C8 
TRINIDAD. 
taken), or probably at eiglit per cent. ; tlie supplies are 
sent out from liome, and to those wiio bold the mortgage, 
or supply the money, the produce must be consigned. 
The West Indies are in great disfavour as a country in 
which to invest money, and those wlio own properties 
in tiiese islands are generally very anxious to sell, and if 
they cannot sell, to make the best arrangements they 
can. Something like the following often occurs : -A 
proprietor of an estate, or of several estates in Trinidatl, 
resident in England, has spent so much money upon Ids 
property, and got such ]~»oor returns for his outlay, that 
he resolves to sell. Perhaps he takes a tri]) across the 
Western Ocean, looks around him, and seeing that 
nothing is to be done to anend matters, he offers his 
property for sale. There are always plenty of l)uyers, 
but they have no money. What’s to be done ? A. oifers 
to take B.’s pro})erty, and pay him off in so many yeans. 
If he can do this the jwoperty becomes A.’.s, and 1>. is 
satisfied ; but should A. be unable to meet his iirstal- 
}nents, or otherwise keep to tlie arraiigemcnt, 15. must 
take over his property, and repeat the ex))eriment, or do 
the best he can. 8ometimes, by reason of a contijiuance 
of good prices for a series of years (which, lawvever, is a 
rare occurrence), and by dint of sound judgmmit and 
great exertion on the part of the nominal proprietor, lie 
pays for the estate, and it becomes his. That this is done 
sometimes, and that by men who have no money, merely 
proves what I have already said, tliat sugar has an 
amount of elasticity in it that few other articles have. 
In other words, sugar must be a profitable article, if it 
can be made to pay, as is sometimes the case, under the 
circumstances above described. 
During some years the markets are so good, that in sjute 
of the numberless expenses, handsome sums of money are 
realised ; but, on the other hand, a bad year, that is, when 
the markets are over-stocked and the prices low, large 
fiijims of money are lost. It is my opinion that sugar 
can be made to clear all expenses in the worst years, and 
