STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



of vessels, are always to be known. Draughts, backgammon, 

 chess, whist, and billiards, share the attention of the guests. 

 A walk to the camp is usual and pleasant, where the band 

 plays after the troops are marched to the barracks. Few 

 weeks pass without a ball, or a concert, the attending of which 

 is, however; very expensive. A ball and supper cost to each 

 of the gentlemen subscribers eight dollars, a concert and ball 

 twelye dollars^ His ticket also introduces two ladies of color. 



Strolling players from North America occasionally visit the 

 West Indies. Twice during my six years stay they came to 

 Stabroek, having previously made a tour among the islands. 

 The company consisted but of four or five persons ; they had 

 chartered a vessel at New York ; they had embarked a cargo 

 of canvass palaces and painted forests, of crowns and daggers, 

 sceptres and chains, of the purple attire of majesty, and the 

 motley foppery of folly. At Grenada and Barbadoes, they 

 had unpacked their portable theatre, and had been received 

 with an applause, which was re-echoed from the continent. 

 The admission was two dollars for each representation, and 

 public curiosity detained them nearly three months. The 

 plays of Skakspeare require so much show and so many actors, 

 that we had often to be content with select scenes. The sim- 

 plicity of the ancient drama was restored by the economical 

 criticism of the manager. It might be wished that plays, like 

 those of the Greeks and French, were written for the service 



