CHAPTER V. 



POPULATION — ETHNOGRAPHY — RELIGION — EDUCATION — CRIME. 



The history of the population of a country is at all times an 

 interesting topic, but it becomes particularly so under certain 

 circumstances. In this respect, a descriptive outline, or general 

 view of the early settlement of Trinidad, and the gradual de- 

 velopment of its population, is replete with interest, though, at 

 the same time, involving a complicated problem which cannot 

 be easily solved, from want of precise data and unprejudiced 

 observation. I can, therefore, present only partial results; but 

 such as they are, I hope they may prove useful and acceptable. 



During the time of slavery, the records of births and deaths 

 were kept with accuracy ; but, immediately after emancipation, 

 everything was neglected in this as in some other essentials. 

 In the year 1847, however, an ordinance was passed for regis- 

 tering births and deaths, and a registrar-general appointed, as 

 also local registrars. The provisions of the ordinance were 

 made neither sufficiently comprehensive nor stringent, particu- 

 larly as regards the registering of births ; so that the ratio is 

 not exactly what it appears to be in the yearly returns, the 

 number of births particularly being in reality greater than that 

 recorded. Neither is there any provision for distinguishing 

 legitimate from illegitimate children — a classification most essen- 

 tial, in so far as it affords the means of testing the progress of 

 I a people in morals ; for the proportionate number of marriages 

 I is, to a certain extent, one undoubted criterion of the morality 

 I of a population. 



When first discovered by Columbus, Trinidad was apparently 

 \ well populated, being then inhabited by various tribes of the 

 ; Carib-Tamanaco family — Yaos, Salivas, Cumanagotos, Chaymas, / j g| / 

 Tamanacos, and others. These tribes did not receive from the / / 

 invaders a much better usage than their unfortunate brethren of I 



