December 27, Another fire completed the ruin of Bridgetown. 1769. An unsuccessful attempt made to import to Barbados some of the rich soil of Dutch Guiana. 1770. Value of exports to Great Britain from this island £311,012, to America £119,828, and to the other islands £1173. 1772. Great Britain imported from her colonies 1,760,345 cwt. of sugar, from whence she derived a revenue of £513,436. 1773. Population of Barbados 18532 whites, 68,548 slaves. Edward Hay, Esq. appointed Governor, vice Admiral Spry. 1775. Crops bad; only 6,400 pots of sugar, of 70lbs. each, made on thirty-one estates; one estate usually makes more. 1780. October 10, A dreadful hurricane laid all waste; it destroys nearly all the live stock and 4326 inhabitants; loss to the colony estimated at £1,320,564 sterling. Number of negroes in Barbados 68,284. 1781. Negro population 63,208 persons. December 5, Rear Admiral Hood arrives with his fleet. 1783. Number of slaves 62,258. 1784. Sir J. Steele introduces the system of voluntary task work among his negroes; number of slaves 61,808. Part of an estate called Crab Hole, under Hackleton's Cliff, slipped in the direction from north to south several hundred yards. 1785. Number of negroes 62,775. 1786. Number of negroes 62,115. Prince William Henry arrived in the West Indies as Captain of the Pegasus frigate. Population of Barbados 16,167 whites, 833 free. people of color. September 2, Great damage done among the houses and shipping by a hurricane; a splendid meteor appeared from behind a dark cloud during forty minutes. 1787. In a medium of four years the annual import of slaves to this island was 367, export 5; population 16,127 whites, 2229 free colored people, 64,405 slaves. 1788. Number of negroes 64,405; valuation of pro perty, patented estates taxed per acre, £106,470; negroes 90,000; population 25,000 whites, 75,000 blacks and colored people. 1789. A Methodist meeting-house built by subscription and opened on August 16th; discouraged by the inhabitants; blacks forbidden to attend; Bar-bados exported. 6,400 hhds of sugar; nearly all the island, consisting of 106,470 acres, reported as cultivated. 1790. Moravian missionaries have a congregation of forty baptized negroes with numerous others. Sir J. Steele registers his slaves as copyholders; gives them grants of land, and abolishes arbitrary punishment; plan succeeds. 1791. Missionaries' congregation 44 adults, 3 children. 1792. April, King George, slave ship, wrecked to windward of the island; 280 slaves drowned'; number of slaves in Barbados 65,074. 1796. Number of Methodists 50; sixteen French privateers taken this year. 1797. Methodists think of quitting the island; numbers reduced to 21. 1798. Value of slaves in Barbados estimated at £2,484,600. Methodist preacher leaves the island. 1799. Barbadoes exports 11,400 hhds. of sugar. 1800. Nov. 29, Lord Seaforth appointed Governor. Methodists again attempt to establish themselves without success. 1801. Manumission tax for males £200 a head, for females £300. 1 Methodist preacher lands and is promised the protection of the Governor. 1802. Methodists increase to 36; chapel repaired. Governor proposes a law "to make the murder of a slave felony;" Assembly resent the proposal. 1803. The imports of slaves in a medium of two years, to Barbados 1050 per annum, exports 28. 1804. Methodists in society amount to 49. 1805. Act passed making the murder of a slave death to the perpetrator; Barbados exported 9000 hhds. of sugar. Population 15,000 whites, 2130 people of color, 60,000 negroes. 1806. Methodists, in number, 20 whites, 21 colored people. 1807. Methodists continue to decrease. 1808. October 8, Lieutenant General George Beckwith appointed Governor. 1809. Number of slaves this year 69,369. 1810. An act passed to repeal an act which prohihibited Quakers from carrying negroes to their meetings. Number of slaves 69,149. 1811. Free people of color petition to be admitted as witnesses in courts of law; petition rejected. Scarcity of provisions, and a long drought. Negro congregation of the Church of the United Brethren of Sharon; number, 147 females, 74 males. .1 Population 13,794 whites, slaves 69,132, free people of color 2,613; total of inhabitants 87,539. CHAPTER IV. CHRONOLOGY OF ST. VINCENT, from a.d. 1596 To A. D. 1812. Universal History, AUTHORITIES. Coke, and Southey. Parliamentary Documents, - African Institution Reports, Colonial Returns, THE Island of St. Vincent was discovered on the 22d of January, by the Spaniards, and so called from that day, being the feast of St. Vincent. 1596. The ship Darling touched at St. Vincent in her way from Guiana to England. 1643. M. de Bretigny, on his way to take the com mand at Cayenne, touched at St. Vincent. 1655. Du Parquet sends 150 men under Lieut. Pier riere to destroy the Charaibs; French land, defeat the natives, ravage the island, and return to Martinique. 1656. Mortality among the Pelicans; shores of St. Vincent covered with their dead bodies. 1660. March 31, Peace between the Charaibs, English, and French; St. Vincent left in possession of the natives. |