le much, if not
all, of this might be remedied. It may be asked, how is this to be
effected? and I answer--by justice, resolution, patriotism, and
disinterestedness. Never can this wretched state of affairs be remedied
so long as taxes on the necessaries of life are heaped on an
impoverished population. Never can the peasantry raise their heads with
a contented aspect, whilst every animate and inanimate thing around them
is taxed to the utmost. Not only is there a tax on land, and on the
shipment of its produce, on houses, outhouses, and gardens, on horned
cattle and horses, but on asses and pigs; and the severest penalties are
enacted for concealment or suppression in the returns. Officials are
employed for the gathering of pittances which do not defray the expense
of collection. The harbour dues and exactions are such that no vessel,
when it can be avoided, is brought into the Port of Kingston;
consequently, though Jamaica is admirably situated, even more favourably
than St. Thomas, the former port is abandoned, whilst that of the latter
is filled with the shipping of all nations."

Lord Dundonald detailed the substance of these opinions in a letter to
Earl Grey, the Secretary for the Colonies. "I have to thank your
lordship," Lord Grey replied, "for your letter. The observations of a
person of your lordship's knowledge and experience upon the present
state of our colonies are most interesting and useful to me. I am aware
that there exists much distress in the West Indies at present; but I am
sorry to say I do not see what Parliament can do towards removing it,
beyond freeing their trade from the remaining restrictions by the repeal
of the Navigation Laws, which I hope will now be soon accomplished. I
own I quite differ from your lordship as to the propriety of restoring
to the planters the monopoly in the British market they formerly
enjoyed, and I believe that the permanent interests of these colonies
would be injured instead of being advanced by doing so."

CHAPTER XXIX.

LORD DUNDONALD'S RETURN FROM AMERICA.--HIS ARGUMENTS FOR THE RELIEF OF
THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES AND THE WEST INDIA TRADE.--THE TRINIDAD
BITUMEN.--LORD DUNDONALD'S OTHER SCIENTIFIC PURSUITS AND VIEWS.

[1851-1853.]

The Earl of Dundonald's time of service as Admiral of the West Indian
and North American Stations expired in April, 1851. On the 31st of
December, 1850, Sir Francis Baring wrote to inform him that Sir George
Seymour had