254 



BARBADOES. 



Barbadoes. 



The follovring is an account of the shipping em- 

 ployed in the export of these and other articles, du- 

 ring the year 1787, and of the value of the cargoes^ 



according to the actual prices in London, as made Barbados*, 

 out by the inspector general of Great Britain. 



Table of the Articles imported into Barbadoes in the years 1804, 1805, and 1806. 



The number of slaves imported into this island, 

 from 1786 to 1792, amounted to 4481, so that at 

 the latter period there were 64,330 upon the ibland. 

 In 1792 the public taxes, exclusive of the duty of 

 the 4 per cent, on exports of native produce, 

 amounted to 9443 ; 19:3, which was nearly the 

 average of them during the preceding six years. 



According to a statement given by Mr Wilber- 

 force in the House of Commons, in the course of the 

 investigation of the slav? trade, the number of slaves 

 on this island was as follows : 



In 1764 about 70,706 

 1774 .. . 74,874 



1780 .. . 68,270 



1781 . . . 63,248 

 1786 . . . 62,115 



This island is divided into five districts, and eleven 

 parishes, and contains four towns, namely, Bridge- 

 town, Charlestown, St James's, and Speight's town. 



Bridgetown, the capital, has one of the finest har- 

 bours in the West Indies, and before it was destroyed 

 by the fire of 1766, consisted of about 1500 houses, 

 which were mostly built of brick. It had scarcely 

 risen, however, from the ashes to which it was re. 

 duced, when it was torn from its foundation, and the 

 whole country made a scene of desolation, by a dread- 

 ful storm in 1780, in which no less than 4326 of the 

 inhabitants miserably perished, and the damage to the 

 island was computed at 1 ,320,564 sterling. Bridge- 

 town ia the residence of the governor, whose annual 

 salary was raised by Queen Anne, from 1200 to 

 2000, which is paid out of the exchequer, and 

 charged to the account of the 4\ per cent. duty. 

 The form of the government of this island resembles 

 that of Jamaica, except that the council is composed 

 of twelve members, and the assembly of twenty-two. 

 The most important difference is with regard to the 

 court of chancery, which in this island is composed 

 of the governor and council, whereas in Jamaica the 



