THE GRENADA HANDBOOK AND DIRECTORY 1946

AREA AND SITUATION

GRENADA, the most southerly of the windward group, situated between the parallels of 12, 30 and 11, 58 N. latitude and between 61, 20 and 61, 35 W. longitude. its is about 21 miles in length, 12 miles wide at its breadth, and contains about 120 square miles. It lies 68 miles S.S.W of St. Vincent and 90 miles north of Trinidad and between it and the former island stretches a chain of small islands called the Grenadines. The southernmost of these, embracing Carriacou, Petite Martinique, Isle of Rhonde and others , are included within the colony of Grenada. Carriacou has an area of some 13 square miles. The capital of Grenada, St. George's, is also the sit of the governor of the Windward Islands.

TOPOGRAPHY

A topographical description of the island of Grenada ( surveyed by Monsieur Pinel in 1763) by order of Government-By lieut. Daniel Patterson. The original document preserved at the Public Works Department of Grenada.

The island is divided into six parishes or Districts, the principle of which is that named Basse-Terre or St. George which contains the city, the Fort and Port. Here also lied the ordinary residence of the Governor General, and the Courts of Judicature.

The District of St. George is situated on the south part of the island, extending 15.3 miles (4.5 Leagues) along the Chemin Royal from the Riviere Dounce to the Riviere de Chermin. It had fourteen Sugar Plantations. Ten had water-mills: besides a great many Coffee Plantations; but none of these were of consequence, except three or four. All of the Coast of Ponte des Salines or Point Salines to the Riviere de Chermin, was dry barren soil, and little inhabited, neither does if afford any other water than that of Wells or Ponds. The Salt Pond produced a great deal of salt, when carefully managed.

The District named Quartier du Megrin or St. David, lies towards the South-East; its coast forms several Points and some Bays capable of receiving small crafts: It extends 12.8 Miles ( Three and half leagues) from Riviere de Chemin to the Riviere de Crochu, which separates it on the North part from the District, Du Grand Marquis, there are several rivers which runs through it, and supplied Ten Sugar Plantations with sufficiency of water; there was also some considerable Coffee Plantations, and many others of less consequences as being but lately established; it is planted about four thousands paces up the hills ( 1.8Miles)

The Quartier Du Grand Marquis or St. Andrew's, situated towards the East, is the most considerable District, as well for Extent, as for the Number and importance of its Plantations: it is four and half leagues long (15.3 Miles), extending from Riviere de Crochu to the Riviere Antione, which separates it on the North side from the District Des Sauteurs. Lands were granted here, 7,000 paces ( 3.31 Miles) up from the Coast, which are in general good. There were however some, from the Town of Grand Marquis to the Riviere du Crochu which were indifferent, as they have been over-wrought and these on the heights as you go towards the great pond are cold and for the most part, bad. Several rivers run through this quarter, which supply 23 Plantations with water, twelve which were considerable , on the account of their produce and income. It contains also many large Coffee Plantations,, and many others of less consequences as being but lately established; it is planted about four thousands paces up the hills ( 1.8Miles)

The Quartier Du Grand Marquis or St. Andrew's, situated towards the East, is the most considerable District, as well for Extent, as for the Number and importance of its Plantations: it is four and half leagues long (15.3 Miles), extending from Riviere de Crochu to the Riviere Antione, which separates it on the North side from the District Des Sauteurs. Lands were granted here, 7,000 paces (3.31 Miles) up from the Coast, which are in general good. There were however some, from the Town of Grand Marquis to the Riviere du Crochu which were indifferent, as they have been over-wrought and these on the heights as you go towards the great pond are cold and for the most part, bad. Several rivers run through this quarter, which supply 23 Plantations with water, twelve which were considerable, on the account of their produce and income. It contains also many large Coffee Plantations, and a great number of small ones. There is but one single harbor where small craft can ride in safety, as a small island shelters it from the winds, which predominate on this part of the island with such violence, as to render it dangerous for any vessel to approach the coast.

The Quartier des Sauteurs, or St. Patrick’s situated in the north part of the island, extends four leagues (13.8 Miles) along the Chemin Royal from the Riviere Antoine to the Riviere de Duquens which separates it on the west form the district Du Grand Pauvre. The lands here are very good, and all granted; but it is not commanded by any high mountains, it has only the great Riviere des Sauteurs that can supply water-mills. It contains 18 Sugar Plantations, 12 of which yield great produce, and several large Coffee Plantations; small craft may anchor in the ports of Des Sauteurs and Levera.

The Quartier du Grand Pauvre or St. Mark, the smallest and least considerable in the island, is situated to the northwest, extending only two leagues (6.9 miles) from the Riviere du Quene, to the Ravine Marans, which separated it on the south side from the district is Ance Gouyaves. It contains six Sugar Plantations, three of which reside there are poor, and unable to defray the expenses of working the land, which is mountainous; the soil is nevertheless tolerably good.

The Quartier de l’Ance Gouyave, or St. John, situated to the west of the island, extends about two and a half leagues (8.6 Miles) from Ravina Marans to the Riviere Deuce. This quarter as well as the foregoing one, is but of little importance with regard to the number of its settlements : and though it is watered by several rivers , yet is contains but nine Sugar Plantations, the best of which are much less considerable than those which are on the Windward side of the Island. The land, being great intersected with mountains makes it very difficult to bring the settlements to perfection; There are only three or four Coffee or Cocoa Plantations which are of any consequence: and many of these lately planted on the heights produce very little, as the land is very cold , and requires a great deal of labor to keep it in order. The entire coast from the Grand Pauvre to the Basse Terre, is of easy access, there being all along, good anchorage.

The island of Grenada is in structure a moderately eroded volcanic pile, and is somewhat mountainous. The principle point Morne Ste. Catherine (2,749 feet), rises in the northern part of the island as the centre of a massif surrounded by lesser peaks ridges. South of this massif is a low col, where Belvedere ridge crosses the island, and beyond it the land rises again into a low curving ridge – or system of ridges- running first towards the south and then bending round to the east and north-east. This contains numerous peaks and high points- Fedon’s Camp, Morne Quaqua (2,412 feet)- Mt. Sinai (2,300 Feet) and south east Mountain (2,359 feet)- and embraces several ole crater base one of which is still occupied by a lake known as Grand Etang. From the central mountains the land descends to the sea. This is not strictly any coastal plain, though there are lowlands in the north-east at Levera and in the south-west where a long peninsula runs out to Point Saline. Except in the higher parts of the mountains, slopes are for the most part sufficiently gently to permit of development of agriculture.

The Grenadines are based upon a submarine ridge which only submerged to a depth’s about 20 fathoms. The island themselves are evidently highly eroded remnants, as evidenced by the irregular and “piton”- dominated landscapes.

GEOLOGY

With the exception of a few beds of limestone’s, which are very small extent, Grenada and the Grenadines are of volcanic origin. Grenada shows clear evidence of a number of distinct phases of volcanism, but for the most part appears to be intermediate in age between St. Lucia and St. Vincent. Volcanic activity is extinct and leaves only a few cold carbonic springs its last traces. Earthquake shocks were felt in 1867 and 1888, both cases centered beneath St. George’s harbor, which is the center of an old crater. Other old craters are still plainly visible near Grand Etang and at Lake Antoine. Much of the erupted matter consisted of massive lavas- basalt, augite-andesite  and hornblende-andesite- which occupy the centre is the island. Coastally the deposits are agglomerate, ash and turf. Small deposits of marine coralliferous limestone sod Pleistocene age occur in the north at an elevation of 600 feet.

It is thought possible that Grenada may have been connected to the mainland of South Americas during the Pliocene times.

The Grenadines consist of fine-grained volcanic ashes which were originally laid down under the sea.  Carriacou is capped about 600 feet with similar to those of Grenada, indicating a Pleistocene submergence which must completely have drowning these islands. The Grenadines are very deeply eroded. The surface ashes have been worn away to expose a number of residual phases whose hard lava cores stand up as pitons.

The island of Grenada is eroded to a moderate extent. The areas have reached based level and slopes have been reduced to intermediate erosional stage of moderate steepness.

The agricultural soils have been studied by Hardy, McDonald and Rodriguez (The Cacao soils of Grenada 1932).  Red earth occurs predominantly in the centre of the island and shoal soil around the coast; these both are the result of intense weathering of volcanic rock materials, the former under a region of high rain-falls and the latter under one of low. The profile of the red earth shows a dark brown, humic surface horizon grading imperceptibly into the bright red, clayey parent soil, which is highly acidic, remarkably crumbly, friable and porous down to a great dept. A shoal soil has a A-horizon consisting of a dark humic clay, overlying at quite a shallow depth a B-horizon that has become sealed up hard by illuviation. Neither of these two types is properly a fertile soil, but it would appear that un most areas in Grenada weathering has not proceeded to its final stage-nothing like as far, for example, as in St. Lucia –and the soil are by no means as intractable as in that island. The well-cultivated aspect of Grenada testifies to the productivity of the land.

HISTORY

1498

The existence of Grenada was brought to the knowledge of the Old world by Christopher Columbus, who sighted the Island on August 15, 1498, but did not touch at it. On his voyage, which began on May 30, 1498, the first land made by the great navigator was Trinidad, on July 31. He entered the Gulf of Paria from the south, and, after cruising about the shores of Trinidad and the mainland, he passed through the Boca del Dragon, the northern outlet of the gulf, on the afternoon of August 14. The next morning , being the feast of assumption of the virgin, while standing to the northward, he saw to the north-east, many leagues distant, two islands, which he called ‘Assumption’ and ‘ Conception’ the former being Tobago and the latter Grenada. He then preceded westward, discovering Margarita and Cubagua while en route for Hispaniola.

           For more than 100 years after its discovery by Columbus the aboriginal inhabitants, who were of the Carib race, were left in undisturbed possession of the island, to which they are said to have been attracted in great numbers on account of the superior hunting and fishing obtainable there as compared with the adjacent islands. The Spaniards were, no doubt , fully occupied with their more important conquests on the American continent and the larger islands of the Caribbean Sea , and as yet other European nations had not joined in the race for acquisition of new territory among fertile beautiful lands.

1609

According to a document in the British Museum, written by Major John Scott, historiographer to Charles ii, the first attempt to colonise Grenada was made by a company of London merchant, who equipped three ships and dispatched them with that objective. They reached Grenada on April 1, 1609, and landed 208 colonists, but these were persistently hunted by the Caribs that they were compelled to abandon the settlement and return to England, what was left them arriving in London on December 15, 1609.

1626

About the year 1626 both the English and French appear to have set covetous eyes on the unappropriated island of Grenada, and we find it included among the theoretical possessions of the French ‘Company of the Islands of America’, founded in that year by Cardinal Richelieu, while in the following year it was included in the general grant of the Caribbees made to the Earl of Carlisle by King Charles I. Neither nation, however, took any further steps until 1638, when a Frenchman named Polney attempted to effect a landing, but was driven off by the Caribs, who thus secured further immunity from attack for twelve years.