278 STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



Beaujon, formerly secretary to the colony, a native of St. 

 Eustatia, was appointed governor until his Majesty's pleasure 

 should be known, and Lieut.-Col. Hislop, of the 39th regi- 

 ment, commandant of the troops. 



Berbice was surrendered in a similar way to the protection 

 of the British forces, immediately after Demerary. But of 

 this, enough has incidentally been said already in the ninth 

 chapter. 



A great number of speculators accompanied the expedition, 

 some brought over merchandize and shipping to load for Eng- 

 land, and others came to make purchases of landed property ; 

 indeed the readiness with which the speculators emigrated 

 from the West India islands and Great Britain to invest their 

 capital, made it more like a country resumed, than ceded, to 

 England. From such a sudden ingress of monied men, the 

 value of estates was greatly enhanced, and land which used to 

 be valued at six pounds five shillings per acre, sold in 1796, at 

 nine pounds three shillings sterling, in 1797, at eleven pounds, 

 and in 1799 and 1800, at twelve pounds ten shillings, at 

 which price it remained till the peace of Amiens, when the 

 value of land visibly began to decline. All the uncultivated 

 lots, between the Demerary and Berbice, were bought up with 

 an avidity never before equalled, and several estates were made 

 up along the Mahaica and Mahaicony creeks. Considerable 



