CHAPTER XII.-ST. CHRISTOPHER. SECTION I. In 17.18, N. latitude, 62.40. W. lon- | and many taken prisoners. At the peace of Breda, gitude, 72 miles in circumference, and containing 68 square miles, is situated St. Kitt's or St. Christopher, called by the Caribs Licmuiga, or the fertile isle, and in shape somewhat like Italy-as an outstretched leg. II. This singular looking but beautiful spot was discovered by Columbus, in 1493, and, as stated by some, received its name from the great navigator himself, by reason of his being so pleased with its fertile appearance; others say its name is derived from a part of Mount Misery, bearing a resemblance to the statues common at that period on church porches, of St. Christopher carrying our Saviour on his shoulders. The island was then densely peopled by Caribs, who remained for some time after its discovery in possession of their native home, subject to the occasional visits of the Spaniards for water, with whom they are stated to have been on terms of friendship-a very doubtful fact, unless the Spaniards did not require the land or persons of the Caribs. In 1623, Warner (afterwards Sir Thomas) settled on the island, with his son and fourteen Londoners, and found three Frenchmen residing in tranquillity with the natives. Warner returned to England for more recruits, and, on his return in 1625, landed the same day with M. D'Enambuc, who had arrived from France with a party of colonists. The Caribs took alarm-made war on the European invaders-were discomfited with the loss of 2,000 in killed and wounded, leaving 100 foes dead from their poisoned arrows. The English and French agreed to divide the island between them, and articles of partition were signed 13th of May, 1627. The island was divided into upper and lower portions-the former and most extensive, called Capisterre, belonging to the French; and the lower, called Basseterre, alone inhabited by the English. the English colonists were restored to their portion of the island-and for 20 years the French and English lived in peace; but in 1689 the former entered the territory of the latter, put to death all who opposed, and, by the aid of fire and sword, forced the English to fly from the colony. In the following year General Codrington and Sir F. Thornhill, with a large force from Barbadoes, drove the French from St. Christopher's, and for several years the English, in turn, remained masters of the whole island; but by the treaty of Ryswick, restitution was made to the French of the part they had formerly possessed—this they retained until 1702, when the island was captured by the English; and by the treaty of Utrecht, in 1713, entirely ceded to the British crown. Most of the French removed to St. Domingo, and the sale of the crown lands produced a large sum for government, of which 40,000l. was voted as a marriage portion for the daughter of George II. St. Kitt's rapidly increased in prosperity, notwithstanding the effects of a terrific hurricane in 1722, which destroyed 500,000l. worth of property. In 1782, the Marquis De Bouillé, with 8,000 troops, and supported by the Count De Grasse with 29 sail of the line, captured the island ere Sir S. Hood, with 22 sail of the line, could effect any thing for its relief. The treaty of peace, signed at Versailles in the following year, restored St. Christopher's to Great Britain, in whose possession it has since remained. In 1805, a large French force landed at Basseterre without opposition, levied 18,000l. as contribution, and sailed away with six merchant ships which they found at anchor in the bay, and burned as soon as they got out to sea. III. St. Kitt's presents to the eye an irregular oblong figure, through the centre of which runs a regular series of mountains from N. to S. in the midst of which stands Mount Misery, 3,711 feet in perpendicular height, and, although evidently a volcanic production, clothed with the finest wood and pasture, almost to the very summit. From the foot of Mount Misery and the adjoining hills the country has a Don Frederick de Toledo, a Spaniard, proceeding to Havannah, with 15 frigates and 24 ships of burden, attacked the colonists in 1629, burned and plundered in every direction, and carried off 600 Englishmen as prisoners; but the flow of emigration was so great to the West Indies at this period, that in the follow-uniform sloping direction, stretching from a centre to ing year the number of English settlers amounted to 6,000. Jealousies, bickerings, and at length hostilities began between the English and French settlers, which were stopped by the latter compelling the former to return within their line of demarcation; but, although it was agreed that if France and England went to war the colonists of St. Christopher should remain neutral, the resolution was broken on the commencement of hostilities in Europe, and a terrible battle, which lasted several days, ended in favour of the French colonists, who assumed the mastery of the whole island, and gallantly defended their acquisition in the following year against a large English force (sent to recover possession), in the contest for which Lord Belamont and Colonel Lauvreu were slain, all their officers wounded, eight colours lost, 700 British troops killed and drowned, a circumference, bounded by the coast, every inch of which is in a high state of cultivation. There is no plain in the island deserving the name of a swamp, and the great declination of the land towards the sea carries off any superabundant moisture. On the W. side, Brimstone hill rises gradually from the sea to a height of 750 feet; its E. prospect for two thirds of its altitude has a somewhat conical appearance, and then suddenly projects into two peaks, the N. one being called Fort George, the S. Fort Charlotte or Monkey Hill. At the foot and between these prominences is a plain of quadrangular shape, compassing about an acre of land, having on its E. skirts the barracks (denominated Bedlam), for 220 men. fortifications are very strong, and there is a tank within the ramparts capable of containing 90,000 gallons of water. Monkey hill is the S. termination The of a range of great mountains, which increase in height towards the N., and thicken together in enormous masses in the centre of the island. The apex of this rude pyramid is the awful crag of Mount Misery, which is bare, black, and generally visible whilst the under parts of the mountain are enveloped in clouds. It may, indeed, be termed a tremendous precipice of 3,000 feet, shooting slantingly forward over the mouth of a volcanic chasm, like a vast aerial peninsula. The vale of Basseterre is exquisitely beautiful when viewed from the hills of Mary Cayon, it has been said that there is no place on earth which can surpass the richness and cultivated beauty of this lovely scene. Nothing can be better disposed for completing the effect than the plantations are; the tall and moving windmills, the houses of the proprietors, the works and palm-thatched cottages of the negroes embosomed in plantain groves, present the appearance, as indeed they are the substance, of so many country villages in England. On one side is Basseterre, with the ships, on the other the ocean to windward, the mountains behind, in front the broken peninsular termination of the island to the S., the salt lakes gleaming between the opening of the rocks, and Nevis towering majestically over all. There are four rivers in the isle, two at Oldroad, in the parish of St. Thomas, middle island; another at the small village of St. Mary's (Cayon), and the fourth (Pelhans) at Palmetto point, Trinity parish. In rainy weather few plantations are without their running streams. In the low lands springs are plentiful, but some of their waters unfit for drinking, owing to strong saline impregnations. The water in common use (as is the case in most of our West India possessions) is rain water, collected from the houses, preserved in large tanks, and of wholesale quality. IV. This isle is unquestionably of igneous origin; immense layers of volcanic ashes are found in every parish, and the soil is chiefly of a dark grey loam, extremely porous. At Sandy Point, St. Ann's parish, there are alternate layers of this loam and ashes, to the depth of 75 feet, on a substratum of gravel. This compost is considered the best in the West Indies for the cultivation of sugar. Clay is found in considerable quantities in the high or mountain land, while the low lands are entirely deficient of it. Among the mountains in the centre of the island there is one which contains mines of sulphur, and there is another not far distant from Fort Charles, in which there is said to be a mine of silver. In the N. E. there are very fine salt ponds, which produce most excellent salt; one of these is more than 100 acres in extent, surrounded with several lesser ponds. The structure of Brimstone Hill consists of granite, limestone, primary rock, schistus, volcanic ashes and madrepores, with a very small proportion of alluvial deposits on a few spots. V. From the smallness of the isle and its elevation above the sea, St. Kitt's is extremely dry and healthy; the mean temperature on the coast is 80, but the mornings and evenings of the hottest days are agreeably cool. The coldest month is February the warmest August. The winds for the greater part of the year are from the N. E. and S. E.; and although the isle is, from its position, within the range of the hurricanes, yet by these storms the air is tempered and purified, and health is the natural result. The rains that fall are more frequent than heavy, and the bracing qualities of the atmosphere are pourtrayed in the ruddy complexions of the inhabitants and the vigorous strength of body which they possess. In VI. The number of inhabitants was at one period, particularly as regards whites, very numerous. 1673, there were in the island 496 men able to bear arms, and 352 negroes; in 1707, whites 1,416, negroes 2,861; in 1720, W. 2,740, N. 7,321; in 1724, W. 4,000, militia 1,200, N. 11,500; in 1730, W. 3,677, N. 14,663; in 1733, W. 3,881, N. 17,335; in 1787, W. 1,912, free coloured 1,908, slaves 20,435; in 1798, slaves 20,435; in 1802, by computation, W. 4,500, free coloured 500, slaves 25,000; in 1805, W. 1,800, free coloured 198, slaves 26,000. Area in square miles and acres, and population of each parish in the island. [B. B. for 1836, Colonial Office.] 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.] Females. Total. Males. Females. Total. Males. Females. Total. Manumission. Decrease by Slave Population of St. Kitt's, from 1819 to 1831.-[Parliamentary Returns.] Increase by Birth. Decrease by Death. VIII. Return of the number of Schools, &c. of the Established Church, at St. Christopher's, in 1836. There are three or four private schools of no great consideration. †The school at Pridie Mornes, is on the confines of St. Peter's parish, in which it may be returned. Return of the Number of Schools under the direction of the Moravian Missionaries. Salary of Schoolmaster or Number of Mode of what County or District. and where situated. School- If supported by Government or Voluntary Contributions, and Amount of each.] Expense of each School. Remarks on the preceding Table by the Moravian Missionaries. - St. Peter and St. George's Basseterre. On account of the severe afflictions, and the loss of two valuable ministers, which our mission in St. Kitts has sustained in the past year, we are sorry to remark, that the schools in the Basseterre district are, at present, not in that order which formerly was maintained, only one minister having been here for nine months, which never has been the case before. St. Mary, Cayon.-It is to be remembered, con cerning defraying the expenses of these schools, that the negroes themselves pay a small part. Some assistance is afforded by the several estates on which schools are established, and the rest is made up from the mission fund. St. John's, Capisterre. — On account of the poor state of the parents here, we have no support from them for being able to keep private schools.-There is also one private night school. Years. IX. Number of Prisoners in the Goal of St. raised by voluntary subscription. There are several small evening schools, where the young people especially, are instructed in reading and writing, and a knowledge of the first principles of religion by catechizing. And on all estates visited by the missionaries, amounting to between 40 and 50, efforts are made to teach the young apprentices the rudiments of religious knowledge. Christopher throughout each year. [B. B.] Total number of Prisoners. No. of Debtors. No. of Misdemeanours. No. of Felons. No. of tried No. of untried Prisoners. Prisoners. Male Fm. Totl. Male Fm. Totl. Male Fm. Totl. Male Fm. Totl. Male Fm. Totl. Male Fm. Totl. 1828 52 7 59 5 36 104 35 139 404 26 296 114 410 4 55 459 4 Nil. X. There is a Lieutenant-Governor, Council of 10, and House of Assembly (24 members), at St. Kitt's, with a deputy from Anguilla. Education and religion are generously encouraged, and the colonists have ever manifested a great deal of public spirit. XI. The revenue of the island is derived from custom duties, licenses, &c. as in our other possessions. |