sult was that, in 1659, the latter forced the Courlanders to relinquish Fort James, which they had built in Courland Bay. The efforts of the Duke of Courland to recover Tobago, on the restitution of his states, were ineffectual, notwithstanding the manifesto of Charles II. in his favour, 17th November, 1664, when declaring war against Holland;—the Lampsins therefore remained in peaceable possession for some years. No mention was made of Tobago at the treaty of Breda; and during the interval of the first and second war between England and Holland, the Governor, Hubert de Beveren, and the colonists, amounting to 1200, placed Forts James and Lampsinberg in a good state of defence, while the commerce and cultivation of the island rapidly increased.

Nevertheless Tobago was shortly afterwards plundered, and sacked by Sir Tobias Bridges, at the head of the Barbadian privateers, and subsequently the Dutch having declared war against the French, the Duke D'Estrées attacked and defeated Admiral Binkes, in Scarborough Bay, and pillaged the island. Four months after D'Estrées again appeared off Fort Lampsins, landed his infantry, and attacked Binkes in the fortress, who, after a gallant defence was, together with a great part of his little garrison, blown up by the explosion of a powder-magazine, and on the 24th Dec. 1677, the Hollanders were compelled to abandon a colony which they had commenced under such favourable auspices, in 1654. In 1678, the Duke of Courland renewed his pretensions, and for many years strenuous, but unavailing efforts were made to induce colonists to settle in the island. In 1737, the house of Kettler, sovereigns of Courland, being extinct by the death of Ferdinand, son of James, England claimed the reversion of Tobago. In 1748, by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, it was stipulated that St Lucia should belong to France, and that Tobago, Grenada, St. Vincent, and Dominica should be considered as neutral islands, that the subjects of all European powers should have the right to establish themselves, and carry on commerce in and with those islands, but that none of the contracting partics should place garrisons in them. Whether Tobago was then inhabited or not, it is hard to say. The chroniclers of the island assert, that, in 1757 the ship Stirling Castle, touched at Tobago; and on Mr. Thompson, a midshipman, landing, he found an old French hermit on the island, who had been living alone on it for 21 years.

At the peace of 1763, Louis the XV. ceded Tobago in perpetuity to England, and on the 20th of May, 1765, a commission was appointed for granting lands on the island. The prosperity of the island dates from this period, large capitals were invested by enterprising British colonists, and agriculture and commerce rapidly progressed; but the miseries of war had not yet terminated; during our contest with North America, in 1781, Tobago was captured by the Marquis de Bouillé, and ceded to France by the treaty of Versailles, in 1783. While Tobago remained in the possession of France, a few French settlers esta blished themselves in the island, and on the breaking out of hostilities between England and France, General Cuyler, in March, 1793, at the head of 2,000 men, took possession of the island for great Britain, in whose possession it has ever since remained.

III. Tobago has been termed the "Melancholy Isle," because when viewed from the N. it seems to be only a mass of lofty, gloomy, mountains, with black precipices, descending abruptly to the sea; on nearer approach the island exhibits a very irregular aspect; it is principally composed of conical hills of

basaltic formation, and of ridges which descend from the interior, (where they rise in a distinct manner from a common base or dorsal ridge 1,800 feet high, and running 20 miles out of the 32 that the island is long,) toward the sea, terminating sometimes in abrupt precipices; the ravines are deep and narrow, and end generally in small alluvial plains. The N. W. part is the least mountainous, terminating in the N. in abrupt precipices, with the dark island of Little Tobago, and the dangerous rocks called St. Giles's. The S. terminates in broken plains and low lands, the whole aspect, like Trinidad, being calm and magnificent, with occasional beautiful mounds of isolated hills, so close that few levels for marsh or swamps present themselves, the delightful vales everywhere exhibiting the effects of a rotatory and undulating motion of vast currents of water, and forming with the contiguous mountains truly picturesque scenery. The island is well watered by rivulets and streams arising in the interior, and passing over the low lands to the coast, where they are occasionally obstructed, which however a little attention would prevent.

Scarborough, the principal town, is situate on the S. W. side of Tobago along the sea shore, (at the base of Fort George Hill), and extends, with little uniformity, easterly towards the Fort, the distance from the latter place being upwards of half a mile. On the S. and S. W. the descent to the sea is gradual, and at the base of the hill approaching the town are several scattered country houses. Fort George Hill, (the road to which is steep and towards the W.) rises to the height of 422 feet, of a conical shape, and crowned by Fort King George," the chief military station in the island. On the windward side are numerous excellent bays, and on the northward is situate "Man-of-War Bay," capacious, safe, and adapted to the largest ships. At Courland Bay (on the N. side, six miles from Fort King George), which approaches the leeward extremity, the hills, covered with rich forests, are bolder and more abrupt than on the S. side, and consequently, the cultivation more scattered; the" Richmond," a large river, passes through the district. Extending from Courland to Sandy Point, on the S. side, are several estates on the low lands in good cultivation, owing to the number of rivulets watering the shore. Sandy Point district (or as it may be termed Garden), forms the western extremity of the island, and is the only level land of any extent in Tobago. The eastern district is chiefly composed of high mountains, clothed with noble trees, and but thinly cultivated.

Man of War, Courland, Sandy Point and King Bays, are adapted to the largest sized ships; Tyrrells, Bloody, Mangrove, Englishman's, and Castara's Bays, have good anchorage for vessels up to 150 tons bur then; Halifax Bay admits vessels of 250 tons-but a shoal at the entrance requires a pilot.

IV. On a complete view of the island, as compared with the adjacent continent, the observer is impressed with the belief that it formed, at some distant day, a bold promontory of main land, from which it has been violently dissevered. There is, in fact a general physiognomical resemblance between Tobago and Trinidad, except that there are not seen those large blocks of hyaline quartz in the former that are found almost everywhere in the latter, on the summits of mountains as well as on the plains; the rounded pebbles found in the beds of rivers are generally of quartz or freestone, some of hyaline quartz, others of amphiobolic schistus, &c. Neither sulphur nor corbonate of lime have been seen. The hill above Scarborough appears to be a bed of basalt and schistose rock, with a loose

V. Though moist, by being impregnated with saline particles, Tobago is not unhealthy, particularly if proper attention were paid to preventing the exits of the mountain streams. The rainy season begins in June, and gradually becomes heavy until September, the violence of the rains then abate, showers continuing, at intervals, to the end of December or begin. ning of January, when the season termed "croptime" begins. The island is out of the usual range of hurricanes the winds are S.E. and S. during the greater part of the year; in December and January they prevail from the N.-often very strong and cold. So decidedly salubrious are the high lands of the interior, that Dr. Lloyd the principal medical officer, reported to Sir James M'Gregor, in 1827, that on some of the estates in the interior, no European resident had been buried for upwards of ten years."

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The currents round the island are very uncertain, especially in the Trinidad channel. At new and full moon the rise of the tide is four feet. The N. E.

being seen towards evening, the mariner cautious of approaching, should stand under easy sail to the southward, as the current sets to the N. W.; coming from the E. steer for the S. coast, and keep well to the southward to stem the N.W. current, which always sets round the lesser Tobago. On entering any of the bays to leeward, ships may approach quite close to St. Giles's rock There is nothing to fear at the S.W. Bay of Courland but rocks above water, except the Chesterfield rock. Tobago is free from hurricanes, though Grenada, the most southward of the Antilles, and only 30 leagues from the continent, is as much under the influence of squalls as the other Antilles.

VI. In 1727, Tobago had it is said a population of 2,300 whites, and 10,000 negroes; in 1776, 2,397 whites, 1,050 free negroes, and 10,752 slaves; in 1787, whites, 1,397, free-coloured, 1050, slaves, 10539, and the import of slaves, in a medium of four years, 1,400; in 1805, whites 900, coloured people 700, slaves, 14,883; in 1830, the whites were estimated at 450, the free coloured, males 477, females 686, slaves 12,556. The following Table shows the numbers, increase and decrease, of the slave population from 1819 to 1832.

Births, Marriages, and Deaths. - [B. B. 1836]. Established Churches-Blacks, Births 612; Marriages, 49; Deaths, 27. Coloured, Births 39; Marriages 4; Deaths 13. Whites, Births 13; Marriages 3; Deaths 57. Moravian-Births 29; Marriages 9; Deaths 25. Wesleyans-Births 22; Marriages 0; Death 10. Total, Birth 715; Marriages 65; Deaths 132.

A statement of the Number of Slaves for whom Compensation has been claimed, and of the Number of Claims preferred for such compensation, and of the Amount of Compensations awarded in each of the classes of Prædial attached, Prædial-unattached, and Non-Prædial. [Parliamentary Return to the House of Lords, March, 1838.]

VIII. Number of Schools, &c., of Tobago, in 1836. [B. B.]

* This School is supported by a grant of 201. from the Island Legislature, and 727. voluntary contributions. ↑ Allowed 50%, by Soc. Prop. Gospel F. P.

Number of Claims having reference to each Division. Prædial Attached, 99; Prædial Unattached, 14; Non-prædial, 259.

VII. Churches, Livings, &c. of Tobago in 1836.-2 Churches, 1 at Scarborough, in the parish of St. John, having a congregation generally of 300 persons. 1 at St. Paul; valued £400 per annum; having accommodation for about 500 persons.-There are also 2 chapels; 1 at Plymouth, which will contain about 400 persons; of whom 300 generally attend: 1 at Goldsbro; which will contain about 300 persons, 200 generally attend. There are likewise 5 dissenting places of worship. Note.-The congregation varies much at Scarborough, and still more in the country, according to the state of the road and the weather, and the number of children to be baptized; at Scarborough, in absence of the rector, divine service is performed only twice in the month; at Plymouth once, at Goldsborough once; in fine weather the chapel at Plymouth is insufficient for the congregation. [B. B.]

Years.

There are besides the above, four private schools, one connected with the Moravians in Sandypoint; one with the Wesleyans in Scarboro'; another with the Wesleyans at Mr. St. George's, and a school at Mr. Pelier's estate, open to all, supported at the expence of the estate.

At Plymouth and Goldsbro', and Sandy Point, the scholars are generally apprenticed labourers on Sundays, and the children of apprenticed labourers on week days, about 15 apprenticed, belonging to Golden Grove Estate attend the school there in the evening; evening school is not yet kept at Plymouth and Goldsbro', for want of lamps; the number at Plymouth varies from 20 to 120 on Sundays. The estates in the neighbourhood have contributed £40 to the enlargement of Plymouth school. [B. B. for 1836.]

Deaths.

Sheep, 11. 48.; Goats, 1.; Swine, 11. 58.; Milk, 8d. per quart; Fresh Butter, 4s. per pound; Salt Butter, 2s. 6d.; Cheese, 1s. do.; Wheat Bread, 4d. do. ; Beef, 9d. do.; Mutton, 1s. do.; Pork, 8d. do.; Rice, 17. 128. per cwt.; Coffee, 18. per pound; Tea, 78. do.; Sugar, 11. 58. per cwt; Salt, 68. per bushel; Wine, 501. per pipe; Brandy, 8s. per gallon; Beer, 61. per hdd.; Tobacco, 21. 88. per cwt.

Wages for Labour.-Domestics, 17. 12s. per month; Prædial, 1s. 4d. per day; Trades, 4s. per day. [B. B.] There is no paper currency, and but little coin in the island.

Almost every kind of plant that grows on the Antilles, or on Trinidad, flourishes at Tobago. The orange, lemon, and guava, pomegranate, fig, and grape are in perfection; the two latter yield fruit twice a year, (if pruned three weeks after the fruit has been gathered) and all the culinary plants of Europe arrive at perfection. The cinnamon and pimento (some say also the nutmeg) trees grow wild in different parts of the island-and the cotton of Tobago is of excellent quality.

SECTION I. Grenada, the most southerly of the Antilles, is situated between the parallels of 12.20 and 11.58 N. Latitude. and 61.20 and 61.35 W. Long., nearly equi-distant from Tobago (60 miles) and the nearest point of the continent of South America; its greatest length, N. and S. about 25 miles, (and at either extremity narrowing to a point)-in its greatest breadth 12, in circumference 50 miles, and containing about 80,000 acres.

II. Christopher Columbus, during his third voyage in 1498, discovered Grenada, and found it fully occupied by a warlike race, (the Charibs) among whom the Spaniards never attempted to form a settlement, and who remained for a century after in peaceable | possesssion of their native home. In 1650 the French Governor of Martinique, Du Parquet, collected 200 hardy adventurers, for the purpose of seizing on the island, which from the manly character of the natives, was considered an enterprize of difficulty and danger.

The natives received and entertained the French with the utmost kindness and cordiality, who pretended to open a treaty with the chiefs of the Charibs for the purchase of the country; "some knives and hatchets, and a large quantity of glass beads, besides two bottles of brandy for the chief himself were given to the Charibs; and it was then asserted that the island was fairly ceded to the French nation, by the natives themselves, in lawful purchase!

Du Parquet thus established a colony in Grenada, built a fort for its protection, and left the government of the island to a kinsman, named Le Compte. Within eight months after this period we find a war of extermination carried on by the French against the Charibs. Du Parquet, sent a reinforcement of 300 men from Martinique, with orders to extirpate the natives altogether; but Le Compte seems not to have wanted any incitement to acts of barbarity; for Du Tertre admits that he had already proceeded to murder, without mercy, every Charib that fell into his hands-not sparing even the women and children.

The manner in which the unfortunate aborigines

were destroyed may be judged of by a circumstance which Father Du Tertre relates of one expedition. Forty of the Charaibes were massacred on the spot. About forty others, who had escaped the sword, ran towards a precipice, from whence they cast themselves headlong into the sea, and miserably perished. A beautiful girl, of twelve or thirteen years of age, who was taken alive, became the object of dispute between two of our officers, each of them claiming her as his prize; a third coming up put an end to the contest, by shooting the girl through the head. The place from which these barbarians threw themselves into the sea, has been called ever since le Morne de Sauteurs, (Leapers' Hill.) Our people, having lost but one man in the expedition, procecded in the next place to set fire to the cottages, and root up the provisions of the savages-and having destroyed or taken away every thing belonging to them, returned in high spirits.' No wonder that the whole native population was soon extirpated. Du Parquet sold the island to Count Cerillac for 30,000 crowns.

It may well be imagined that cultivation made but little progress. So late as 1700 the island contained no more than 251 whites and 525 blacks, who were employed on three plantations of sugar and fifty-two of indigo.

After the peace of Utrecht, the government of France began to turn its attention towards her West India possessions. Grenada, however, for many years, partook less of its care than the rest. By a smuggling intercourse with the Dutch, the Grenadians changed their circumstances for the better-increased their numbers--and a great part of the country was settled. In 1762 Grenada and the Grenadines are said to have yielded annually, in clayed and muscovado sugar, a quantity equal to about 11,000 hogsheads of muscovado of fifteen cwt. each, and about 27,000 pounds of indigo.

Grenada surrendered on capitulation in February, 1762, and, with its dependencies, was finally ceded to Great Britain, by the definitive treaty of Paris, on the 10th of February, 1763-St. Lucia being restored at