GUPPY — SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE IN TRINIDAD. 
93 
island it is somewhat remarkable how very little informa- 
tion we possess as to the causes of death in this Colony. 
The only evidence we have is that furnished by the returns 
published by the medical officers of the public hospitals. 
But that cannot be taken as a fair guide, because the greater 
number of their patients are Asiatic immigrants. We must 
perforce, therefore, confine our attention to the bare statis- 
tics. The average of deaths in 1850 and 1852 was 2200 per 
annum or 32 per 1000. In 1860-61 the deaths were at the 
rate of 2784 a year, giving 33 per 1000. These proportions 
•approach so very closely those of the births that we natu- 
rally turn to the statistics of immigration to furnish us with 
a clue to the causes of the increase of our population. It is 
to bo regretted that there are no published returns of the 
free emigration and immigration ; but from remarks made 
by the Agent-General of Immigrants in his reports, the 
latter would average between 2000 and 3000 per annum. 
We have no means of arriving at the permanent gain or 
loss to our population from this source. The parliamentary 
returns of the Government immigration give us an insight 
into this part of the subject which is somewhat perplexing. 
About 50,000 immigrants have been imported at the public 
expense since the year 1838 when the first Immigration Or- 
dinance was passed. From 1838 to 1843 the immigration 
was, I believe, chiefly from the Antilles. In 1844 the 
Asiatic immigration was inaugurated and conducted at first 
by means of loans, the principal and interest of which have 
been in course of payment from the public revenue since 
that time. From 1844 to 1865, inclusive, the number of 
Asiatic immigrants introduced has been about 30,000, be- 
ing an average of 1363 per annum. In 1865 there were 
resident on estates 16,150 immigrants. There may then 
