A Fragment of Berbice History. 65 



and a brush; also as uniform, a shell of white Russian 

 sheeting with green collar and cuffs, white pantaloons, 

 and white gaiters. 



The officers had to provide themselves with a green 

 shell with black velvet collar and cuffs, a white vest, 

 pantaloons, and gaiters. There was no mention of hel- 

 mets or bayonets.* There was one company tor each 

 district, and certain rules were laid down for time of 

 training and exercise, and when to come up for inspection ; 

 and in case of a disturbance they were directed to mus- 

 ter at one particular spot, the head-quarters of the com- 

 pany, where there was a flagstaff. The signal was, in 

 the day time, the firing of two shots and the hoisting of a 

 red flag; at night, the two shots and the hoisting of two 

 lamps. In the town district the rendezvous was at the 

 flagstaff in front of the Colony House ; in the Canje 

 Creek, at Pin. Adelphi ; in the east sea coast district;, 

 at Pin. Kendals ; in the Corentyne coast district, at 

 No. 11 (beyond Pin. Port Mourant) and Kiltearn ; in 

 the east bank district, at Brothers; in the west bank- 

 district, at Bestendigheid ; in the middle distn6t, at Pln^ 

 Essendam ; in the upper district, at Pin. Maria Agnes ; in 

 the west coast district, at the Abary Creek ; and in the 

 lower west bank district, at Ithaca. 



The only persons exempt from serving were members 

 of the Government, parsons, doctors, and Indians. 



Such a contribution of whites and slaves must have been 

 a heavy tax on the estates' proprietors, especially as 



* In Captain Stedman's Narrative of an Expedition against the 

 Revolted Negroes of Surinam, 1772-77, the drawings show some of the 

 soldiers carrying bayonets and some not : the headgear depended on 

 the taste of the wearer 



J 



