1884.] PLANTING ENTERPRISE IN THE WEST INDIES. 267 



whilst tlio largest and most important islands, such as Jamaica and 

 Trinidad, have been largely formed by alluvial deposits resting upon or 

 conibiued with volcanic rocks indicating great alternating periods of 

 elevation and depression. The physical features of these ishinds arc 

 chiefly indicated by bold, rugged mountains, deep, well-sheltered 

 valleys, with a fringe of gently sloping, rich, alluvial plains, varying 

 ill breadth from one to twenty miles near the sea, forming the lowlands. 

 The rivers, fed by abundant tropical rains, are very numerous, but 

 small and rapid. 



The mineral wealth of our West India possessions is very small : 

 in fact, with the exception of some sulphur in the Lesser Antilles, 

 traces of copper in Jamaica and the \'irgin Islands, and asphalte in 

 Tiiuidad, they may be said to be entirely devoid of mineral resources. 

 T le true wealth of these possessions lies in the characteristics and 

 products of the soil ; and, without evception, in this respect they 

 afi'ord means of development and of penuaucncy of prosperity equal to 

 any in the world. 



Such resources, under any circumstances, sliould afford liopes for 

 the future, biit when combined with an advantageous geographical 

 position, with a splendid and salubrious climate, with abundant 

 springs,, with varying altitudes of land suitable for cultivation, and 

 with a large and increasing indigenous population, they should 

 attract the serious attention of Englishmen ; and I doubt not, when 

 fully understood and generously and wisely treated, such resources 

 will ultimately lay the foundations of great and abiding indus- 

 tries. 



If I have been rightly understood in the general tendency of my 

 remarks so far, I shall have led yuu to look for the true development 

 of our West India possessions, not in their mineral wealth, not in any 

 large stores of timber, nor in any manufacturing industries, but 

 simply, in the natural products and resources of the soil ; and to 

 secure the full development of these there are wanting only capital 

 and labour intelligently and wisely used, and })roportionate and 

 suitable to the ends in view. 



The staple industry of the West Indies for more than two centuries 

 has been sugar, with its secondary products, rum and molasses. In 

 spite of the disorganization of the labour market consequent upon the 

 abolition of slavery, and in spite of the unequal competition of beet- 

 sugar, the sugar-cane still remains the chief industrial plant of our 

 West India possessions. Not only that, but the AVest Indies, at 

 present, produce more sugar than all the other British possessions put 

 together. For instance, during the year 1881, the quantity of raw 

 sug^5 exported from all the Lritisli pos.sessious amounted to 7,833,504 

 cwts. Of this 4,097,445 cwts., or more than two-thirds, were produced 



