The first men of the island connived at the violence--secretly rejoicing in what they supposed would be the extermination of Methodism from the country.
The governor, Sir Henry Ward, utterly refused to interfere, and would not suffer the militia to repair to the spot, though a mere handful of soldiers could have instantaneously routed the whole assemblage.
The occasion of this riot was partly the efforts made by the Wesleyans to instruct the negroes, and still more the circumstance of a letter being written by Mr.Shrewsbury, and published in an English paper, which contained some severe strictures on the morals of the Barbadians.
A planter informed us that the riot grew out of a suspicion that Mr.S.
was "leagued with the Wilberforce party in England." Since the re-establishment of Wesleyanism in this island, it has continued to struggle against the opposition of the Bishop, and most of the clergy, and against the inveterate prejudices of nearly the whole of the white community.

The missionaries have been discouraged, and in many instances absolutely prohibited from preaching on the estates.

These circumstances have greatly retarded the progress of religious instruction through their means.

But this state of things had been very much altered since the abolition of slavery.

There are several estates now open to the missionaries.