POPULATION. 173 



succeeded by a few refugees from San Domingo, with emigres 

 from France, and even from Canada. Their example was followed 

 by many respectable coloured families from the above islands, who 

 gladly availed themselves of the protection afforded, and the op- 

 portunity offered of bettering their condition by becoming land- 

 holders in Trinidad ; and as late as the year 1829, if my informa- 

 tion is correct, there were scarcely more than six or eight white 

 proprietors in Naparima, whilst nearly two- thirds of Port-of- Spain 

 belonged to the coloured class. 



A few thousand Africans only have directly been introduced 

 by slavers, the great majority of the labouring class having either 

 accompanied their masters, or been clandestinely introduced by 

 them, from the neighbouring islands. About 4,000 Africans, 

 liberated from captured slavers, have been added to that class since 

 emancipation ; 8,200 Asiatics Coolies and Chinese have also 

 been imported since the year 1845, when the first Coolie vessel 

 anchored off Port-of -Spain. 



Our population, therefore, consists of a motley aggregation of 

 Africans, Asiatics, Europeans, and a few individuals of Indian or 

 American blood, together with their mixed descendants. By 

 Africans, I mean not only those born in Africa, and introduced 

 here as slaves or indentured labourers, but also those born in the 

 island, of African parents, and usually called African Creoles, 

 together with those emigrants from the sister colonies and the 

 United States, who are also of the African race. The European 

 section is formed of British (particularly Scotch), of French, 

 Spaniards, a few Germans, and some Portugese from Madeira, 

 with the respective descendants of those various nations. The 

 Asiatics consist of Hindoos and Chinese, imported at the expense 

 of the colony, as agricultural labourers, for the cultivation of staples, 

 and especially of sugar. Heterogeneous as is this mass, I must say 

 that the greatest harmony had long prevailed among the different 

 classes, a result which, in my opinion, is attributable to the liberal 

 policy pursued by the local government, and sanctioned by the 

 Colonial Office. Equal protection was extended to all, and all were 

 contented to live under what they considered to be a really and 

 truly paternal rule. No distinction was drawn betwixt British 

 and foreigners, and, I dare say, no essential difference of feeling 

 existed. There has been lately, however, a tendency to abandon 

 that broad and just course for the pursuit of a narrow, and in my 



