32 TRINIDAD. 



Less important than Cuba, Porto Rico is safe enough, since 

 the slave population and the African race do not form the 

 majority of its inhabitants, nor even of the labouring class, 

 more than two-thirds of the field-labourers being freemen. 



The condition of Jamaica, though still rather precarious, has 

 nevertheless improved of late years. It is on the route from the 

 United States and Europe to the Pacific ; to Japan, China, and 

 the isles of the East, through Central America by the Isthmus 

 of Panama, the Lake of Nicaragua, or even the Isthmus of 

 Tehuantapec. 



Trinidad is second, in positional importance, to Cuba alone. 

 From its situation, it commands the country drained by the 

 Orinoco and its affluents, of which immense and teeming basin 

 the Gulf of Paria is the natural outlet. Irrespective of this, its 

 own soil is richly fertile ; and by far the largest extent of the 

 island is still covered with virgin forests. 



Hayti is divided into two independent states — the negro 

 republic of Hayti to the West, and the mixed republic of Santo 

 Domingo to the East. This island is scarcely second to Cuba in 

 size and fertility, and must, sooner or later, attract European 

 commerce and enterprise. 



Of the smaller islands I say nothing, because, though each 

 has its own status, and may exercise a certain limited share of 

 influence, they must all follow the general fate of the larger. 



Ere the lapse of ten years, the great commercial thorough- 

 fare from Europe and the shores of the Atlantic to the regions 

 bathed by the Pacific, from Chili to the Strait of Behring, 

 and from New Zealand to Japan, an immense extent of rich and 

 populous countries, will be through Central America. The 

 Western Archipelago has been placed by nature on this inter- 

 national highway. These islands must, of necessity, become 

 more and more civilised, either from the direct or indirect inter- 

 vention of the great commercial nations of the world : the great 

 obstacle of slavery has been removed at last ; the foundation has 

 been laid; it now remains to raise the superstructure. 



From the preceding postulates it does not appear unreasonable 

 to expect that, in a given time, the Western Archipelago will 

 recover the high position which it once occupied, and which, by 

 nature, it must eventually reoccupy. If, as we may reasonably 

 foresee, the now insignificant West India islands become well 

 settled, they will supply the manufactures of colder climates 

 with raw materials and tropical products, receiving from them, 

 in return, their supply of manufactured goods. " We advise the 

 inhabitants of Cuba/' says Ramon de la Sagra, "to increase, by 

 all possible means, the industrious white population ; for such 

 may be, some day to come, the commercial and political prepon- 



