Clubs & Societies in British Guiana to 1844. 81 
tisements of vendues it appears that good private libraries 
were also very common in the early part of the century, the 
lists showing that a really good selection was made. 
The Demerara and Essequebo Agricultural Society 
was started in 1833, at which time none of the older 
societies of that class were in existence in either county. 
This and a sister society in Berbice were established at 
the time when emancipation was a burning question, and 
it naturally followed that they became political centres 
in which organised resistance to Government measures 
were arranged. An account of these societies has been 
given already in a former volume of this journal :* it is 
therefore unnecessary to say much about them. The 
Gazette in January 1834, spoke of the political tendency 
of the societies and said they wanted a general associa- 
tion comprising representatives of every class, but 
nothing was done to effecl that object until the follow- 
ing year. 
In March 1834 it was agreed to institute an asso- 
ciation for mutual assistance and general charitable pur- 
poses, which went under the name of the " Guiana 
Philanthropic Society." The Governor was Patron, 
and the English and Scotch clergymen visitors, but 
no information can be gleaned as to its particular ob- 
jects. A curiosity of this year was a society called the 
Believers in the Revelation, and the Signs of the Original 
Alphabet, and the letters of Light and the Numbers of 
Wisdom, and the Keys of Knowledge in the Scriptures, 
founded by Mr. J. Y. Playter, a religious enthusiast. 
The Courier stigmatises him as one of those designing men 
* Timehri t First Series, Vol. v., ff Agricultural Societies in British 
Guiana." 
