might close the third book of my history; but it has probably occurred to the reader, that I have omitted the two governments of Bahama and Bermudas;* to which indeed it was my intention, when I began my work, to appropriate a distinst chapter. An examination of my materials has induced me to alter my purpose; finding myself possessed of scarce any memorials concerning the civil history of those islands, that are not given in the numerous geographical treatises with which the shelves of the booksellers are loaded. Of the present state of the Bahama islands, I need not be ashamed to acknowledge my ignorance, inasmuch as even the lords of the committee of council for the affairs of trade and plantations, were unable to obtain satisfactory information concerning it. To their lordships inquiries, in 1786, as to the extent of territory in those islands,-the quantity of land in cultivation, the number of white inhabitants,productions, and exports, &c. the only answer that could be obtained from the Governor was this, that it was at that time impossible to ascertain any of those particulars. It appears, however, from the testimony of other persons, that these islands in general are rocky and barren; that the only article cultivated for exportation is cotton, of which the medium export is fifteen hundred bags of two cwt. that the inhabitants (who in 1773 consisted of * I have also passed over unnoticed the small islands of Anguilla and Barbuda, as being of too little importance to merit particular description. The former belongs to the Leeward Island government the latter is the private property of the Codrington family. 1 two thousand and fifty-two whites, and two thousand two hundred and forty-one blacks) have been of late years considerably augmented by emigrants from North America; but of their present numbers no precise account is given.* Concerning Bermudas, governor Brown is more explicit. From his answers to their lordships' queries, it appears, that they contain from twelve to thirteen thousand acres of very poor land, of which nine parts in ten are either uncultivated, or reserved in woods for the supplying of timber for building small ships, sloops, and shallops for sale; this being in truth the principal occupation and employment of the inhabitants; and the vessels which they furnish, being built of cedar, are light, buoyant, and unexpensive. Of the land in cultivation, no part was appropriated to any other purpose than that of raising Indian corn, and esculent roots and vegetables, (of which a considerable supply is sent to the West Indian islands), until the year 1785, when the growth of cotton was attempted, but with no *The Bahama islands, comprehending those which, either from their smallness, the barrenness of the soil, or the want of water, are uninhabited, are some hundreds in number. They are situated between the 22d and 23d degrees of north latitude. The principal of them are Providence, (twenty-seven miles long and eleven broad), Bahama, Abaco, Harbour Island, Eluthera, Exuma, St. Salvadore, Long Island, Andros, Bimini, &c. The seat of government is at the town of Nassau in Providence. Vid. vol. i. p. 5. great success, there not being at present more than two hundred acres applied in this line of culture. The number of white people of all ages in Bermudas is five thousand four hundred and sixty-two; of blacks four thousand nine hundred and nineteen.* Thus it appears, that the lands become less fertile as we recede from the tropicks, and were there not, as there certainly is, an unaccountable propensity in the greater part of mankind, to under-rate what they have in actual possession, it would require but * It were an act of great injustice to the inhabitants of Bermudas, to omit the very honourable testimony which governor Brown has transmitted to government, concerning the treatment of their negro slaves. "Nothing (he observes) can better shew the state of slavery in Bermudas than the behaviour of the blacks in the late war. There were at one time between fifteen and twenty privateers fitted out from hence, which were partly manned by negro slaves, who behaved both as sailors and marines irreproachably; and whenever they were captured, always returned, if it was in their power. There were several instances wherein they had been condemned with the vessel and sold, and afterwards found means to escape, and through many difficulties and hardships returned to their master's service. In the ship Regulator, a privateer, there were seventy slaves. She was taken and carried into Boston. Sixty of them returned in a flag of truce directly to Bermudas. Nine others returned by the way of New-York. One only was missing, who died in the cruize, or in captivity." Report of the Privy Council on the little effort to convince the public, of the vast importance of our West Indian dependencies; of which the progressive growth has now been traced from the first settlement. What remains is to convey that conviction to the English reader. This then, after taking a cursory survey, for the gratification of curiosity, of the present inhabitants and the system of agriculture, I shall endeavour to accomplish. CIVIL AND COMMERCIAL, OF THE BRITISH COLONIES IN THE WEST INDIES. BOOK IV. PRESENT INHABITANTS. CHAPTER I. Summary account of the Inhabitants of the several Islands. Classes.-Emigrants from Great Britain and Ireland.-Predominant character of the European residents.-Creoles or Natives.-Effects of climate.-Character of the Creole Women and Children.-Of the people of Colour, and their different tribes or casts.— Limitations and restrictions on the Mulattoes and native Blacks of free condition.-Their character at length, concluding with an Ode to the Sable Venus. HE present state (1791) of the population THE in the British West Indies appears, on a summary of the several accounts given in former parts of this work, to be as follows, viz. |