CONTENTS. Vll 



Finances — Proposed new division — Present dividing line of bish- 

 oprics—Number of parishes — Popular territorial divisions— First 

 governor — [Note, Maritime subdivision] 174 



CHAPTER V. 



POPULATION. 



Its political importance — Former census — Population in 1825 

 —Compared with other Antilles — Relative proportions of races 

 in slave countries — Reflections — Why slaves have not dimin- 

 ished since 1820 — Proportions of free, and slaves, and of 

 sexes — Fears on cessation of slave trade — Why unfounded- 

 Distribution of population in 1811 — Free colored seek the towns 

 —Relative density— Census of 1775— Of 1791— Their contradic- 

 tions — Corrections — Motion in Spanish Cortes for abolition of 

 slavery — Remonstrance from Cuba — Census of 1817 — Is not com- 

 plete — Mode of estimating increase— Relative increase of classes 

 — Several causes of increase— Rate — Excessive between 1791 and 

 1810 — Unequal distribution of classes— [Note. — Censuses of 1827, 

 1841, and 1846 — Reasons for distrusting that of 1846 — Supposed 

 decrease of slaves — Its improbability — Reasons therefor — Increase 

 of slaves — Annual rate of total increase— Present population] 183 



CHAPTER VI. 



SLAVERY. 



Manumission frequent in Cuba — Its causes — Slaves allowed to hire 

 their time. — [Note — Usual wages — Number of working days — 

 Slaves may purchase their freedom by partial payments — Many 

 remain partially redeemed — Reason — Curious phase of negro 

 mind.] — Position of free negroes— Mild laws— Slaves previous to 

 the Eighteenth century — Religious scruples regarding females — 

 Population of Sugar plantations— Projects for increasing slaves 



