288 TRINIDAD. 



sists of the house-tax, market dues, revenues from real property, 

 and licenses : total, 31,000 dollars per annum. The annual ex- 

 penditure is for salaries of officers, police and watchmen, 

 streets, schools, charities, hospital and asylums, &c., maintenance 

 of the sick and poor, &c. altogether about 30,000 dollars. 



The Port-of- Spain water- works are now nearly completed ; 

 the general outlay will have been about 26,000 sterling. The 

 town is supplied with water from the Maraval river ; two reservoirs 

 and a filter having been built in that valley, at about three miles 

 from town, from which a main pipe, of twelve inches bore, 

 reduced to ten inches, brings the water to the lower end of the 

 town about three miles and three quarters. It is then distributed 

 through every street by branch pipes, varying from two to six 

 inches in diameter ; hydrants are also disposed at every 500 feet, 

 more or less, for protection against fire ; there are 160 such 

 hydrants, and they throw water over the highest houses, without 

 interfering with private service pipes. The total supply is calculated 

 at 1,800,000 imperial gallons per day, or 90 gallons per individual, 

 the entire population being about 20,000 inhabitants. There are, 

 at present, 700 service pipes, supplying nearly 1,000 houses. 

 The length of line from the reservoirs to the town is three miles 

 the general fall, 122 feet. A dam and a reservoir have also 

 been built at the entrance of the Fonds-Amandes glen, for the 

 purpose of procuring for the town a further supply of water from 

 the St. Ann's river. The pipe is eight inches in diameter, reduced 

 to six, and affords water to several private individuals, to three 

 fountains, the governor's residence, two tanks in the Queen's 

 park, and to several houses at the north-east extremity of the 

 town ; also, from it the contemplated hospital and wash-houses 

 will be supplied. General supply, about 400,000 gallons per 

 day. 



Port-of-Spain became the capital of the Island in 1783. On the 

 24th of March, 1808, under the government of Sir Thomas 

 Hislop, it was almost entirely destroyed by fire. The amount of 

 property destroyed was estimated at 500,000 sterling. The 

 town was rebuilt on a better plan, and much improved by Sir 

 Ralph Woodford, who had made regulations to prevent wooden 

 constructions, but which were, unfortunately, overlooked by his 

 successors. 



To the west of the town, between the Royal road and the 



