'I he higher portions of the island are covered with dense forests and underwood. The soil is for the most part exceedingly fertile. The most important productions of Trinidad are the sugar-cane, coffee, and cocoa. Indigo, tobacco, and cotton aro raised in small quantities. The nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves have been introduced, and succeed remarkably well ; and vines from France and Spain grow in groat perfection. The wild animals are, two species of small deer, the pars, an animal a little larger than a hare, the opossum, armadillo, porcupine, ant-bear, sloth, musk-rat, tiger-cat, peccary, water-dog, monkeys in great numbers, and two species of lizards. The shores abound in fish, among which are some varieties of the shark.
Besides the anchorage of the gulf, in which vessels of all sizes may ride securely, Trinidad has three excellent harbours : Puerta d'Espalia, within the northern promontory, on the west coast, and on the south coast Chaguaramas, near its western extremity, and Guayaguayera, protected by Point Galeota, at the eastern extremity. The ports of Cumana, Rio Grande, and Toco on the north-east coast, and Maqueribe and Las Cuevas on the north coast, are inferior. Las Cuevas is defended by a fort.
The settled parts of the island, which occupy chiefly the north. west coast and the adjacent valley of the Carom, with some detached spots along the south-west coast, are divided into 8 counties. Along the principal road, which extends outward from Port of Spain along the north side of the Caroni, are the towns of San Junn, San Joseph and Arima, of which San Joseph, population 307 in 1851, is the most considerable. San Fernando, anotherprincipal town, populatioe 2577 in 1551, stands above 20 miles S. from Port- of Spain, on the shoro of the gulf. Port of Spain, one of the finest towns in the West Indite, is situated near the mouth of the Caroni, on the shore of a bay environed with bills, and consists of wide and well-kept streets, regularly laid out, and some of them shaded with rows of trees. The houses are built of stone or brick. It contains an English
and a Roman Catholic church, both handsome buildings ; a United Presbyterian and a Methodist church ; a Church of England boys school ; three Infant schools ; two Roman Catholic schools ; the govemmeut-house ; the court-house ; the royal jail and lunatic asylum •, the colonial hospital ; an excellent market-house of stone ; and numerous stores. In the neighbourhood are the botanist gardens, St. James's barracks, and Fort George, which rises in a series of batteries on a height, commanding the valley, and forming the principal defence of the island. The population in 1851 was 17,563.
The affairs of the Wand are administered by a governor and a counoil of 12 members, acting nodes the orders of the imperial govern ment. The members of council. of whom six are official and six are chosen from among the inhabitants, are removeable at the plea.suro of the crown. The laws are partly English and partly Spanish, and are administered by a chief justice, two puiene judges, and six stipen diary justices, including a Coolie megiAtmte. The Church of England has 11 clergy In the island, including the archdeacon and several rectors, who are subject to the Bishop of Barhadoes. According to the Return of the Census, taken on let July, 1851, it appears that the following is the state of the population in reference to religious pro fession :—Church of Rome, 43,605; Church of England, 16,240; Gentoo, 2649; Wesleyan, 2508; Presbyterian, 1017; Mohammedan, 1010; Heathen, 880; Baptist, 148; Independent, 133. The amount of revenue for the year 1852 was 107,311/. ; the expenditure was 110,944/. The value of imports for the year 1852 was 493,2741., of exports 458,8511.
Trinidad was discovered by Columbus in 1498, when it contained a numerous aboriginal population. It was first colonised in 1588, by the Spaniards ; in 1676 it was taken by the French, but almost imme diately restored, and in 1797 it was taken by the British, in whose possession it has since remained.