The Post Office in British Guiana. 197 



Barbados and Martinique. This arrangement remained 

 in force until the latter part of 18 13, when the Mails 

 were again despatched twice a month by way of Barbados. 

 The regular West Indian Mails were then made up in 

 London on the first and third Wednesday in every 

 month. The colony paid the expense of the " Demerary 

 Packet" from Barbados, which cost in i8i5,/2o,o98.io 



(;^i.675). 



For the first fifteen years of this century the Mails 

 were very irregular. The risks and dangers from the 

 enemy were supplemented by delays caused by the con- 

 voy system, while it sometimes happened that the Mail 

 Packet was captured. The American war was very 

 disastrous ; in August, 18 13, the Berbice Mail, in 06lober 

 the Morgiana Packet and three other vessels, and the 

 English 06lober Mail to Barbados, were all captured by 

 American privateers. On the nth of February, 1815, 

 the Chesterfield Packet arrived, and reported having 

 had a fight with an American privateer off Madeira 

 which lasted three hours and a half. '* The enemy was 

 superior in weight of metal, but not in bravery and skill." 

 After both vessels were much cut up and damaged, the 

 American made off, to the great satisfaction of the 

 plucky little Mail Packet. In July, 1806, H.M. Ship 

 Nimrod fell in with the William bound for Berbice, and 

 chased her for five hours without knowing what she was. 

 The William threw her letters overboard, and both 

 vessels got aground before they found out their mistake. 

 Under such circumstances the Post Office in these 

 Colonies was of very little importance. The regular 

 Packet was often behind time, so that it was a 

 common complaint that the news brought by the Mail 



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