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Each Province allows two Hundred a Year,

By Laws they have made for Typograph's Use,
He's paid 50 Thousand Weight Country Produce.
And if you inquire but at South Carolina,2

[O! Methinks in that Name, there is something-Divine-Ah !]
Like Patriots they've done what to Honor redounds,
They gave him (their Currency) 50 Score Pounds.
E'en Type at Jamaica, our Island's reproach,

Is able to ride in her Chariot or Coach; 3

But alas your poor Type prints no Figure;-like Nullo,
Curs'd, cheated, abus'd by each pitiful Fellow.

Tho' working like Slave, with Zeal and true Courage,
He can scarce get as yet ev'n Salt to his Porridge.
The Reason is plain; Those act by just Rules –
But here knaves have bit him, all MAC-abite Fools.

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GEORGE ESMAND & COMPANY. This firm in 1762 opened a second Printing house at Bridgetown, and began the publication of

The Barbadoes Mercury.

It was published weekly, on Saturday; printed with long primer types, on a crown sheet, folio. Imprint, "Bridge-Town, Printed by George Esmand and Comp. at the new Printing-Office, in Back-Church-Street. Price one Pistole per Annum."

The memorable stamp act took effect in this island in 1765, and the Mercury was printed on stamped paper. In 1771, the firm was Esmand & Walker.

George Esmand died in November, 1771, and William Walker in February, 1773.

The Mercury was continued after the year, 1794.

1 William Parks, who printed for both colonies.

'Lewis Timothy then printed for the government of South Carolina. This expression seems to imply that the printer in Jamaica at that time was a female.

ST. CHRISTOPHER.

Printing was brought to this island as early as 1746, and may have been introduced two or three years sooner. There were two printing houses established before 1775.

THOMAS HOWE. He probably was the first printer, and settled at Basseterre. Howe printed the laws, and did other work for government; and, in 1747, published

The St. Christopher Gazette.

This paper was continued until after the year 1775. Howe was a native of Ireland, and lived to old age.

SAMUEL JONES was a printer and postmaster at Basseterre before 1757, and published a newspaper. He died in London in 1762, after an illness of eight days, of inflammation of the lungs.

EDWARD DUBSON, printed after Jones, and was in buşiness after 1767, at Basseterre.

DANIEL THIBOU, had a printing house on this island in 1769, and in that year printed the acts of assembly, from 1711 to 1769. He printed several other works.

The St. Christopher Gazette.

A second newspaper bearing this title was published at Basseterre. The Gazette printed November 19, 1785, is numbered 693, vol. VII. It then had this imprint, "Basseterre, Saint Christopher, Printed by Edward L. Low in Cayon-Street, No. 84."

ANTIGUA.

I cannot determine the year when printing was introduced to Antigua, but believe it was about 1748.

I have not discovered that any press was erected on this island prior to the time when BENJAMIN MECOM opened a printing house, about 1748. He has been taken notice of in the course of this work, as a printer in Boston, New Haven and Philadelphia. It was at St. John that he first began business, and published a newspaper, entitled

The Antigua Gazette.

Mecom continued this publication six or seven years, and then removed to Boston, Massachusetts, his native place.

ALEXANDER SHIPTON, published the Gazette, before and after 1767, which was by him printed weekly, on Wednesday, on a crown sheet, folio, chiefly with small pica types; and had, in the title, a small cut of a basket of flowers.

The Antigua Mercury.

A newspaper with this title was published in 1769; but how long it was printed before or after that time, I am not able to say.1

'John Mears printed a well conducted newspaper in St. Johns in 1779, and I am inclined to believe it was the Mercury.

DOMINICA.

The Freeport Gazette; or, the Dominica Ad

vertiser.

Was first published in 1765, at Roseau, by William Smith. It had the king's arms in the title; and was printed weekly, on Saturday, on a fools-cap sheet, and with new long primer and small pica types.

In 1767, Smith printed The Shipwreck, "a poem in three parts: By a Sailor, addressed to his Royal Highness the Duke of York. Price Two Dollars."

In 1775, a newspaper was published in English and French, by Jones.

GRANADA.

The Royal Granada Gazette.

This paper first appeared at Georgetown in January, 1765, on a crown sheet, folio, printed with new small pica and long primer types, by William Weyland, "at the New Printing-Office." It was published on Saturday and had a cut of the king's arms in the title.

There were two printing houses on this island, and one of them was established some years before Weyland's.

ST. CROIX.

The Royal Danish American Gazette.

Was issued from the press at Christiansted before 1770. Printing was not introduced into this island long before the publication of the paper.

BERMUDA.

The Bermuda Gazette.

Was not published until July 1784; but a printing house had a short time before been established at St. George, by J. Stockdale.

BAHAMA ISLANDS.

The Royal Bahama Gazette.

I have introduced this paper, although it was not established till after peace took place on the American continent, in 1783, in order to conclude the account of John Wells, the editor of it, who has been mentioned as a printer in South Carolina, who fled from Charleston when the British army evacuated that city.

This paper was printed at Nassau, New Providence.

Wells was not contented to remain on the island; but had a strong desire to return to the continent, and had attempted several schemes to effect that purpose which proved unsuccessful. He was still endeavoring to arrange his business in such a manner as to permit him to revisit his native country, which he had left with great reluctance, when he was summoned to the world of spirits.

He married at Nassau, and was highly esteemed for his many amiable qualities.

[See South Carolina.]

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