92 



TRINIDAD *. THEN AND NOW. 



The Picton of Calumny. 



4 and upon this." 



A newspaper writer named M 'Galium, by some 

 strange way, seemingly without any design, found 

 his way to the shores of Trinidad, and immediately 

 began to write a series of letters, signed " Vale," ad- 

 dressed to a member of Parliament, which from time 

 to time appeared in the columns of a Liverpool news- 

 paper and eventually published in book form under 

 the title : — 



TRAVELS IN TRINIDAD 



DURING THE MONTHS OF FEBRUARY, MARCH AND 



April, 1803. 



Mr. M 'Galium did not lose much time in begin- 

 ning his calumnious attack on Picton ; he begins by 

 dating his ninth letter 



" Head Quarters (?), 



66 Puerto de Espana, 



" March, 1803 



" DEAR SIR, 



" Since the commencement of these letters, I 

 frequently indulged the idea of relinquishing alto- 

 gether my present pursuits, from the many difficulties 

 with which I am circumvented, and the danger I am 

 exposed to in a colony governed by the Inquisition. 

 If the members of it only knew that my pen is so 

 devoted to the cause of humanity, they would soon 

 torture the hand that holds it ; therefore I am 

 obliged to be extremely cautious, lest my enquiries 

 should insinuate suspicion. 99 



