The Guianas

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 28 January 1933, Page 11

The Guianas

(Written for "The Star” by T.C.)

OF the once vast possessions of European ) countries in the South American con- „ tinent, only three small portions now remain. Spain and Portugal long ago had notice to quit and the only European nations to rule any portion of South America are Britain, France and' Holland, between which countries the territory of Guiana in the northeast portion of the continent is decided. A famous traveller who spent several years in British Guiana from the year 1812, about the time when many of the Spanish republics were in revolt against the mother country, Spain, and less than 40 years after the Declaration of Independence by the United States, ventured the prophecy that, in a few years from the time in which he was in the country, no European nation would possess a foot of land in the Americas. His prophecy has been falsified in connection with the British possessions for Bi*itain still possesses the great Dominion of Canada, British Guiana, British Honduras, the Falkland Islands and her West Indian possessions.

The territory of Guiana is bounded on the west by Venezuela and on the east and south by Brazil. Several disputes over the Venezuelan and British Guiana frontier have taken place, one of which in recent years almost led to war between Britain and the United States. The area of the Guianas is 168,800 square miles, of which the area of British Guiana is 86,480 square miles; that of Dutch Guiana (Surinam) is 46,000 square miles, and that of French Guiana is 32,000 square miles. The population of British Guiana is 319,000, of Dutch Guiana 107,000, and of French Guiana 44,000. It is remarkable that British Guiana was originally a Dutch settlement and that Dutch Guiana was originally a British settlement. British Guiana was captured from the Dutch, who had settled on the Essequibo River. Captured in 1781 by the British and changing hands several times, it was finally ceded to Britain in 1815. Dutch Guiana was ceded to Holland by Britain in exchange for New Amsterdam in North America, which is now New York, and thus Britain to-day possesses neither £)uteh Guiana nor New York. Thus do the passing years bring about unexpected changes in the history of men and nations.

French settlers occupied what is now French Guiana in 1604. In 1763 a colony of 12,000 from Alsace-Lorraine settled in the country and in one year these were reduced by disease to less than 1000. In 1809 the country was captured by British and Portuguese, which countries were at that time at war with France. The area was restored to the latter country in .1814, when Napoleon had been, for a time, overthrown. During the French Revolution, French Guiana was formed into a penal settlement and as such it is still used by the French Government. Devil’s Island, the famous, or infamous, convict settlement, is close to the coast of French Guiana. It was on this island that Captain Alfred Dreyfus was confined after his unjust condemnation in 1894 in the French courts on a false' charge of having sold military secrets to Germany. The chief town is Cayenne, which has a population of 10,000. Cayenne is a fortified town and stands at Ihe month of the Arapa River. The harbour is shallow and vessels drawing over 14ft. have to be out in the roadstead. The climate of Cayenne is very unhealthy for Europeans. French Guiana is administered by a governor, who is assisted by a council and is represented in the French Parliament by a deputy. Dutch Guiana is a land of immense forests, the south of the country especially being 1 composed'of inpenetrable forest regions. The chief town of this Dutch possession is Paramaribo, which has a population of 37,000, and is situated at the confluence of the Surinam and Commewin Rivers, some ten miles from the sea. The commodious harbour is fortified by the two forts of Zeelandia and New Amsterdam. Like French Guiana, this colony is also administered by a governor, assisted by a council and the language, laws and coinage are Dutch.

British Guiana, the most important portion of the three Guianas, includes the settlements of Essequibo, Berbice, and Demarara. The greater portion of British Guiana is uninhabited, the coastal region, which is very fertile, being composed of rich alluvial flats and mod banks deposited by numerous rivers, being the only district inhabited. The capital of the country is Georgetown, sometimes called Demarara, and has a population of 54,000. It stands near the mouth of the River Demarara and lias a fortified harbour. The town, which lies below the level of high water, is protected by a sea wall. The climate of Georgetown is described as humid and hot, and owing to the swampy surroundings, is unhealthy, A good supply of water is obtained by the sinking of artesian wells. The chief rivers of British Guiana are the Essequibo (600 miles), the Berbice (400 miles) and the Demarara (250 miles). Charles Watcrton, a British naturalist, thus describes the scenery of the Essequibo: “Nothing could be more lovely than the appearance of the forest on each side of this noble river. Hills rose on hills in fine gradation, all covered with trees of gigantic height and size. Here their leaves were of a lively purple, and there of the deepest green. Sometimes the caracarn extended Uts scarlclt blossoms from, branch to branch, nndjjave the tree Ihe appearance as though it had been hung with garlands. This delightful scenery of the Essequibo made t lie soul overflow with joy, and caused you to rove in fancy through fairyland; till on turning an angle of the river, you were recalled to more sober reflections on seeing the onee grand and towering morn, now dead and ragged in its topmost branches, while its aged trunk, undermined by the rushing torrent, hung as though in sorrow over the river, which ere long would receive it and sweep it way for ever. During the day the trade winds blew a gentle and refreshing breeze, which died away as the night set in, and then the river was as smooth as glass.”

Immense alligators, some of them twenty feet long, frequent these rivers. When crossing a river the natives are cautious lest these cruel, reptiles should seize and devour them. Each river to he crossed is carefully examined, after which the boldest of the natives would

Europe’s South American Possessions

descent struck the hunter on the elbow

swim across the river to be at once followed by his companions. Another great reptile to be found in these rivers is the cayman, a species of crocodile. The great cayman of the Amazon is said to attain to a length of from 18 to 20 feet. The great forests of the Guianas are of intense interest, when we consider the wonderful trees and plants, of which they are composed, and the abounding animal and bird life with which they are replete. The green heart, famous for hardness and durability, the duealabali, superior to mahogany, the ebony, and the locust tree, the wild fig tree, the rubber tree and many interesting parasitic plants are beautiful, but destructive, and while covering the- trees with beautiful verdure at length bring about their destruction. Through these immense forest glades there glide the boaconstrictor and the anaconda. Some of the boaconstrictors are of immense size and are handsomely marked with spots and bars, the prevailing colours beirig brown, with black .and yellowish markings. Coiled on the branches or round the triuik of .a tree, the boa-constrie-tor lies in wait for its prey. The anaconda, which is a native of Brazil and Guiana, a giant reptile, attains to the length of from 25 to 30 feet. One writer states that the anaconda has reached the length of 40 feet. The Spaniards declared that he could kill the strongest and largest bull. Through these forests too roam the fierce jaguar and herds of wild boars. The boars roam in herds together, often there being three to four hundred in each. The Indians hunt and kill them with poisoned arrows. Here are found the red monkey, the brown monkey, the bisa and the saeawinki. Many birds make melody amongst tlie branches of these forest trees or fill the air with their discordant cries. Here the campanero attracts attention and at a distance of three miles it is said may be heard this snowwhite bird tolling every four or five minutes like a distant convent bell. Parrots and parroquets are numerous and of many different kinds. The hia-hia parrot is described as a very remarkable parrot who can erect at pleasure a circle of tartan feathers quite round the back of his head. Hosts of tiny hummingbirds flit from tree to tree. Though least in size the glittering mouth of the humming bird entitles it to the first place in the list of the birds of the New World. Many other interesting birds make their habitat in these wonderful forests.

11l the Guianas are many wandering tribes of Indians. These include the Warow, Arawack, Acoway, Carib and Macoushi tribes. The Arawaks are dscribed as being a weak bodied, peace-loving people who once extended from Bolivia to the West Indies and Florida. They are experts in the use of the bow and arrow and the blow gun. These natives are very jealous of their liberty and are much attached to their own mode of living. Many of them who have associated with the whites and have even visited Europe have upon their return to Guiana gone back to their former mode of living. The Macoushi tribe is one of the most important of these tribes. Charles Waterton tells of a trick that was played upon him by one of these Indians. Having himself made a fine ball of pure India-rubber and having been prevented through lindlsposition from obtaining sufficient rubber to form a second ball, a young Indian offered his services. He returned in a much shorter time than it had taken the traveller to make the ball. The Indian declared when the ball refused to bounce that he might be easy on that score for by the time the ball had matured it would bounce beautifully. With the passing- of time the ball still refused to bounce.” The clever rogue had chewed some leaves into a lump the size of a walnut and then dipped them in the liquid gum elastic,” continues Waterton. '“lt immediately received a coat about as thick as a sixpence. He then rolled some more leaves around it and gave it another coat. He continued this process till lie made the ball considerably larger than the one I had procured. In order to make discovery impossible he had made the outer coat of considerable thickness. ”

The Macoushia Indian is the maker of the tvourali poison which he forms from ingredients found in the forest recesses and which he uses with effect upon the animals and birds in his hunting expeditions. Many experiments have been made upon such animals as oxen, dogs and the sloth, an animal which lives in the forest trees. Upon all these the poison worked with deadly effect in the course of a few minutes. Sometimes in their expeditions the hunters would be accidently struck by the poisoned arrow and in a short time all would be over with them. An Indian who fired an arrow at a monkey missed his aim and the arrow in. its

shall never,” lie said to his companion, “bend this bow again.” So saying he laid himself down on the ground and after bidding his companion farewell, never spoke again.

Many of the inhabitants of the Guianas are the descendants of runaway slaves. In the earlv days of the British occupation of Guiana several expeditions were sent out against these people by the British authorities. The slaves dwelt in the great extent of forest country that bounded the' plantation of Essegnibo and Demnrarn and from these retreats they would harass and annoy the colonists. In these expeditions severe conflicts often took place. In 1801 the slaves had so increased that an expedition was.'senf| oist under Charles Edmonstone, a prominent colonist. lie had taken the lead in many expeditions against the runaway negroes and always he had returned victorious. Under his command in the present expedition were a few officers who were joined by a party of colonial militiamen and by sixty Indians. A march of eight days took the expedition through many swamps and through country infested by mosquitoes and poisonous snakes. The camp of the negroes was assailed. The leader of the negroes was slain and after a stern conflict in which there were several casualties the negroes fled into I lie forest not, however, before severely wounding the leader of the British expedition who, ultimately recovered. The British Guiana Government recognised his services by presenting him a handsome sword and silver urn and by freeing his property from all taxation.