HISTORICAL SKETCH. 441 



Abercrombie issued a proclamation assuring the inhabitants of 

 the full and entire security of their persons and property as 

 held under the articles of the capitulation, informing those who 

 considered themselves as French citizens that means would be 

 provided for their safe conveyance to some other colony; and 

 calling- upon all those who chose to remain in Trinidad to make 

 oath of allegiance to his Britannic majesty. 



All muskets and ammunition were called in, and ordered to 

 be brought to the nearest fort and delivered to the commandant. 



He also issued a commission to Mr. Nihell, an Irish gentle- 

 man, and owner of El Dorado estate, and who had held the 

 office of alcade of the first election, or chief magistrate, appoint- 

 ing him magistrate, judge, and auditor in and over the whole 

 island. Mr. NihelFs honesty and integrity were unquestion- 

 able, and his nomination was well received. Under the Spanish 

 rule, the Governor was the chief magistrate, but he had a legal 

 counsel who assisted him whenever he sat as judge. 



About two months after the signing of the capitulation, 

 General Abercrombie took his departure from the island, leaving 

 as Governor and Commander-in-Chief his aide-de-camp, Colonel 

 Thomas Picton, whom he vested with ample powers, and directed 

 to execute the Spanish law as well as he could, and to do justice 

 according to his conscience. He left with him about 1,000 men, 

 of whom 500, mostly Germans, belonged to theHompesh regiment. 

 This number was, soon after, reduced to 520 by desertion and 

 maladies. Of those only 260 were Germans, the rest having 

 deserted. 



Picton's task was a most difficult one. He had to deal, in a 

 conquered country, with a motley aggregation of various nation- 

 alities, races, and languages. He knew that the Spanish Govern- 

 ment were anxiously looking for an opportunity to resume the 

 island. The Governor had, therefore, to display foresight and 

 uncommon energy to protect the colony against hostile attacks, 

 and keep internal peace. He saw at once that he ought to look 

 for support to the old colonists, and he did not hesitate to seek 

 advice from those best acquainted with the people. The popula- 

 tion was composed mainly of immigrants who had suffered from 

 the evils of war, and had sought refuge in Trinidad, with the 

 object of bettering their condition. Such men must have looked 

 with confidence to a soldier like Picton, who had proved, by 



