, 1872-09-25

NNNOS
to exact rather much, but it cannot even
be said of them collectively through the
Agricultural Society, nor of any of our
Governors. As far as [ know, there is 3
general impression that more rain falls on
the North than on the South Side, of this
island, and that there is some equally vague
impression that this phenomenon must be
owing to the fact that the Northside Hills
are more wooded than those in the East
end Quarter. Governor Rawson knows d
greatdeai more Of Barbados. He can tell ex-
actly how much rain has fallen every year,
and in such part of the year on such
or such plateau or plain so and so many
years back. He can thus tell exactly
whether there has been any diminution or
increase in the rainfall in Barbados gener-
ally, or in any part of it in particular dur
ing a period sufficiently long to enable
him to deduce important results therefrom.
That this IS great stepin the progress ofthe
aIl-lmportant question of water-supply, I
suppose will be generally admitted. But
Governor Rawson has not stopped there.
He also knows the situation, depth and
other circumstances of every we'll in the is
land; knows exactly from what plateau such
q we'll Is fed, how much water it will Weld
under ordinary circumstances, if it has
ever been dry, or how much it increases or
dIminiShes from external circumstances,
such as the raintall.-That Governor Raw
son is on the way to render this water sup
ply question a scientific one in Barbados,
l hope to have now shown not that [ have
in any way done Justice to the Governor
and his eXertlons In this direction, but still
have given some few features of his poll
cy on this point, which may perhaps by
jokers be called aquatic, but it is for that
very reason the right kind fog Barbados and
would be for st. CroiX.
In the foregoing | have shown how
Governor Rawson has followed the ~yitaliz-
Ing element from the clouds, as you NAV
say, to the reservoir into which it is stored
In the ISIand-tor What are the p~Iateaux and
hlII-sldes from this point of view, but the
area, SO to say the roof, on which the
water Is gathered, and what are the lower
lands with their substrata of coral stone, in
Barbados as in st. Croix, but the reservoir
and clstern into which the water is gather
ed and stored up? [ have here for the
first time asserted that this geological fea-
ture of Barbados and St. Croix are identi-
cal. This is a bold assertion, | know, a
mere theory, and as such | now usher it
into the world, inviting those who may be
In possession of facts either to support or
condemn the theory, to come forward with
the same pro bono pubhco. | shall not
shed a tear at seeing my theoretical fabric
demolished and shattered to pieces by some
powerful scientific Hercules. What is
more, [ shall receive with gratitude any
contributions in either direction from those
also who have no title to the epithet. In fact,
knowing how much we have to do before
we reach the Barbadians with their Rain
fall Governor, [ believe that at the present
stage of this question, all can be done by
our planters through the Agricultural So
clety, which [ hereby take the liberty re-
specially to invite to come forward to do
their duty in the good work, and | beg to
extend my invitation to our rulers who
could, no doubt, exercise a vivifying In
Huence on the whole matter.
1t is just possible that there NAV be
those who may say: But what is the use
of our taking all this trouble3 We know
already pretty nearly how much rain falls
In the different localities, although we do
our best, as a rule, to hide it from one an
other. We also know where there are