TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



73 



until the time when Trinidad became a British posses- 

 sion, matters became worse and worse every day, and 

 the efforts which he made to restrain the newly 

 arrived inhabitants, who had become quite overbear- 

 ing, made many of them conspire to seize the colony. 

 Fortunately before this could be carried into effect 

 Trinidad was captured by the English. 



The great Abercromby was a generous enemy, 

 and he treated Chacon and all the inhabitants with 

 due courtesy. He conceded all that Chacon asked 

 for and the conditions set out in the Articles of the 

 Capitulation show how solicitous Chacon was for the 

 future welfare of the inhabitants whose care was 

 henceforth to be in other hands. 



Chacon left Trinidad a few days after the Capi- 

 tulation never to return to it. On his arrival in Spain 

 he was arrested and so remained under arrest till the 

 28th May of the following year when he and Apo- 

 daca* were tried by Court-Martial, — called in Spain 

 a M Council of War : — 



M The council unanimously adjudged that Cha- 

 con and Apodaca were fully justified in their conduct 

 in the surrender of Trinidad and therefore honour- 

 ably acquitted them." 



Thus ended the trial of Chacon. His enemies were 

 not, however, satisfied and they began intriguing 

 against him ; while the French republicans in Trini- 

 dad, who were very numerous, carried it to extremes. 

 They sent emissaries to Paris, when Napoleon was 

 first consul, and at a time when he had great influence 



* The Commander of the Spanish Fleet. 



