82 TRINIDAD. 



beheld groves of palm-trees, and luxuriant forests sweeping down 

 to the sea-side, with fountains and running streams. The shores 

 were low and uninhabited, but the country rose in the interior, 

 was cultivated in many places, and enlivened by hamlets and 

 scattered habitations. In a word, the softness and purity of the 

 climate, and the verdure, freshness, and sweetness of the country, 

 appeared to him to equal the delights of early spring in the 

 beautiful province of Valencia." 



Trinidad, however, was for a long time neglected, probably 

 on account of its proximity to the continent, which latter must 

 have offered greater inducements to settlers. It was first popu- 

 lated by a few Spanish families, who established themselves on 

 the banks of the river Saint Joseph and formed the village of 

 San Jose de Orufia. In 1780, the number of the colonists did 

 not exceed a few hundreds. About that time, M. Rome de 

 St. Laurent, a colonist from Grenada, visited Trinidad and was 

 much struck with the great capabilities of the island. He there- 

 fore immediately proceeded to Caraccas to propose to the govern- 

 ment a scheme for procuring a rapid influx of settlers. His 

 views were adopted, and his plans approved ; and a first cedula, 

 or decree, was granted, in the year 1781, by the court of Spain 

 for encouraging immigration. Emigrants from the French islands, 

 and a few Irishmen, with several respectable coloured families, 

 then began to form settlements in the island. 



In 1783 a second and more explicit cedula was issued 

 granting, on certain restrictions, to each white person, of either 

 sex being a Roman Catholic a free grant of thirty-two acres, 

 and half that quantity for every slave he should possess ; and to 

 each free coloured person, of either sex, half the quantity of land 

 granted to whites, and similarly, half the quantity for each 

 slave. 



Article six stipulated that no personal tax should be levied 

 on the settlers, except an impost of one dollar for each slave, 

 but this only after the new settler had been ten years in the 

 colony. They were also exempted from various other taxes for 

 the same period of ten years. Total population in 1783, 

 2,763, viz., 126 whites, 295 free coloured, 310 slaves, and 2,032 

 Indians. 



This liberal measure induced a steady influx of population 

 from Grenada, St. Lucia, Martinique, Guadaloupe, and San 



