The Municipality of Neiv Amsterdam. 247 



prevent the Board from legally doing what they have done illegally, and 

 from a desire to hold a ketting the monopoly of which cannot benefit 

 them, they seek to deprive five thousand inhabitants of water, ground- 

 ing their opposition on bare statements without proof as far as your 

 reporters are aware." 



In addition to the grant of occupancy the Board had early in 1869 

 asked the Government for a loan of $20,000 at 6 percent, interest, to 

 establish water works on the Loehaber kettino- and the digging of a 

 canal from the Calabash Creek, the loan to be repaid in twenty 3 r ears. 

 payment being secured by a lien on the general revenues of the town, 

 ■• the first redemption to take place in five years from the date of the 

 bonds." About the same time the (juestion of boring artesian wells was 

 sudd, illy brought on the carpet. In Demerara at the time was a gentle- 

 man named Lloyd who gave it out that he was able and willing to bore 

 wells to a depth of 400 feet where he was sure potable water would be 

 got. In April, 1869, there was a ,; conversation " between the Board and 

 representatives of Pins. Providence and Smithfield (N. Winter), Friends 

 iR. Green), Everton (J. Barclay). Vryheid (Gibbon) and Loehaber (D. W. 

 Lillie), the object of which was that these parties should join in a scheme 

 for the supply of fresh water from the Calabash Creek. There the 

 pumping machinery was giving out and there was need for more 

 powerful machinery. It was arranged that if the scheme materialised, 

 the town would get its water through " the general trench " and or 

 through the trenches of Pins. Loehaber. Smithfield or Providence, the 

 general expenses to be borne share and share alike, the town paying an 

 equal share in the cleaning of the private trenches through which the 

 water would flow after leaving the general trench. Nothing came of 

 this conference in the nature of an agreement. In May. 1869, the 

 Board petitioned the Combined Court repeating the request made to the 

 Court of Policy for a loan of $20,000, but adding that the bonds should 

 be guaranteed by the colony. Further the Board extended its demand 

 to S30,000 as it wanted to make provision for a more extended and con- 

 tinuous supply of pure water than that contemplated in its first petition. 

 It wanted the water either from the Calabash Creek or "by the aid of 

 an artesian well such as is proposed to be sunk experimentally at the 

 i-isk of the colony for the benefit of the city of Georgetown." In this 

 petition the Board submitted " that the Hand -in-Hand Insurance Com- 

 pany on account of the little provision existing against fire in Xew 

 Amsterdam have advanced their rate of insurance to the extent of 

 50 per cent, additional, with which additional premium those of the 

 inhabitants who are now assured therein are burdened until better 

 provision is made, and there is every probability that all prudent com- 

 panies will follow the example of the local company. 



Not long after the Board sent in its petition, it proceeded to order 

 the requisite machinery. By Ordinance 11 of 1869 a loan of $25,000 was 

 Scinctioned. But while it was in a hurry the fates were not propitious. 

 The Government Surveyor, owing partly to a heavy rainfall, was long in 



