318 TRINIDAD. 



which stretches along the coast. Remittent and intermittent 

 fevers are permanently endemic in those localities. 



SAVANNAH GRANDE. To the eastward of North and South 

 Naparima is the district of Savannah Grande, divided into two wards. 

 It is bounded on the west by the Naparimas, and on all other 

 sides by crown lands. The land, in this district, is highly undu- 

 lating, rising into hillocks near the Mission, and bordering on the 

 Montserrat hills. The Mission and the settlements around extend 

 over the table land which stretches to the south-east, and skirting 

 the head of the lagoon, join the southern range, so as, in a manner, 

 to form a dividing ridge between the Guataro river and the lagoon 

 of Oropuche. This section is generally fertile, and tracts of it 

 may be compared with the best Naparima soils ; in fact, the zone 

 of the figuier soil may be traced to some of the sugar estates of 

 this district, which are considered as equal to any in the colony. 

 It is in general, however, a dark clay loam. In several places are 

 found beds of tuffa, containing hard nodules, with infusoria and 

 bivalve shells. In the eastern ward are the mud volcanoes, which 

 I have already noticed. Sugar and provisions are its principal 

 productions, and a little cacao is also cultivated. The majority 

 of the sugar estates are furnished with steam-engines. 



There are in this district, besides the village of the Mission, 

 inhabited by a few individuals of Indian and other descent, two 

 settlements, formed about the year 1817, by the location of a few 

 hundred American blacks or coloured people, captured during 

 the last war, and brought to Trinidad by Admiral Sir A. J. 

 Cochrane. A few acres of land were allotted to each individual, 

 in fee, on payment of a quit rent. In the year 1848, these allot- 

 ments were surveyed, and each settler was granted six acres of 

 land in full property, subject to the ward rates. These settle- 

 ments, I must confess, have not answered the object for which 

 they were intended ; and to the American settlers may be ad- 

 dressed the same reproach which I have attached to the disbanded 

 soldiers located at Manzanilla and Turure. They cultivate some 

 provisions, it is true, and occasionally employ themselves as jobbers 

 on estates, mainly as axe-men, cane-cutters, and trenchers, but 

 their principal occupation is the chase, their hunting-ground 

 extending from Tamana to Moruga, and from the Mission 

 to Mayaro. They generally belong to the Baptist persuasion. 

 Savannah Grande forms the parish of St. Stephen of the Church 



