The Post Office in British Guiana. 191 



wards. This arrangement lasted for two years, but does 

 not appear to have given any profit to Mr. De La Coste, 

 in fa£l, a purely local Post Office in private hands could 

 hardly be expe6led to pay in such a small colony. 



With the British conquest of 1796, the want of proper 

 postal communication was at once felt by the new 

 possessors. On the i ith of June of that year, Lieutenant- 

 Colonel HiSLOP called the attention of the Court of 

 Policy to the absolute necessity of establishing regular con- 

 veyance of letters to the army, for which he wanted Packet 

 boats to ply weekly between Demerara and Barbados. 



The Governor said that the establishment of a Packet 

 Boat and a Post Office would he a general benefit to the 

 inhabitants. He would therefore like to hear the opinions 

 of the different members as to such an establishment. 



After deliberation it was resolved : — 



" In consideration of the extensive use and benefit to be derived 

 from sach an establishment, for the community at large, that a Post 

 Office shall be established in Stabroek, at the expense of the Colony, 

 and under the management of a proper person, who shall receive an 

 annual salairy of 1200 guilders." 



To raise this sum each letter was to be charged five 

 stivers on delivery, but no charge was to be made for 

 those to be forwarded abroad. The Postmaster was to 

 render an account every six months, and if the postage 

 should not have amounted to the salary, any deficiency 

 would be supplied from the colony chest. 



It was further agreed that a Packet boat should be 

 hired, as it would be too expensive to buy such a vessel. 

 Until the Postmaster should be appointed, the arrange- 

 ment with the Secretary's Office was to be continued, but 

 instead of his charging a guilder per letter as before, he 

 must only exa6l five stivers. All masters of British vessels 



