The West indies in 1837

Page 163

BARBADOS.

147

instances, and he expressed much indignation at the conduct of those who had been guilty of it. The great desiderata in the colonies were schools combining agriculture with learning. 11th.—The population of Barbados is supposed to | be above one hundred and twenty thousand. Accord- < ing to the ordinary ratio of increase, the colony, with- ; out injury to itself, might afford the other colonies several i thousand emigrants annually; yet the legislature has ; passed an Act, the effect of which will be to prevent the j laboring population leaving the island. This Act awaits ; the sanction of the Home Government to become law. : We went this morning to the jail with the Rector j of St. Mary's, who is chaplain to the prison. There were about one hundred and fifty present at prayers, whose behaviour was attentive and decorous. One only, : of the white prisoners attended—the prejudice of caste i being preserved even among criminals. The minister j addressed them, at the conclusion briefly and affec­ tionately. We called in the course of the day at the Secretary's Office, and obtained permission to inspect the registry of apprentices. They are duly classified as predials or non-predials, but the return is made by the planters, and tradesmen on the plantations are j included in the former class. i We met to day a gentleman of great intelligence j and extensive information, who told us, that he knew \ at least one planter in the island, an attorney for. several estates, who was preparing for Emancipation ; by increasing the comforts of his negros. Probably ] there are many, who adopt the same enlightened course, j He said, that in some instances, the nett profits of the ! last two years were equal to more than half the value ; of the fee simple of the estates, and that the prosperity j


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.