184 



humboldt's cuba. 



her present population with that she can maintain 

 upon her 3,600 square leagues of country, the 

 greater part of which is very fertile under the 

 abundant tropical rains, and is still unconscious of 

 the presence of man. 



Three successive, but very inexact enumerations 

 have stated the population as follows : — 



According to this last census, there were, in the 

 island, 290,021 whites, 115,651 free colored and 

 225,268 slaves. These results agree very well with 

 the interesting papers on this subject, laid before the 

 Spanish Cortes in 1811, by the Ayuntamiento of 

 Havana, in which the approximate population was 

 stated to be 600,000 souls, viz. :— 274,000 whites, 

 114,000 free colored, and 212,000 slaves. 



If we take into consideration the several omis- 

 sions that occurred in the census of 1817, the number 

 of slaves imported (there were entered, at the 

 Havana custom-house, during the three years, 

 1818-19, and 20, more than 41,000), and the ratio 

 of increase of the white and free colored population, 

 in the eastern part of the island, as shown in the two 

 census of 1810 and 1817, we shall find the probable 

 population of Cuba, at the close of 1825, to be — 



In 1775, 

 1791, 

 1817, 



170,862. 

 272,140. 

 630,980. 



