i£lO STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



founded at an enormous expence on the sea coast. This land 

 was always considered too saline, and the difficulty, from the 

 shallowness of the water, in landing the heavy articles required 

 for the buildings, such as bricks, lime, mill timber and 

 frames, coppers, stills, and iron work, made the old colonists 

 fearful of engaging in such an undertaking, until the enter- 

 prising and dashing Englishmen launched into it, and boldly 

 sunk in accomplishing their object, some thirty, forty, and 

 fifty thousand pounds, in making a plantation. One gentle- 

 man from the islands, purchased three sugar estates of fo- 

 reigners, valued at one hundred thousand pounds, sixty of 

 which he paid in bills, on London, at sixty and ninety days 

 sight; the balance was paid in equal instalments, with interest. 

 I mention this circumstance merely to give an idea of the in- 

 dividual speculation which was carried on at the time of the 

 surrender, under the idea of the colonies being kept by Great 

 Britain at peace. ' 



Seasoned and valuable negroes, used to plantation work, 

 were imported in considerable numbers from the West Indies, 

 to assist in agriculture. Men brought up and used to the sea, 

 were also brought over to instruct our negroes in the manage- 

 ment of the colony boats and craft. Many of them were free, 

 who engaged themselves for that purpose, and others were 

 sold on most advantageous terms to themselves ; so that after 

 a certain period of service, they were intitled to their freedom 



