236 TTtlNIDAD. 



£55,302. To these should be added 14,466 heads of other 

 animals (pigs, sheep, and calves) — value, £12,616. The cattle, 

 however, from the mainland, may be considered as an exchange for 

 goods, most of them being imported as remittances. Veal is very 

 scarce, and sells at 20 cents per pound. Goats and swine are 

 imported chiefly from Margarita and the province of Maturin ; 

 they sell at 20 cents ; sheep from the United States, Cariacou 

 (one of the Grenadines), and some of the old islands; mutton 

 may be said to be scarce and of average quality, except American 

 mutton; it sells at 30 cents, and even 35 cents. Except in a 

 few privileged localities, such as Icacos, Mayaro, and the Cocal, 

 sheep do not thrive in Trinidad. Swine succeed very well, 

 indeed, and can be easily fattened ; but people seem to find the 

 rearing too troublesome. 



Poultry. — Although poultry is bred abundantly, particularly 

 on cacao, coffee, and provision estates, yet a large quantity is 

 imported from Margarita, and even from Grenada. Chickens are 

 subject to yaws (local term), and a very severe catarrh, or c/iack, 

 both of which destroy a great number at certain seasons ; it is 

 almost impossible to preserve young turkeys from the attacks of 

 the former distemper. Ducks are much less liable to disease, but 

 the breed is confined mainty to the musk species (Anas moschata), 

 though a few of the European species are here and there to be 

 met with. The opossum, the tiger-cat, and a large species of 

 falcon or hawk are great enemies to grown fowls, and a large 

 lizard, the mato (local), to young ones; alligators, also, some- 

 times make havoc among ducks. However, except turkeys, the 

 island produces poultry in nearly sufficient quantity for its own 

 consumption. 



Pigeons are scarce, and are seldom sold in the markets. The 

 price for a pair is 50 cents ; for a fowl, from 50 to 70 ; for 

 a capon, from 80 cents to 1 dollar; ducks (a pair), 1 dollar to 

 1 dollar 50 cents; turkeys (a pair), from 2 dollars 50 cents to 

 3 dollars 50 cents ; the latter are mostly from the Main, and 

 sold on board of the launches from 1 dollar 60 cents to 2 dolla 

 Guinea birds, from 1 dollar 50 cents to 2 dollars per pair. 



Fish. — The market is tolerably well supplied with the folio 

 ing, viz., snappers, king-fish, groupers, mullets, baracout 

 and lebranches. A species of carangue, known here by the 

 name of anchovy, is very abundant from the end of June to the 



to 



