THE BAHAMA ISLANDS 515 



Eleuthera, Long Island, Kum Cay, Exuma, San Salvador, Watlings and Eagged 

 Island; 3, the eastern, including the Turks and Caicos Islands and Inagua.*" 



Captives from Slave Ships. 



A class of persons that caused much anxiety to Lieutenant-Governor 

 Colebrooke was that of the captives from slave-trading vessels. A number of 

 these vessels continued to be brought to the port of Nassau by the wreckers, and 

 by vessels of the royal navy which constantly patrolled the adjacent waters in 

 search of slavers. Colebrooke was zealous to make a drastic crusade against 

 this commerce,"' but was never able to accomplish more than to add the in- 

 formation that came to his hand from the small Colony in which he was located. 

 He had to be content in his small sphere here with dealing with those captives 

 who were actually brought into the Bahamas. His predecessor had recom- 

 mended that they should be sent to Trinidad where there was a demand for them 

 as laborers, and where they would still have the advantage of British regulations. 

 There was almost no regular employment for any considerable number of them 

 in the Bahamas except in the raking of salt. In this hard labor there was little 

 opportunity for self-improvement, or for learning the English tongue, which 

 was considered very important. The cruelties practiced by the overseers of 

 the salt-rakers were such that it did not seem desirable to consign these poor 

 people to that employment.*" In June and September, 1834, two large cargoes 

 of captives were brought into port. Fortunately there was a demand for the 

 services of these Africans among the people of New Providence Island. They 

 were apprenticed for a term of seven years. Their employers were bound 

 to support them, to teach them to work, and to provide adequate instruction for 

 them.*" It was on the coming of these vessels that Balfour made the recom- 



"" Colebrooke to Glenelg, No. 110. Chief Justice Munnings had grown old and 

 had often within the last few years been a disturber in the Privy Council of the 

 Colony. The failure to secure a promotion for him outside of the Bahamas made 

 him the more discontented. But during the administration of Colebrooke, he 

 departed with his family for a visit to England. The vessel in which he sailed 

 was lost at sea. It was never heard from after its departure from one of the 

 eastern islands of the Bahamas. Assistant Justice John C. Lees became his suc- 

 cessor. Colebrooke attempted to have him removed to some other colony. But 

 after a report by him on a circuit to the Out-islands, he recommended him for the 

 Chief Justiceship of the Bahamas, to which he succeeded on the death of Chief 

 Justice Munnings. Colebrooke to Aberdeen, Nos. 32 and 99 (1835). 



"° See his Ds., No. 48, to Aberdeen. 



"" Balfour to Rice, No. 5. 



"^Loc.'cit. 



