The Post Office in British Guiana. 199 



But all agree a ship is coming in 



And two hours more will silence all the din 



Then we shall see (as shoM'men say at fairs), 



" What we shall see." So useless all the airs 



Of quidnunc prophecy — " Who's out," " Who's in ;" 



Whether they're finished, or yet to begin." 



Except by the regular Packet, there was no commu- 

 nication with Berbice. A correspondent in the " Royal 

 Gazette" of February 24th, 18 18, suggested that some 

 of the Colony negroes should be employed as messengers, 

 to carry Mail bags to Mahaica, and (by arrangement) 

 exchange with other messengers from Berbice. Nothing, 

 however, came of this recommendation. 



The enormous fees of the British Post Office was a 

 crying evil in the early part of this century, but the 

 charges here were entirely unreasonable. A single 

 letter, i.e., one sheet, cost a shilling for ocean postage* 

 while the Deputy Postmaster charged a guilder (1/8) 

 for receiving and delivering it when called for. The 

 smallest enclosure made a double letter, and in doubtful 

 cases the Postmaster held the letter up in a strong light 

 to see if it contained any tiny bit of paper. 



The excessive charges were represented in the Court 

 of Policy in 1810, but nothing could be done, as the 

 Post Office was beyond the control of the Government. 

 On November 2nd, 1815, the inhabitants of Demerary 

 petitioned the Court of Policy against the exorbitant 

 charges of the Post Office. They had to pay 66 per 

 cent on the English postage and a guilder for ship 

 letters. A meeting of Planters had been held at the 

 Union Coffee House on the 26th 06lober previous, and 

 a tariff proposed on the basis of 10 stivers to the office 

 for each letter. This had been submitted to the Post- 



