ISLANDS OF CULTURE. 163 



coast, and accessible only by steamer and 

 rail from our large manufacturing towns, 

 should have been chosen as a site for the 

 erection of multitudinous glass-houses, all the 

 material for which would have to be imported 

 and set up on land of high economic value, and 

 from whence the produce would have to be 

 exported to England by monopolistic ship and 

 railway owners. Furthermore, all the coal for 

 heating the houses has to be imported. 



But the Guernseyman has apparently the 

 faculty for doing things more economically 

 than the Englishman. It is the financial 

 glory of Guernsey that it built a market-place 

 without incurring any charge upon the rate- 

 payer. The fascinating story of how the 

 States of Guernsey built their Market-house 

 by means of non-interest bearing notes might 

 appositely be outlined here. 



After the Napoleonic wars Guernsey was 

 in a bad way financially. Smuggling had 

 ceased to be an important home industry. 

 Employment was scarce on the island, so 

 much so that 500 Guernsey men left for the 

 United States. The sea had encroached and 

 engulfed a great piece of land through the 

 lack of embankments and sea-walls. Added 



