HISTORICAL OUTLINE. 83 



Domingo, so that in 1798 the population had increased to 17,718 

 individuals, of whom 2,151 were whites, 1,082 Indians, 4,476 

 free people of colour, and 10,009 slaves. The colony, in the 

 meantime, had rapidly progressed, being French in everything 

 but government. In fact, the French had, in a great measure, 

 superseded the Spanish language, and all public documents were 

 published in both languages. Even after the capitulation of the 

 island to the British forces the French idiom was preserved 

 together with that of the conquerors, for all public purposes, 

 until the year 1823, when the English language exclusively was 

 adopted. 



It appears that it was only in the year 1730 that a governor 

 was appointed, for the first time, to administer the affairs of the 

 island, and from that year to the year 1784 thirteen governors 

 successively filled office. In September, 1784, Don Jose de 

 Chacon entered on the administration of the colony, and that at a 

 very critical moment. England being then at war with Spain, a 

 British expedition, consisting of twenty vessels, and about 10,000 

 men, sailed from Martinique in February, 1797, under Admiral 

 Harvey and General Sir Ralph Abercrombie, to take possession of 

 Trinidad. The island was defended by five men-of-war, and about 

 2,200 troops. The issue was that, without even firing a gun, Tri- 

 nidad was surrendered to General Abercrombie, upon the terms 

 of a capitulation. The island was afterwards ceded and guaranteed 

 in full possession to his Britannic Majesty, by the fourth article of 

 the treaty of Amiens. 



Lieutenant-Colonel Picton, aide-de-camp to the general, was 

 appointed governor, and may be said to have ruled the island with 

 a rod of iron, either as sole governor, or in joint commission with 

 Colonel Fullarton and Admiral Hood, for a period of six years. 

 The colony has since been governed by the following officers : 

 By General Hislop, from 1802 to 1810; Lieutenant-Colonel 

 Tolley (ad interim), from 1810 to 1813; Sir Ralph Woodford, 

 from 1813 to 1828 ; Sir Lewis Grant, from 1829 to 1833 ; Sir 

 George Hill, from 1833 to 1841 ; Sir Henry Macleod, from 1841 

 to 1846 ; and by Lord Harris, from 1846 to 1854. The present 

 governor is Rear- Admiral Charles Elliot. 



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