e claimants," respecting which he procured
much valuable and authentic information and testimony. They sent Colonel
Thomas Dundas and Mr. Jeremy Pemberton, two members of the Board, to
visit Nova Scotia and Canada, "to inquire into the claims of such
persons as could not without great inconvenience go over to Great
Britain."

Before the 25th of March, 1784, the latest period allowed by the first
Act for presenting claims, the number of claimants was 2,063, and the
property alleged by them to have been lost, according to their
schedules, amounted to L7,046,278, besides debts to the amount of
L2,354,135. The sum was very large, but the losses were undoubtedly very
great. The Commissioners made their first report in July, 1784; and
after having detailed their assiduous proceeding in the fulfilment of
their trust, and care in examining and deciding on individual cases,
reported on the part of the cases submitted, and awarded L201,750 for
L534,705 claimed, reducing the amount by more than half the amount
claimed.

The _second_ report of the Commissioners was made in December of the
same year, and states that 128 additional cases had been examined and
disposed of, the amount claimed being L693,257, and the amount allowed
was L150,935--less than one-fourth the amount claimed.

One hundred and twenty-two (122) cases were examined into and disposed
of in May and July, 1785, according to the third and fourth reports--the
amount claimed being L898,196, and the amount allowed being
L253,613--less than one-third of the amount claimed.

In April, 1786, the fifth report of the Commissioners was presented,
announcing that 142 other claims had been considered and decided, the
claims amounting to L733,311, on which the Commissioners allowed
L250,506--a little more than one-third of the amount claimed.

The Commissioners proceeded in the same manner with their
investigations, and with about the same results, in 1786 and 1787.[127]

On the 5th of April, 1788, the Commissioners reported that they had
examined into and declared upon 1,680 claims, and had allowed the sum of
L1,887,548 for their payment.

Under all the circumstances, it appears scarcely possible that the
Commissioners could have proceeded with more despatch than they did. But
the delay caused much dissatisfaction among the Loyalists, whose agents
petitioned both King and Parliament on the delay, or on the course
pursued by the Commissioners, or on some subject connecte