trinidad may be viewed as a microcosm, having among its people representatives of almost every nation under Heaven.” Of the total population as ascertained by the Census, 111,582 were native-born and 88,446 foreign-born. Of the former, 24,641 were of almost pure East Indian descent, being the children and grandchildren of Indian immigrants,* the remaining 86,941 being chiefly persons of mixed African descent with a comparatively small minority of persons of pure European or American blood,. and a still smaller number of mixed Indian or Chinese descent. * Very few East Indians have intermarried except with their own country-women— including in that term females born in the colony of Indian parents. 50 SKETCH OF THE ISLAND OF TRINIDAD. Of the foreign-born population, 45,577 were natives of the East Indies ; 33,071, natives of British West Indies ; 1,259, natives of Foreign West Indies ; 2,143, natives of Europe; 265, natives of the United States and Canada; 2,955, natives of Venezuela; - 2,055, natives of Africa; 1,006, natives of China; and 115, natives of other countries.* As will be seen from the foregoing figures, the East Indian or “Coolie” element in the population is a very important one, numbering no less than 70,218 and forming more than one-third of the total population of the colony. The origin of this section of the population dates back to 1845, in which year the first “Coolie Ship” arrived from India. The system of Coolie immi- gration was, as has already been stated, entirely remodelled during the administration of Lord Harris, and has since, from time to time, undergone many and important changes. According to the system as it now stands, the immigrants are given a free passage to Trinidad, under an agreement which provides for five years industrial service at the current rate of wages, on the completion of which, and a further residence of five years, they are entitled to a free passage back to India. The interests of the immigrants are fully safeguarded by the Immigration Laws and Regulations which provide for o minimum rate of wages, for gratuitous medical attendance, for hospital accommodation and for numerous other minor matters. The benefits that have accrued from Indian immigration * For further details, see Appendix, Table III. o wees Avo ~e vores weese ae + eee wen . “ee - eteve wees wees vwuee evere severe weve ve vews * oe? one eeoes coer wcc5ee ee eo —— ee a eoece ote ee. meee oe? ce woose weeee wooce wocee wecce eooee woos veces eee” ve a wo” vi er i~ ~ = a®* aries h ae \w a if AS EN A — i% A a ery 5 Ss we. woe -- A * . VF, ss fsa —— . oar ke ra SY O - » a7 — ae yd, Sp, _* 7 | # at wT if sy : ee! &™y, ¢ hy = rd &. 1s <a a ™ wort ' fa ae am ey SY) Sy ed cs GROUP OF VEGETABLE-SELLERS, FOURTEEN DAY USE RETURN TO DESK FROM WHICH BORROWED LOAN DEPT. This book is due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed. Renewed books are subject to immediate recall. JUNI 8 1956 1 1, NV ly ? Sana 32 UJ | _NOV 17 1982 INTER=LIBRA LOAN AY 25 ee Mo APR 16 19 nec REC, CIR we 1 2% AWN | 6°73 -2 PME General Library LD 21-100m-2,'55 (B139s22)476 University of California Berkeley U.C. BERKELEY LIBRARIES | IRVIN €038695745 mntGem,. ekcaniifnaith sede M1445R 2) I Cle THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY v Sere PEE TAG ECT SEE SL SNS