14 



TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



with truth, will permit, with the object, as Kipling 

 says, " Lest we forget. " 



Once, many years ago, I attended a lecture at 

 the Queen's Royal College, Belfast. The lecturer 

 was a learned professor from Oxford University, and 

 the subject was " The relationship of grammar to the 

 English language. ' ' In the course of the lecture he 

 said " There are only about a dozen men in England 

 who can write English correctly, and at the present 

 day only two who can speak it correctly, these two 

 are Mr. Bright and Mr. Gladstone. ' ' He further said 

 " Bunyan's Pilgrim Progress is one of the best 

 specimens of English extant.' ' 



If these statements are correct it cannot be ex- 

 pected of me, who am but an indifferently educated 

 man, to aspire to any literary style in recording the 

 events here set out. If, however, I be so fortunate 

 as to express myself in a manner to be understood by 

 those who do me the honour to read this effort, I will 

 be satisfied. Spelling and proper punctuation are 

 often left by greater than I am to the printer. While 

 on this subject I will relate a little anecdote against 

 myself having some bearing on the above. The pre- 

 sent principal of the Queen's Royal College, being 

 aware of my intimate knowledge of Trinidad, asked 

 me to write a few sketches for the College Magazine. 

 I presented him with one (see 66 Casual Wanderings") 

 and soon afterwards on meeting me he said, * 4 Your 

 type-writer is not a good speller." I replied, " I am 

 afraid I must plead guilty ; I cannot shirk the blame 

 by throwing it on some other person ; I do my own 



