BOOK ir. CHAP. XII. 251 



-5th. At Halfway-Tree, St. Andrew's, by dcvife of Sir Nicholas 

 Laws, 1695. He gave two acres and a half of land, with a houfc 

 for a free-fchool ; conditioning, that any parifliioncr, paying 5/. 

 per annum^ or 50/. down, towards advancement of the fchool, 

 might lend his child thither for inftriKftion. This donation, bv a 

 law palled in 1738, was eftablilhcd, under the cowtroiil of go- 

 vernors, to make reguktions, appoint teachers, &c.; but I do not 

 find that it fucceeded. 



6th. At Old Woman's Savannah, in Clarendon, by a donation 

 of three acres of land, andfundry fubfcriptions, 1756. 



7th. About 1769, or 1770, Martin Rufeii, of theparifh of Han- 

 over, devifed his eftate, confifting chiefly of pcrfonalty, for erecting 

 and eftablifhing a free-fchool in that parifli ; but the particular va- 

 lue of this donation, does not yet appear. The aflemblj^ however, 

 have {hewn a defire to promote it, by granting 500 /. towards its 

 ■eftablifliment. 



All thefe foundations, except that at Old Woman's Savannah, 

 were limited to receive boys of the refpedlive parifh in which they 

 lay; which, together with their bad regulation, has been a prin- 

 cipal caufe of their failing. None promifed fo well to anfwer, on 

 a general plan, as that at Old Woman's Savannah, fituated as it was 

 in a very healthy climate, in the centre of the ifland, and in the 

 midft of feveral fmall fettlements. No lefs than 2000/. was raifed 

 by voluntary fubfcription for carrying on the neceliary buildings. 

 About the year 1758, it was opened, and condu61:ed fuccefsfully for 

 about feveii years. The air was found lb healthy, that, out of 

 eighteen youths, the difciples of the laift preceptor, not one was 

 afflidled with any fever or acute diflemper during their relidence in 

 it. But, at the time when this academy was brought to a tolerable 

 ftate of maturity, it all on a fudden fell into decline under feveral 

 impediments. The firfl was the fmall allotment of land, which 

 was not fufficient to enable the mafter to keep cows or flieep, or 

 rear poultry, for the necefl'ary fubfiflence of his boarders ; fecondly, 

 the great difficulty (under this circumflance) of getting provifions ; 

 thirdly, the total want of fome certain eflabliflied fund, to afford a 

 falary for the head-mafler, and keep the buildings in repair. The 

 aflembly, in 1 764, taking into confuleration the means by which 



K k 2 this 



