POPULATION. 



183 



CHAPTEE Y. 



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 181 J — 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. — Census of T827, 

 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.] 



In the preceding chapters, we have examined the 

 area, geological constitution, and climate of a coun- 

 try opening a vast field to civilized man. That we 

 may duly appreciate the influence which the richest 

 of the Antilles, under the stimulus of great natural 

 elements of power, may some day exercise in the 

 political balance of insular America, let us compare 



