what was in the main a formal rejoinder to its misrepresentations
published only three months ago in this city. I venture to believe
that no serious work in defence of an [22] important cause or
community can lose much, if anything, of its intrinsic value through
some delay in its issue; especially when written in the vindication
of Truth, whose eternal principles are beyond and above the influence
of time and its changes.

At any rate, this attempt to answer some of Mr. Froude's main
allegations against the people of the West Indies cannot fail to be
of grave importance and lively interest to the inhabitants of those
Colonies. In this opinion I am happy in being able to record the
full concurrence of a numerous and influential body of my fellow-West
Indians, men of various races, but united in detestation of falsehood
and injustice.

J.J.T.

LONDON, June, 1889.



BOOK I: INTRODUCTION

[27] Like the ancient hero, one of whose warlike equipments furnishes
the complementary title of his book, the author of "The English in
the West Indies; or, The Bow of Ulysses," sallied forth from his home
to study, if not cities, at least men (especially black men), and
their manners in the British Antilles.