252 TIMEHRI. 
it, with Mr. Pott, the Island of Demerary, and the best 
informed on other subjeéts are still in the dark on the 
subjeét of the richest, the most extensive, and most ad- 
vantageously situated of all the British West India Colo- 
nies, the key of the Continent of South America, and 
the centre from which all communication with the Spanish 
and Portuguese Kingdoms of the South must hereafter 
emanate. 
PROPRIETORS OF ESTATES. 
Before entering upon this subject, it will be necessary 
to premise, that it will be impossible to convey a proper 
idea of the real and true meaning of the term proprietor, 
without giving some offence to the feelings of those who 
on the side of the Planters have not considered the nature 
of their tenure, or of the Merchants who do not wish the 
nature of that tenure to be generally understood. Such 
offence however must vanish before the conviction that 
a simple view of the fa€ts must convey. 
A colonist who has scraped together a capital of 
£5,000, does not conceive that the interest of that sum 
will enable him to live in the style suited to his ideas ofa 
West India fortune. He looks forward to a lapse of § or 
10 years more when he could retire with a sum of £40,000 
or £50,000, and upon that could manage to enjoy the 
privileges of European gentility. Accordingly he nego- 
tiates with a merchant who advances the balance be- 
tween the sum he has in hand, and the instalments due 
on an Estate of £50,000 value. For this advance, the 
merchant receives interest at 6 per cent. and the con- 
signments of all the produce of the Estate till the whole 
debt is paid; perhaps for a year or two after, as terms 
may run, At any intermediate time the merchant claims 
