236 PROPOBTION3 OF D1FFEBENT CASTES. 



in the country than in the towns ; it must have changed the 

 relations which persons well informed of the localities had 

 established in 1811, between the eastern and western parts 

 of the island, between the towns and the fields. The negro 

 slaves have much augmented in the eastern plantations ; but 

 the fact that, notwithstanding the importation of 185,000 

 bozal negroes, the mass of men of colour, free and slaves, 

 has not augmented, from 1811 to 1825, more than 64,000, or 

 one-fifth, shews that the changes in the relation of partial 

 distribution are restrained within narrower limits than one 

 would at first be inclined to admit. 



The proportions of the castes with respect to each other will 

 remain a political problem of high importance till such time 

 as a wise legislation shall have succeeded in calming invete- 

 rate animosities, and in granting equality of rights to the 

 oppressed classes. In 1811, the number of whites in the 

 island of Cuba exceeded that of the slaves by 62,000, whilst 

 it nearly equalled the number of the people of colour, both 

 free and slaves. The whites, who in the French and English 

 islands formed at the same period nine-hundredths of the 

 total population, amounted in the island of Cuba to forty- 

 five hundredths. The free men of colour amounted to nine- 

 teen hundredths, that is, double the number of those in 

 Jamaica and Martinique. The numbers given in the enume- 

 ration of 1817, modified by the Deputation Provincial, being 

 only 115,700 freedmen and 225,300 slaves, the comparison 

 proves, first, that the freedmen have been estimated with 

 little precision either in 1811 or in 1817 ; and, secondly, 

 that the mortality of the negroes is so great, that notwith- 

 standing the introduction of more than 67,700 African 

 negroes registered at the custom-house, there were only 

 13,300 more slaves in 1817 than in 1811. 



In 1817 a new enumeration was substituted fop the 

 approximative estimates attempted in 1811. From the 

 census of 1817 it appears that the total population of the 

 island of Cuba amounted to 572,363. The number of 

 whites was 257,380; of free men of colour, 115,691, and of 

 slaves 199,292. 



In no part of the world where slavery prevails is eman- 

 cipation so frequent as in the island of Cuba. The Spanish 

 legislature favours liberty, instead of opposing it, like the 



