818 



the current, it was 24.6°. Fearing to go to the 

 east of the Havannah, we at first wished to as- 

 certain the islands of Tortoises (Dry Tortugas), 

 situated at the south-west extremity of the pe- 

 ninsula of Florida; but the confidence which 

 the making of the land at cape Saint Antoine 

 had inspired for the chronometer of Louis Ber- 

 thoud, rendered that precaution unnecessary. 

 We anchored in the port of the Havannah, the 

 19th December, after twenty-five days of navi- 

 gation in constantly bad weather. 



The whole surface of the archipelago of the 

 West Indies contains near 8300 square leagues 

 (20 to a degree), of which the four great islands 

 Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, and Portorieo occupy 

 7200, or near nine-tenths. The area of insula- 

 ry equinoxial America is consequently nearly 

 equal to that of the Prussian monarchy, and 

 twice as large as the area of the state of Pen- 

 sylVania. Its relative population differs little 

 from that of the latter state, and is three times 

 less than that of Scotland *. I have been occu- 

 pied during several years in researches to as- 

 certain the number of inhabitants of different 

 castes and colours which a fatal developement 

 of colonial industry has assembled in the West 

 Indies. This problem is linked so nearly to the 

 misfortunes of the African race, and the dan- 



* See above, Vol. vi, p. 341. 



