BOOK Iir. CHAP. VII. 7 



of the commander in chief. The expence of biiiitling and fur- 

 nlfhing it amounted to near 50,000/. currency ; and it is now 

 thought to be the noblefl and bcil edifice of the kind, cither ia 

 North-Ameri6H7^ any*o"f**tne Brij^fli^colonies^in the WeTf-fndies. 

 The firft floor tsTSTO'^out four feet above the grouiTT;*' tlic fc- 

 cond is an Attic ftory ; the length of the fa9ade is about two hun- 

 dred feet ; and of the whole range, Inchiding the yard and offices, 

 about two hundred and fixty. The cornices, key-ftones, pediments, 

 copings, and quoins, are of a beautiful tree-ftone, dug out of the 

 Hope river courfcj j^i,_§t,, Aji^xew's- pariih. The entrance is by a 

 lofty portico, projecting from the middle of the front about fifteen 

 feet, fupported by twelve columns of Portland-ftone, of the Ionic 

 order. The pediment which riles above the Attic flory is fuperb, 

 and very properly ornamented with the imperial arms of Great- 

 Britain, in carved work well-executed. The pavement of the por- 

 tico is of white marble, the afcent to which is by a flight of fleps- 

 cf the fame material. This portico gives an air of grandeur to the 

 whole building, and very happily breaks the length of the front. 

 Two principal entrances lead through it into the body of the^ 

 houfe ; the one opens into a lobby, or ante-chamber ; the other, 

 into the great laloon, or hall of audience, which is well-propor- 

 tioned, the dimenfions being about fcventy-three by thirty feet, and 

 the height about thirty-two: from the cieling, which is coved^ 

 hang two brafs gilt lufl:res. A fcreen, of feven large Doric pillars,. 

 divides the faloon from an upper and lower gallery of communica- 

 tion, which range the whole length on the Well: fide ; and the 

 upper one is fecured with an elegant entrelas of figured iron work. 

 The Eafl: or oppofite fide of the faloon is finifhed with Doric pi- 

 lafl:ers ; upon each of which are brafs girandoles double-gilt ; and 

 between each pilafler, under tlie windows of the Attic ftory, are 

 placed, on gilt brackets, the bulls of feveral ancient and modern 

 philofophers and poets, large as life ; which being in bronze, the 

 darknefs of their complexion naturally fuggefls the idea of fo manj 

 Negroe Caboceros, exalted to this honourable diftinftion for foine 

 peculiar fervices rendered to the country. At the North end, over 

 a door which opens into the lobby, is a fmall moveable orcheftra^ 

 made to hold a band of mufic on feftive occafions. The furniture 

 5 belaw 



