REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE.

233

The parliamentary return whence the foregoing is derived, gives minute statistics for each parish, the aggregate of which is (for 1826), births, 299; marriages, 34; deaths, 219. Persons employed in agriculture, 689; manufactures, 71; commerce, 591. Number of scholars, males, 274; females, 233. Acres of land in onions, 50; arrow-root, 51; potatoes, 197; barley and oats, 57; garden vegetables, 106; total acres, 461: the produce of which was, onions, 328,830 lbs. at 6s. 8d. per 100 lbs.; arrow-root, 18,174 lbs. at 1s. 8d. per lb. ; potatoes, 10,404 bushels, at 4s. 4d. per bushel; barley, 435 bushels, at ditto; garden vegetables, 65,800 lbs. at 1d. per lb. Number of horses, 250; horned cattle, 1538; sheep, 228; and goats, 199. The colonial revenue is about 10,000l. per annum, of which 6,0007. is derived from custom duties.

Bermudas gross revenue and expenditure in pounds sterling :—

• The civil list voted by the Imperial Parliament in August

1836, for the Bermudas, was 44497.

MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT.

Return of the numbers

and distribution of the effective force, officers, noncommissioned officers, and rank and file, of the British army, including Colonial corps, in each year since 1815, including artillery and engineers.

Officers present, or on detached duty at the Stations.

*Garrisoned by the Royal Marines.

The value of the trade inwards in 1832, was 102,7427.; outwards, 13,7847.; and the shipping inward, 16,257 tons. In 1825 there was of sugar exported 406,347 lbs.; of rum. 113,636 gallons; of molasses, 7,744 lbs. ; and of coffee, 9,400. This amount of staple West India produce has of late years diminished.

The colonists have their own Legislative Assembly

THE LEGISLATURE.

235

and Council. The Council consists of eight members and a president; the Legislative Assembly of thirtysix members, returned by nine parishes, into which the island is divided. A member must have property to the amount of 2001. currency per annum; and an elector must possess a landed property of 40l. per annum. The men are distinguished for their industry, the women for their beauty, and both sexes are celebrated for their morals and hospitality. There is an establishment for convicts at the Bermudas; the hulks stationed at Ireland's Island are in number three, and at St. George's one. The number of prisoners is about 1500; the expense of them 20,000l. a-year, and their labour is valued at 26,000l. per annum.

There are two Wesleyan missionaries at Bermuda, who have seven schools, with fifty-nine teachers, 200 boys, and 332 girls in them.

I have included the Bermudas among the North American Colonies, although the climate is tropical, and a large part of the population emancipated negroes. But the islands are included among our North American Colonies in nautical and ecclesiastical affairs. As a maritime station they are of the highest value to England.

BOOK VI.

NEWFOUNDLAND AND THE LABRA

DOR COAST.

CHAPTER I.

GEOGRAPHICAL POSITION AND AREA-GENERAL HISTORY, &c. -DIPLOMATIC NEGOCIATIONS RESPECTING FISHERIES, &c.

NEWFOUNDLAND Isle, lying on the north-east side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, between the parallels of 46° 40′ to 59° 31′ north latitude, and the meridians of 52° 44′ to 59° 31′ longitude west of Greenwich, is bounded on the whole eastern shore by the Atlantic Ocean; on the north-east and north it is sepa rated from the coast of Labrador by the Strait of Belleisle (which is about fifty miles long by twelve broad); on the north-west by the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and on the south-west it approaches at Cape Ray towards Cape Breton Isle, so as to form the main entrance from the Atlantic Ocean into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Newfoundland is the nearest part of America to Europe, the distance from St. John's in Newfoundland, to Port Valentia on the west coast of Ireland, being 1656 miles, and which might be traversed