Clubs & Societies in British Guiana to 1844. 73 
it into "Commercial and Assembly Rooms" with billiard 
and coffee rooms, where the London and Colonial papers 
could always be seen ; he also intended to establish a 
mess. All the efforts of the proprietor seemed however 
ineffectual, and the establishment was finally sold at the 
Vendue Office on the 26th of January 1819. 
In January 1815 a u Committee of Commerce" was in 
existence, as may be gleaned from the fa6l that the 
Governor informed its Chairman that two American 
privateers were then off the coast. About the same time 
there existed also a Whist Club and a Cock Club, while 
in the following year, there were races on the Kitty 
Course in September, probably under the auspices of the 
" Sporting Club." On the 24th of August 1816, a meet- 
ing was held at Marshall's Hotel to form an " Association 
for promoting Manly Amusements in the United Colony." 
The meeting considered that horse racing improved the 
breed, boat racing trained good rowers, and that all other 
manly amusements promoted health, dissipated spleen, 
and abated scandal. It was agreed to form the Asso- 
ciation and look out for a race-course, the annual sub- 
scription to be two joes. In November following it was 
stated that the " Sporting Club," had imported some 
race-horses, while the other Association informed its 
subscribers in January 181 7, that a circular race-course 
had been leased in front of Pin. Turkeyn. In July 1817 
it was proposed that the old and new sporting clubs be 
consolidated, but whether this was done or not the news- 
papers do not say. Berbice had its 6( Union Coffee 
House" at New Amsterdam and probably clubs similar 
to those of Demerara, but she seems to have been ahead 
of the sister colony in establishing an Agricultural Society, 
K 
