TRINIDAD : THEN AND NOW. 



297 



so conspicuous a part, he was in Barbados, having 

 just landed from Trinidad ; here he met Gray, In 

 order to appreciate the comedy which follows, I must 

 take the man without a name back for a short time to 

 Trinidad. 



He had formerly been a commissioned officer 

 in the army, and, I have been informed that be- 

 fore reaching these shores he had tried his fortunes 

 for a short time in Demerara, and, for some reason, 

 not finding that climate congenial to him, he resolved 

 to try his fortunes in Trinidad. Here he attached 

 himself to a sugar plantation as an overseer. He was 

 a man of good education, pleasing address and strik- 

 ing presence ; why he left the army never transpired, 

 nor does it matter much. I am sure he would have 

 made a good comedy actor if he could have kept 

 honest and kept from i 6 doing ' ' his brother actors. I 

 must however, without further remarks, begin to tell 

 my story about him and what bef el him in Trinidad. 



He had, as I have said, been an officer in the army 

 and on the strength of it soon made the acquaintance 

 of the three officers who were then stationed here 

 with a small contingent from the regiment whose 

 head-quarters was at Barbados. He had swindled a 

 good many of the trusting folk with whom he came in 

 contact and among them his late employer • he was 

 beginning to become a nuisance, but on account of his 

 agreeable manners, and, I think also, being ashamed 

 to acknowledge having being so easily swindled by an 

 utter stranger, the victims would not appear to pro- 

 secute him. At length the pitcher went to the well 



