116 



TRINIDAD*. THEN AND NOW 



that to-day we are neither better nor worse than 

 other people. 



" He who would love his fellow men 

 Must not expect too much of them/* 



This is bad rhyme but good common sense. 



It may with truth be said that there is not much 

 in the foregoing relative to my advent to Trinidad. 

 True ! but there must always be a preliminary canter 

 before the real beginning ; this is simply my prelimi- 

 nary canter ; its significance will occasionally appear. 



In the month of September, 1874 7 I and four 

 other members of the Royal Irish Constabulary 

 were appointed to various posts in the Trinidad 

 Police, for the purpose of, as it was alleged, re- 

 organising (?) it. (The number of times it has since 

 been re-organised (?) is almost past count.) I think, 

 however, that to reform not only it but Trinidad in 

 general would have been the more appropriate term. 

 However, of this more anon. It so happened that I 

 had a good friend in the Recorder of Belfast at that 

 time, and one day meeting him I told him that I was 

 " going to Trinidad/' " Trinidad ! " he exclaimed, 

 " let me see, I think a friend of mine is at present 

 governor of that place, if so I will give you a letter 

 of introduction to him. Call and see me in a few days, 

 say Friday, I am going to London to-morrow but I 

 will be back next Wednesday evening. " I conse- 

 quently called, and he said, "Yes, Mr. Cairns is at 

 present governor but I understand he is about to 

 resign ; I will write to his brother, Sir Hugh, about 

 it. ' ' Sir Hugh was the familiar name by which Earl 



