42 
TlilNIDAD. 
the opposite one in French, so that those who can read 
French are enabled to follow the priest as he proceeds 
with the service. The salaries of the priests are small, 
£150 per annum ; but they are largely supplemented by 
their fees, obtained from chistenings, marriages, and in- 
terments. The scale of charges for funerals varies con- 
siderably. If a corpse is brought into the church they 
are bound to read the service free of charge. From this 
they rise to a charge of 50 dols., according to tlie num- 
ber and quality of the crosses carried in the procession, 
and the length of the service. Llarriages were, a short 
time back, frequently solemnized by Catholic priests, 
without much, if any, regard to the law or to the ages 
and relationship of the parties, or without concerning 
themselves about the hour of the day or the night; 
some marriages having been even solemnized nearer the 
hour of midnight than midday. This state of matters, 
together with other causes, led to the introduction of a 
new marriage ordinance, which binds very closely all 
parties. The penalties attached to the breach of this 
law are very severe. Indeed, to send in a false return, 
whether intentionally or from mistake, is equally re- 
garded and treated as felony. It is somewhat anomalous 
and unprecedented, I think, to make a minister of re- 
ligion a felon because he has been inadvertent or mis- 
taken in his information ; but such is the law, and those 
who live in a land must obey its laws, until they can 
amend or abrogate them. 
The Catholics, undoubtedly, exert a yjowerful religious 
influence throughout the country. The genius of the 
Catholic religion is suited to the tastes of the people. 
Tlie sensuous service, the robes of the priest, the intoned 
liturgy, the offering up of the host, the frequent proces- 
sions, the many fete days ; all these things are pleasing 
to the greater number of the people of Trinidad. The 
first communion has many charms for the young girls, 
and is certainly agreeable to parental feeling. The con- 
fessional iSj to most illiterate minds, a means of relief to 
