24 TlMEHRL 
Commodore to cruise to Windward of Demerara to give 
intelligence if an enemy should appear on the Coast. 
This was the Stormont, a vessel of fourteen 4-pounders. 
She was extremely badly manned. Of 75 men, but 55 
were fit for duty, including officers and servants. But 
few of the sailors could be trusted, they being chiefly 
Americans and Foreigners, whom Captain Paul had been 
under the necessity of taking out of the prison at Bar- 
bados, to assist in navigating the ship.* Captain CHRISTO- 
PHER Paul commanded. Her Master, GEORGE WANK- 
FORD, a6led as Lieutenant. With the Commodore's 
permission, Captain BRISBANE of the Rodney had gone 
out in the Stormont, for the recovery of his health. A 
richly laden merchant ship, the Otter, was anchored 
near the ships of war. 
There was no Georgetown in those days. There was 
then no town, properly so-called, throughout the agricul- 
tural settlements of Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice. 
* To what desperate shifts the British Government was driven, during 
the war, for want of seamen, may be realised by leading the following 
extratt from the Diary and Letters of Governor Hutchinson, Vol. II, pp. 
263, 264, under date of 27th June, 1779 :— 
"There are great endeavours speedily to man more English ships. 
" An A6t passed suddenly to invalidate all protections against a Press— 
" to look back to the i5th. A stratagem was made use of the 23rd in 
" the evening. No seamen appearing anywhere, the Tower was 
" lighted up, and a report was spread that the King had removed Lord 
•' North — that he was in custody, and that he was bringing down to the 
V tower. Many thousands colle&ed on Tower Hill, expecting him. 
** Care was taken to block up the avenues with s ufficient guards. Ten 
M or a dozen different Press-gangs came on suddenly and secured 
'• several hundred, among whom were many masters and mates 
" of Colliers and other vessels, who were sent immediately down to the 
*' Nore. Some have proposed pressing the crews of all privateers, in 
" which service it is computed 70,000 men are employed." 
