366 
iii.—T RINIDAD. 
259. We proceeded direct from Barbados to "Trinidad, and 
lan iod at Port of Spain, the chief town of the Colony, on 
Wednesday, the 25th of February 1897. We held four public 
sittings in which we took the verbal evidence of 34 witnesses. In 
addition to other opportunities of which we severally took 
advantage to acquaint ourselves with the characteristics and con 
dition of the island, we were enabled to inspect the couar 
med the line of the Government Railway, and the extension 
w being constructed towards the Sangre Grande, and to visit a 
inde estate. We also visited Princo the Naparima district, 
d San Fernando, in the south of the island, drove through the 
piapa cane- -farming and sugar-producing district of the Colony, 
. and inspected the Usine Sainte Madeleine, the largest sugar 
factory in the British West Indies, and the estates connected with 
it. We left Port of Spain on the 5th of March, and passed round 
the southern was deese shores of the island in the Talbot on our 
passage to Toba 
260. The island. of Trinidad is oe close to the Venezuelan 
ae of South America. It has an area of about 1,120,000 acres, 
of which 800,000 acres are held to he cultivable. Of ‘the cultivable 
land 434, 000 acres are in the hands of private owners, an 
366,000 acres are Crown lands. It is Foie. to state the precise 
extent of land that is ed eultivation at the present time, but 
there is still a large extent of cultivable land in the island 
unoccupied and tita ltivated, and much of it is virgin soil. 
261. The total population may be taken at 245,000, of whom 
fully two-fifths are immigrants from the East Indies or their 
descendants. 
ig The soit is remarkably fertile, and varies in its character ; 
me portions of the island are well suited for the production of 
E ARE for cocoa, and on certain tracts near the sea cocoa-nut 
irees grow freely. 
263. Trinidad exports about 50,000 tons of sugar yearly, and 
the exports of molasses and Angostura bitters, of which rum is 
the basis, are also of some importance 
264. The cocoa produced in ihe island bears a high raptor 
in or cie and its production has largely increased in rec 
is wo a considerable export of cocoa-nuts, and ni 
deme iba to be well suited for the production of coffee and 
am the latter industries are of little importance at the present 
return to their homes after atime. There is also a considerable 
immigration of coolies from the East audies , who are under 
indentures to serve for five years, and who stint a total réside 
of 10 years become entitled to return passages 
266. At the period of our sie to Trinidad ‘hie was a certain 
amount of depression, due the lower prices for cocoa eu 
cocoanuts, as beg as to the ital fall in the price of sugar à 
