94 



TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



' 6 There are some pitiful wretches, who having 

 just emerged, by a perverse partiality of fortune, 

 from the lowest condition, conceive that the only 

 way of shewing themselves qualified to maintain 

 their new character is to manifest an extreme scorn 

 for their old one ; and that, to evince an elevation of 

 mind proportioned to their rise of fortune, they have 

 only to discard the associates and witnesses of their 



humble beginnings Bette returned (as I am 



informed) disgusted at the change in his brother-in- 

 law's deportment, as well as his morals, who mistook 

 pride for dignity, giving himself airs of importance, 

 and behaving to all as if haughtiness were his ex- 

 clusive prerogative, as though civility belonged only 

 to private men ; yet instead of being respected, he 

 was the reverse." 



There is a lot of similar abuse and baseless 

 insinuation, throughout his entire work, yet one 

 reads very many pages before one finds a single 

 substantial allegation charging Picton with any 

 offence that would, in the slightest degree, be degrad- 

 ing to the man he set out to vilify. I will first dispose 

 of this characteristic sketch, and come later to those 

 against this then, and afterwards, famous man. 



The writer of the book " Travels in Trinidad 99 

 did not know Picton, — the man whom the King of 

 England had chosen to be governor of Trinidad and 

 to whom Abercromby wrote as quoted : — He says, 

 " I am totally unacquainted with his early progress 

 in life, or with his relations any further, etc." 

 Reader, have you been so " totally unacquainted 99 



