People who like to be alone have these 6 special personality traits

In terms of our personalities and how we approach others, we are often placed in one of two categories:

Introvert or Extrovert.

Is it possible to be a little bit of both? Have you ever wondered what qualities specifically make up each and what they indicate?

In this article, we reveal what it means to be one of those fascinating people who like to be alone and challenge the perceptions that they’re lonely, depressed, and full of anxiety.

Do you have a friend who would rather stay in over shared cups of tea and pass up the Music Festival of the year? Do you enjoy your own time so much that you’ll travel alone, go to dinner and have a glass of wine for one, as well as catch the occasional film with nobody by your side? If so, I am right there with you, because I do all of the above, but the problem is…

People who love to spend time alone have to explain themselves as if it goes against a societal expectation of what’s normal and what’s not.

Here are some great qualities of people who like to spend time alone:

1. They’re Extremely Loyal
They don’t very often have a wide social circle, and if they do, you won’t find them out every night of the week with large groups, lining up for the hottest club opening. They instead seek out meaningful and trustworthy friends who they feel comfortable to welcome into their space and share details of their life with. If you have a friend who likes to spend time alone, you can guarantee that this person will be there for you through thick and thin.

2. Surprise! They’re Open to New Ideas
Just because they cherish their quiet time doesn’t mean they won’t do something new and exciting. They just make sure to have their quiet time before taking the plunge into a highly social activity.

For more inspirational articles on mindfulness and self-improvement, like Hack Spirit on Facebook:

3. They Have a Level Head
They spend so much quiet time on their own, taking the time to navigate and contemplate situations, problems, and to really tap into who they are and what they want. They have a strong sense of self and confidence that radiates from within. When they’re feeling stressed or the weight of the world is closing in? They spend time alone to recharge instead of filling their day with distractions.

They’re great workers, and they’re certain career choices that suit introverts.

4. They Are Comfortable With Their Own Thoughts
I’m sure we’ve all come across that person who can’t stand to be alone with their own thoughts. People who like to spend time alone, particularly in the quiet, display a clear conscience and do not struggle with their inner thoughts. Of course, we can all have down days, but they tend to be able to navigate themselves out of any slump.

5. They Understand The Value of Time. Yours and Theirs
You’ll notice a word that keeps coming up in each point. The word is ‘time’. People who spend time alone understand and appreciate it’s value. They put a high priority on making that time available for them to function at their highest level and best self; so, when you are giving your time, they understand what you’ve given up for them. They have a deep sense of making sure not to waste your time or to spend time with people who are wasting theirs.

6. They Exercise Strong Boundaries
All of that time alone gives these people the space to think about what motivates them, what works and what doesn’t, and how to properly communicate this. You’ll find that they have strong and healthy boundaries and they exercise their right to communicate these in a really healthy and clear manner.

Have your perceptions changed? Can you see any of these qualities in yourself or a friend?

We all have a different approach to life; celebrating our differences is what’s it’s all about.

And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't want to go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
And sooner or later it's over
I just don't wanna miss you tonight

He was the author of our doom and he should have been charged with failing to protect this nation from the domestic threat that the AIDS epidemic was. In his ignorance and bigotry he thought the the disease was god's punishment for queers and junkies.
A shit stain on our nations backside just like the one in office now.

Did You Know: Roselle (Sorrel)

Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is a species of Hibiscus native to West Africa

The plant is considered to have antihypertensive properties. In some places, the plant is primarily cultivated for the production of bast fibre from the stem of the plant. The fibre may be used as a substitute for jute in making burlap. Hibiscus, specifically roselle, has been used in folk medicine as a diuretic, and mild laxative.

Uses

The red calyces of the plant are increasingly exported to the United States and Europe, where they are used as food colourings. Germany is the main importer. It can also be found in markets (as flowers or syrup) in some places such as France, where there are Senegalese immigrant communities.

The green leaves are used like a spicy version of spinach. They give flavour to the Senegalese fish and rice dish thieboudienne. Proper records are not kept, but the Senegalese government estimates national production and consumption at 700 t (770 short tons) per year. Also in Burma their green leaves are the main ingredient in making chin baung kyaw curry.

In East Africa, the calyx infusion, called "Sudan tea", is taken to relieve coughs. Roselle juice, with salt, pepper, asafoetida and molasses, is taken as a remedy for biliousness.

The heated leaves are applied to cracks in the feet and on boils and ulcers to speed maturation. A lotion made from leaves is used on sores and wounds. The seeds are said to be diuretic and tonic in action and the brownish-yellow seed oil is claimed to heal sores on camels. In India, a decoction of the seeds is given to relieve dysuria, strangury and mild cases of dyspepsia. Brazilians attribute stomachic, emollient and resolutive properties to the bitter roots.

Vegetable:
In Andhra cuisine, Hibiscus sabdariffa, called gongura, is extensively used. The leaves are steamed along with lentils and cooked with dal. The other unique dish prepared is gongura pachadi, it is prepared by mixing fried leaves with spices and made into a gongura pacchadi, the most famous dish of Andhra cuisine and is often described as king of all Andhra foods.
In Burmese cuisine, called chin baung ywet (lit. sour leaf), the roselle is widely used and considered an affordable vegetable for the population. It is perhaps the most widely eaten and popular vegetable in Burma. The leaves are fried with garlic, dried or fresh prawns and green chili or cooked with fish. A light soup made from roselle leaves and dried prawn stock is also a popular dish.

Among the Bodo tribals of Bodoland, Assam (India) the leaves of both hibiscus sabdariffa and hibiscus cannabinus are cooked along with chicken, fish, crab or pork, one of their traditional cuisines.

In the Philippines,the leaves and flowers are used to add sourness to chicken dish "Tinola" (Polynesian Chicken Stew).

Beverage:
In the Caribbean, sorrel drink is made from sepals of the roselle. In Malaysia, roselle calyces are harvested fresh to produce pro-health drink due to high contents of vitamin C and anthocyanins. In Mexico, 'agua de Flor de Jamaica' (water flavored with roselle) frequently called "agua de Jamaica" is most often homemade. It is prepared by boiling dried sepals and calyces of the Sorrel/Flower of Jamaica plant in water for 8 to 10 minutes (or until the water turns red), then adding sugar. It is often served chilled. This is also done in Saint Kitts and Nevis, Guyana, Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago where it is called 'sorrel' (for Jamaica, it was introduced by Akan slaves in the late 1600s).

The drink is one of several inexpensive beverages (aguas frescas) commonly consumed in Mexico and Central America, and they are typically made from fresh fruits, juices or extracts. A similar thing is done in Jamaica but additional flavor is added by brewing the tea with ginger and adding rum. It is a popular drink of the country at Christmas time. It is also very popular in Trinidad & Tobago but cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves are preferred to ginger.

In Mali, Senegal, The Gambia, Burkina Faso and Benin calyces are used to prepare cold, sweet drinks popular in social events, often mixed with mint leaves, dissolved menthol candy, and/or various fruit flavors. The Middle Eastern and Sudanese drink "Karkade"(كركديه) is a cold drink made by soaking the dried Karkade calyces in cold water over night in a refrigerator with sugar and some lemon or lime juice added.It is then consumed with or without ice cubes after the flowers have been strained. In Lebanon, sometimes toasted pine nuts are tossed into the drink. Roselle is also used in Nigeria to make a refreshing drink known as Zobo.

With the advent in the U.S. of interest in south-of-the-border cuisine, the calyces are sold in bags usually labeled "Flor de Jamaica" and have long been available in health food stores in the U.S. for making a tea that is high in vitamin C. This drink is particularly good for people who have a tendency, temporary or otherwise, toward water retention: it is a mild diuretic.

In addition to being a popular homemade drink, Jarritos, a popular brand of Mexican soft drinks, makes a Flor de Jamaica flavored carbonated beverage. Imported Jarritos can be readily found in the U.S.
In the UK, the dried calyces and ready-made sorrel syrup are widely and cheaply available in Caribbean and Asian grocers. The fresh calyces are imported mainly during December and January in order to make Christmas and New Year infusions, which are often made into cocktails with additional rum. They are very perishable, rapidly developing fungal rot, and need to be used soon after purchase – unlike the dried product, which has a long shelf-life.

In Africa, especially the Sahel, roselle is commonly used to make a sugary herbal tea that is commonly sold on the street. The dried flowers can be found in every market. Roselle tea is also quite common in Italy where it spread during the first decades of the 20th century as a typical product of the Italian colonies. The Carib Brewery Trinidad Limited, a Trinidad and Tobago brewery, produces a Shandy Sorrel in which the tea is combined with beer.

In Thailand, roselle is generally drunk as a cool drink, but also as a tea, believed to also reduce cholesterol. It can also be made into a wine.
Hibiscus flowers are commonly found in commercial herbal teas, especially teas advertised as berry-flavoured, as they give a bright red colouring to the drink.

Rosella flowers are sold as Wild Hibiscus flowers in syrup in Australia as a gourmet product. Recipes include filling them with goats cheese, serving them on baguette slices baked with brie, & placing one plus a little syrup, in a champagne flute before adding the champagne when the bubbles cause the flower to open.

Jam and preserves:
In Nigeria, rosella jam has been made since colonial times and is still sold regularly at community fetes and charity stalls. It is similar in flavour to plum jam, although more acidic.

It differs from other jams in that the pectin is obtained from boiling the interior buds of the rosella flowers. It is thus possible to make rosella jam with nothing but rosella buds and sugar.

In Burma, the buds of the roselle are made into 'preserved fruits' or jams. Depending on the method and the preference, the seeds are either removed or included. The jams, made from roselle buds and sugar, are red and tangy.

"Sorrel jelly" is manufactured in Trinidad.
Rosella jam is also made in Queensland, Australia as a home-made or speciality product sold at fetes and other community events.

Did You Know: Indian Arrival Day in Trinidad and Tobago
"On the 16th February 1845, the Fatal Razack, which means Victory for Allah, set sail from the docks off the city of Calcutta destined for the Caribbean. The ship docked off Port-of-Spain on the 30th May, 1845. It left India with 231 immigrants on board, but 6 died on the voyage and 2 were born. In total 227 immigrants reached Trinidad.
The journey from India to Trinidad was a very perilous and heart rendering one. During this journey, the immigrants were subjected to harsh treatments. They also had to overcome dangerous weather conditions such as hurricanes and cyclones and were subjected to a number of climate changes ranging from the hot weather from the Bay of Bengal to the cold smoggy climate off coasts of South Africa. After that, they headed in a north-westerly direction to the tropics and finally to the Islands.
On board the vessel, the immigrants lived in an incessant state of semi-darkness below decks. It was not possible for them to light lamps because there was a fear that it may cause fire on board, they were forbidden from bringing their own food so by force, they had to eat whatever was prepared for them. They were restricted from moving upwards into the open areas of the vessel because immigrants chose to jump overboard in a desperate effort to swim back to their beloved homeland India.
On board the vessel, little or no regard was shown to the religious and cultural practices of the immigrants. For example, the cook on board the ship had no qualms about preparing beef broth for the nursing Hindu women. Food often deteriorated and became infested with insects or rotted because of poor preservation practices. The treatment of the dead was just as worse in that when an immigrant died at sea, his or her body was just bagged, secured with a heavy stone and flung overboard during the night. The women folks on board became the target of European crewmen who came from the unemployed, illiterate classes of society.
On board the vessel, the hardships and mistreatment that the immigrants had to undergo did not deter them from their purpose. In fact, they emerged stronger and were able to cope with the new problems that they would have to face in the Caribbean. The treacherous journey served as a time for bonding for these immigrants. Their experiences brought them together in a Jahaaji Bhai / Bahin (brother or sister of the boat) bond or Jahaaji Nata (boat relation) that surpassed the divisions of caste, religion and language which was a dividing force in India. Whilst on the estates, these immigrants will seek out their Jahaaji bhai / bahin whom they now considered family and assisted each other in times of difficulties.
After this long journey, the indenture ship finally docked at the Coolie Depot on Nelson Island off the Port of Spain docks. Whilst on the island, the new immigrants were fed and allowed to rest for approximately two weeks before being allocated to the various plantations / estates.This parting was a very sad one because for many of them this would be the last time they would see their Jahaaj (boat).
From the Coolie Depot, the indentured labourers were taken to Port of Spain by their new owners, and from there they travelled to the various estates via train, coastal steamers or horse drawn carriages, each one grasping in their hand the small bundle of clothes and other keepsakes that he / she brought with him / her from their mother-land (Dharti-Maataa) as they slowly disappeared into the various estates. Their hard work and painful life as indentured labourers had just begun."
Source:
(http://www.trinidadexpress.com/…/Leaving-India-260685321.ht…)
CUSTOMS AND FESTIVALS
 The East Indians brought to Trinidad a wide range of festivals and religious observances. For East Indians - both Hindus and Muslims - these celebrations were important. They allowed the immigrants to hold on to the values and principles which had sustained them for centuries. They also served to make the harsh daily life more bearable. Events such as Divali, Eid-ul-Fitr, Phagwa and Hoosay have, over the years, become part of the cultural fabric of Trinidad and Tobago.
East Indians who came to the Caribbean initially came from various regions in India, each with its own language and customs. However, by the late 19th century there was less diversity in language as the majority of immigrants originated from Uttar Pradesh. The inhabitants of this region spoke Bhojpuri, a Hindi dialect, which became the shared and unifying language for East Indians in Trinidad.
The indentured labourers brought not only their religion, food and clothing, but also the names of the places from which they came. They gave to the places they settled in Trinidad, the place names with which they were familiar. Hence the reason for village names such as Fyzabad, Barrackpore, Chandernagore, and many others.
One ancient practice which has recently become a western phenomenon is the Mehndi (or Henna) which is the ancient art of body tattooing. Mehndi powder is made out of dried leaves from a shrub. Traditionally, mehndi is used to decorate the hands and feet of a new bride.
Family and community were very important to the immigrants. They brought the panchayat system which was a way of dealing with with inter-communal conflicts and family problems. They also continued their naming convention of family members. Below is a sample list of Hindu and Muslim names and their meanings.
Aruna - Dawn
 Chandra - Moon
 Indira - Lakshmi
 Indrani - Wife of Indra
 Lalita - Variety, Beauty
 Madhuri - Sweet Girl
 Mohini - Most beautiful, Bewitching
 Prema - Love
 Shanti - Peace Avinash - Endless, Boundless
 Hemaraj - King of Gold
 Manoj - Born of Mind
 Mohan - Charming, Fascinating
 Prakash - Light
 Rajesh - God of Kings
 Saurav - Divine, Celestial
 Sundar - Beautiful
 Vijay - Victory Alia, Aalia - Exalted
 Aneesa - Friendly
 Fareeda - Unique
 Fatima - Name of the Prophet Muhammad's Daughter
 Kaamla - Perfect
 Nadia - The Beginning, First
 Nadira - Rare, Precious
 Rasheeda - Wise, Mature
 Saleema - Safe, Healthy
 Yasmeen - Jasmine
 Zahraa - White Ali - Excellent
 Hamza - Lion
 Hassan - Beautiful
 Jamal - Beauty
 Kareem - Generous, Noble
 Khalid - Eternal
The indentured labourers who came to Trinidad brought with them their own East Indian cuisine, complete with traditional seasonings and ways of cooking. Most important of their spices were the curries. In Trinidad and Tobago most Hindi words in common use today relate to the kitchen and food. Over time foods such as roti, doubles, saheena, katchowrie, barah, anchar and pholourie have become household names and are consumed by a wide cross-section of the society. Today, East Indian dishes are part of the national cuisine of Trinidad and Tobago.

 EAST INDIAN COOKING UTENSILS
 In addition to the their cuisine, the East Indians also have special cooking utensils.
 Tawa
 Belna
 Chauki
 Dabila
 Puchara
 Chulah
 Pukni
 Chimta
 Karahi
 Sup
 Saphee
 Dhall-ghotni
 Okhri
 Musar
 Sil
 Lorha
 Jharu
 Lorha
 Cocoyea broom

Did You Know: Robert Guppy -  the man who named the world famous fish he discovered in T&T

 Robert Lechmere Guppy had no formal scientific training but his meticulous approach to research, coupled with his love of invertebrate palaeontology[1] and geology, allowed him to publish many papers of professional quality. His best known contribution to science was the popularisation of the Guppy fish that bears his name.
Before Guppy, W.C.H. Peters originally discovered this species and catalogued it in Berlin, where it was overlooked. It was Guppy, however, who sent specimens to London, making the fish known to the English-speaking world.

Robert John Lechmere Guppy was born on 15th August, 1836 in London, England. A prodigy from the beginning, he practically taught himself to read at the age of three. As a young man, Guppy wanted to explore the world as a scientist but his uncle wanted him to manage his family’s estate in England.
At the age of 18, he entered Oxford University but on receiving letters from his uncle begging him to return home, he ran off to Tasmania. He was shipwrecked on the coast of New Zealand in 1856, where he remained among the indigenous Māori people who had rescued him. During that time, he explored the island, mapping the area and collecting specimens. After two years, he joined his parents and brother who had migrated to Trinidad.

Although his family lived in San Fernando, Guppy’s job in the government service compelled him to stay in Port-of-Spain. Eventually, his zeal for education led him to being appointed to help organise the education system as the island’s first Superintendent of Schools.

His earliest published scientific papers can be dated back to 1863, when he conducted geological surveys of Trinidad. Guppy collected samples, made notes and wrote papers in Trinidad and presented his findings in England, North America and in the proceedings of The Trinidad Scientific Association.
His 1963 paper of Trinidad fossil foraminifera[2] was one of the earliest such publications in the Western Hemisphere. This, and his subsequent papers on Trinidad’s fossil foraminifera were the standard references for the later 20th century micropalaentological[3] studies which established the value of this group of fossils for dating and correlating petroleum deposits in Trinidad.

During his surveys, he noticed a fish, which was called the “millions fish” at the time, but would later be named the “guppy’”. Intrigued by the small creature, he sent samples in 1866 to the curator of the British Museum, the legendary ichthyologist[4], Dr Albert Carl Ludwig Gotthilf Guenther. In that same year, Guppy and his brother, Francis founded the Trinidad Almanack - a reference book that was eventually taken over by the government as the official yearbook.
Guppy was also the founder of the Victoria Institute (now renamed the National Museum) in Port-of-Spain at the time of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887, and he served as the Institute’s president for years.

Guppy continued publishing up until his last years. He produced over 30 papers in his lifetime and his scientific work was so in demand that A reprint of the more inaccessible palaeontological writings of Robert John Lechmere Guppy was published in the Bulletins of American Palaeontology after his death on 5th August, 1916.

“I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago during a time when everyone treated each other like Family. When you always had to speak properly when you were with your parents or adults but could "leh go" with your friends. If someone got you angry, you would tell them "how yuh mudda make yuh" with a variety of cuss words. If your mom found out, she made you wash your mouth with soap. Blue soap, sunlight or carbolic.

If you can't take "fatigue", don't start. Everyone had a nickname. The Chinese boy was "chin"; the African boy was "blacks"; the Indian boy was "lal", the fat kid was "fat boy", the skinny boy was "bones". We went outside to play; we got dirty.

We used to bathe in the rain, sometimes by the standpipe. I am yet to find anything as satisfying as a cup of creole chocolate or hot porridge on a rainy day.

We went to the river or springs on a hot day. Our fast food was corned beef and rice; sometimes, even hot rice and butter. We ate breadfruit, dasheen, yam, eddoes, cassava, boil corn, roast corn. From the bakery we ate belly full, currants roll, coconut drops, milk cake, pan bread, bun, butter bread and hops bread.

We loved bread and condensed milk or hot bread and butter; sometimes red butter. We sucked paradise plum, brittle, kazer ball, dinner mint. We ate bene balls, tollum, chataigne, sugar cake, tamarind ball, tamarind stew, red mango, mango chow, plum chow.

We got dirty and we didn't eat fast food....we ate cooked food. We got ice cream from the ice cream man or if mum was in a good mood and had the money, we had homemade ice cream on Sunday. The best was when barberdeen was in season. When mum made cake, we licked the bowl clean. Cassava pone or bread pudding was a treat. Redifusion had two channels.

To this day I remember "Portia faces life." We listened to auntie Kay on a Sunday. In later years, if you had a tv, you saw auntie Hazel on twelve and under, you watched Mastana Bahar and an Indian movie on a Sunday afternoon and watched Scouting for Talent on Tuesdays. Panorama was time to be quiet.

We loved snow cone on a hot day, preferably with guava syrup and condensed milk. We climbed trees, picked mangoes, Chennette, pommerac, plum, pommecythere; whatever was in season. We suck and ate cane with our bare teeth.

We played Simon Says, Red Rover, Mother May I, 1,2,3 Red Light, Hide & Seek, Jacks, Marbles, Tag, Hopscotch, Cars, Checkers, cricket, moral, rounders, pan cup, football; we raced against each other in the street and even played jockey in the canal with a piece of stick.

A tennis ball and a good piece of wood was enough to start a cricket game, and if somebody window break, game done. The only time we stayed indoors was when we were sick or as a punishment. If you were sick,b it was not uncommon to get a "bush bath" with some "buccano leaf" and whatever bush mum thought would make you better. Castor oil or sena pods during vacation was the worse.

The boys flew kites that we had made ourselves; sometimes we made a mad bull and hope it wasn't so big that it took you flying. We made zwill with flour and grounded glass; put razor blades in your kite tail and when you battle, who lost, saw their kites "hi-yo". The first one to reach the kite is the new owner.

We drove carts we had made from wood with old bearings for wheels. An old bike wheel with the spokes removed was a toy. Who never tried to get "laglee" from the breadfruit tree to try to catch a semp?

There was no bottled water, we drank from the pipe. We walked to the corner store and rode our bikes (if we had one) for hours without a cellphone. We weren't AFRAID OF ANYTHING.

If someone had a fight, that's what it was...a fist fight. Kids didn't have guns when I grew up. The street lights were your curfew. School was mandatory. Police used to take you to your school when they find you on the road during school hours.

We watched our mouths around our elders because we knew if you DISRESPECTED any grown up you were gonna get it with whatever was close and get a second one when your parents found out...!!!

Re-post if you're proud that you came from a close knit community and will never forget where you came from!

life in TnT as I knew it..

Did You Know: The History of Hops Bread 
Brothers, Horatio and John Alfred Rapsey, left England to seek their fortunes. By 1845, the two were in Port of Spain, operating a tailor’s shop from a building on Edward St. where John Alfred died in 1853 from yellow fever.
Horatio left tailoring and opened a bakery at 62 Queen St, Port of Spain, later moving to 9 Frederick St. He married an English lady who bore him three sons. John Alfred (born in the same year his namesake uncle died-1853) inherited the bakery after his father, Horatio Snr. died in 1892.
 John Alfred is credited with adopting an old technique he observed among the French Creole kitchens of Trinidad. This involved leavening a dough roll with an extract of the male hop flower which gave it an unusual crust and size. Originally, the loaves were baked wrapped in green banana leaves and then baked. Often, the finished bread would be delivered with dried banana leaf still stuck to it.
Thus hops bread began to be commercially baked around 1893 and with each loaf being sold at a penny apiece (day-old loaves being sold in front the bakery for halfpenny). Because of the price, hops bread was originally known as ‘penny loaves’ and was affordable to most.
 Rapsey is also credited with either inventing or popularizing the ‘biscuit-cake’. A biscuit soaked in milk and then sprinkled with sugar thus producing another Trini classic known as "milk cake".
 In 1893, he also added a soft-drink factory to the business. Unsurprisingly, Rapsey became rich and in 1901 bought the entire Aranguez estate for $18,000 where he continued sugar cultivation, but also raised excellent cattle and produced excellent cheese and milk which were sold from the bakery and was also delivered to consumers packed in ice in a horsedrawn van and later, one of the earliest motor-trucks in the island.
John Alfred purchased the old home of the Zurcher family, Blarney, near to Maraval which was a magnificent house he renamed Ellerslie. John Alfred died in 1912 but his widow and children continued to run Aranguez estate, with emphasis on housing development rather than agriculture. The bakery was also closed in 1928.
Today, the Rapseys still maintain an interest in Aranguez estate, although most of the lands have now been sold or leased. On Mrs. M.A. Rapsey’s death in 1943 the grand house was demolished and the lands developed into what is now known as “Ellerslie Park” which was originally called ‘Champs Elysées’ – the Elysian Fields, and not “Ellerslie”.

Did You Know: How Balandra got its name?
"Balandra got its name in 1797 just after the British general Sir Ralph Abercromby seized Trinidad from Spain. Following the conquest Abercromby sent his captain of the Royal Engineers, Frederick Mallet, to sail around the island and find out as much as he could about it. There was the need to inform the British Secretary of State for the Colonies what sort of island he had captured, because the British had had little knowledge of Trinidad. The only reason they had attacked it was because the French republicans had been striking at the British in the Windward Islands and fleeing to sanctuary in Trinidad.
This infuriated the British because Spain was neutral in that war. It led to flagrant British transgressions, forcing Spain to declare hostilities. When they did, General Sir Ralph Abercromby, Chief of the British Expeditionary Forces, pounced on Trinidad and took it.
It was therefore important to the British to know what Trinidad was like and what resources it contained, if only for the fact that when the war ended Britain would have to decide whether it would keep Trinidad or return it to Spain.
Abercromby had asked Captain Mallet to draw a map of Trinidad putting in such things as what the various settlements were called and what crops were grown there, and knowing that Trinidad was recently settled by Caribbean French planters under a Spanish Cédula, he wished to know what was the population, how much granted land was there, and granted to whom.
Mallet set out going round by the north coast and he landed at every settlement he spotted. He was so meticulous that his map shows, by anchor symbols, every landing he makes, and he gives the description of every crop, takes a census of the people, and shows every block denoting land granted to the settlers, and with the names of the settlers inscribed on the map.
Maybe it was curiosity which made him slip into a deeply-indented, lush and scenic cove, nearly half-way down on the east coast, and he met a Spanish garrison there, a garrison that may not even have known that the war had ended. He asked the Spanish soldiers what was the place called and they did not know.
They said they were there simply to protect the coast. But Mallet saw some huge boats in the bay and the soldiers told him the boats came there to bring provisions from the capital, Puerto España, since there were no roads to the east coast. They were large boats and Mallet asked what type of boats were they. The answer was Balandra.
To name the place Mallet wrote on that spot on his map: “Balandra.”