178 TRINIDAD. 



habits which they expect to resume in full force on revisiting their 

 native land. 



As to the Chinese, they are few in number about 500 and 

 but recently arrived in the colony. Of them, as far as observation 

 goes, it may be said that they are stubborn, obstinate, and prone 

 to suicide ; but they are well acquainted with the tillage of the 

 soil, and are steady workers : in fact, those who have become 

 acclimatised may be considered as the best labourers in the 

 colony. 



It is impossible correctly to trace the progress of population in 

 Trinidad from the capitulation to the present day ; and I have no 

 documents wherefrom to ascertain even the increase of that popu- 

 lation by natural causes. Captain Mallet's official return states 

 the population to have been in 1797, 17,718, viz., 2,151 whites, 

 4,476 free coloured, 10,009 slaves, and 1,082 Indians. Previous 

 to the cedula of 1783, it was 2,763: whites, 126 ; free people of 

 colour, 295; slaves, 310; Indians, 2,032. In 1790, it had increased 

 to a total of 10,422. I find in Aliedo's dictionary that in the 

 year 1805 it amounted to 25,245 souls, divided as follows: whites, 

 2,261 ; people of colour, 3,275 ; slaves, 19,709. It appears, also, 

 that in the year 1825 it had augmented to 42,262 inhabitants. 



The census of 1851, although incorrect in several minor 

 respects, may be, however, regarded as containing a fair return 

 of the population of the island, which then amounted to 69,600 

 souls ; and 2,441 being the number of births for the same year, 

 gives the ratio of 3-50 per cent., or one birth for every 28'50 

 inhabitants. The following table shows the comparative ratio of 

 births in various countries : 



No. 1. 



Table No. 2 shows the number of births in the island during 

 a period of six years, and for each quarter in every year, as also 

 the ratio of males to females. 



