;;i>4 CUBA AND POBTO EICO 



people, about one halt' of whom are blacks, one third col- 

 ored, and one sixth white. The negroes arc largely the 

 descendants of slaves brought over by Tory refugees from 

 Georgia. The latter constructed substantial stone houses 

 and made good roads, traces of which still remain. Before 

 these came, the islands were settled by immigrants from 

 Bermuda in 1()70. 



Turks and Caicos islands were separated politically from 

 the Bahamas in 1848, and made a dependency of Jamaica, 

 administered, however, by a commissioner as chief execu- 

 tive officer, wmo is president of the legislative board. The 

 governor of Jamaica has supervisory power over the local 

 government, and is the medium of communication between 

 the commissioner and the Colonial Office. Besides this, the 

 legislature of Jamaica can pass laws applying to the islands, 

 and certain classes of their judicial cases must be dealt 

 with by the supreme court of Jamaica. 



Grand Turk is the capital, and the commissioner resides 

 there. The town has been described as neat, clean, and 

 without the appearance of poverty, although the inhabi- 

 tants complaiu of ruin. It contains several stores, a good 

 market-place, a respectable hotel, and a free library and 

 reading-room. The library is in a building erected in 

 honor of her Majesty's jubilee. 



The revenues are derived almost entirely from import 

 duties, the only direct taxes being one on dogs. A royalty 

 is paid on the shipment of salt. 



