HISTORICAL SKETCH. 429 



a myth ; but it has proved, in our days, to be a reality. The 

 province of Guiana seems to be very rich in the precious metal. 

 Gold has been found in many places ; the Callao mine is reported 

 as very rich ; quite lately nuggets have been found at a place 

 called La Pastora. 



Don Diego Palomeque being dead, de Berrio resumed his 

 government in 1618 and died in 1622, after a somewhat quiet 

 government. 



What was the condition of Trinidad at the death of Don 

 Fernando? The native population had been thinned by war, 

 starvation, and kidnapping, and the' European population was 

 still very small. There was not any regular trade between the 

 island and foreigners. San Jose, the capital, had about six 

 hundred inhabitants. 



It was about this time that the various European nations, 

 jealous of the power acquired in America by Spain, and annoyed 

 at their systematic exclusion, began to show opposition and try 

 their strength in the Antilles. French, English and Dutch 

 adventurers, secretly encouraged and supported by their respective 

 governments, contrived to occupy the smaller islands, and to 

 form regular associations under the name of Buccaneers and 

 Filibusters. These combined to make depredations on the 

 Spaniards, both on land and at sea. In 1640 the Dutch attacked 

 Trinidad, and captured the town of San Jose. The inhabitants 

 had abandoned the place, and the enemy was disappointed at 

 finding no booty. On descending the river Caroni they were 

 met by the Spaniards and Indians, who inflicted on them heavy 

 losses, compelling them to retire to Essequibo unsuccessful. In 

 1672 the British attacked the island, under the leadership of Sir 

 Tobias Bridges from Barbados. He had landed his troops on the 

 eastern coast, but suffered heavily in his attempt to reach St. 

 Joseph, through the thick forest which covered the whole island. 

 In 1677 Trinidad was once more invaded by the French, under the 

 command of the Marquis de Maintenon, who had orders to attack 

 the Spaniards and their colonies. De Maintenon ransacked the 

 colony and carried away the spoils. The progress of the island 

 was thus arrested, and great misery prevailed. 



Trinidad was then a dependency of the government of Nueva 

 Andalusia, and was governed by delegates from Cumana. The 

 following gentlemen, according to Salcedo, acted as Governors 



