History of Demerara— 1763. 253 
pleasure of my life to convince you by action as well 
as words. 
Count Bentinck to Gedney Clarke, Junr. Hague, June 28, 1763. 
I am favoured with your letter of the 16th inst. ; what 
occupies the present attention is the sending immediate 
succour to the Berbice, and rescuing that colony. What 
relates to the security, conservation and improvement 
of the neighbouring colonies, hardly merits less atten- 
tion. The interest that you have in that of Demerary 
and Essequebo and your possessions there, have 
given you an opportunity of judging by your own 
observations, what difficulties there are in effectuating 
any timely and proportionate measures. I flatter my- 
self that the misfortune which has happened at 
Berbice will open people's eyes and, convince them 
of the absolute and indispensable necessity of taking 
precautions to prevent the like happening in all 
the other colonies, which I own that I dread, and 
am in much more fear about them, than others, who, 
notwithstanding the interest they have there, seems to 
be. I shall be mightily obliged to you if you will be so 
good as to send me the materials, which might serve for 
forming a plan for the greatest advantages of our 
Colonies in America. I am afraid that the whole 
establishment of them is defective in many points. No 
body can furnish better materials than your father, who, 
by what I see, as well as by what I hear of him from 
others, must be a man of superior genius, talents, and 
spirit, and whose experience and knowledge of that 
part of the globe, as well as of what is the nature of a 
colony, make him more proper than anybody to give the 
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