SETTLEMENTS ON THE DEMERARY, &C. 83 



The most extensive of those warehouses belonging to a mercan- 

 tile house of great celebrity, cost in building, between ten and 

 fifteen thousand pounds sterling, and, when the colonies were 

 ceded to the Dutch, were offered for sale at one half the 

 original cost, and that in vain ; such was the decrease in value 

 of property. In the same street are two ship builder's yards, 

 but the vessels built there do not exceed fifty tons. 



Cumingsburgh is situated directly at the back of Labourgade, 

 separated from it by the public road and the Cumingsburgh 

 navigable canal, which is brought from the river, and serves 

 as the means for the merchants to land their goods. This town 

 is two miles in circumference, and the most regularly arranged 



one of any. Its allotments are large and convenient, and sold 

 on long building leases. There are six principal streets, and as 

 many canals, with others of a smaller denomination thwarting 

 the town. Over each canal are two large bridges for the passing 

 and re-passing of horses and carriages. New buildings are erect- 

 ing every day, and I am really at a loss to know where the inha- 

 bitants come from to fill them ; as most of the planters reside on 

 their estates. Indeed they all did until very lately, when some of 

 the richer introduced the refinement of requiring town houses. 

 A planter has a great facility in building ; after having made 

 choice of a lot of land for his house ; his plantation affords 

 him all the necessary tradesmen; his bricklayer lays the 

 foundation of the house, and builds the kitchen ; his car- 



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