152 



TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



with the fair Castilians, and over head and ears in 

 debt with the fair English : but here we have French, 

 English and Spanish all in one ; so that I am charmed, 

 and in love, and in debt, and no chance of getting out 

 of it ; a pretty predicament for an officer in the West 



Indies ! There is also a good society and a 



fair display of beauty in the ball room. All Creoles 

 love dress, but I think the Creoles of Trinidad are 

 more tasty than others, etc." 



The letter then branches off to describe Port-of- 

 Spain and compares it to its great advantage with the 

 other West Indian towns with which the writer had 

 become acquainted. 



If this was true Then, how much more true is it 

 Now that education and other auxiliaries to refine- 

 ment have done so much to improve society in 

 general. These could not, I am glad to say, have 

 improved the better class without also improving 

 those who move in more humble circles. Might not 

 the letter I have quoted been written yester- 

 day ? What struck the writer 85 years ago struck 

 me 47 years later, and will, I am sure, equally strike 

 the visitor of to-morrow. Education has, of course, 

 caused a great improvement in a number of ways, 

 but except for this I don't think the Trinidad of 

 Then was much behind the Trinidad of Now. 



It may be asked why is this so evident to every- 

 one who has the pleasure of being present at a ball, 

 entertainment, or other social function in Trinidad ? 

 I think the answer can, to a great extent, be found in 

 part of the letter quoted, 6 1 but here we have French, 



