TRINIDAD I THEN AND NOW. 



161 



The reader will observe that all these streets now 

 bear English names, and the reason for the change, 

 without doing violence to French or Spainsh preju- 

 dices, was that the town having been almost totally 

 destroyed by fire on the 24th March, 1808, it became 

 necessary to rebuild it. And here I may mention 

 that the much maligned Picton although hard pressed 

 for money for his defence, returned £4,000 which 

 the inhabitants of Trinidad presented to him on his 

 retirement from Trinidad, as his contribution to- 

 wards the relief of the sufferers from the calamity. 

 What became of much of the money voted by 

 parliament, and otherwise liberally subscribed, is 

 unknown, but it is asserted that the sufferers from 

 the fire did not get much of it. 



The task of rebuilding the town fell to the lot of 

 Sir Ralph Woodford, and he, although retaining the 

 original formation of the streets, naturally gave 

 them English names. Thus we have Duncan Street 

 named after Admiral Duncan ; Nelson Street after 

 Nelson ; George Street after the then Prince Regent • 

 Charlotte Street after his daughter Princess Char- 

 lotte : I don't know which of the numerous Henrys 

 had the honour of having Henry Street named after 

 him. 



Frederick Street, it will be observed was origi- 

 nally called Des Anglais, and it was given that name 

 for the following reason : Captain Vaughan, then in 

 command of a frigate named the Alarm, 32 guns, had 

 been sent to act in conjunction with a Captain Skin- 

 ner, in command of the Zebra, to look after French 



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