eS ae ee ee Qe — " ) ny + 1 4 jy j tate) " " Bla Gree leh ae 4 ee th agit Ley AS iets tab yoke talt an wit ry 4 # Sin, Wi 1 Sboquedads Ha Rae ten A} ALS ue s Sane hd egat ae AACA Nat at siteaeet eda: pets as ee 4 RF eit GAs \ ata Yanga i Hike Veet LW: Ait a Nanay’ Ki ea ri Wi se ieee Ch htt miei ta onedddest Nahant MRL TA is bY a Hi fl Loh ih ae f auiny VSP REL D ch ie tk a ; os Boers 2 pe ean aces Sisarsc iene ase aeet a Was ht wy: ; x a Hon t : PPR ai ih 1 Ht i " u y ec eS in mt 4 is Dts: a bbe ear adeh TERE ay, ae eres ei 4 cit an Th ite nec ‘Neat 4304 ate rat ne ao F eae ee bid tba ie Ra th DRY) iat . i DiAhus 4h ad i ai » ; fy Naas NY f a; i ASS y mi 2. i * an Mahe Ln = srerete rss oe ae Fast hy Aiiay ee) i ei 13 \ ik gobs stiles ik Mant aa te HE wiv Advertisements. —_—_———— *“ DOCTORS SAY WORRY KILLS, | BUT WE KNOW NEGLECT always ends in DEATH. THE DRUG STORE = THAT STANDS IN A CLASS BY ITSELF | FOR PURITY AND PRICE. Therefore come before it’s too Late to— SMITH BROS.’ DRUG STORE, The only House where you can secure a Patent Medicine to meet your Particular Case. If it’s more serious and needs The Doctor— call him in—he’ll tell you to take his ) _ Prescription where he is sure it would be Honestly Filled. We Specialize in PERFUMES, COLOGNE and TOILET WATERS of Every Kind, TALC POWDERS for the Baby and COMPLEXION POWDERS for Mother. We carry the Goods: what you don’t see please ask for. Once | a Purchaser, always a Friend. Smith Bros.’ Drug Store. Advertisements, Wieting & Richter, LIMITED. Established 1871. incorporated 1910. ee eee AGENTS Compagnie Generale Transatlantique. PROPRIETORS Demerara Biscuit Factory. Barbados Biscuit Factory. GEORGETOWN, DEMERARA. BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS. Guiana Rice Mill. Mahaicony Rice Mill. Cold Storage and Ice Depot. Berbice Branch Store. WINES, GROCERIES & PROVISIONS. PROVISIONS & GROCERIES. Ice Manufacturing & Cold Storage Plant. GENERAL EXPOR'TERS & IMPORTERS, COMMISSION AGENTS, Georgetown, New Amsterdam, Produce Exchange Buildings. BRITISH GUIANA, BRITISH GUIANA, * NEW YORK, Advertisements. a ee — SOME FIGURES | relating to the transactions of THE DEMERARA LIFE during the current quinquennium which closes at 3ist December, 1921. issue of Husiness. Over $3,800,000 with another Half-Year to go! (Estimate of $4,000,000 at the beginning of the quinquennium likely to be easily exceeded by end of year.) — Business in Force. | Nearly $5,090,000 to date against $2,291,607 at end of 1916. (This is the third occasion upon which the Society has doubled its business in less than five years, but this performance is naturally a bigger achievement than any previous as the amount done is so much greater:) Life Assurance Fund. Likely to be increased by about Half a pen Dollars by December. investments. Only about 60% of the Sum Invested in Bonds and Stock Exchange Securities at the beginning of the Quinquennium will be so invested at the end,by which time the RESERVE FUND will be more than qua- drupled out of current Interest and surpluses on Maturing Investments. interest Earniags. Mean rate on Mean Furd for past four years worked out at over 5,6" with every prospect of going higher this year. Expenses of Management. Down to 15.1% of premiums received previous half-year and as the Premium Income continues to grow the ratio for the quinquennium ‘should be very satisfactory. For Rates, etc., of ‘the Company that brought down the cost of Life Assurance in British Guiana and the British West Indies,” apply to i. B. SADLER, Secretary, 7 @=)— THE DEMERARA LIFE, l Pa Hand-in-Hand Buildings. ae ee 30th June, 1921. : = | ae ES cra SO ra moc SE pane 0 rage ree ven ee SE i es aL Bia eee Rey ee ae ass eee sso ee Egy Advertisements. 1665-1921. The Hand-in-Hand Mutual Guarantee fire Insurance Company OF BRITISH GUIANA, LIMITED. INCORPORATED 1865. Established over 50 years ago with the object of providing cheap Insurance in the Colony, it has succeeded in this object and is still doing so. All information as to RATES and other particulars, obtainable on application at the Company’s Office : LOTS I, 2 & 3, HIGH & NORTH STREETS, ROBBSTOWN, GEORGETOWN, DEMERARA. J. SLATER, Secretary. Advertisemenis. Satisfied Gustomers are our Best Advertisement ee ate EVERY CASE ONCE FITTED BY US IS RECORDED AND KEPT SO THAT WE CAN REFILL YOUR PRESCRIPTION WITHOUT BEING PRESENT. Ea oe Over 5,000 Cases on Record. | Buy PRACTICAL GiFTs FROM -SCHULER * JEWELLER, (Opposite Smith Bros), 21, Water Street, Demerara, B.G. Nugget Brooch. ; 0 le oe a Solid Gold Bangle. | Nugget Sleeve Links A large assortment of all kinds of v JEWELLERY Just to Hand. Our Speciality in WATCHES, CLOCKS and JEWELLERY is HIGH VALUES at SMALL COST, Advertesements. BOOKER BROS., McCONNELL | and Company, Limited. The Premier Merchants OF THE WEST INDIES. Georgetown, Demerara, British Guiana. GENERAL MERCHANTS, STEAMSHIP AND INSURANCE AGENTS, EXPORTERS, IMPORTERS, Agents in British Guiara for— LLOYDS UNDERWRITERS ASSOCIATION, LIVERPOOL UNDERWRITERS ASSOCIATION, JAMES NOURSE, LTD., FURNESS, WITHY & CO., LTD., DUTCH GOVERNMENT STEAMERS, ROYAL INSURANCE CO., LTD., MOTOR UNION INSURANCE CO., LTD., 3 PVCS. ETC.) (ee Tes GENERAL HEADQUARTERS—2I, Mincing Lane, London, SHIPPING HEADQUARTERS—77, The Albany, Liverpool, England. AGENTS IN NEW YORK-—L. & P. W. Armstrong, 106, Wall St., N.Y,, ane ca Scott & Co., Inc,, 2 & 4, Stone E.8 ah Ge AGENTS IN HALIFAX—W. & C. H. Mitchell, Woods Wharf, Halifax, N.S. ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO BRITISH GUIANA SENT FREE ON APPLICATION Re. : BOOKER BROS., McCONNELL & CO., LTD. > a . Leyte Hottite ui: a das th ‘TOTIOJUL FC 1 sw 119}UL FO yavd : UMNosny vuvtIny Ysytag OF (he iow! Agricultural and (Pommercial Sociely OF BRITISH GUIANA, > JaMEs Ropway, F.LS., Edztor. STASI UB uOe Vol. VII. (Third Series), August, 1921. PROGRESSIVE VOLUME. Demerara : THE “ARGOSY” COMPANY LIMITED. CONTENTS OF VOLUME VIL. (THIRD SERIES.) EDITORIAL NOTES STAGES OF PROGRESS—J. Rodway Progress IN NEw AMSTERDAM—J,. Van Sertima SoME EXAMPLES OF INDIAN Mimicry, FraupD AND IMposTURE—W. EK, Roth ATABARAU-WENA—C., I. Cary-Elwes... THE FARMER'S PRoGRESS—J. F. Denny CANE-BorERS IN 1878—Editor THE PROGRESS OF SANITATION IN British Guiana—F. G. Rose | ne TuE BEGINNINGS OF OUR ViLLAGES—J. G. Cruickshank PROGRESS OF SURINAM—Fred Oudschans Dentz SONS OF THE BLAcK RACE AS PREACHERS IN OLDEN TimEs——Fred Oudschans Dentz... A Piua FOR THE Mopern Woman—A Creole Girl ... WaraAo STorIES—C. Cooksey JUVENAL’S PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY—J. Van Sertima THe CREOLE East InDIAN—Joseph Ruhoman Our FUTURE PEASANTRY—P. M. DeWeever... THE NEOTROPICAL RESEARCH STATION —William Beebe SHootine Norrs—G. E. Bodkin and C. T. Matthey FEATHERED FrienpsHips—L. D. Cleare, Jnr. Progress ?—Edgar Beckett ... OccASIONAL NOTES PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY os me ae 102 107 110 115 126 134 148 158 TIMEHRI: THE JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH GUIANA. VOL. VII. AUGUST, 1921. PROGRESSIVE VOLUME —_—. EDITORIAL NOTES. The present volume has been delayed much longer than the Editor could have wished, but possibly it is none the worse for that. We call it a ‘ Progressive Volume ” and put up the ideal of “ A Magnificent Province ” which was formulated about eighty years ago. This ideal can be partially attained though perhaps not to perfection. In the order of things we strain for the unattainable and if that is not Utopia we get a little nearer as we goon. An ideal suchas Civilization or Health can bo partially gained as we move but as it would not be desirable for us to relax our efforts, full attainment is impossible. This is easily understood when we find people content to be passive and to wait for others to move. The talkers have been often contrasted with the doers ; no doubt many of those who abuse and find fault with things could put their “ shoulders to the wheel” with better result. We have tried to show that our Colony is really progressive, but of course we don’t want people to get into a condition where they think nothing more can be done. Our progress has been very slow and one of | our contributors entitles his article ‘‘ Progress ?” as if he doubted what we accept as a reality. The writer is a creole of the colony and decided- ly progressive himself ; we even think that he has done something, with good results. Even one good worker is proof of advancement and we can say of him that there is no question in his case, A few more workers of his type will make for a further advance towards the ideal of ‘A Magnificent Province.” We have laid some stress on the intellectual side of the creole be- cause we all admit that the mind is the higher standard. Those who say there has been no progress may read the articles by people of different races, showing a real advance of the intellect, which of course is human, and not bound by outside appearances. Throughout the West Indies il. Timehre. and Guiana the creole has begun to appear in the professions to an extent quite unknown until recent years and we may safely presume will be even more prominent in the near future. That Timehri should reflect every aspect of progress is in accord- ance with its traditions and therefore we need not apologise for our at- tempt to put up the creole as coming into line with outsiders. At the same time such aman as Mr. Beebe stands forth as a naturalist from outside inviting others to come and see what a grand field we have. His work at Cartabo is indicated by an-article, but he has materials for more | than one book. Father Cary-Elwes’ great cataract may incite further explorations ; progress on that line is by no means at an end. What some one wrote of Kaieteur in 1870 is probably worth publishing, but the » Hotel and Balloon trip were not realised. The law of progress should come first when we attempt to do things. Like other natural laws it is obscured in many directions by fancied ideals, some of which are unattainable. From the best standpoints we see that the world and everything in it is changing for the better; we cannot find a beginning and need not look for anend. It is a chain of causation coming from the mists which hide its antecedents, but as there can never be a cause that is not also an effect, we have to say that eter- nal change is the principle, with no exception. Failure of one line is not ruin for we can change when there isreal necessity. When our colony gave up coffee and cotton to develop sugar there was progress, and if sugar should fail other products like rice and coconuts can take its place. : But mere change is not everything, we want changes that mean progressive continuity or development. The colony lives and thrives in spite of failures—there is continuity with some progress, but we want more to make the “ Magnificent Province.” This ideal can be realised by hard work, for it does not mean something unattainable. Our prede- cessors worked very hard to make a line of plantations along our coasts, and it is curious to note that no new polders are being made. Were we inclined to look at the dark side of things, we might groan and complain as the old planters once did. | However, they made their livings in spite of difficulties and our children will, no doubt, be a little better off than ourselves. THE BAUXITE INDUSTRY. Railroad through the Bush. THE BAUXITE INDUSTRY. Shipping Bauxite. STAGES OF _PROGRESS. 1, THE PHYSICAL ASPECT, By J. Ropway. In view of the possibilities of beneficial occupation of the interior of _ our colony it may be well to survey the past history to see if any lessons ean be gleaned that will help in our development. Something has been done, and though all will admit that it is very little, yet we can feel more hopeful when looking to the North West and comparing our colony with Spanish Guayana. We can see some reasons for congratulation and should say that our predecessors were by uo means idle. If we start with the beginning, we find that Essequebo was not a | _ colony, nor was it expected to be anything more than a trading factory. Colonies were attempted in other parts of Guiana but at the beginning everyone was a failure. If therefore Essequebo and Berbice were not projected to invite settlers we can plainly say that they were not failures on the lines for which they were established. Wecan go a little farther and say that while several projected colonies in other parts of Guiana were disastrous failures these were fairly successful, Forts Kyk-over-al and Nassau were trading factories in a great _ wilderness to which the native Indians might bring their small lots of produce to exchange for tools and trinkets. No doubt the factors were always hoping to get more business; we cannot see that they were altogether idling for they sent people into the far interior to pick up cotton, tobacco and anatto. There was no suggestion of a settlement, even when the authorities began to grow a little tobacco and cotton. Later, sugar plantations were started on behalf of the Company and in time a few private planters made astart. But no particular efforts were made to get settlers, for the Trading Factory was not kept up for colonisation. The Company’s servants at Kyk-over-al were practically exiles, _ bound by the Articled Letter, and no doubt, eager to get home when their term of service expired. When they went back to the Netherlands their reports of the ‘“‘ Great Wild Coast” were by no means favourable for many privations were endured. Like other sailors they ardently desired to get to places where they could spend their wages, which of course accumulated during their exile. Mutinies were reported at times especially when the regular vessels did not come out with food supplies ; desertions also were not unknown. When people speak of slavery they donot always see that the bondage of the old sailors was in some respects . worse than that of the negroes. | | “Suppose we put the starting point for the Essequebo Trading Factory at about 1620, we find that little colonisation was done until near the end of the 17th century. A few settlers came and got free land but they could not be considered as colonists. 2 Timehri. ‘We have an account of Kyk-over-al by Van Berkel who paid a visit in 1672, when there were only three private planters in the neighbourhood, The principal of these had about 30 slaves and the other two about a dozen each. They increased slowly and by the year 1698 were of sufficient importance to be taxed for their slaves at the rate of a dollar of three guilders per head. This became the main tax in later times, and the real settlers always objected to pay more than the legal dollar. The slow development of Essequebo is shown by the erection of the Huis Naby on Cartabo Point in 1716, and the establishment of a Court of Justice two years later. The Court of Policy existed before as a quarterly meeting of the servants of the Company who discussed the probable results of the working of the plantations belonging to the Government. An apology for a capital was laid out under the name of Stad Cartabo, but only the Government Offices were of any importance. The real colony may be conveniently put down as having commenced two centuries ago and we may put the starting point as the clearing for Pln. Pelgrim by the Company in 1721, This was a move down the river, the situation being near the Parika Creek nearly opposite Fort Island. A removal of the headquarters was then advocated but the Company were not yet prepared to spend money on a new fort. From 1720 to 1770 was the most important period in our history ; it began with the move down the river, then came Fort Zeelandia and * finally the declaration that Essequebo was open to people of all nations with ten years’ exemption from taxes, Hitherto Essequebo was closed to foreigners and even Dutchmen outside the province of Zeeland were almost excluded, Such a revolution could only have been due to the influence of a master-mind and this can be seen when we study the life of Governor Gravesande- We can see that he loved Essequebo and put up the welfare of the colony before his own interests. Fortunately for his colonisation scheme, the Company were not too much opposed to their Governor's projects though they were not fully convinced of their feasability. A measure of success was gained and although progress was slow it was steady and continuous. The first meeting at the new fort took place in 1739 and from that time the rea] development of Essequebo as a colony was assured. The Indian trade became secondary and because it was not of much value Gravesande put colonisation in the first place. The new regime was started in 1741, at which time there were few plantations in the lower district though ‘the remove from near Kyk- over-al had begun. Sugar was the main product, but coffee had been introduced ; neither did very well in the upper district, but the prospects — of the remove were bright and Governor Gravesande became enthusiastic over his anticipations. At that time there was some trade with New England, mainly for horses, and the Yankee vessels usually called at the islands, Barbados Stages of Progress. 3 coming first. Wecan try to picture the stir among the quidnunes of that island when the “‘ Mary Ann” arrived from Essequebo with the news that the river was opened to all nations and that every settler could have a large plantation without fees and be entitled to ten years’ exemption from taxes. The Barbadians of that day were as loyal to the Mother Country as they are now and therefore could not be expected to hurry off to Essequebo in a swarm. The Clarkes and the Gascoignes required time for consideration and meanwhile they discussed the matter over their cups in the Bridgetown taverns. ! Here was the Yankee skipper with the views of Governor Graves- ande who was confident that the river would, in a few years, be the most prosperous in this part of the world. Most of the islands were already worn out but Essequebo was exceptionally fertile. Then again it was so healthy that already people from neighbouring colonies had come over torecuperate. The fertility really outstripped belief and little was want- ing to make it one of the most blessed regions in the world. Kven the cane-borer was quite unknown. The Barbadian, with his two or three acres of yams and sweet pota- toes, could get no information in regard to these precious roots. He gloried in his native island. Bea Dutchman? Not he! True Barbadian born! The finest place in the West Indies! Nothing came up to their happy oiland. Essequebo! Pooh, pooh! It was overrun with mosquitoes and other pests. There was béte rouge, the parent of many sores; jiggers filled your toes with large colonies in a few hours. Nobody wanted to be jiggered. The pests got into your mouth, your eyes, your nose—you had to eat, drink and breathe flies. When you laid down lizards, cockroaches and snakes crawled into your beds and hammocks and when you got up scor- pions and centipedes stung your feet. Everything bit and stuny—life would be a burden. There * were unknown insects with eleven legs and _ mine wings in your cups and on your bread and butter. The land might be free and good to look upon, but while you were admiring it everything _ around you was wanting to eat you out of breeches, waistcoat and coat. Things were too free altogether. Barbados for ever ! This sort of thing, no doubt, went on until someone chartered a _ schooner and went to see for himself. On his return people crowded round him to hear that the sugar canes on some of the new plantations were finer than anything he had seen in the islands. The Governor was ready to grant 500 or even 1,000 acres at once and the firewood got by clearing could be sold in Barbados. There was a shortage of labour, but anyone might take over his slaves and in wu few weeks make a start. The Barbadians began to waver and presently by ones and twos they came and got free grants. Two years after Governor Gravesande reported that there were seven English plantations. A little 4 Timehrr. later he said that Messrs. J. Gibbs, W. Caddell and J. Panter, three of the principal inhabitants of Barbados, had come over bringing carpenters, masons and fifty slaves, with all necessaries for erecting mills. There were people from Surinam and Berbice as well as other islands besides Barbados and in five years all -the best places in Essequebo were granted and there were applicants who could not be satisfied. Then began a cry for grants in the Demerara, which river had hitherto been ignored. Some objections were made by the Company who thought settlers would demand protection by forts, but this was got over by their agreeing to ignore this and let people go at their own risks. One of the objections made was that people might leave Essequebo and thus damage the older settlement. However, the difficulties were overcome, the first applicant being Andries Pietersen, probably a Swede, who got the consent of the Com- pany in 1745 and ‘received a grant, on the 3rd of April, 1746, of 2,000 acres on or near the Coeleriserabo Creek. Four other grants were made on the same day, all up the Demerara River, one on the Camoeny of 1,000 acres to Bastian Christiansen, probably another Swede. Christianburg was granted later to Christian Finet of the same nationality. We have on the Demerara German names such as Berlin and Wismar and may presume that some of the mercenaries of the Dutch took up land after their discharge. Gravesande said that the only settlers from Essequebo were Jacobus van Roden and Andries Pietersen, the others coming from outside, This, however, only applies to the beginning for Finet had been in the other river for some years. Of the first settlers most were British from the islands ; Dutch and French were not so numerous. The most striking point was that a steady influx of settlers from outside came during the first ten years until all the facades were occupied. There were no fees and at the first no surveys, it followed therefore that perfect freedom existed except for the choice of a location which the Governor made in such a way that there were no vacant blocks. Possibly friends might in some cases become neighbours but we do not find Dutch or English names in groups. ~Probably there was some rule by which the order of application was kept and very little choice allowed, some of the grants being described as bounded by others belonging to particular persons. On Bercheyck’s chart the blocks adjoin each other which would not probably have been the case had the applicants been allowed to pick out what they liked. It is evident, however, that there were few restric- tions, for even Berbice people said that Demerara was better off than they, some went over and induced others to follow them. The position to-day is undoubtedly due to the freedom at the beginning which enabled Demerara to outstrip Berbice and Essequebo. Berbice never gave the same privileges, hence it is still backward. Those who took up land necessarily had to comply with the only conditions, which were to erect a house and begin to plant. The house Stages of Progress. aes was generally a troolie shed and the planting was limited by the labour supply. Most of the preliminary clearing was done by native Indians, who were more numerous tha nthey arenow. Unfortunately, advantage was taken of their craving for “‘kill-devil,” the fiery rum then made in Essequebo. There was always a shortage of labour and we have to excuse our prede- cessors for using the only inducement they could find. Early travellers speak of the way the natives treated all attempts to employ them under engage- ments. Jobs were undertaken for axes, knives and guns, but when these were obtained the men wanted to get away and use them for their own pleasure. Only kill-devil could induce them to do more. The banks of the Demerara, as I saw them fifty years ago, hardly showed a sign of inhabitants for the few river people hid their huts inside the bushes. From 1746 to 1760, however, there were clearings in front with benabs in sight at regular intervals. Those who had creeks near at hand could lay down water-mills, others had to be content with horse and cattle mills which however were scarce because few animals were available. Probably the river has never shown such stirring scenes as it did then when people were coming and going from Essequebo to Demerara in corials and everyone trying to make a start. Soon, however, there was disappointment. Sugar was the main object and after the first clearing fair crops could be obtained from the lower _ grounds near the river or in the creek gullies. We can, however, see now that the Indian system of burning the forest does not conduce to perma- nent fertility, for after two or three years a new clearing has to be made _ beeause the first has been exhausted. As for the back lands these are generally barren sands, gravels and clays, hardly worth cultivating with anything at all, much less sugar. No doubt the pioneers worked very hard with hopes and expectations but some of them gave up the struggle ; possibly such names as “Broke Pot ” and “John Trewern’s Folly” are relics of such failures. T have always taken much interest in the suggestive names of our plantations. Up the Demerara we have Bimpshire, Little Barbados and New St. Eustatius, suggesting the islands from whence their owners came. _ Few “ Hopes” are found up the river but there is “ Land of Canaan ” _and ‘ Garden of Eden ” ; “ Leert Zorg” suggests that the owner had _ some painful experience ; ‘De Wildernis ” would be suitable for the whole settlement. Plenty of work had to be done without much capital or labour and we can be sure that a fair trial was made of the river banks before people came down to the coast. , It seemed, however, that each of the three rivers took the same course _ from upper to lower, Essequebo first, then Demerara and finally Berbice, the last delaying possibly to be sure of the success of the others, In the half century we are considering the move in Demerara began and it was carried out on much the same — lines as on the other river. Here, however, windmills were — 6 Timehri. prominent and the early voyagers took their bearings from them ; that of Pln. Kitty had a flag and was a landmark for the entrance to the river. We can reckon that the pioneer work was done in about thirty years, and though it was done slowly it was a paving of the way towards another stage. ; The second fifty years was notable for consolidation. There was not the same freedom, for after Gravesande retired in 1772, stricter rules were made, not altogether agreeable to many of the British planters. However, all the coast plantations were taken up, the Canals, Nos. 1 to 3 dug, coffee and cotton grown on the lower districts and most of ‘he river plantations abandoned. Capital and labour were introduced, especially after the British arrived in 1796, and the exports rose from almost nothing to be of considerable value The capital, Stabroek, was laid out by the French in 1782, and the town grew when Barbadians of the lower class came over and began to cater for the poorer people as hucksters. Progress under Dutch rule was slow but steady—a little spurt was made with the arrival of the British. Labour was absolutely necessary and until the suppression of the slave trade in 1807, the supply was almost equal to the demand. Plantations of a few acres extended their cultiva- tion until some were half occupied. We may say, however, that few were able to empolder the whole area of their grants. The stoppage of the labour supply was a severe check to progress; so long as slaves were available every estate could be developed, after- wards one must be stinted if others were to go on. Cotton and coffee began to decrease and sugar came to the front. There were ups and downs, largely due to the value of produce; some plantations on the coast gave up their cultivation and cattle farms began to appear. On the whole progress was slow and sure, for even Berbice came down to the coast and New Amsterdam followed Stabroek. In a general way Berbice was hampered by want of British settlers and was generally ten years behind Demerara. We now come to the third stage from 1820 to 1870, the most criti- cal period in our history. The labour supply having been stopped development depended more upon the value of produce. If canes gave a better profit than coffee or cotton, the only thing to be done was to aban- don the less profitable crops. As, however, sugar required more labour the abandoned coffee and cotton estates could hardly be kept up in canes. The general result was concentration of labour on afew instead of a fair distribution to the many. This was the beginning of what we see to-day, abandonment of several estates to bring the labour supply to one. The beginning of this period is notable for the survival of sugar as the fittest product under the circumstances. In studying survival people often put up one cause only and the general idea is that cotton and coffee fell at the Emancipation. But the causes were numerous and the most important was the comparative value of labour on a sugar plantation as compared with the same work with the other products ; the prices were - Stages of Progress. 7 alsoimportant factors. Cotton fell in price and coffee followed until they ceased to pay ; sugar gave fair returns hence it remained. Many planters failed when cotton fell in price; the end was more sudden than that of coffee which remained for many years after real cultivation and picking had ceased. The critical aspect of this period, however, is seen best in the Emancipation difficulties. Labour could be depended upon at first, but when no one could say whether he might get labour to reap, he hesitated to plant. The freedmen were entirely selfish and therefore were bad citizens. It is true that all of us are selfish, but we mostly like to have comfortable and pleasant surroundings, to obtain which we sometimes take some trouble. Were we entirely selfish nothing beyond food, clothing and a shelter would be desired. This was the position of the freedman ; the comforts and luxuries of a town did not appeal to him; it seemed as _ if he cared for nobody and that he thought nobody cared for him. Hitherto he had been a negligible quantity but now he became somebody of importance. No matter that he cared for nothing others wanted to live and not have a labour-starved colony. 4 At first it seemed as if all the progress made by the early pioneers _ would be wasted. Already the river estates were gone and many a gap _ existed in the coast line where the owners had failed. Some supposed that the villages would take the place of the plantations but their hopes were not justified. Where once order reigned became confusion and no freedman cared about canals, roads or bridges. Most of the old planters were ruined ; some were actually destitute. New people became owners of the estates and wanted to get labour from anywhere ; immigration began and at first produced much trouble. No one knew what could or - should be done, or what people were most suitable, The result was at first streets full of beggars and hospitals with the sick and dying. The old colonial system ended and the new birth was most -distressing. However, the new planter looked upon the estates with names like ‘‘ Better Hope ” and put his shoulder to the wheel, He succeeded the man who _ was really struck down, for very few had survived the great catastrophe. Slowly but surely the colony recovered by means of indentured labour and when we come to 1870 we find the export of sugar greater than it had ever been before. Then also Demerara sugar had a name in England ; people liked it when I was a boy. The last stage comprehends 1870 to 1920 and we may say plainly, in spite of the croakers, that there has been considerable progress. In the ’eighties the prosperity of sugar was much hampered by the European bounty system, but it was kept up mainly by the amalgamation of estates and economy in working. Labour has been fairly abundant through immigration and the freedman appears to have found his place. Plantation work is not so congenial to the negro as jobbing; he wants to work when he likes and then take a few days’ “ rest.” 8 Timehri. This stage may be called that of the opening of the country ; ina way it resembles that which led to the Demerara settlement. The interior is being opened but not on Gravesande’s easy lines. It is true that we have steamers running along the coast and for some distance up the rivers yet the Crown Lands Regulations fetter progress to a great extent. We are hampered too much and if anyone expects to be as free as the early pioneers he will soon find out his mistake. Perhaps, however, it was a very bad thing for the Indian that the Demerara pioneer had no restrictions on the use of ‘ kill-devil,” The fact remains however that we are hampered in the employment of natives even when they are willing to work for us. Before 1870 only a few travellers had gone to the interior. A large district was locked up through the Boundary dispute with Venezuela. The sugar planter was jealous of his labour supply ; he had struggled hard to get it and when about 1880 there were rumours of gold discoveries he feared that a rush would ruin him. However, the gold industry came, followed by balata and diamonds. The old ery that all our eggs were in one basket was heard in 1870 and several people advocated minor industries. Rice was mentioned and sometimes a housewife would put a dish of creole rice on the table as a luxury. Everybody knew that rice could be grown and yet the creoles hardly looked at it. Villagers could have planted it in quantity as the runaways did before the end of the eighteenth century. Governor Gravesande thought it the most suitable for the small planter and yet no one took it up as an industry. Coconuts were also well-known and were once used to wedge the sugar hogsheads on board ship; but no one dried copra or made oil until quite recently. I will not enumerate the préducts which are now in their infancy, but only state that we can say plainly that during the last fifty years we have developed things that should have been thought of long before. It seems, however, that development of a new country is very slow; things at our doors are found to be valuable, but it takes time. Then our people want to be taught and this is a slow process. Heredity is very strong and it is not alone the negro who does things in the same way as his father and grandfather once did them. It seems asif ‘“‘red tape” is the same principle; every clerk asks how the thing was done before. It is evident that progress consists with starting on new lines without the hampering of custom and habit. Even good habits must be ignored when circumstances render them undesirable and probably the colony would be better for a general relaxation of the rules. The real colonisation took place when land was free and there were no burdensome taxes. We have nine-tenths of the colony undeveloped and this large area should not be locked up. The old plantation system cannot be revived and when we look over the world we find it becomes more difficult every year to reconcile capital ——- Stages of Progress. 9 and labour. The ideal would be for every man to save enough in a few years to make a start for himself, i.e., become his own capitalist. In the tropics a man can get a bare living from one or two acres of land if he is industrious and get a few luxuries by working for a neighbour. The general idea of working one day a week and idling for the rest can be seen in practice among some of our Bovianders. The living, however, is unworthy of the age, in fact it is not consistent with civilization. I have seen these people, who apparently live on next to nothing, with no am- bition or self-respect. If we aim for real progress we must try to develop these people until they have desires and aspirations for betterment and will feel ashamed that their wives and children should be wanting in the simplest eonveniences of a town or village. The homestead, with a good roof for the house and plenty of simple food, can be got by every Boviander who has a plot of land, but even these were wanting when I came to the colony. Now and then I wished to buy food but could hardly find even a few plantains to roast. The hut was rotten with a leaky roof and the surroundings a jungle. There were children who had no use for clothing, but most of them were half-starved. Yet they were happy enough for they could not miss what they never had. The dear little boys and girls who paddled my bateau and enjoyed a ‘‘ walk” up the creek were by no means miserable. They sang as they paddled, ran about the jungle picking the palm fruits and almost anything that would stave off their hunger. They existed and probubly lite was worth living, though the looker-on thought they should have been mis- erable. However, most of our discontent comes from what we miss that we once had, or envy of others who have things we cannot get. People may be happy enough when ae don’t see others feasting and wearing fine clothes. We don’t want to encourage that sort of thing but to get people with wants who will be driven by ideals of comfort, cleanliness and full stomachs, Though happiness does not necessarily consist with wealth, there is pleasure ‘in that stage where absolute necessaries are available. The grandest ideals of home do not consist with bare surroundings such as some of our sanitary people appear to advocate, but beneficial eccupation of every bit of land. Such gardens as we can see in England round every cottage are sanitary and pleasing in every way. Man can be elevated or depressed by his surroundings; I can conceive that the bareness of a jail would be repulsive to many people. Governor Gravesande had an ideal which can be considered, though it must be modified to suit our time. Hither the Government or some joint-stock Company might supply every emigrant family with $800 to be repaid in instalments, Land was free and the head of the family might get four labourers and pay for clearing and building a house of the benab type. ‘The first planting would be of such necessaries as were actually required to feed the family, after which would come produce for sale. He 10 Tumehrr. advocated rice and coffee, both of which realised good prices, the first giving an immediate return. One of the drawbacks of the poor man has hitherto been the want of some crop that can be quickly realised and this we now have inrice. Itis curious that though it was known and liked a century and a half ago our people never took it up until the East Indians led the way. The settler would naturally grow plantains, cassava and other desirable food products, but no one could be reaped as quickly as rice. Gravesande advocated a trial with 25 settlers, who, if successful, could give the result of their experience for the benefit of later arrivals. The greatest difficulty in early times was isolation. There were no roads and of course no shops, churches and schools. Doctors were few and hard to get. Those who take up land away from the settlements are even now much hampered by the same disabilities. The Demerara villages were started to prevent such isolation which could be once seen up the river. Much can be said in favour of villages and something against them. What we want is cheap and easy communication so that a homestead would not be quite out of the world. Those who speak against the development of the coast and advocate opening the interior, forget that something good can be seen in the present conditions. The ideal should be a full development of what is nearest and a gradual extension. There is no doubt that the coastlands are most fertile and therefore should come first. There was. an old project which we may consider to-day; the Cuming’s Canal It was to reach from the Demerara River to the Mahaica Creek and have plantations on either side. Produce would not be shipped by sea or rail but brought down the canal. It is evident that a new set of plantations could be laid out aback of the present line, in fact it could be like No. 1 Canal which was projected to extend to the Essequebo. The old canals were not dug by the Government but by the grantees of the land on their banks. Here we come to a very great difference between the olden time and to- day ; Government was not the milch cow as it is now supposed to be. The land was free and the people wanted to develop it, but they rarely asked | for assistance. The water ways and roads were the work of the estate owners ; of course everyone looked after his own property, in fact he would have resented government interference. Social conditions are of course different, one of the contrasts coming through the want of labour control. It was once easier to calculate the cost than it is now, but formerly aslave must be bought, where now a labourer can be employed for as many weeks as he is required. The old settler was somewhat hampered by the preliminary cost, but it amounts to much about the same except that perhaps slave labour was cheaper in the long run. It must, however, be remembered that given a cheap labour supply, such as we have in some countries it would not be economical to take over the whole burden of keeping our servants in childhood, old age and sickness. We ~ SSE eee Stages of Progress. 11 can compare the slave with the idle boy who wants to have the same privileges as another who is industrious ; he objects to work and must be coerced. The early settlers were bound to get labour in some way, hence they bought slaves and paid a lump sum at the beginning if credit could not be obtained. Probably a man with the same capital to-day could use it to better advantage by employing a large number at first and then going on with afew. The slave-owner had to use his labourers in the best way he could for he could not vary the number though his requirements might be greater or less: according to seasons. Here we have one of the difficulties of a fixed labour supply ; the same.people are available at all times and those only, though harvest may require three or four times the usual number. Were our villagers to occupy all their land they would sometimes require help from each other and unfortunately there is no bond of union between them. Probably the first idea of the village was co-operation but we can see that this has not been carried out. Suppose we have families, in some cases children will be old enough to assist, in others they are too young and labour must be hired. Those who advocate certain measures often fail to comprehend every aspect of the problems. The authorities generally say they watt to develop the country, but they act as if the opening up of the interior should be hampered by rules and regulations. Order is desirable but we must try to get a fair balance between liberty and licence. Because this is not easy the supposed better way is taken which hampers every pioneer with fees and permits. The sound principle that some risks must be taken is well understood by a new settler but the Government practically says there must be no risk of law-breaking. ‘The position of a government can be compared to _ that of a business ; every merchant knows that he must take risks, The new colonist has generally very little money and he wants it all for the preliminary work. It is good for the colony that he should develop the wilderness and he is more likely to succeed if he has a free hand. I must remind the reader that Demerara is the result of perfect freedom ; some would say license. By its fruits we must judge this as well as other things. | o I presume that what I say will not make any real impression and yet I must say it. The development of the country should not be ham- pered as itis now. Ihave been told by people who are spending money to find new industries that the trouble and expense is almost prohibitory. The pioneers’ work should be facilitated in every possible way so that only the natural difficulties have to be encountered. These are by no means few ; why then add a burden of “red tape” ? 12 7 Trmehra. 2. THE INTELLECTUAL SIDE, In connection with the progress of the colony it would be well to find out whether creoles are becoming more intellectual. Everyone is sup- posed to accept the idea that the mind is the real standard of all men and therefore development of the mental side is possibly more important than getting food or money. However, wealth and comfort are — generally put first and we find that pioneers in every country almost ignore the intellectual standpoints; they may be prosperous and yet ignorant. : The literary side of the West Indies and Guiana for early times must be studied from without, for all the old books were written by Europeans; probably down to about fifty years ago nothing but journalism was taken up by creoles. Here and there a white creole with an European education wrote a description of some colony or the West Indies in general but the real West Indian, born and bred here, was hardly fitted to give such accounts. Possibly a little may have been done by Jamaicans and Barbadians, but the crevle of British Guiana had no literary ability. Even the journalists of this colony when not English, were generally Barbadians. We can therefore study the beginnings and try to suggest lines of progress which may be seen in one or two more generations, The lines of progress in the literature of the West Iudies and Guiana appear to be first, descrigtive accounts by voyagers and travellers and second, studies of the fauna and flora including man. Much has been done on these lines, but hitherto, always by outsiders, Europeans or Americans, and until the last fifty years no creole, white or coloured, has been conspicuous. It is evident that some awakening might be expected, and I happen to have been able to see in my residence in British Guiana, what I may call the birth of a literature. For convenience I shall include all oreoles of the Islands because some of the Colonial writers have been Barbadians. Even the first printers came from “ Little England” and several newspaper editors, including Mr. Braithwaite of the ‘“‘Creole.‘ As a rule however editors have been British and I cannot say that they did much beyond encourag- ing creoles to become reporters. ‘he early British schoolmasters and clergy helped to develop teachers of primary schools and possibly in time we may have good results from them. The earliest literary work is compilation and this is largely done by editors who have recently encouraged reporters to write original sketches that will be the germs of Guiana literature. We can already see how this has begun and possibly the names will be better known in a few years. The starting-point of science, history and literature is collectinfige’. Specimens and facts; it follows therefore that compilation comes first. = ~ Stages of Progress. | 13 Those who start in anything at all must gather their knowledge from all available sources and in bookwork they are compilers who sometimes content themselves with bare records or notes of supposed authorities. Such compilations without much critical examination can be found in our local literature as the Histories of Dalton and Bennett. Mr. F. M. Carbin, a Surinam creole, was a compiler who never got beyond the collecting stage. We had, however, in Mr. Darnell Davis, a West Indian, one of those ardent collectors who could estimate the value of any old docu- ment, and possibly if he had lived might have written some valuable West Indian studies. He was kind enough to give me several copies of MSS. which I used in my history, and I much deplored the loss of his collections during the war. - The compiler notes what others have done but. does little himself. Few creoles have made careful observations but I must mention one, Mr. J.J. Queleh, who saw things and recorded them in avery pleasant way. Perhaps, however, his English education excludes him from our study of _ the writers born, bred and educated in the West Indies. Some descrip- tive writing by true creoles can be found in the files of the “ Argosy” and “Daily Chronicle” as well as ‘“‘Timehri.” The best writer we have is Harold W. B. Moore, whose pictures of insect life are often graphic ; he is a born naturalist. Possibly L. D. Cleare, junior, will excel on similar lines, From a literary standpoint, however, records of observations must be made into readable essays, fiction or poetry. It seems as if collecting and describing must be supplemented by the imagination ; in fact litera- ture started with myth and fable. Primitive man was utilitarian and could not become a real thinker until he adopted what we call make- believe. The artist sees something in a landscape which others miss and the novelist throws a glamour over a simple incident. The painter sees much where others see nothing and the literary artist can give us vivid pictures where everything looks dull. To bring before us what he sees and we do not, is the standard of what we call a picturesque writer. Man, beast and plant live and move ; they are not artificial puppets. He who ean paint such pictures in words necessarily comes first from the literary standpoint. Certain famous writers like Darwin, Bates, Wallace and Waterton have enabled the people who never saw a tropical country to get ideas of the reality unknown to those who never read their works. No crecle has yet been conspicuous as an admirer of the wonderful and beautiful scenery of our colony. A few have attempted to describe trips to the gold and diamond fields, but I know of nothing like the word- pictures of Waterton and other travellers from outside. It isa well- known fact that a visitor sees more than a resident, though perhaps his views are less accurate. We have no creoles des scribing the glory of our | _ rivers and creeks, though many have seen them. But we do see pictures of human life walliauy by Messrs. Van Sertima, Moe and a few others who. however, do not seem to love Sarah ‘“ 14 Timehri. Theophilus and Theresa. This suggests that the picture should be beautiful and free from blots and smears. The brush must have plenty of love to soften the darker shades with glows of brightness. ‘The balance is to the good in everything and we can love people in spite of their faults. Some of our people have not yet found out the good side, but I must say that “ Sarah ” could be loved. The writer whose pen is never dipped in gallis Mr. J. G. Cruick- shank. When he writes of the African we ean see the old fellow before us’ as a simple child of nature, nearer to God than many of those who think themselves ‘“ highly superior.” I may not live to seeit, but I ean safely state that future generations will appreciate Mr. Cruickshank’s word-pictures. His style is peculiarly graphic with many dashes to add to the effect. He is never ata loss for the right word and he does not make his people repulsive. Probably he agrees with me in the principle that if you cannot find any good in a man we should say nothing about him. Itis rarely pleasant to dwell upon mistakes and blunders, especially when all know that they themselves are not faultless. Love to others begets a kindly feeling in ourselves, which is undoubtedly pleasant and profitable. To write of something we love is more desirable than to be picking faults in people we dislike, and when We begin our literary studies the start should be on the best lines. The artist does not generally like to paint horrible punishments or tortures nowadays though the older painters revel in such things ‘The fault-finders will perhaps say that loving sympathy means bias; very well, let us favour the best side so long as we do not tell lies. We havea good writer in Mr. Edgar Beckett and I have no doubt he will be remembered by the next generation. The drawback to some of our writers is their anonymity; some of their best work has no name. Christmastide and the Christmas Chronicle have done something by offering prizes ; the result has been that some creole ladies have come to the front. Mrs. Dinzey, Mrs. Messervy and ‘‘ Lavinia Gray” may be ‘mentioned, but I cannot tell the names of all because I confine myself to a few examples. Mr. Christiani writes a good story, but possibly the best of the men was Norman Bascom, a Barbadian creole. — I was asked last year for an account of our local poets, but I am afraid little can be said about them. The most prominent was Edyar Martin, ‘‘ Leo,” who I suppose was a creole of Madeiran parentage. Dr. Dalton wrote ‘‘ Tropical Lays,” and there have been verses in the news- papers now and again that we may consider fairly good. Mrs. Sarah Swain was once prominent as the ‘“ Poetess and Novelist of the West Indies.” I feel, however, that the poet of the tropics has not arrived ; perhaps the time is not yet ripe. 3 A few musical pieces have been written by creoles, perhaps the most notable is Mr. P, M, de Wever. : Stages of Progress. 15 - A tragedy, “ Phileron,” written by Mr. W. J. Veecock, when a student at Edinburgh, showed promise, but, poor fellow! he did not. live long enough to bring out his latent powers. I must again ask those not mentioned to remember that this is not a list but only an attempt to show that some creoles can write. The reader may perhaps laugh wheu I tell him that the most remark- able little creole book I ever saw, is ‘‘ A Voice from the Woods” by Walter Theophilus Pieters, published in 1886, and probably without revision by any European. Evon some standpoints it 1s humorous butt the writer is evidently serious, There is a suggestion of Johnsonian language anda hint of the long introductions found in some old books, but on the whole there is a picture of the thoughts and feelings of the writer. There are eight introductory chapters, occupying a fourth of the book and a pre- face ; in this preface Mr. Pieters says : — “ The whole tone of this book is only the natural tone of its writer, and a few of its orthoeraphical forms, his preferences.” Here is originality and in several other places he hints that he is not following any pattern :— “Should there be any mistakes or erroneous opinions or conclusions found herein I must ask to be excused.” The student is quite ready to excuse anything when it is not imita- tion, for unfortunately there is too much of that in our colony. ‘The first introductory chapter starts by saying :— “There is not any sane individual, however scant his faculties, how- ever limited his advantages may be, who may not be able by persev cae ; and Gou’s blessing, to make himself both good and wise.” We can call this platitude or commonsense as we please, but it is not foolishness. No doubt Mr. Pieters’s philosophy was got from school books, but it is not mere repetition., Some thinking has been done to make this passage in the second introductory chapter :— “It isnot to be expected any man ought to (with Dey perched on his cot) always remain silent—especially when he ought to be noticed —or hang his harp on willow trees when by relating his past useful labours and present unfair circumstances he may be noticed and removed from distressing conditions of want and misery to under sunshine’s cleamings.” He goes on to speak of a noble mind, implying that he has such and that it is bravely eccentric and shuns the beaten path “ through ite benevolence.” There are certainly many signs of eccentricity in the book and that makes it valuable. Perseverance is dealt with and he con- siders it strange for anyone of a certain race in British Guiana to really persevere :— ‘I say again—perseverance is good—wise—necessary—especially now-a-days —so critical—so troublous— so dry—so famine-like—so singu- 16 Tumehri. lar—being altogether changed—so as that it appears (to me) strange circumstances will produce strange things.” He was determined, ‘I will, I must persevere ; for I feel ’tis just the time to do so.” Here we see that he is straining to express himself and no doubt felt as we all do that our inmost feelings cannot be fully expressed. There was something in him and like a child he tried to bring it forth ; in some cases we find it hard to distinguish his meaning but in general the involved sentences can be analysed. His efforts can be seen ‘in several places and he is not so conceited as some we know. ‘And although I may he dark when . . . compared with to any European race yet ; T feel that pure liberty of thought and will, which can only originate within a heart regenerated (or changed by spiritual | light) —shining within the soul and therefore discoverable in the in- tellect.” Anyone can see that this is not quite the goody-goody string of quotations that we commonly find in such pamphlets, He is not fearless and yet— “ A doubtful trembling temerity is not honourable. I could not for all the world feel so, nor are there such dispositions of fear on me abiding.” ‘“T stand on shaky foundations, not shaken altogether by my own faults, but by many discouragements. . .. If J do not succeed perhaps it will be for the better.” : There is a suggestion of fatalism but it is modified—-‘‘I must either stand or fall on those foundations, I must either live or die.” He accepted the usual teaching of the churches‘ and was not quite satisfied with the theory of attraction as he understood it. I once met a fairly intelligent black man who could not grasp the idea of the earth rolling through space with the possibility of everything falling off. Mr. Pieters, however, has tried to think out the matter :— Perhaps ’tis that universal-like attraction, which, so long ago for ages past—(considered by some individuals a mighty giant) ... that makes the tiny snipe, plovers, and these birds called sea gulls ; and fishermen balance themselves so curiously or shaky-like on tae own native shores. When I see these birds their heads and tails appear to play see-saw and bo-peep with their slender legs.” He evidently saw things and would have liked to understand as we are all trying todo. I can sympathise with him when he says :—“ We can: only try to know but what perhaps we may never know.” Here we have what we may call the fruits of philosophy, straining after ideals that are unattainable. The moreI analyse the little book the more pleased I am with the peep he gives me into his mind. Itis so very hard to get such peeps, I Stages of Progress. 17 can see Mr, Pieters as I once knew him and hear him talk of his life at Groete Creek. But he was not so free with his ideas when conversing as he is in his book. The sixth introductory chapter starts with :— ‘< Words do sometimes act as arrows, swords, ointment, medicine— balms or cordials for our wounded spirits—antidotes to our fears, * But it is according to the state or condition of our hearts that words which might do us good do not—and such truths as ought to com- fort us sometimes prove like blunted arrows on our hardened hearts— instead of consolation to our wounded breast,” There seems to be something here not quite plain ; perhaps he means that some people were abusing him with hard words and others applying the cordial or balm. We all knqgw how some words pierce the soul and others soothe ; it is quaintly put and not involved when we analyse it. Like most of us he wanted to get a solution of the problem of continuity after death :— “The soul is allowed either its supernatural acts, so as to form itself, as I have already hinted, or forms are sometimes impressed on the spirit of man after death, according to its various tempers or dispositions.” He believed in ghosts and generally in the church teaching but like most of us was not satisfied ; he winds up his argument for continuity with the Utopian ideal so widely diffused where :— | “Truth in its heavenly purity will reign throughout heaven and in our spiritual bodies ; and everlasting unalterable friendship hallowed in love, never to be broken or troubled by mistake or jealousy. All who will not do justly on earth--those who will not Jove mercy, nor walk humbl with God, will be unprepared for all those future seasons pointed out.” The introductory chapters end with a discourse on sin and death with few original ideas; where nothing is known, anything can be imagined, and all of us are groping in the dark. At page 27 begins the account of his three years at Groete Creek, which is descriptive in his _ peculiar way, and by no means of the ordinary type. He was born, bred and educated in Georgetown and never before saw a creek until 1880, when sent as schoolmaster to the Presbyterian Mission station at Groete Creek. He was pleased with all he saw and I can hear him now as he told me of the beauty of the creek. Of course I was sympathetic for I also always enjoyed the creeks and the pleasant inhabitants of the forest. He showed me the picture mentioned in his - book :— 2 “ I sketched more than a yard long, and half yard wide, the Creek’s mouth, etc., or entrance, with its adjoining southern sand-shore, etc., and heavy timbers, launched off rough river punts, and lying at slanting easiness as if regardless who took them up or who laid them there.” : : It was the kind of drawing which a boy might make with his first box of water-colours, but I had to agree with him as he pointed out the 18 Timehri. blue of the sky and green of the forest. In some things he was almost childish, in fact, I would not cool his enthusiasm in any way because I liked to hear him dilate on the good points. It was taken to the then Curator of the Museum as an exhibit for the Edinburgh Forestry Exhibi- tion and refused, as might be expected. Possibly, however, the refusal - was given in a way that caused offence for Mr, Pieters implied that Provi- dence did not allow the insult to remain unpunished. This is about- the only discord in the book and I willnot dwell upon it; the gentleman died because he would not accept the picture ! Descriptive writing, like drawing, was not within his power, but we can find much to admire in the bits of loving and sympathetic talk, even though it is somewhat supercilious at times. I wonder what the Indian | would have said of his Catechist could he have written such a book. The little Indian children his pupils, struck him at once as different from those he had seen in town. The ‘innocence of an Indian’s wild- wood” affected him pleasantly and I may presume that the glamour of the forest tinged him with some of the ideas shown in his book. The children were lovable :— ‘Their beauty did not bewitch me, O no !” “Tis true Ann was fat. Johannah had quite an aristocratic gait, Elizabeth was charming. Mary was like a flower, mild, yet sending forth its fragrance, and made me think at once of the Four O’clocks that in my youthful days, grew near my father’s gate-post. Little Clairmont’s (littlest of all) marble-worded speech was truly funny, and used to make me laugh and like him more on this cause. Henrietta, with soft silent footsteps, appeared to dance whenever she walked. “T really liked—or did love them; for I love innocence more than beauty, I love virtue more than vice, and I really thought what pretty angels these Indian children may be.” We can hardly think of Mr. Pieters as a schoolmaster of the average type, flogging such pretty children, and from what I saw of him I should say he would not ‘hurt a fly.” In fact, he said punishment was out of thought. He loved them and we can see that they must have loved him for Johannah :— “ Brought the most fortunate of the games on which her brother's or father’s gun had failed to place the proper shot, or bullet, and with her dill-dill-like ducking style, often sometimes came rushing towards me, bearing a young Accourie or Labba, and saying to me—‘ Look seh, mamma sen’ it seh.’” In spite of the fact that the writer does not quite say what he means he brings before us a picture which is not like the daub he wanted to send to Edinburgh. Could some real artist have been present to paint the little Indian girl of six bringing a labba almost as big as herself and handing it to her teacher, something like a picture would have resulted. His word-pictures are really pretty, e.g., the children—“ were always like pretty yellow young Muscovy ducks ; so pretty, yellow and clean, as if possessed of soft downy feathers.” Stages of Progress. 19 Of course he moralises a little on Bible lines, but this is not too prominent. There is so much in little and it is so varied as to be almost bewildering. There is no sequence or arrangement of ideas but every- where we can pick out little gems that are pleasing to our fancies as they probably were to his. There are pictures of the crew of his corial worth noting ; they were generally such little boys as I have myself had to paddle light bateaux up the- Demerara creeks :-—. “ The little boys did pull very eagerly and it was not until I got on the ‘ Hill-foot’ then did I find out that their constant quick strokes all along to that Hill were only brought forth by the volvings of their souls or hearts, on their dainties in those parts—deer meat and fresh-fish.” They duly got tothe Hill and were prov'led with meat and bread ; like Indian children in general they appeared as if starving and were ready to gorge themselves whenever they got an opportunity. This I _ know to be true for I have seen them, but 1 never drew such a picture as the following :— “We allhad breakfast and ate it ; but my schoolboys although ac- customed to such meats, etc., ate as if they had never tasted meat. “One greedy little fellow of about 7 or 8 years, on whose coun- tenance I could almost read his strange existence on the earth, kicked up a row when eating ; and was not satisfied with the last bite he got, after having got so many on plenty lumps of meats among his fellow school- mates.” So Mr. Pieters gave the greedy boy part of his share. It may be suggested that primitive man was always hungry and when he had an opportunity would eat as much as possible because he might never again have such a chance. Another pretty picture is brought before us as we read the following :— “Let us now jump into boat with its 7 lads and 6 paddles, besides the big captain’s paddle. I acted captain’s part, ‘‘Qne or two years’ difference existed on the heads of the six lads who were to pull, and the idle Jittlest fellow about 5 or 6 years, was, of course, to remain idle with his broad half doubtful features, and large inquisitive eyes ; for he was part-owner, for the old mailboat belonged to his father, “We all appeared to start with pleasing countenances. A brown fellow (not an Indian) grinned a sort of smile, with almost open mouth— yawning out laziness—and his closing lips of sunlight-painted-heat, as if beating from his proud little coloured heart (as such hearts do generally appear to beat) through similar signs and jealous symbols.” ; ‘Somehow or other, in spite of his queer modes of expression we can- not fail to see the happy disposition often found in the black man when we are not looking for faults. His explanation of the reason for en- 20 Timehrt. couraging innocent pleasures was that he did not invent vain and mis- chievous things but found lessons in stones and voices in woods, His echo of the poet is not quite a repetition. I could pick out more tit-bits, but these will probably be enough to — show the character of the little book. At first sight it might repel most people, but I saw something in it from the first and mentioned it to several people at different times. Two or three quotations in ‘‘ Guiana, British, Dutch and French,” interested one of the reviewers of that book, who wrongly thought I was poking fun atit. It is funny in places, and if read to a mixed audience, would no doubt make people laugh; in fact, it is enjoyable even to the average person. But I have already said enough and will conclude my study with Mr. Pieters’ iast words :--- ‘‘ And as study is a weariness of the flesh and in writing of Books or Drawing, or making up of Books there may be such mistakes as may be placed within respectful brackets of forgetfulness, I ask the reader of this _ my hurry-scurry book to accept what’s good in this book, reject what you may suppose to be erroneous, and expect to read (D.V.) some yet more amusing tales or ‘stories’ in my second volume or book.” It is almost a pity that he was not encouraged to go on with a second book, but unfortunately no one seemed to appreciate the first at its real value. Dear Theophilus! He died many years ago, and I lost sight of him, yet my memory can still recall his ingenuous conversation. I believe that he failed to pass as a schoolmaster, possibly he was too original for the examiners. In searching for local talent I must give prominence to “ Quow,” Mr. -M: McTurk, whose fables and sketches are not only amusing for their talki-talki” but for humour as well. I cannot here quote more than will indicate his style; these few lines come from “O]’ Time Nagah,” wherein an attempt is made to depict his troubles since freedom came :— ‘Da free time dis? Now freedom come, He isn’t hab no house, no home: He free fo’ true, go wa’k ‘pon dam, But weh de bittle fo’ he nyam? Bin ol’ time now da ’nadah ease. He hab good bittle fo’ go wa’se, Man ’kin an’ bone no bin a mix, He hab he meat an’ fat betwix’, He hroke-up ‘kin and magah figah, Ayou hab ha’t fo’ ol’ time nagah.” There is a type of local pamphlets that shows up the old-fashioned schoolmaster, who formed his style from the essayists. The idea running through them is the choice of magniloquent language to make the reader admire the writing; in fact, to wonder what it means. The average schoolboy memorises without understanding and repeats a long string of paragraphs or verses that are meaningless. When therefore he tries to Stages of Progress. 21 write he probably wants to “show-off” as he did on the platform when the school was breaking up. There is no originality in the materials, but possibly there may be in the arrangement; some are really amusing if not tiresome. I have a pamphlet ‘‘ Guiana Dialogues,” 1906, which is possibly an extreme specimen of the use of fine words misunderstood. It is intended for children’s plays, and possibly some may have been acted in our vil- lages. A single extract will probably be enough to show its character ; a lover is begging for a kiss :— “ Arthur (slow and pitiful)—Rebecca, thou earthly star of my life, thou whose fancy ranges no further than to mo, thou whose beauty can- not be paralleled by any existing human soul, thou whose presence cheers the burdened heart, and illuminates the darkest home, thou whose eyes foretell merriment, whose ways are ways of uprightness, did I not perish on the mighty deep? Sought wealth when death appeared whilst cross- ing the Kaieteur Falls? When also in the interior of Berbice, I fought with a tiger, and was taken helplessto the New Amsterdam Hospital, disfigured by the paws and teeth of the animal? Was it not for your happiness? Revoke your resolutions and come into my loving embrace, thou pride of my life, and give me the kiss I long for, come, come, my blue bells, come thou Guiana’s star, come, come, come.” I wonder what idea of Kaieteur the writer had and what children could learn from such language. In this connection it may be noted that the creole writer not only loves a long word but also a long sentence. In a printed lecture I noted that if was almost entirely a single paragraph, and when I was once con- sulted about a MS. story without stops or divisions the writer said all that sort of thing would be done by the printer. Poor printer! What a job he must have with his correspondence ! I once got a creole young man to repeat a speech given by himself at a wedding. Four young fellows listened with hands over their mouths until he finished and then the pent-up laughter burst forth in one glori- ous guffaw. Of course the speechifier joined in the applause and went off to tell how his grandiloquent string of words was appreciated by white men. A characteristic of the gold-diggers and boatmen 1s their power of improvising and altering sailor’s chanties to suit the conditions of the moment. They have the faculty of keeping time but are wanting in har- mony and melody. Mr. John A. McMillan published in 1895 a “ Lecture on the Gold Industry” with some of the paddling chanties. There is not much decency in the printed copies, but as the songs are sung many people would call them shocking. One of the most popular, once known to every gold-digger is ‘‘ Potaro Coarse Gold.” / 22 Timehrs. ‘ When the spademan spade and the hoeman hoe, And the cullayman cullay, and the batelle tell, Our manager shout, Potaro gold, Potaro coarse, coarse gold. Oh, Oh, blow Potaro blow Oh, Oh, blow Potaro, blow Ch, shilling ah lock ap story ; Gold ah Massaruni ; One shilling can’t buy my lober dress ; Oh, Oh, blow Potaro, blow, Oh, Oh, blow Potaro, blow.” Iam inclined to praise Mr. McMillan’s picture of what he calls the ‘¢ prettiest dreadful phenomenon” he had ever witnessed, a boat coming down the falls :— “‘ Placing yourself at the foot of a ae fall thirty or forty feet in height you behold with admiration, in all its sublimity, a boat thirty or thirty-five feet in length, loaded to perfection, shooting with the double velocity of a railway, whilst the captain and bowman with equal swiftness administering their steering capabilities to keep clear of huge as well as diminutive rocks ; and the other hands, manager and all, bending on their paddles with all their might, when ona sudden it seems to be launched with all its beauty of splendour on the swiftest of flat watery sur- face. It is a sight enough to make your hair stand on end, or make an old man laugh or weep according to his idiosyncrasy.” His picture of the evening gos sip of the gold camp is true to life :— “What can you have to talk about? Let me remind you, these men — being bushmen, they may try to retaliate. They chatter sometimes about the last placer they worked on; the kind of manager, clerk, etc., they encountered ; the wages obtained; the days occupied on the river and from the landing to the interior ; the food they were fed on ; the number of days they spent in the bush; which and which feigned sick for some are low enough to do that sometimes; the last advance they took, and which and which rascally fellows walked off with ‘‘’vance’” ; whether they must work in harmony with this manager for this Company or to hum- bug the work and return to town. Some of these are plots, of course, and the dumb signs telegraphy is thrown into active play where it appeared unsafe to risk the use of viva voce communication. Tiger and other stories of kindred utility not infrequently very happily lend their charm none the less to the colonial coveted undertaking, giving warning to the eager ears to have the fire in continual blaze as a barrier agai’.st the quadrupedal and creeping invaders.” : It is evident from these few examples that the creole is straiming to express his ideas and that he should be encouraged. We have seen pic- tures of boats in the rapids and perhaps been thrilled as we saw the strain- ing paddlers fighting for dear life; even the chanty tries to give us a picture :— Stages of Progress. 23 * When the captain, starding on the stand Give his command to his men Over danger, over danger Over danger rocks and falls. ” No wonder that they work and pray to save their lives; chanties are real prayers with work, laborare est orare. That some of our people are beginning to wake up is shown by an ex- tract from ‘“‘ The Negro in British Guiana,” by Joseph N. Conway, 1907 :— “Tf the negro in British Guiana has had to make grave efforts to reach thus far, those for his future are still graver. Nothing in the posi- tion of the race can remain in the inertia of rest, as having begun the ascent, halting, he will lose his momentum, and descend in obedience to the laws of gravitation.” Slowly but steadily the creole is becoming a thinker and if he can read and think a little more instead of ‘‘resting” his progress will be certain though slow. I have been told by Kuropeans that they can’t study here as in Eng- land, for they feel languid and the mosquitoes bother them. Anything beyond a light novel is tiring. Possibly much of this lassitude is due to errors in the seasoning period, when there is a craving for cool drinks and lounging in the gallery. Personally, I have found that walking induces thinking and that being carrie! in a vehicle disposes to the sort of do- nothing which some appear to enjoy. There is room for good work here ; the creole should rouse himself and not let outsiders do everything. The reader must excuse my boring him with a touch of my philosophy of progress. It appears as if everything is open to improvement, but no one can tell what can be done until he tries. Even a failure does not necessarily mean that all ways of success are blocked, for no one can declare that he has tried everyone. To get on we must have liberty and opportunity, it follows therefore that those who say there is only one way of doing a thing, whether developing a country or writingja story, are putting stumbling blocks in our path. Progressive continuity is the principle of development ; we improve things already existing, but we must take risks. Openings should be given where possible ; if Gravesande had not opened up Demerara it might have been like Berbice, and if Messrs. Thomson and Jardine had not opened their papers to the strain- ings of the creole mind we should hardly have been able to see that local talent exists and can be developed. There were impediments in the way of publishing magazines and pamphlets forty yearsago, but when these were overcome the Churches began to publish their organs and other Societies woke up with “ The Young Man,” “ The Guide,” “ The Philatelic Journal,” ‘The Commercial Review” as well as “ Timehri” and “The West Indian Quarterly.” All these gave desirable openings for the coming forth of a Guiana literature, but I am afraid that the opening up of the oountry will continually be obstructed by RED TAPE. PROGRESS IN NEW AMSTERDAM. By irs Town CLERK. From the listless repose of the place and the peculiar character of its people whe are descendants from the original Dutch settlers, this sequestered den has long been known by the name of the Sleepy Hollow.—Irving, I have been asked to write something about New Amsterdam, in- dicative of its progress. Hard is the task, for having lived in the town for the past seven years, I cannot find true perspective, and movements and changes which should excite the interest and engage the attention of the historian might quite easily escape the notice of the dweller within the gates. Agreeably with the shifting scenes of life, unpalatable though the fact may be to oldsters, New Amsterdam, once the capital of Berbice, has fallen from its high estate, a circumstance that is most acutely felt by praisers of the past, who, by a well-known psychological twist, are un- willing to admit that the times they now live in are better than those that were. Nor will they who exalt the past at the expense of the pre- sent be weaned from their conservatism, in view of res angustae expe- rienced in many a home through the quaint turns in the social drama which have been superinduced by war conditions, these being responsible for that unpicturesque phenomenon of the rich growing richer and the poor growing poorer. There is no doubt that the merging of Berbice with the united colony of Demerara and Essequebo stripped the capital of much of its independence and territorial consequence—a process that until lately has been going on with a corrosive effect on the prestige and dignity of the town. Gone is the resident judge; gone is the Treasury; | gone is the Alms House—swept away by a sudden flood of economical zeal on the part of the central Government which might have been for- given its iconoclasm if uniformity, continuity and equity had marked its policy of retrenchment. In the councils of the State the voice of no resi- dent Berbician or of any Berbician at all is heard; and thereat young - Berbice stands mutely by, as if for all the world it confesses that there are better waters than the waters of Abana and Pharpar. Though for a variety of reasons—and here may be mentioned the absence of a port and the presence of a silted harbour—the kinetic energy of the town, which has not yet caught the expression of exhaustion, is not so pronounced as that of the metropolis, some measure of progress stands to be recorded to the credit of the former. In such a country as British Guiana, population is a matter of first importance, for it precedes and accompanies progress. During the past twenty-five years the population of New Amsterdam has moved up to 8,400 souls, an increase of about, eight per cent. This, apparently, is a poor achievement, but not so un- appreciable when it is recalled that the population of the whole colony has not advanced at a greater pace. A railway with a river connects the twocentres. This connection, meant for an abridgment of distances and Progress 1n New Amsterdam. 25 the harbinger of great things, has had the effect of making the town more of an appanage to the city, and accordingly has weakened its in- dependence, while challenging its pristine glory as a separate entity. Thus has it come to pass that Georgetown regards New Amsterdam as, in _ the quaint conceit of Lamb, an irrelevant thing, an impertinent corres- pondency, a Mordecai in its gate, a fly in its ointment—a poor relation. A flood of progress is more easily visible ina town than in the country, and whether or not an urban environment is opposed to man’s fundamen- tal instincts, there is this peculiarity about New Amsterdam thatit has a rural air, an aspect of Nature not without its effect on the mentality of the townsfolk, ‘There is a closer correspondence, as it were, between the town mouse and the country mouse, and so there is no need for the former to ask of the latter Quid te juvat, amice, Praerupti nemoris patientem vivere dorso ? The rural air referred to, that is, its umbratile characteristic, is less noticeable than it was, say, a decade ago. Though malaria has not yet vanished, the baneful attentions of mali culices are less pronounced ; mosquito invasions are far fewer than before ; sand-flies are now a mere memory ; the sylvan aspect of the town is disappearing. This, to be sure, makes for improved health—to the detriment of the coup d’ceil from _ the point of view of the artist, the lover of Nature unadorned. With the best intentions, some of the townsfolk revel in the occupation of maligning the health of their own hearth, in blissful ignorance of the fact that the New Amsterdam death-rate is lower than that of the city. Typhoid is unknown except when imported ; and as there is less over- crowding than in the city, fewer victims are claimed by Tuberculosis. And to the end that the wings of this dread scourge should be clipped, there has been established a branch of the Society for the Prevention and Treatment of Tuberculosis. It is doinz valuable work, for its officers and staff are nothing if mot zealous and tactful, and moreover have material of the pliant order to deal with, that is, folks who appreciate the value of the beneficent objective in view, and accordingly do not kick at domiciliary visits, or translate kindly attentions as officious intrusions. The town has natural advantages which keep off disease. A com- parison as to physique between the lower orders of the city and town is all in favour of the town. This is most noticeable. Those in New Amsterdam are better fed, albeit they appear to be more listless. In their vocabulary there is no such word as hurry. They take their ambulatory exercises with inexorable decorousness. The drainage of the town is easy, and so, unlike the case of Georgetown, spring-tides ' bring no discomfort with them. The roads are kept in good order, an achievement all the more creditable when it is learned that Whereas some fifteen years ago from $8,000 to $10,000 a year used to be voted for their upkeep, asum of only about $6,000 is made to suffice nowadays. And be it remembered that the traffic is sensibly heavier. * 26 Timehri. New Amsterdam is in a transition stage, passing on from the green ear to the full ear, probably on its return journey to the position it once occupied in the social and economic hierarchy. Perhaps there was a time when the laxity of its movement indicated the absence of objective, but the process of metamorphosis is being hastened by war’s aftermath. We see this more particularly in the building operations that have been going on for the past eighteen months. One must carry his memory back many years to recall activities of this kind. Since the fall of 1918, when the Municipal Building By-laws came into force, never a month has passed but that building “notices” have been sent into the Council. And this in spite of the high cost of building materials and of labour. Inflated money is being exchanged for price-inflated commodities. Tradesmen who aforetime could hardly count upon more than four months of employment, and broken at that, during the year, find them- selves working five days in a week. No longer for tbem are the hungry > months of Ramazan. In other departments, too, it may beseen that the - social temperature is rising; and one could wish that there will be no slipping down of the mercury. Now should the occasion be grasped by the roots of its hair ; and if measures of consolidation be prudently gone about, New Amsterdam may yet regain some at least of its erst position of social puissance. At the present time the town cannot be charged with the habit of decumbency. It is all life and commerce, and it is making a move onin the bustling way. Fora long time it has not been accus- tomed to this fret and fever, but maybe it will, sooner or later, corre- spond to the changed environment. Seven years ago, there were some two dozen cabs about the town. There are now oaly two, the comfortable and mobile motor car having caused the remainder to evanesce. Joy rides are common, and the East Indian is not the least enthusiastic of the joy-riders—a preg- nant sign for the _ social -philosopher. The churches have not diminished in number, the threat of the withdrawal of State-aid notwithstanding. The enigma of the grave and the riddle of after-life will ever inflame the imagination and excite the curiosity of mere man. There are no carillons, but the music (or the nuisance) of the bells subsists or rather persists; and as there are no fewer than eight churches, within a radius of some five hundred acres, having bells and ringing bells, one can imagine what goes on at times, and be sure that it is not thus that melody is foretold. Quot vivos vocant, mortuos plangunt, fulgura frangunt. Besides churches, there are chapels and conventicles and street-corner gatherings, these latter being illuminated by grace of naphtha and the nasal exhortations of the modern Stiggins. This much he does: he keeps people. out of harm’s way but in the way of the traflic, and the policeman does not say him nay. The town derives its economic sustenance from the extractive industries which concern themselves with the cultivation and manufacture Progress in New Amsterdam. 7 of sugar, the cultivation of rice, and the winning of mimusops globosa. That is, it is these industries which actas feeders. The contributions to the Wages Fund made by the balata industry are markedly attenuated in comparison with times past, yet if this industry fell to pieces, the hurt to the town would be at once visible. Some little business, probably destined to grow in volume, is done in the way of converting paddy into rice, the most nutritive of the cerealia, and a food which is eaten by all classes of the community—a unique circumstance. Rice is now being cultivated in the environs, and if success attend the adventure, the town cannot choose but benefit therefrom. Also will it materially benefit if riverine industrial activities were more in evidence. The river people are said to be more studious of their ease than those of the creek (Canje river) inhabitants, and the indictment may be true, for much more could be done with ground provisions and fruit. For the latter, dependence is being had on the industry of the villagers on the east coast of Demerara. | The enterprise of the New Amsterdam Town Council is seen in its lighting service. Some two decades ago there was a tremendous saltation from oil lamps to electric Jighting. The adventure has passed through sore travail, and it is gratifying to be able to record the fact that there are evidences seeming to indicate a surcease from losses and -trepidations. Last year the enterprise showed a frofit of an appreciable sum ; and of late the plant has been giving less trouble and anxiety than before. The occasional failure of the light brings home to users and the general _- publicits great convenience and value. Moreover, it is not known to many that the light is being supplied at a cost much smaller than com- mercial enterprise would venture upon. In this regard alone the Municipality has conferred an inestimable boon on dwellers within the gates. There is promise of all-round improvement in matters Municipal. _ An amalgamation scheme is being launched. The Water and Electricity Works may in due course be no longer separate entities, and in this way large economies are confidently anticipated. It is sincerely to be hoped that all will go well in this connection ; for if not, then there may be a violent throw back into the ‘‘ dark backward and abysm of time.” It is rather remarkable—and I cannot help saying it is a reproach— that in the good old days of New Amsterdam, the leaders of men did not seem to appreciate the value of secondary education within its own gates, Maybe they had other piscatorial delicacies to fry ; maybe other objects obsessed them. Be that as it may, New Amsterdam can now boast of a high school, the Berbice High School, to wit. It has been founded with _ the capital and by the beneficence of the Canadian Mission. The school was opened in September, 1916, and in the first term there was a roll-call of twenty-seven pupils. This number has more than doubled, and com- _ pares very favourable with the attendance at the Queen’s College of British Guiana. The curriculum includes regular work up to the stand- ard required for the senior Cambridge Local Examinations. There is also manual training, including a class for the training of Hast Indian 28 Timehra. boys for the primary school-teachers’ examination. The building has been partly finished at a cost of $2,800; and it has a striking appear- ance near the junction of Fort and North Roads. It will be completed this year, and to it will be added, it is contemplated, a small laboratory. A residence for the headmaster is to be built, and already there are two dormitories and a work-shop. The school is doing good, solid work, and is destined to do even better when there is heartier co-operation on the part of the public upon whom the boon has not yet been borne in. Iam to add that the existence of this seminary has given a filip to the studious and the ambitious. Here and there night classes have leaped into existence, and coaches have sprung up from where one does not know, and boasting of a proficiency that may be but the fiction of the imagination. In dress New Amsterdam is not behind hand. Among the young men that finicking coxcombry which is on exhibition on the Sea Wall and the public gardens of the city, is not seen in such vulgar kind and pro- fusion. But as to the daughters of Eve, they meekly and joyously sub- mit to the tyranny of fashion. In every other street a dressmaker is to be found, and they know their business, or rather, in view of the fine figures they have to deal with, they do not find their business a task— save.or the tedium of stitch, stitch, stitch. Females of all classes dress well and decorously. The “loud” does not obtrude. Girls emerge from school into womanhood wearing the same length of dress. When they are “keeping company” the dress is lowered and the hair is “ put up.” There is no guessing conjugal conditions by skirt length; and I have chanced upon some grandmothers who affect the syncopated skirt—in the chimerical hope, I conceive, that Fashion may distract the attention and stay the hand of Time in its natural occupation of writing wrinkles ! . SOME EXAMPLES OF INDIAN MIMICRY, FRAUD AND IMPOSTURE. COMPILED BY WALTER E. ROTH. When in residence at Sandringham, Her Gracious Majesty happens to visit her wondrously-appointed aviaries and calls her feathered song- sters with a “‘ tweet-tweet !” it is somewhat hard to realise that she is but obeying the same hereditary instinct that prompts the lowest savage in her realm to secure the wherewithal to satisfy the cravings of his hungry stomach. Decoy-calls are but one of the many forms of mimicry, fraud and imposture employed by him to lure the winged denizen of the forest to its doom. wh Any form of imitation and pretence practised by man to the dis- advantage of lower animals may be classed under Mimicry: when the object in view is to the detriment of his fellow-creatures it is recognised under the somewhat unpleasant terms of Fraud and Imposture, In the latter case, however, an additional and higher sense has to be outwitted to bring about successful results for with the gradual development of more advanced reasoning powers in both parties, the would-be hunter has now to play upon his quarry’s sense of proportion, comparison and credibility. Church and State, the classes and the masses, the sharps ‘and flats, the rooks and pigeons all have a common source of origin, a -foundation-stone of mimicry and pretence, however upright, however base, the superstructure, Mimicry, fraud and imposture are but the natural development of one and the same guiding instinct that has had its share in making man what he is, to survive in the struggle for existence, and during the recent Armageddon, under the term of Camou- flage, mystery ships, and other contrivances, helping in a large measure to pave the way to yictory. : Mimicry, it must be remembered, is only harmful when applied to the detriment of others ; it may prove an important educational force, and on occasion may constitute sources of pleasure and enjoyment not only to the artist who practises it, but even to the model practised upon. It provides in a sense the humour which is common to every Indian. If a stranger arrives among them, curiosity compels the neighbouring resi- | dents to come and make comparison between him and themselves. With sharp and critical gaze the Indian observes his demeanour, his every move- ment, listens to his very word, and now and again casts a significant side-glance at his friends standing around ; nothing escapes him, but he betrays nought of the triumph which he already inwardly experiences, Accompanied by his mates, he returns to his quarters where, bubbling over with fun, judgment is passed upon the stranger in the most biting satire. The latter’s portrait is sketched : his nose is as long as a tapir’s, he has a mouth like an alligator, and bolts his food like a tiger ; his legs are as ugly and lean asa crane’s, and his belly is as shrivelled as a mon- © 30 Timehn. key’s. After Schomburgk’s party had spent their first few weeks among the Makusis, each of them got anick-name with which they distinguished one from another: Mr. Fryer, on account of his size and long feet, was Jabiru ; Mr. Goodall, who often read the prayers at service, was Domini; Stockle, owing to his fair hair which seemed specially ridiculous to them, was Howler-monkey; Tiedge, with his long nose, was Tapir; whilst Schomburgk, owing to his being always engaged in botanising, was ~ Yariko-papa, i.e., Father of the Flowers. Justas a stranger gets a nick- name, so does an Indian with any peculiarity or deformity: long-hair, long-head, pointed-nose, thick-neck ; and crook-leg. If anyone is good at climbing he is called tiger-cat ; if he can run well he is known as deer, arrow, or lightning. As with the men so with the women: we find such terms as fat-leg, lumpy, big belly, red-lip, squint eye, and curly. Many Indian games and amusements afford proof of the excellence with which the antics of animals can be imitated; as a matter of fact many of them are named after the particular beast or bird represented, . and are of wide distribution. I have thus witnessed the Bimitti or hum- ming-bird dance performed by Akawais on the Demerara, and by Areku- nas at Roraima. The young chick cackles as the old cock crows and many an evening did I spend at Karikaparu, a village about a week’s walk from Roraima, watching the actions of a company of young boys playing pantomime games after dusk had set in. One which particularly took my fancy was that of ‘‘ jaguar” where two youths played the part of King of the Forest, each stalking on his two hands and one foot, with the other foot raised and extended to represent a tai]. As the rest of the perform- ers circled in Indian file around the two central figures all howling and singing, the latter would prowl around and behind the last of the line, suddenly spring upon, and drag him captive to their den a few yards away outside the circle where he would lie stiff and stark while the jaguars jumped over his dead corpse. The whole scene would then be repeated and another victim seized, until all and every boy in the circle was brought captive to the lair, and jumped over, when the final feasting on the slaughtered bodies would be represented in every detail from the hacking of the flesh to the grinding of the bones. The idea of jumping over the bodies is indicative of death, and is practised at Makusi funerals. By the way, a whole chapter could be written over this custom of jump- ing the dead, a custom of which traces are still found in similar savage as well asin more advanced races. I once had a gruesome experience in the Never-Never of Western Queensland at seeing a woman speared for thoughtlessly stepping over her prostrate husband to reach the fire. ‘‘ She can walk over me when I am dead, but not while I am alive,” was the only explanation that the brute could offer for his action. We our- selves have remnants of a somewhat similar belief, when feeling as if someone were “ walkiug over our grave.” wis Let us now consider some examples of mimicry practised by the Indian to secure his daily food, and see how far the victim’s sense of Some Examples of Indian Mimicry, Fraud and Imposture. 31 sound can be played upon. The surprise I experienced on first learning how fish can be attracted by sound has been shared by other observers, for rt certainly was a canon for successtul angling on any streams in the Homeland that silence was golden and that even the slightest noise or ripple on the water was prejudicial to a catch. Here in the Guiana creeks on the other hand, itis of advantage every now and again to lash the water with the rod because, if fish are present at all, they will very probably rise to the occasion and, provided the bait be suitable, will take the hook. The Indian explains this phenomenon on the ground that by splashing the surface he mimics the falling into the water of ripened seeds, certain kinds of which are eagerly swallowed by many kinds of fish. The yarran is undoubtedly lured by a sort of whistle which the Caribs are particularly adept at practising. Only last September I was fishing on a tributary of the Barima and could catch nothing, when the Carib accompanying me whistled a short plaintive staccato note, and repeated it some six or seven times, when sure exough a couple of large yarrau suddenly put in an appearance. In this case I must certainly admit my ignorance of what the decoy sound was intended to convey, if indeed it is a case of mimicry at all. It is the imitation of bird-calls however, that the Indians have developed almost into a fine art, and it is little matter for surprise that so large a number of names indicative of birds should be onomatopeie, e.g., Quest-ce-que-dit, hanaqua, duraquarra, and kuau. ‘To so truthful a pitch can the mimicry be carried that if not infrequently hap- pens that the hunter may be deceived even by his fellow “ matti,” the one calling, and the other answering, The accuri is a mammal that can also be lured to destruction by calling and a case is known to have occurred on the Demerara River where the Indian mimicked the call so accurately that a tiger-cat in the vicinity, being itself deceived, sprang upon his back, where the resulting scars remained for long after. In the pairing season it is acommon trick on the Barima and Kaituma Rivers to imitate the call of the tapir and so bring it within range of bow and arrow. The deer is similarly called in the open when the hunter must of course hide his presence more or less by means of a bundle of Curatella bush held in front of him. As the savannah has but little or hardly any scrub along which the Indian can sneak towards the animal, it is extremely interesting to watch him on the chase. As soon as the creature is noticed and bends down to graze he is on the move, ereeps forward like a cat, keeping the animal constantly in view however, and instantly remains as immovable as a statue when it raises its head again. Nothing can tire his patience in thus approaching within arrow or gun-shot, even should two or three hours be necessary for the purpose, and when about 100 paces close to the inoffensive creature, the call of the buck is imitated by him in the cleverest manner. The deer is all _ attention, stamps its forefeet, and whether or not owing to some deficiency in keenness of sight or scent, it at any rate commences circling round the hunter in narrower and varrower turns until, when within twenty paces, it falls a sure victim to the gun or more certain arrow. 32 Timehri. With nocturnal animals the sudden and unexpected appearance of daylight mimicked by torch or lamp may prove the creature’s undoing : at any rate, this is the explanation given by the Indians to account for the success met with by the exercise of such methods. A torch at night will bring certain fish within reach of gun or cutlass—the popular belief is that they are attracted out of curiosity, the Indian view being that they are fooled into believing that day has dawned. So with the laba, both opinions are current, and as the method here employed is comparatively recent and hitherto undescribed, a short account of it may not prove out of place. The stranger visiting the upper Demerara for the first time would probably be surprised at seeing the regular Bull’s eye lantern of the London “ Bobby ” in every little timber-grant that he might visit, and even in Indian camps also. These lanterns or ‘“‘shoolers”’ are imported and sold expressly for laba hunting. Going up the higher reaches of the Karuabaru one day, I noticed numerous laba tracks along the banks. So that evening I suggested that two of my men should try and secure a specimen, I accompanying them, After supper and before the moon rose the three of us set out in a corial: the man with the gun and lamp in the bow, I amidship, and the steersman in the stern. The latter and I looked after the paddling, the bowman holding his gun in one hand, and flashing the lantern along the banks with the other. We drifted noise- | lessly down, only using the paddles to keep the vessel in the middle of the stream. It was a weird sensation—gliding through the ink-black forest on an equally dark current with only the ever shifting circle of light from the lantern to guide us. Suddenly, and just ahead, a sound was heard like the grinding of teeth. The bowman raised the gun to his shoulder and steadied it with his left which still held the lantern. The rays shone along the barrel, and ‘following them ‘to the bank I got a glimpse of two small red lights as the feeding laba raised its head to the lamp. The next moment, with a flash of fireand an awful row the gun went off, and the three of us had all we could do to prevent the corial capsizing with the recoil. Going ashore we found the sleek brown and white spotted carcass of a full-grown laba lying across the heap of fallen palm seeds on which it had been feeding. Other cases there are, where the hunter will hide his presence with grass or leaf, and thus through the sense of sight give his quarry a false sense of security. A tussock of matted grass floating along with the stream need give no cause for suspicion to a brace of ducks further down. Hidden in, and surrounded by, this apparently innocent looking wrack, however, is the head of an Indian who, with body submerged, and barely a ripple on the surface is gingerly guiding himself to the required spot, where, seizing bird after bird from below, he tucks them inte his waist belt. Just as harmless in appearance as the floating tussocks were the ambush-shelters built by the Makusis towards the end of the wet season on the recently formed Jakes in the neighbourhood of Mapeima village in the Canuku Ranges : in these oval little structures, formed of a framework covered with leafy bush rising from 4 to 5 feet above the surface of the Some Examples of Indian Mimicry, Fraud and Imposture. 33 water, the Indians were accustomed to hide themselves and shoot with blow-guns or fire-arms the various birds that were either standing along the banks or wading around in the water. In those rare circumstances where the bird call does not lend itself to imitation, the bird itself may be caught and assist the Indian in securing _ others : the captive creature mimics a free one. Decoys are thus made use of as in the case of grass-birds and other small members of the feathered race. Among the Arekuna Indians on the Caco River, in the far hinterland, certain small parrots of the Pionus species used to be easily eaught by specimens of the same bird confined in a basket. The employ- ment of decoys is common throughout most of the races of mankind and examples are readily called to mind from other countries of elephants, horses, cattle and sheep being specially trained for the purpose. A similar idea has left its trace in the trapping of one’s fellow men. More than one scientific expedition exploring the Amazon basin even within recent years has been wiped out to a man through the agency of decoy women sent in amongst them-for the purpose by local Indians. The latter can hardly be blamed, for even in the late war, both the enemy and the allies practised ay similar tactics; it has even been asserted that General Allenby’s success in Palestine wera in no small measure due to information supplied by an Englishwoman in the German lines who, unfortunately, later on suffered the supreme penalty for her patriotism. While there are thus many examples forthcoming of the Indian’s powers of mimicry leading to the animal’s undoing through the senses of sight and sound, I have learnt of none here that is exercised by smell. At this I am not surprised for I know of but one case, which I have already recorded from Australia, in connection with the Kangaroo, an animal that is far keener scented than our big Guiana deer and can never be stalked from the windward. Now, on occasion, the Queensland aboriginal will succeed in turning the beast into his own direction by previously fixing a spear or two along the pathway it is likely to pursue on its way to water, such weapons having been previously moistened with the sweat derived from his armpits and thighs, a scent which the creature knows only too well to avoid: it is a case of an inanimate object being made to imitate the presence of a human being. : In searching the various records there is a notable prominence of mimicry applied to the detriment of one’s fellow creatures, 2.e, cases of fraud and imposture. In the olden days, the wants of the Indian were few, the comforts of a higher civilisation unknown, each individual had his own particular weapons and implements that he made himself; there was - nocause for envy, no reason for fraud or strife. As usual, the only trouble _ was woman, who was either purchased, stolen, captured, or fought for. _ Another but occasional cause for discord was the status of the chief and _the medicine-man, offices often held in combination ; the latter however, like the priesthood in more advanced countries was a close corporation, jealously guarded, to which admittance was only allowed after years of 34 Timehri. hard training and the performance of a series of painful ordeals. Radical changes however took place upon the arrival of the European, and with him the introduction of fire-arms, spirits, the distribution of articles of trade, the wearing of clothes, and the institution of slavery. The Indian envied the white man, his skin, his possessions, his comforts, and his powers : his outlook upon life became enlarged, his ambitions were fired in wrong directions, and practically everything that had been previously regarded as beyond his reach and as a luxury, now became regarded and envied as a necessary. The real secret was that the Indian did not come into contact with the right kind of white man. In apeing his low-caste European and African model to perfection, the Indian became nature’s beast instead of nature’s gentleman. For civilization to prove beneficial it must be practised by the best of examples, and introduced progres- sively, not irruptively, truths which seem to have been woefully ignored by the Imperial as well as many Colonial Governments in their well- intentioned measures for the amelioration and preservation of the native races. Schomburgk struck the right note when he penned the follow- ing :— During my sojourn among these primitive people it struck me very forcibly that it all depends upon the European as to what he is going to make of them. The largest portion of them had never yet and, with few exceptions, had only occasionally met with Europeans. Heart and head still remained completely in childish harmony. Treat such an In- dian as a friend so as to let him feel through intercourse with you that — he is of the same flesh and blood that he honours and respects in your- self. Do not budge a single hair’s breadth from the truth; do not be guilty of any weaknesses he may feel inclined to commit; be circumspect in everything you do; do not repulse his friendly advances, however hard it may often prove, with severity or false pride; share his innocent pleasures ; let him see that you sympathise with his troubles and -with his sorrows, and truly you will get on better with these folk than with the outwardly brilliant companionship of Europe. Morality and virtue need not be brought from civilized HEurope—Indians have a far more tender regard for them than we have.” In pondering over this memorable pas- sage in the great traveller's story of his journeys in Guiana, I find great - eonsolation in knowing that though.the principle which governed my efforts on behalf of the North Queensland aboriginals could not be carried out in its entirety, owing to the scarcity of first-class upright conscientious missionary men and women, willing to sacrifice their lives for the benefit of the savage. | strained every point to secure immense Reserves where the natives are confined, where fire-arms, trade, clothes, and Europeans are not permitted, with the result that the race is allowed to work out its own destiny and suffered to live and die in peace. Perhaps the earliest reliable account to hand of fraud and imposture practised upon Europeans by what were now sophisticated Indians is con- nected with Mahanarva, the celebrated Carib Cazike who, as late as 1810, put the whole colony into a state of consternation and excitement. It was in this year that Mahanarva, now so notorious, came down the Esse- i ew Some Examples of Indian Mimicry, Fraud and Imposture. 35 quibo to Demerara, along with several of his dependents to pay the Gov- ernor a visit, and struck a note of alarm throughout the whole colony by his account of the extent of his tribe and the “unbridled courage of his innumerable warriors. The wily Indian’s plans answered admirably. The absolute ignorance of the interior of Guiana, and the dread of the depredations of the Caribs, whom the colonists had learnt to recog- nise as the most dangerous enemy to their progress, caused the Court of Policy to accept his empty brag as the truth, and to agree willingly to the conditions offered them by him to keep his wild hordes at peace with the Colony. As a matter of fact, Mahanarva punctually obeyed the invitation that was given him on his departure to return the following year and fetch the stipulated tribute again. The enhanced accounts of his power, to which he gave expression on his second visit, induced the Governor to send a Commission to the country of this proud and mighty Cazike, and satisfy itself by direct enquiry as to his alleged influence. At the head of the expedition which, at the same time, was to go up the Rupununi to Fort San Joaquim and enter into negotiations with the Commandant concerning trade on the Rio Branco, was Dr. Hancock, a physician practising in Georgetown. These were the English and Dutch colonists who visited the interior of British Guiana, and of whom Alexander von Humboldt makes mention in his Travels. The expedition fortunately afforded results quite different from what were feared. Mahanarva and his mighty crowd sank down to the level that they really were; gentlemen had allowed themselves to be fooled by a savage. The ‘‘Observations on Guiana” published by Dr. Hancock gave the first information concerning the interior of the country. The Amazons, the Golden City of Manoa, and similar Guiana fables hardly come under the category of fraud and imposture, because the “Indians were as firmly convinced of their actuality, as the foreign filibusters themselves. In the early forties Schomburgk was the victim of a curious trick played upon him by certain local Indians at ‘‘ Our Village,” his depdt on the Kukenaam. ‘The latter were very keen on several of his articles of trade and yet there was nothing more in the animal world that the illustrious traveller did not already possess. All bird-skins that they offered him for a comb or fora knife had to be refused, as he already possessed them-in larger quantity than necssary. They finally brought him birds with the most beautiful play of colours which the hunters wanted to make out they had shot in a distant mountain valley. - The wondrously lovely creatures belonged to the genus Tanagra or Pipra. On this particular occasion they obtained even more than they asked for because Schomburgk now believed himself in possession of new species. There was no doubt about its being a Tanagra when all of a sudden, on a more careful comparison of the feathers, it seemed to have a curious familiar appearance and Schomburgk recognised that, instead of something new, he had got hold of a fake put together with a skill so 36 Timenri. extraordinary that not even a Chinaman, as he says, would have been ashamed of it. The Tanagra had been doctored with all the kinds of Pipra and Euphone that were to be found locally, and so transformed into this extremely beautiful specimen. The same thing had been done with some Pipra and Fringilla skins. He readily forgave them this masterly deception, on the ground that they believed that the skirs they had tampered with must have the sume value to him as the other ones. During the spring of 1864, Appun, another traveller whom we should also be grateful for a knowledge of our country, barely escaped with his life as the result of a conspiracy hatched against him by Wapi- sianas on the upper Takutu to cover their theft of his goods having clandestinely hacked the warp attached to the boat conveying all his and provisions, and hidden the vessel, they reported its loss as having been sunk over the Falls. | Even at the present day in trading with the European, African or Chinese, the Indian will often succeed in getting the better of his pur- chaser by what practically amounts to fraud. For instance, there is a proper workmanlike method of plaiting the sifter and squeezer used in the preparation of cassava, so asto ensure not only extra strength but greater durability : the difference in the plait not being readily distin- guishable, the Indian can hardly be blamed for keeping the better articles for his own use, and putting the Brummagen ones on the market. Most interesting of all, however, are the notable frauds and impostures that have been practised by Indians upon Indians. The least harmful in its consequences of the three examples I propose quoting is that reported by Missionary Brett, in 1845, of an Indian who, pretending to be “the Lord,” went into the interior with some deluded followers, and established himself in the upper part of the Mazaruni. From this distant spot, he sent emissaries into the neighbourhood of all the Missions calling on the Indians to quit their homes and provision fields and go to him. They were told that they should possess lands which would yield a large crop of cassava froma single stick and various other absurdities very alluring to the indolent Indian. These tales joined to threats of horrible destruction which should come upon all who refused to go, had their influence on the minds of many and lured them away. The movement commenced with the Akawais near the Essequibo who had been observed providing them- selves with fire-arms for some time before they set out. They were anxious to get the Caribs to join them, and hundreds of Indians of different tribes went from all parts of the country—many even from the Moruca and Pomeroon—“ to see God” as they termed it, some of whom perished from sickness, and others found themselves in a state of destitution when they reached the spot. In the more remote districts some settlements were completely deserted. The inhabitants of others had been part of the way, and then returned famished and ashamed. The leading facts of the strange occurrence were said to have been well Some Examples of Indian Mimicry, Fraud and Imposture. 37 authenticated|by other evidence. I myself, however, am very much inclined to the opinion that what came to Brett’s ears was but a-whisper of the horrors that had been perpetrated just about the same time in the neighbourhood of Mount Roraima and which had been paralleled in the Brazils only a few years before The following is an account of what tock place in the Presidency according to an official report dated 25.5.1838 from Comarca as Flores, the original of course being in Portuguese. “It is now more than two years ago that a man by the name of Joao Antonio, living at Pedra Bonita which lies about 20 miles distant from this township, surrounded by forest and close to two huge rocks, called the inhabitants together and told them that enclosed in these crags was an enchanted Kingdom of which he proposed to break the spell, and that as soon as this was done King Don Sebastian would appear at the head of a large army. He thereupon busied himself clearing up the spot until November of last year when, at the bidding of the Missionary Francisco José Correa de Albuquerque he removed to the desert region of Inhamon, whence he despatched an individual Joao Pereira, who, on his arrival in Pedra Bonita proclaimed himself King, and filled the minds of the people with all sorts of superstitions. He told them that in order to restore the Kingdom it was necessary to sacrifice anumber of men, women and children, who, in a few days’ time would rise again and then remain immortal, that great riches would be distributed among all classes and that all those of a blacker, especially darker, colour would on a sudden become white like Europeans. He thus managed to obtain numerous adherents to carry out his evil orders and wicked doctrine, and there were not even wanting parents who delivered up their own children to the knife of the blond- thirsty monster. Ou the fourth of the present_month, the sacrifices commenced and in the course of a couple of days, not less than 42 people | had been slaughtered at his hands. But he came to a very miserable end. The most tragic imposture ever recorded in the annals of the Colony is that which took place in the valley of the Kukenam somewhere about 1845 and of which a special monograph has already been published in Germany : gs just mentioned, it is possibly the identical event of which an echo found its way in the occurrence mentioned by Brett. At any rate, the following would seem to be the actual story. At Ibirima-yeng, a settle- ment at the foot of Mt. Roraima there lived a certain medicine-man by the name of Awacaipu who, by his conspicuous cunning and charlatanism, had developed a great reputation amongst the superstitious Indians, and had become regarded by them generally as some superior Being. In his youth he had been in Georgetown, and had spent a considerable period in the service of Schomburgk during the latter’s travels in the interior, with the result that he obtained a slight knowledge of the English lan- guage, but also learnt all the tricks, dodges and vices of the negroes and coloured people with whom he came in contact. On his return to [birima- yeng, he accordingly knew at once how to inspire feelings of respect for himself amongst his people, but his ambitions, not satisfied with this, SN 38 Timehri. prompted him to make himself chief over all the Guiana Indian tribes. With this object in view he despatched messengers in every direction summoning all toa big meeting at the commencement of the dry season, when he would impart some extraordinary tidings and the means would be afforded them of being placed on an @jaality with the whites. The visitors had to engage to suspend all intér-tribal hostilities when they met, and to bring the powerful medicine-man presents as tribute. Awa- caipu’s reputation was so great amongst all the Indians that very many of them accepted the invitation. It thus came to pass that at the time appointed by him, about a thousand Indians of every tribe in Guiana — : found themselves gathered together in this valley of the Kukenam, where they built themselves houses and awaited the promised events. Every family that came along brought him presents of knives, scissors, mirrors, hooks, beads, salempores, ammunition, needles and many other of the articles prized by Indians, receiving in exchange therefor as amulets against the Evil Spirit, three small scraps of printed paper cut from the Times, etc, These were what Schomburgk had previously used as drying papers for the plants collected at Roraima, left behind on ac- count of their adding too much weight to the baggage, aud which the wily Indian knew only too well how to turn to account. To the big settle- ment that now housed all these people Awacaipu gave the name of Beckeranta, an Indianised form of the creole Dutch word Becke-land, the land of the Becke or whites, a term that would appear very apposite con- sidering what followed. Aaa got people to build for him a large mud-house at some distance away ; it was supplied with window openings and the partition walls were draped with salempores. Here he lived, unseen by the masses, in the upper story, while the lower contained his harem for which he had picked the most beautiful of the young girls whether they were betrothed or not, He very rarely let himself be seen in the general meeting houses, and then only when completely enveloped in salempores: his cunning eyes were alone exposed, and these threatened death and destruction on all who gazed on them. Under his instructions drinking feasts were held regularly night after night, commencing at sun- set and ending with sunrise! During the day the men lay drunk in their hammocks, the women, without intermission, manufacturing the beloved drink. While the Indians were thus spending week after week, the happiest times of their lives, Awacaipu was developing his plans to make - himself master. His idea was to put to death all the most powerful of the visitors including those able to bear arms; he was convinced that it would then be easy for him to gain the survivors over to his side. He determined upon executing this coup d’etat forthwith, in case any further delay might bring himself into trouble. Without warning, he put in an appearance at one of these drinking bouts just at that time of night when they were well obfuscated with the paiwarri. He told them that Makunaima, the Big Spirit, had instructed him to tell them: That he did not wish his brown children to be cursed by being driven out of their lands by the white man, to wander into the forests and wilderness with the wild animals, and live in Some Examples of Indian Mimicry, Fraud and Imposture. 89 poverty and nakedness: that he was very fond of them, and was deter- mined that they should be like the whites in every respect: that he would make them superior to the latter, that they should become rich, carry firearms instead of bows, have white women as wives, and that instead of possessing a brown colour, which only suited slaves, they should have a white one: that with this end in view the opportunity was offered them, during the interval between this very night, from now onwards, up to the day after the morrow, for all who wished it, to sacrifice their lives, but each at the hands of the other: and that on the morning of the next full moon, the bodies of the dead would rise again, come down from the heights of Roraima to their families just like white people in colour, ways, and doings, asrulers over all the darker races. _ With this, Awacaipa brought his sermon of Death to a conclusion, well _ convinced thatit would not fail to make a powerful impression on his audience. The latter, notwithstanding they had listened to the harangue with great approval, never expected so terrible a peroration. Awacaipu, on seeing them upset and undecided, incited them into action by calling them cowards, and swinging about him the club that he held, crashed it on the chiefs standing by, their smashed heads tumbling into the half- emptied paiwarri trough. Pouring some of the bloody mixture -into a calabash, he himself drank the horrible contents, and filling it over and over ayain handed it round to the assembled crowd. In place of Indians the meeting house was now filled with a mob of unchained devils, male and female, old and young : intoxicated with blood acd drink, they lost control of themselves. The hostile tribes now remembered their former feuds that the all-powerful Piai had hitherto prudently kept in check, but to which, on his instructions, his terrible example gave free expression : they tore down the clubs hanging on the beams, and crashed them upon their victims, when roars of rage, shrieks of agony, and the dull rattle of death replaced the monotonous sing-song that only a short while previously had accompanied their dancing. Having effected his purpose, Awacaipu, anxious for his own safety, hurriedly betook himself to his own quarters. The orgie of this human shambles continued until the end of the third night, Makunaima’s order was obeyed, close upon 400 people, adults and children, being sacrificed to the maddest ambitions of a savage. The survivors slunk awed and cowed into their houses to await the fulfilment of the prophecy. A fortnight had passed since the 3-days’ tragedy of Blood and now was the day of the Full-moon, the day proclaimed for the Ressurrection, the glorious triumph was to be celebrated. And yet those poor deluded people waited until sunset, they waited the whole night through, without the prophecy being fulfilled—no white-skinned Indian returned from down the slopes of Roraima to Beckeranta. In sad and solemn silence they went back to their quarters, after being soothed by Awacaipu who informed them that the Great Spirit had bidden him say that, within five days for certain, their slaughtered relatives would indeed rise again, and come amongst them as white people, some unforeseen cause having protracted the transformation scene. Notwithstanding all this explanation, the Indians began to lose their faith, their dissatisfaction 40 Timehri. being increased by the seizure of most of their beautiful women, and the cravings of hunger, due to the shortage of the cassava, immense quantities of which had been made into drink. Five days later, they assembled once more upon the hill awaiting the fulfilment of the prophecy, with Awacaipu seated in their midst: there, the whole night through, until sunrise, they stood in silence, alarmed and expectant, and nothing happened. They at last lost patience, as well as their faith: a subdued murmur became audible, it became louder and louder, and finally burst into a yell of ungovernable rage. The father of Wey-torre, a Herculean Indian, smashed his club on the skull of Awacaipu and felled him to the ground. The rest of the crowd witnessed the deed in surprise and awe, and every moment awaited the evil spirit’s anger to fall on Awacaipu’s mur- derer, but recognising now how they had been duped, uttered loud signs of agony and lamentation over their slaughtered fellow tribesmen. Awacaipu’s body was left as it was, a prey to the hungry dogs, the carrion crows feasting On what the latter disdained. All the survivors of the tragedy returned to their homes. Wey-torre and his father remained at the now abandoned spot which they set on fire, and soon the half-charred posts alone indicated the site of Beckeranta. In the early part of 1864 Appun met an old Arekuna on the Cako River who as a great treat showed him three sheets of printed matter that he had kept wrapt up most carefully in dried leaves. One was a page from an English Bible, another from the story of Aladdin, and the third an advertisement of Joyce’s Guncaps. While doing so, the old man led his visitor to the door of his hut, pointed to Roraima in the far distance, and then upon the yellowed papers, and uttered the words: “ Beckeranta! Beckeranta.” At that time, Appun knew nothing of the tragedy connected with the name, or with the three little scraps of paper. ATABARAU-WENA. Be I. ate S.J. It is now nearly a year ago since, in making my way to Roraima from the head waters of the Mazaruni, | came across the above-named great fall. A remark of mine about it ina letter #o Mr. Frere found its way into the public papers and apparently caused some excitement. But I practically never see auy papers, and sol heard nothing about it till I ,came recently to Georgetown. I have given a description of the fall in the account of my journey up the Mazaruni, in the ‘‘ Catholic Standard,” but the Editor of ‘‘ Timehri” is not satisfied, He says I must describe it in his periodical : and so 1am once more writing about it. Towards the head of the Mazaruni there are three big tributaries on the left bank, the ‘“ Kukui,” the ‘ Kako,” and the “Kamarang.” Any one going from the Mazaruni to Roraima would naturally go up the middle of these, the Kako, which I had orginally intended doing, but I had reasons for changing my plans, and going up the Kamarang instead. If my readers will look at the Government Map of the Colony they will see that this river, after flowing in a general northward direction, takes a sudden sweep to the Hast. A little below this bend in the river, on the right _ bank is the mouth of the Atabaraw River. There is an Indian trail along the right bank of this river, which they usually follow when they go to the Roraima Savannah from Kamarang River. They cross the Atabarau by aford above the great fall of the same name Atabarau-wena (wena meaning a fall.) But when they consider the river too high to be forded, they go up the river in a woodskin (it is the only kind of craft the natives use on the Mazaruni), land on the left bank, below the fal), and thence walk through the forest to the savannah. This is what we had to do. The rivers were very full. It is a day’s journey from the mouth of Atabarau River to Paruaz, as the landing is called. Long before we got there, the current became so strong that we had many times to use the ropes. At other times we could only force ourselves along by hauling on to the trees over-hanging the banks. The water was covered with foam. Besides my own Indians I had three local men with me who knew the country well. They told me that the fall ahead was of gigantic dimensions like Kaieteur. Though I did not believe this I was naturally curious to see the fall. But they told me we should not be going near it. If we had gone by the overland route along the right bank of the Atabarau, we should have passed near it, but even then we should only have seen the lower part of the fall. From the left bank where we were it cannot be seen at all. As I had to delay a day to allow the men time to hunt, | selected one man as a guide, and one of my boys, and started off along the left bank. After about three-quarters of an hour’s walk we start a stiff climb which soon becomes so steep that it requires the use of our hands as well as our —<_ 42, Timehri. feet to getup. After reaching the top we go up a gentle incline and then, leaving the trail, we turn into the pathless forest on our left, and after a short .walk pick up the overland trail, and go along it till we reach the ford across Atabaraw River. ‘The river here is about 100 yards wide, at the ford itself the water is only about four feet deep, but the current is tremendous, the bottom of the river very slippery, composed as it is of flat smooth slimy rocks, and only 30 or 40 yards to the left, the whole river disappears down a precipice. It is nota pleasant place to cross. No one who slipped over I fancy could ever recover his footing. To slip over means death. ' Having got over to the other bank, we proceed on our way through forest. Five minutes later we have tocross anotber branch of the same river, the current is much the same, but it is much narrower and there is no fall visible on our left. Beyond this there is another short walk through forest before we finally issue into a swampy savannah; and there, on our left, is the object of our expedition. The first thought that struck me as I reached the edge of the precipice was ‘This is glorious! The Indians have not exaggerated this time. This is indeed a rival of Kaieteur.’ We were viewing the fall from very much the same position as Kaieteur is first seen from, except that we were on the right bank of thé river instead of the left, and hence the fall was on our left instead of on our right. Butas the Indians had also truly told me, we could not see the whole fall from where we were. We spent an hour going up and down the edge of the precipice trying to find a spot from which we could get a satisfactory view, but without. success. To make things worse, most of the time it was raining, and even when it held up for a bit, there was a heavy mist rising from below which never completely cleared away. This made it practically impgssible to take a photo, but did not prevent our viewing what was to be seen. Unlike Kaieteur, Atabarau-wena is in three drops. The river comes rushing down from above, making a sweeping curve, down a steep slope between boulders, on to a ledge from which it takes a leap into space, dropping perpendicularly down, into a deep dark pool surrounded with shining green grass, thence once more it takes a dive over a sloping ledge, and disappears between two huge bolders only to appear again far below, one seething mass, foreing its way along the rocks in what appears from our enormous height to be narrow rapids, along the bottom of the gorge, in size and grandeur, in no way inferior to its now well-known rival in the Potaro. I had no instrument of any sort to measure the height. I might have made a rough estimate if I had been able to get a base line by pacing, but the rocky nature of the land made this impossible. Judging by the eye I should say the whole fall together is as high as Kaieteur. I saw it when the river was high. Even then, the Atabarau is notto be compared with the Potaro in size, but on the other hand, only a small portion of the waters of the Potaro fall over Kaieteur, most of the river is dammed up oO © Atabarau-wena. 43 by the ledge as by a lock. Hence it is that thereis so little current above the fall. A boat could go across the river afew yards above the fall. The Atabarau fallis different. Thereis no ridge todam the water. The whole river takes the precipice atarush, so that, during the rainy season at any rate, the volume of water is not far smaller than at Kaieteur. The second and middle portion of the fall, the perpendicular drop, is exactly like Kaieteur, only of course on a far smaller scale, a great portion of the water being turned into spray and rising up in mist, long before it reaches the pool below. The pool is surrounded with the same moss-like right green grass, as the pool at Kaieteur, and the surrounding amphi- theatre of perpendicular cliffs, is all so like the fall in the Potaro, that almost anyone would take a poto of this part of the fal! as a photo of Kaieteur. The same can be said of the rapids at the bottom of the gorge Curiously enough, almost opposite the giant fall, is a small water fall which drops from the top of the cliff into the gorge below called Tomureng-wend, very much like Sarika-wena which can be seen through the trees half-way up from Tukeit to Kaieteur top. If the Indians are right in saying that it is impossible to go to the foot of the fall, and equally impossible to get to the top of the opposite bank, i.e., the left bank, then the fall can never be seen properly. But if a full view of it can be otained, and I believe such would be possible either from the foot or the left bank, then I think Atabarau-wena can be said to be a formidable rival of Kaieteur. The surroundings are equally marvellous; if not more so, and the fall itself has more variety. But it will never be a popular place to visit as it is too much out of the way. It is worth while stating that the Indian boy, Marco Law, who was with me, when he saw Kaieteur for the first time eight months later, said spontaneously: ‘ Why this is not as high as Atabarau-wena.” Neither the fall nor the river Atabaraw is marked on the latest edition of the government map. I made a “ watch and compass survey ” of the Kamarang and the Atabarau, but have not yet had time to map it out. If I had been on a pleasure trip, or scientific expedition, I should have stayed several days at the fall and found out all about it. But I can only take these things on the road and have no time to tarry. THE FARME R’S PROGRESS. By inh; UE DENNY. President of the B.G. Farmer’s Gansta I am told that the keynote of this number of Timehri is ‘‘ progress” In other words it is to illustrate the great advance of the colony during the past few years. The colony is no longer stagnant. There is a suggestion of ‘something doing” as our American friends say. In every department of business we are going forward. Thisis anagricultural colony. We have valuable minerals it is true, but they are far away from us. Our greatest treasure is near at hand. It lies in the rich and wealthy soil of the coasts and rivers. It is the farmer and planter who are really the most important men in this community. They are the backbone of our pros- perity. Another pen than mine will deal with the planter and his work My subject is that of the farmer and his great calling. I say the farmer has a great calling. Viewed in the light of history we find his work to be the most natural and constant. In Palestine we read of a country rent by warfare, yet the farmer’s work still persisted. In the greatest of all wars the French peasant tilled his fields in the very smoke of German gun fire. Other figures may disappear from the scene. The agriculturist will still live on. His calling in this colony was for many years at a discount. It was thought a degradation to till the soil. This was due partly to the reaction against field labour after emancipation, and partly to the elusive but glittering attraction of the gold-fields. The gold industry, profitable though it may be, is responsible for the great disinclination of somany of the young men in our villages to settle on the land. Agriculture is not adventurous, neither does it appeal to the same instincts as the excitement ofa gold rush. For the reasons I have named, little by little farming fell into disrepute, The lands aback were deserted, and reverted to bush. The township property was neglected. In many cases it was mortgaged or sold to finance the expedition into the interior. Some of the young men too cultivated ambitions which drew them away from the land in other directions. A clerkship was their ideal, The pen they thought was a more honourable tool than a shovel or a hoe. The sphere of the teacher and the parson also, had greater attractions, than mother earth. In the meantime, however, a race of people were quietly cultivating the soil and bit by bit increasing their wealth. Perhaps the force of the silent example of the Hast Indian along with the revival in the sugar industry had not. a little to do with the revived interest in agriculture. Itis due to the farmer to say that itis only within recent years that he has been able to see the great advantages to be derived from the counsel and co-operation of other people. The lesson of unity has proved a hard one to learn. It is not quite learnt yet, but one is glad to think that the farmer in British Guiana has a juster appreciation of the value of co-operation than ever before. Two movements have done as much as anything during the last few years to stimulate the farmer’s interest in the soil and to convince him The Farmer's Progress. 45 of the profit and usefulness of his calling. I refer to the institution of the Co-operative Credit Banks and the formation of the Farmers’ Con- ference.. One of the biggest difficulties in the farmer’s way was that of finance. Agriculture even in a small way needs capital to improve and develop the area of cultivation. The farmer was generally impecunious, and being something of a fatalist thought it was God’s will that he should always be poor and of no account. The writer has often heard a man of this type say ‘‘ I am a poor man, sir,” when on inquiry I found the speaker had a house and a little land which if cultivated would soon repay his toil. I suppose that he meant he had no money available to put into the land, and so he was inclined to do nothing. The Credit Banks are helping to alter this attitude. It is indicative of the great difficulty of. getting the people to appreciate the value of any new idea that the actual institu- tion of these banks occurred several years after the scheme was initiated. The initiation of the movement was due to the labours of Mr. McFarlane Corry, a gentleman of exceedingly sound ideas on the progress of the people, but their actual] institution was the work of the enthusiastic and energetic propaganda of Mr. C. Shankland. By addressing meetings of farmers up and down the country, by much patient and exhaustive ex- planation of the scheme, and ready and pointed replies to criticisms, Mr. Shankland woke a very keen interest in the movement in the minds of the people. Experience has taught the latter the value of such an institution. There are now twenty-seven Co-operative banks in active operation with a membership of over seven thousand. These represent a capital of over forty thousand dollars. During the pre- sent year this has increased by forty-four per cent. The figures quoted sbove are taken from the last available report of the Banks Com- mittee. The majority of those enjoying the benefits of the banks are farmers belonging to both the East Indian and negroraces. The history of these banks reveals a story of progress. There is every reason to believe they have a future of very great development before them. The British Guiana Farmers’ Conference has been another great factor in revival of agriculture, In its present form this body dates from 1916. It had been felt for a long time that the existing agricultural associations needed he and direction and needed also some medium through which the opinions and wants of the small farmers might be made known to a wider audience, Thanks very largely to the Rev. EH. R. O. Robertson, who with a few helpers roused the farmers on the question, a Conference of farmers consisting of two or more delegates from each association was held for the first time in 1916. At this Conference the Attorney General and other leading citizens were present to show their sympathy with the farmers’ efforts. Since then the Conference has been held annually and is to-day a prime factor in the life of the agricultural community. Finding the Loan Banks too narrow in their range, and only able to advance com- paratively small amounts of money at one time to any indivicual, Mr. Robertson, for the encouragement of rice farming, looked about him for other sources of help. This he secured first of all from the Colonial Bank, and latterly from the Royal Bank of Canada. These corporations 46 Timehri. were able to advance large sums of money to the farmers, and the result is seen in the great impetus given to the rice industry among the black people of the Mahaicony and Abary Districts. In passing I might say that the chief obstacle to the further progress of this industry is the lack of irrigation, A few weeks from the time of writing it was my duty to visit a certain portion of the East Coast of Demerara and the West Coast of Berbice. In these districts of late years there has been a tremendous increase in the yield of rice. There should be no reason why this year’s harvest should be less than its predecessors. The farmer planted at theright time, but when the plants needed water most there was no rain. Although in the near neighbourhood of three creeks—the Mahaica, the Mahaicony and the Abary—the plants were gradually burnt up. Thousands of dollars have been lost all for the want of acanal and afew pumps. The writer believes, however, that the farmers themselves are determined to remedy this state of things. If they avail themselves of the ainendments of the Polder Ordinance they will be able to select an authority from among themselves to carry out such irrigation works as may be necessary. At last the farmer is growing discontented with his condition. His revival of interest in the land, the example of his East Indian neighbour, the new spirit born of association and co-operation with others, all unite in lending the farmer a new vision of his possibilities, and a new conception of his calling and his place in the community. This spirit of discontent with ‘ things as they are” is one of the truest signs of real progress. The self-complacent spirit never hears the call to advance, but sits wrapped round in easeful slumber. A genuine discontent is like to the faint stirrings belore the dawn when the darkness is breaking and the air is full of expectancy. It is the preparation for the vision. The spirit moved by a profound discontent is stumbling along the way which leads to the mount of vision. I believe the farmers of the colony are walking in that way. With patience and under intelligent as well as enthusiastic leadership they will yet prove their right to a certain position in the community. There is, I believe, a growing sense of esprit-de- corps among the small farmers. They are realising the force of the truth that we are ‘‘members one of another,” and hence little by little there is growing up a real sense of the strength and usefulness of unity. If the years have accomplished this all the efforts of the past will not have been made in vain, for given this sense of union the farmers of this colony will accomplish all and more than they have ever dreamed of. Intheir hand lies the colony’s future, for the day will dawn when the peasant proprietor will be indeed lord of the land, With the certain decline in the price of sugar, and the gradual centralization of sugar factories it is inevitable that unless the cane-farmer be encouraged for all he is worth, the staple industry of the colony will not be able to maintain its position. Along other lines also there isroom for the expansion and development of the ~ farmer’s calling. If the progress of the last few years is maintained that calling is assured. in that progress there is the promise ofa bright future. The p vist few years have been a time of sowing. The promise of harvest. is sure and abundant. CANE-BORERS IN 1879. PAST EFFORTS OF THE R. A. & C. SOCIETY. - ee By THE EDITOR. In connection with the work ofdealing with cane-pests, it may be well to draw attention to what we may call the awakening of the planters in 1879. Hitherto little notice had been taken in anything but a general way, borers were seen and looked upon as in the order of things, which could not beamended. Evenin England the old farmers once thought that man could do nothing and it would be interesting to note the gradual change from passive to active. Under the law of progress we gain more knowledge as we move on and are impelled to wake up. But some people are inclined to rush to extremes and this is probably the position to-day; the planter tries to kill the pests and upsets the natural fair balance by destroying friends and enemies at the same time. Fifty years ago there was little burning of canefields, little manuring, and probably fewer pests than we have now. Under natural conditions the cane trash was the best manure and the ants in the field the best pro- tection against borers. Borers were there and so were rats but their enemies were alsoin force to keep them down. It is plain that when we interfere with the proper balance we make trouble for ourselves, but we have to take pains with every effort. This ‘“ taking pains” seems to be a natural law ; we cannot do any good work without it. When we assume that nothing is a real evil, but good in its place we can say that ants and snakes are in place where there are borers and rats. The general idea is that canecutters will not work unless these supposed pests are driven out by firing, yet the old planter got his work done before the canes were burnt. It is no doubt startling to come upon a snake, but as so few are poisonous there is no reason for the common horror of them. As for ants the cane-cutter of to-day must be a weakling for his ancestors took little account of them. Now and then we have reports of wood-ants (termites) in our fields; these can be overcome by ants. It may be noted that the native Indians have to endure the most viru- lent stings of ants to make them brave; no Indian boy is afraid of ants Interference with the order of things often brings trouble, and yet we must try to deal with our pests. The point is to find out the better ways. It would not help us to use the method advocated by Hughes, ~ who took his idea from the “smother” then common in connection with mosquitoes. What might be useful in 4 house would not necessarily be effective outdoors. I think the suggestion made at the meeting of the Society to bring ants’-nests into the cane-fielda is worth considering to- day ; possibly the best ant may not be the most virulent to us. 48 Timehrs. Whether a pest or disease existed in old times is often a problem difficult to solve. Symptoms were mentioned but rarely can we say, e.g., what kind of a “fever” or “‘ borer” existed even a century ago. It there- fore becomes important to the historian to consider even negative evidence, which in this case points to the probability that Castnia licus had not appeared in 1879. My memory recalls Mr. Howell Jones pointing out specimens in the Museum somewhere in the nineties (perhaps 1893) when it was considered a new pest. It had been collected in the forest and was well figured as long ago as 1770 by Cramer, but it is not very common. Possibly the borers began to appear here at some time before 1870: we find no notice of them in early years of the century. About 1740 Gravesande spoke in favour of cane-growing in Essequebo and one point was the absence of borers which were known in some of the West Indian Islands. Complaints of the cost of sugar production were often made, but we cannot find any mention of insect pests. As, however, there was a ten- dency to look upon all plagues as in the nature of things and incapable of alteration we may presume that they were considered like drought and deluge, as things no man could alter. The names blast, blight, mildew, worms, and shrivel were applied to effects rather than causes; we can see from books on agriculture of one or two centuries ago that some religious people considered them as part of a system of Divine rewards and punishments. Famines might come through carelessness of the farmer, but he was always inclined to think he had done his duty. The change to the other idea that we may fight against them was very slow and gradual. The following extracts on “The Yellow Blast” are from Hughes’ Barbados, 1750, p. 245 :— “This destructive Blast . . . . proceeds from swarms of little insects at first invisible to the naked eye; and as the juice of the cane is their proper food, they in search of it, wound the tender blades of the cane and destroy the vessels. Hence the circulation being impeded, the growth of the plant is checked and soon after it withers, decays or dies, in propor- tion to their degree of ravage. * * * < ‘On Sickly Canes . . . . small protuberant knobs of a soft downy substance, often containing in them smal] white maggots, which, I believe, turn afterwards into small brownish moths, which are to be seen in great multitudes among the blades of infected canes. BPR er, ke “The Blast is observed to be most frequent in very dry years, there having been but little of it when seasonable rains have begun early and continued till the canes were ripe. oO ie “Tt is observable that the Blast usually appears successively in the game fields, and often in the very same spot of land . . . . the infection always spreads faster to the leeward, or with the wind. Cane-Borers in 1879. 4,9 ‘¢ This disease hath been hitherto of the number of those which are incurable .... a studious attempt to remove so creat an evil will, I daresay, meet with the approbation of every well-wisher to our West India Islands, especially since what I have to offer upon this eelee 18 attended with the strongest probability of success. * ++ * ‘Take an equal quantity of brimstone, aloes and the bark of bitter wood .... put in the middle of a bundle of wet straws in a cradle of wire. Being set on fire it is passed to windward of the canes for a few mornings and evenings to make a smother.” _ As late as 1819 Bryan Edwards in the fifth edition of his History of the West Indies (Vol. II. p. 252) said :— “The sugar-cane is subject to a disease which no foresight can obvi- ate, and for which human wisdom has hitherto, I fear, attempted in vain — to finda remedy. This calamity is called the blast; it is the aphis of Linnzus, and is distinguished into two kinds, the black and the yellow, of which the Jatter is the most destructive. It consists of myriads of little insects, invisible to the naked eye, whose proper food is the juice of the cane, in search of which they wound the tender blades, and conse- ~ quently destroy the vessels. Hence, the circulation being impeded, the growth of the plant is checked, until it withers or dies ia proportion to the degree of the ravage.” In a note he mentions the Borer :— “In some of the Windward Islands, the cane in very dry weather is liable to be destroyed also by a species of grub called the borer. This calamity is fortunately unknown, at least to any extent in Jamaica. . In Tobago they have another destructive insect called the Jumper Fly.” This last was probably the Frog-hopper. _ In 1879 there appears to have been something to rouse the sugar- planters ; produce was going down in price and every grower had to look for ways and means to get more sugar and reduce its cost. In a cane- field ‘‘ blighted canes” were often seen and the damage was attributed to one or more ‘ Borers.” On the 9th of May, 1879, at a general meeting of the R.A. and C.S., the President, Hon. J. E. Tine, moved that they consider the adoption of such united action as may appear to be best adapted for preventing the ravages caused by the ‘ Borer” and other - insects to the sugar-cane throughout the colony. Specimens were shown by Mr. im Thurn, then Curator of the Museum, and it is notable that the Castnia was not included ; we may safely state that it had not yet appeared. Three species of Borers were shown, the first Calandra palmarum and the second a smaller weevil, probably Sphenophorus. The third was a moth named Proceras sacchariphagus, probably Diatrcea. Some stir had been made in Mauritius and the name of the oe of that colony was adopted, © 50 : Timehri. Several members spoke on the matter, including Messrs. W. Russell, KE. Field, McCalman and Pitman ; all agreed that something should be done to find out whether remedies could be found. It was therefore agreed to write to Mauritius and meanwhile a Committee was appointed to draft a circular so that as much information as possible might be gained. The circular was printed and sent to every planter and it may be noted that it probably represented the knowledge of the time. The Committee knew little but were desirous of getting all the knowledge available. First, they wanted descriptions of the insects, and second, in- formation as to the means taken to get rid of them and the result of these measures. Suggestions were made as to what might be tried. If borers were present the canes should be cut as soon as possible, close to the ground. Don’t burn or bury the infected canes but pass them through the mill. Examine all tops before planting and if any show sions of borers, soak in warm water at 125° for 48 hours. A solution of 37 sulphate of ammonia could be poured into the axils of the leaves or the tops might be stripped and soaked. The trash should not be buried but burnt. All faulty canes should be cut out as soon as found and put through the mills, burying was not sufficient. Cane stumps should be examined two weeks after cutting and all suspicious ones removed. Birds and ants should be encouraged, strong manures probably injured the latter and in dry weather they poisoned both ants and canes. On the whole the planter will admit that useful precautions were already suggested and it can be seen that ants should not be destroyed as they now are when the fields are burnt. Probably, these insects could be fostered in a way to reduce the borers, but we must not burn the fields. The system of burning was not general forty years ago and _ possibly some of our trouble has come through interfering with the order of things. We may burn some borers, but we also destroy their enemies which are our friends. It may be good policy to burn an old house or the bedding of a small-pox patient, but we don’t burn our friends. Unfortunately, when a cane field is fired, friends and enemies are equally unsafe ; even birds are driven away. It has been thought desirable to publish the report of the meeting of the Society that probably woke up the planters and started the work now being done on every plantation. As it was only published in the newspaper it is hidden from our present-day planters, who may read it even now with interest, though they know more than the ‘Sugar Kings” of forty years ago. The point to be noted is that ‘burning was adopted ; borers might have been less or more under the old system but we have certainly lost much manure through burning the, trash. Perhaps the old natural way where ants and birds were encouraged might have been better, but of course we cannot undo the past though we may try a reversion to a more natural way. There is always much risk in interfering with the balance of life and probably the idea of burn- Cane-Borers in 1879 51 ing to clear land will be abolished in the near future. It seems plain that cane pests have become worse of late years, but it is hard to say that the spreading of Castnia licus was due to any measures that have been taken. Attention may however be called to the probability that most of the pests come from grasses and other weeds, all of which can be reduced by plant- ing parapets and dams with useful trees and shrubs. When dams were lined with fruit trees there were few weeds, and perhaps few borers. “The President said that the chief object of this meeting was to elicit information with rezard to the insects which were attacking the sugar- cane in different parts of the country. Some gentlemen took it easily and thought that we should live through this plague as we had done others ; others thought it was a disaster that they could not possibly survive. He was inclined to take a middle course and though he thought it was a Serious disaster yet he hoped that like mauy similar disasters they would be able to overcome it and keep the Colony alive for a long time to come. He thought the most satisfactory plan would be to obtain suggestions as to how the evil might be met, and seein what way they could carry out suggestions ; and perhaps the best way would be, first ofall to ask Mr. im Thurn what specimens of the borer and other insects he had seen in the Sugar canes that had been sent to him, and after that the meeting could express some opinions on the subject. ‘* Mr. im Thurn said he was afraid the specimens on the table were not in very good order: but there were three different kinds of borers there ; two beetles, both of them weevils, a large and a small kind and one moth which was said to be the Proceras. ‘Mr. Pitman said the moth came from Pln. Chateau Margot. Mr. im Thurn said there were also specimens of the caterpillar and cocoon. There was the little white caterpillar with black spots upon it and there was its little brown smooth, slim chrysalis. “The President said that some of their planter friends would no doubt be able to tell them which of those borers was doing most mischief and how to get rid of them. Mr. Field, he thought, had the most experience, and therefore he would ask him to open the discussion. ‘Mr. Field said that as far back as 1874 he found the attacks of the borer to be very serious. He then addressed a letter to the newspapers on the subject ; he sent for publication extracts from the ‘Sugar-Cane ” giving an account of the proceedings of the committee appointed in Mauritius, where the cane had been almost exterminated by this voracious insect, and acting in accordance with the recommendations of that com- mittee he took the proceeding of burning his fields; he supposed they had all read the extracts from the ‘ Sugar Cane,” which were printed not only in 1874 but again within a few weeks ago in the Royal Gazette ; he thought that the committee had so completely exhausted the subject that there was nothing for him to add to the theory of this insect. They would 52 Timehri. ~ notice that one of the recommendations was that fire should be put to the canes and that the canes that were left on the parapets should be des- troyed ; and so anxious were the committee that this should be done and So necessary was it considered that unity of action should be obtained that they recommended the Government to pass a law insisting upon the planters burning the fields and if the fields were not burnt within five days after they were cut the police were empowered to goin and burn them off. Here they adopted the fire system thinking that that might be of some assistance and there was no doubt it was of great assistance, but yet it was not sufficient to put an end to the insects. Since then from the burning of the fields and the fine seasons the canes grew more luxuriantly until 1878, but at the commencement of that year, he noticed that the insects were again doing serious injury to the canes. He did not think at first of cutting out the borer from the stoles, but now he was quite convinced that it was a very proper thing to do to exterminate the insect. The fieids should be searched, the borers cut out with a large knife and thrown into the water in the trenches. He tried © that experiment in one of his fields, and he found that in a field of five acres containing 299,511 cane stoles 1,763 cr 1.77 per cent. were found attacked the first time; the second time about a week afterwards 1,117 more, making a total of 2,880, or 2.88 per cent. and in some fields the number found had been much more numerous than that, all the fields were attacked more or less on the Diamond, and those four or five months old were beyond retrieving ; that was tosay, there were so many of the others which he had tried to eradicate this insect from, that he had not had the time to attend to them all but eighteen men were employed in going through all the young fields with large kitchen knives and cutting out the diseased sprouts, bringing them out of the field and throwing them into the side line canal. He hoped by that means to eradicate the insect from the young fields. The men went through about nine acres a day, and the cost was 45 cents an acre. Of course it was necessary that all the tops that were going to be planted should be examined, and he thought the best . plan was that all which were found with holes in them should be immersed in water for a sufficient time. He had tried this by soaking the tops in water for 24 hours and at the end of that time he found some of the insects dead but some of them still alive, so that water did not kill all of them in 24 hours. He should have kept them in water for 48 hours. 48 hours immersion in water would not injure the tops in any way, and therefore he should think that that would be certainly one plan of getting rid of the insects which infested the cane tops. His plan was to fill acane punt with water and throw the canes intoit and after four and twenty hours to examine them, He thought that all rotten canes should be taken out of the field and either burnt on the parapet if the weather was dry, or if the weather was wet, buried in the ground 24 feet deep between the row of canes. That was one plan he had to suggest but of course it was very necessary that all the planters should be unanimous in carrying out the suggestions that were agreed to, to ensure success it was no use one per- son attempting to doit, or even two or halfa dozen. It was well known —————<—— Cane-Borers in 1879, 58 that these insects were in the habit of flying from one field to another and therefore if he did it—and he had already gone to a great deal of expense and Jabour—and the same thing was not done on the next estate the insects of Farm would come over to Diamond and he should only be where he was before. But at any rate there was no doubt that the injury that those insects were doing was enormous and they were not only occasioning the destruction of the cane. but the deterioration of the juice, because every cane that wasattacked by the borer became acid. That acid mixed with the juice caused a very great increase of glucose to the ton of crystallizable sugar, and that was one of the reasons why they were getting so much more rum than formerly instead of sugar. He would suggest that the President should communicate with the society in Mauritius with a view to ascertain what was the result of the action taken there to exterminate the insects. What plans were adopted and with what success. Hethought thatthe President of the Society would gladly state what was their experience there, and he (Mr. Field) was sure it would be of very great value to the people of this colony. ‘Mr. Kelly said that in 1873 immense numbers of the smaller worms were found in the young canes on Pln. Albion. At first he was rather at a loss to find out what was to be done with them, but after a little con- sideration he decided to cut out the shoots an inch below the giound and place some lime over them to mark the place where they stood; he found that in two or three weeks very healthy shoots usually came up round the shoot that had been cut, and he did not believe that the attacks of the smaller worm, if taken in hand at once, were so very serious. When - the other kind attacked the canes he did not know what else could bedone except to cut them outimmediately. What Mr. Field suggested he hoped would have the desired effect. The object should be that as soon asa single shoot was seen attacked a few hands should be put into the field to cut them out. ‘The larger weevil he believed attacked the canes at the head and he did not know what was to be done; but the advice he had given to the manager of one of the ‘Colonial Company’s estates was to watch the advanced canes and to endeavour to cut them out at an early age. He believed that a great deal of assistance could be got from insects such as ants. In several ofthe rotten canes he had examined he had found insects, A piece of rotten cane was put into the box this morning with one of the larger worms in it; he had since found ants in it and he be- lieved that the insect was killed. ‘‘ Mr. Pitman said he had come to the meeting to learn and not to teach, but he could safely endorse the statements that had fallen from Mr. Field and Mr, Kelly. About four months ago an East Coast manager brought to his notice the serious damage which was being done by the borer among his canes. He did not take any notice of it at first, but on going to the es- tate he found that the remarks which he had heard about the borer were in no way exaggerated. On going into the fields he found that the ravages of the insects were so great that there were only a few sound shoots to be found, The manager of the estate had since informed him that the crop of the 54 Timehri. estate had been thrown back for three months, as the result of the damage which the cultivation had sustained. He regretted to say that in one field where the tops had been cut out the borers existed in the same numbers that they existed before. Finding this to be the case he wrote to his friend Mr. Field asking if he could come forward and give his advice and he (Mr. Field) had very kindly done so through the medium of this Society. On visiting other estates he made enquiries and was generally told that such a thing did not exist, or if it did exist that it was no worse than it ever had been. On one large estate they replanted lately 130 acres of canes; he had given orders that the tops should be most carefully picked but on going through the field he did not find one sound one; they were attacked by the borer, and he fancied that it would have been better if they had never been replanted. To use the words of the Mauritius committee they had simply perpetuated the evil. He had met with the three kinds of insects which had been shown by Mr. im Thurn but the big beetle was the one he had most experienced and be had found them in thousands in cane tops recently planted. Whether they had chosen those tops to deposit their eggs he was not sure but he rather thought that was the case because several gentlemen had told bim that they were very common in the megass logies. On some estates the small moth was the insect that was doing most harm ; on other estates it was a beetle. The estates with which he was connected suffered principally from the moth. With regard to what Mr. Field said about putting the cane tops into water and keeping them for 48 hours he thought the Commission in Mauritius stated that immersion was of no use unless the temperature of the water was brought up to 125 degrees. Cold water simply stupetied the insects, - and though apparently dead, as soon as they were taken out they came to life again. Withreference to drilling the fields and burying the trash he did not think it would be an effective way of getting rid of them as the soil cracked so muchin dry weather that he doubted very much whether they could have the trash buried deep enough to prevent the insects from escaping. He would like to know very much from gentle- men present if they burnt their canes once or twice; if they burnt the same on pegass lands as they did on heavy stiff soil, and whether they left the tops on the field or put them in the small drains or removed them from the field altogether. ‘Mr. McCalman said that since the change in the weather which was much desired set in in February last, he was very much surprised at the - small returns made from the canes, and that induced him and Mr. Russell © to visit some of the estates. To their great surprise, both in the cane carrier and in the fields they found the most fearful rayages going on. The canes instead of improving by the rains, appeared to be retarded in their growth; the quantity of juice required to the hogshead had risen from 1,800 to 3,000 gallons because the advantage to be derived frem high tillage supplemented by artificial manures was shut off from the plants and the canes were not benefiting at all. He was very much in- Cane-Borers in 1879. 55 terested in the subject and after going round several estates with Mr. Russell, he wrote to several managers of estates to the following effect :— From examination of the canes on estates in various parts of the coleny he found that much if not all of the decrease and disappointing yield of canes cut recently could be traced to the ravages of the borer and not, as had been supposed, to the prolonged drought though the sickly and impoverished state the canes were reduced to from that evil might have been the primary cause of the ruinous extent to which the borer had destroyed them. This ‘parasite in many instances rednced the yield to half of what the appearance of the canes would indicate. The canes had been attacked’ in all stages. of growth from the canes forming the first joint to those in every stage of growth towards ripeness and he urged upon those in charge of estates or the canes on the estate under their management by first examining the external appearance of the canes as the attack of the borer could be easily observed by the hole through the rind and the sort of white mouldy ap- pearance of the tender joints in which the ants attack (possibly to the saving of the canes). When the cane was split down the centre the extent of the injury could be ascertained. The next point to consider was what were the remedial measures to be adopted to check the ravages of this pest. He suggested the strictest attention should be paid to cutting them as closely to the ground as possible and all the rotten and decayed sprouts should be cut, at the same time the trash should be removed as quickly as possible from the stumps and carefully burnt with all the rotten canes and tops that were infested with the borer. If this were done before the stumps sprung they would not suffer or be retarded in their growth. Second—That no decayed or damaged tops should be planted nor stumps that had already jointed as that would be “perpetuating the evil.” Third—It had been found that if the tops were immersed in six inches of water mixed with two percent. of ammonia in a wooden punt or puncheon it destroyed the larva and chrysalis but further experiments and obser- vations must be continued with chemicals that might be found capable of destroying the worm. With the Colorado beetle Paris green had been found a successful remedy when diluted in a certain quantity of water; the proportions he could not remember just then. Kerosene oil might be tried by rubbing it slightly over the joint attacked. But he urged upon them that every effort must be made to check the evil and that it was the bounden duty of every manager to devote all his talent and energy to rub out an evil that threatened the very existence of the colony as a sugar-producing one. It was a matter of much surprise to him. that where so much loss had been sustained gentlemen in charge of estates had not traced out the cause earlier, and no one was in a position to give any reliable information as to the period when those worms first attacked the canes so seriously ; infact they had been living in a ‘‘fool’s paradise”; all the time and attributing all to the drought. He impressed on the staff of the estate to which he wrote the urgent necessity that existed for stamping out this calamitous pest, stating that the planter who could introduce a specific remedy for the 56 Timehr. evil would deserve well of the planters and the colony at large and would no doubt be liberally rewarded. He also pointed out that it would be desirable to ascertain, if possible, how far canes in all stages had been attacked, that it must be patent to all who had carefully examined the destruction of canes that had been allowed fair age, that it would be much to the advantage of estates if the canes had beencut at nine to ten months, as the juice of such canes had been found by experiment to be far richer in saccharine than canes of more advanced age that had been seriously attacked by the borer; and as it was an evil that required strong measures to check it, that he would be glad to receive any suggestions they might have to make that might be considered of advantage in gaining the ends they had in view. He had received several interesting letters, and it was surprising, although the question had been gone into with greater minuteness than before, how-very seriously the loss had extended. He had a letter from one manager who went into a minute calculation, showing how seriously the crop had been affected But it had not yet been seen whether the measurers that had been taken would be successful. One remedy was to burn the canes as much as possible which could not fail to destroy some of the insects, and another was to cut down the canes as soon as they were attacked. Another plan recommended by a planter was to cut the canes and throw all the tops into the small drains and buru the other parts of the field. Thathad been done and at the end of five days out of more than five hundred tops that were searched only two insects werefound alive. Insects that were im- mersed for 24 hours would after a time come out as lively as they were before. But with regard to suggestions of the Mauritius commission we were labouring under a great disadvantage. In all West India Colonies as well as in Mauritius there wasa crop season, and sometimes in the course of a hundred days they very nearly got rid of the whole of their crop ; but here they could not burn out everything completely, owing to the large area and the means of taking off the crop. It was a very fortunate thing, however, that in this country there was a Wild Bird’s Protection Ordinance because here, as in other countries, the birds would be found to be of service in destroying the insects. Another thing was the ants. He had a conversation with a high official here recently who told him that in some of the islands the attack of the borer was a very serious thing, “but that it was not so universal as in this colony; and in that island they used to convey ants from one district to another to destroy the young borer. Where the trash of the canes was peeled off, the borer was in a great many instances destroyed by the ants. So that those very disagreeable insects were sometimes of some advantage to us. But the success of their efforts to eradicate the evil would in a great measure depend upon the energy of the gentlemen who had charge of the estates. The evil was much greater than that which existed during the dry weather. That might have been the origin of the evil; but this colony was not different to some other countries, where the borer had attacked the coffee trees also. Cane-Borers in 1879. 57 ‘Mr. im Thurn said he thought it would be found that in those cases the insect made its appearance after the dry season. Here it was the same. It was the dry season which weakened the cane and enabled the insect to get into it. “Mr, Keliy said that in cases where the tops had been immersed in water for 48 hours, the worms taken out were found to be dead. “Mr. Pitman said they lived remarkably well in temper lime. ‘¢Mr. Russell said it was a great many years now since his attention had been directed to insects of that description. Mr. Jones, of the Hope, was good enough once to send him the chrysalis of what he took to be the Proceras of Mauritius. At all events it agreed so much with the species found in the sugar-cane that he was almost inclined to think it was the same. ‘I'he weevils were almost the same from the little fellow that attacked the rice, to the big groo-groo which found its way into the cabbage tree when it was cut down. He had known of the ravages that they made on the cane-tops ever since he was an overseer and the specimens before them were a fair representation of what they did. The little weevil he had had occasion to observe since he was an overseer, and he was sorry to say it was spreading toa great degree, because one could not go into a cane- field now without finding it in all stages of development, But the thing that they required to get rid of the most was the moth, that was the insect which was causing such alarm now. At first he was under the im- pression that they were confined to the young canes and he set people to werk-to cut them out on the same principle as that adopted by Mr. Field and other gentlemen, He found in nearly every part of the cane as well as the ground part that this, what he called the Proceras, had deposited eggs and had driven holes through the cane and that nature had endowed them with sufficient sense to make a double hole, so that when they parted with their chrysalis they got out and laid their eggs on fresh canes. He thought they confined themselves to the young canes, but now there was scarcely a cane in which the ravages of the moth could not be traced. He was inclined to think that the moth was followed by asmall weevil beetle because he had not found the beetle without finding traces of the moth having bored through the canes. It was a most persistent iusect and its power of penetrating through the pith of the cane was something remarkable. Having determined that it was this moth that was our great enemy the next thing was to recommend some means of getting rid of it and there they were ina terrible mess. As Mr. McCalman has said, the insect attacked canes in all stages of their growth. Some time ago he visited Rose Hall plantation in Berbice where the ravages of the insect in the canes were frightful. The sap of the canes had deteriorated, and he found sweet looking “ front” canes polarising 74, while “‘ back” canes on the same estate were polarising 94. He attributed the falling off in the quality of the juice entirely to the ravages of the insect and when he told them that that represented a difference of one-third of a pound of sugar per gallon of cane juice, they would realize the loss that they were 58 Timehri. now sustaining. On that estate Mr. McCalman and himself decided to burn the field, That was done and everything was carried out of the field. On his return to the estate after the fteld was replanted there was not a eane he could not find specimens of the borer, and in one instance it was in the chrysalis state. Now that seemed to put the question of burning almost entirely in defiance, unless it was possible to burn everything in one time ; burning single fields seemed to him to be of no avail. He had seen those small moths flying along the punt trenches on mornings when the dew had fallen but where they went to he could not say. It was the opinion of some planters that artificial manure was the means of driving away the ants from the cane-fields. He noticed himself that the ants to be found in the fields were very few compared with what they used to be when he was an overseer. He thought that the best thing to do would be to get boxes of ants and place them in the fields, and if need be stop the use of artificial manure. He had seen such little effects from the use of manure, and he had heard that without rain it was poison. He believedthat the money spent for manure last year was thrown away ; that the manure was of no use whatever, but was driving away the ants. Ithad been brought to his notice that the groo-groo worm was not only to be found in the old canes. Mr. Munro had found them digging in the bulb that sent up the fresh shoots. When the stumps were dug out as many as eight groo-groo worms were found in each stump. To get rid of them he proposed digging out all the stumps and burning the earth as the most effectual mode of cooking the goose. It was possible the insects would go away with the weather; but it was really a very serious matter for the planters of this colony and he was almost hopeless of suggesting any remedy on account of the peculiar nature of our cultivation. Cutting out the shoots might reduce the evil to a certain extent, but.he was afraid there was no one present who was prepared to name a radical cure for it. But there was another “ borer” which was a greater evil even than the cane-borer, of which he should not say anything there, as the Society did not discuss politics. He had given little attention to politics since his return from his own country, but certain speeches which he had read that were made in our Courts lately had made his flesh creep. He was precluded from entering into that question there, where politics were abjured, but he might take the opportunity to gointo the question at some other time. He thought there was a much greater existing evil than the sugar cane-borer. (Applause). ‘* Mr. Pitman said that the borer was not confined to the canefields and had been in a potato field. ‘* Mr. McCalman said that he had been informed by Mr. Jones (of Pln. Hope) that the practice on that estate was to carry all the defective canes to the mill and grind them on Saturday night, and to send all the juice, if any, to the distillery. By those means the borer in all its stages was totally destroyed. The decayed stumps that were not springing should be dug out of the ground and burnt in an earth heap. When the Cane-Borers an 1879. 59 tops were immersed in water, due care should be taken that the worms did not escape, as it was found that they escaped over the sides of the tub or small drain, in which they were immersed. ‘Mr. Field said he would ask the President whether he thought it desirable to form a committee for the purpose of investigating the matter more thoroughly with power to take evidence. “The President said he intended to suggest what Mr. Field had pro- posed. It seemed that although they had got favourable weather for a more vigorous growth of the canes, they should have to put their shoulders to the wheel to wipe out an evil which had been very destructive to the fields. There was a suggestion that they should communicate with the Society in Mauritius to ascertain what had beeg the results of the treat- ment of the canes in that colony; that, he had no doubt the Secretary would do. It was suggested, secondly, that they should send specimens of the insects to Mauritius and to England, because it was very evident that we had not the same borer to deal with, as they had in Mauritius, they should try and ascertain at what stage of the growth not only of the in- sects, but of the cane it was best to endeavour to check the evil. As far as calling in legislative aid went, he thought that they were far more capable of dealing with the matter themselves, and that they would pro- bably do it very much better. (Applause). His own suggestion would be that they should appoint a Committee of seven gentlemen to send out a circular to every manager in the colony giving the suggestions that they had heard to-day, such as cutting out the young canes when they were faulty soaking the cane-tops with holes for 48 hours in water heated to a temperature of 125 degrees and possibly mixed with ammonia or other substance ; burning all the trash; carrying out the stumps to the mill and grinding them, cutting the ripe canes at the earliest possible stage when they were found diseased and lastly throwing the tops into the small drains or into water whilst the fields were being burnt. He thought that if acommittee of seven gentlemen would draw up acircular and put those suggestions into shape and submit them to Mr. Campbell to have them printed and sent out to every manager in the country, andifthey could get any more experience on the subject from managers they might in the end be able to find an effectual remedy. He would name Mr. Field, Mr. McCalman, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Russell, Mr. Pitman, Mr. B. H. Jones, and Mr. im Thurn, as members of the committee. The suggestion was agreed to, and Mr. Tinne was appointed chairman of the committee and was asked to prepare the draft of the circular above re— ferred to. | The following is one of the replies :-— RECEIVED 9TH JUNE, 1879. | REPORT ON THE BORER FROM PLN. “GREAT DIAMOND.” 1, The cane-borers have been very destructive te the canes in all stages of growth on this estate, and continue to be so, although the trash, soon after the canes were cut, had been burnt off continuously for five years. Those fields which were severely burnt suffered less than the others. The conclusion come to is, that not many insects are destroyed by the fire, but less matter is left for them to feed on and breed in. 60 Timeh4. 2. Five species of the Borer have been found on this estate. ist. That which generates the moth. This has only been found in growing canes of all stages of growth, and always above ground. 2nd, 3rd and 4th, Those, which are all of the same species and only differ in size, generate the black beetles, and are to be found in rotten canes, cane-tops when they are old and when growing and in the stools below ground. The nests in which the insects lie in the chrysalis state are nearly always found at the extremity of the cane-tops deepest in the ground. 5th. That, which forms a beetle of adark brown with patches of a yellow ochre colour on the back. Its habits are the same as Nos. 2, 3 and 4. All these latter insects form avery intricate and strong nest about them when entering the chrysalis state. 3. Besides the burning alluded to previously, a gang of men have been employed cutting out such young canes as show signs of the attack of the insects, and these have been thrown into canals and sunk under water. A good many insects are killed in this way. but a great many escape. In dry Weather it might be preferable to make them into heaps on the dams, allowed to dry a little, and then covered with dry trash or grass and burnt This cutting out was commenced some six weeks ago, and during that time 246 acres have been gone over, and although experience is so short, it may be safely said that the young cane stumps look stronger than they have done for along time past, although we have had very dry weather on them lately. Fifty punt loads of tops ard water sprouts which had shown signs of the attack of the borers, have been brought home and ground, and the juice, showing a density of 10424 after being ueutralized by lime, was set up and distilled. Sufficient ram and megass were obtained to pay all expenses. Experiments have been made with sulphuric acid and it was found that the small borers could not be killed instantly with less than 10 of acid to 100 of water and the large tucumas with 30 of acid to 100 of water. This was tried onthe insects out of the cane. The use of chemicals seems quite impracticable for the-destruction of these insects, for the moth, which isthe most serious of the evils, breeds inside the canes, and the other species, chiefly below ground and when in a chrysalis form is ‘ina nest which the chemicals will not penetrate sufficiently to kill the insect. With the exception of what is mentioned under head 3, nothing practicable suggests itself. Ants are of very great service, and it is satisfactory to notice that they are on the increase. These devour the insects when in the chrysalis state. Itis thought that the continuous droughts have had more to do with the scarcity of ants than anything else, and with two consecutive wet seasons, no doubt they will be almost as numeroue as ever, but at the same time it is thought that for many years past they have not been seen in such quantities as formerly, which, however, may be put down to the fields having been burnt off for five consecutive years. Pln. ‘ Great Diamond,” June 3rd, 1879. EDMUND FIELD, Manager. GEO. PEARCE, Deputy Manager. THE PROGRESS OF SANITATION IN BRITISH GUIANA. By F. G. Rosz, Esq., M.B., (CANTAB.) Mr. Rodway has informed me that there are two reasons why this article should be written. x) The first is that the human organism stands in constant need of encouragement. Perpetual scoldings and upbraidings, I understand him to Say in effect, fail of their object without an occasional word or two of encour- agement to vary the monotony. . The second is that family squabbles should be kept private ; that is to say, while we may point out en famille as badly as we choose the defects in our sanitary practice and administration, we should refrain from adver- tising them indiscriminately before the outside world. With the validity of these contentions I am not here concerned; they are simply stated as an explanation of the title of this article, so as to make my own position clear. The progress of sanitation may be stated in terms, firstly, of the spread of sanitary enlightenment among the population, secondly, of sanitary legislation, and thirdly, of the results which have been achieved. The third method is, no doubt, by far the most valuable and the most impressive, but one must remember that, in the nature of things, results in these matters are slow to accrue, and it would be unfair to wait for practical results to demonstrate the real rate of sanitary progress in the community. To take first, then, the spread of interest and enlightenment among the public, It is becoming increasingly recognised among sanitary administra- tors that, in our political conditions, under a form of government which is largely democratic, legislation is useless where enlightenment lags behind. It is to the lasting credit of our late Surgeon General, Dr. Wise, that he firmly grasped this essential truth, and this grasp it was that im- pelled him to enlist the co-operation of a local journalist in that publicity campaign which brought down upon his head the wrath of some local patriots not long since. 62 Timehri. This campaign culminated in a Health Exhibition and Health Week in 1919, which was a remarkable demonstration of the way in which pub- lic interest and public enlightenment have increased in recent years. It is no exaggeration to say that owing to this campaign of publicity there are few persons in the colony now, and especially few children, who are not able to give an intelligent and coherent account of the life-cycles of. the malarial and filarial parasites and the habits of the mosquito-carriers. It is certain that these results carry with them some disadvantages. They tend to make of acertain percentage of the population what one may call Amateur Medical Officers of Health and so in some ways to im- pede progress. But the net result is to keep Public Health Departments always in the limelight, so to keep them in the focus of criticism, not always intel- ligent, as to keep them always vigilant, discriminating, efficient and pro- oressive. They cannot afford to be caught lagging behind public opinion. People are apt to dismiss all this publicity as “talk ” but they forget that, without public enlightenment, since we cannot adopt the Prussian method, the enforcement of sanitary ordinances becomes, in these demo- cratic communities, demonstrably difficult, if not impossible of achievement. Unfortunately, the credit of achievement goes often to the fortunate administrator who reaps the harvest long after the seed has been sown and the ground prepared by his predecessors. The temptation is, therefore, to endeavour to secure quick returns, to point to along line of ordinances and bye-laws as a substantial con- tribution to the never-ending sanitary campaign. And this brings us to our second criterion of progress, the criterion of sanitary legislation and administration. It is certain that in this mat- ter British Guiana is well nigh unrivalled in these latitudes. | The last decade or so has seen the creation of a Municipal Public Health Department for Georgetown, with a whole-time Medical Officer of Health and a staff of Sanitary Inspectors and Health Visitors, of a Gov- ernment Public Health Department with a similar organization, which grows and increases in importance from year to year, a Local Government Board, from whom the Government Medical Officer of Health derives authority, a Tuberculosis Society with a dispensary of its own and a staff of visitors, a Baby-Saving League with its own Medical Officer and staft of visitors and midwives. — — . rs The Progress of Sanitation in British Gurana. 63 With regard to legislation, we have the Local Government Board ordinances, mosquito bye-laws, milk bye-laws, compulsory notification of enteric, tuberculosis, diphtheria, birth registration and so forth, surely a record of achievement! When we come, however, to our third and most valuable criterion, that of results achieved, the task becomes more difficult, but the progress is there none the less. It is always a little difficult in these matters to apportion cause and effect, but, though our malarial-incidence, our enteric-incidence, and our incidence of dysentery and other intestinal diseases may show little or no reduction, we can point, at any rate, toa decrease in the incidence of tuberculosis, to a decrease in the rate of infantile mortality, and in the incidence of malaria in Georgetown. It must not be forgotten that our present-day figures are far more accurate on the right side than they were say twenty years ago; the older figures are more likely to be under-statements than the recent ones, It is true, of course, that the effect of the last census was to cause an apparent decrease in the mortality rates as compared with the figures based on the estimated population prior to this census. : Nevertheless, with compulsory notification of tuberculosis and en- teric, and modern improved methods of diagnosis, it cannot be doubted that, while the recent figures are fairly accurate, the older figures are probably far below the real truth, We cannot say, unfortunately, that all the publicity and legislation of recent years has so far led to any striking alteration in our statistics of disease and mortality. The fact is that our great problems of preventive disease are pro- blems of such magnitude that they demand large schemes involving con- siderable expenditure which are only to be undertaken by the Govern- ment or the Municipality, such, for instance, as drinking-water supply schemes, drainage schemes and schemes for sewage disposal. Rome was not built in a day, and though we may say that these things have now been talked of for more than ‘“‘a day,” yet talk is the necessary prelude to action and the day must surely be near when these big schemes will be well under way and we shall be able to demonstrate their effects on our birth and death-rate statistics. ‘ The claim, then, is that never before has there been so much accu- rate information with regard to the mode® of infection of the preventa- ble diseases placed at the disposal of our public, that this information is being, as a rule, well-digested and assimilated and used effectively. That in the region of administration and ievislation, we can point to a com- prehensive and efficient Public Health organisation, which, though in its 64 | Timehra, infancy and not yet strong enough to make any great impression on our problems, is yet virile, capable of and in process of expansion, and fired by enthusiasm. We have legislation in plenty which only awaits the full force of public opinion to render it possible of enforcement. We await only the solution of our three great problems, the problem | of drainage, of water supply and of sewage disposal. I, for one, am confident that, with the solution of these problems there will come for British Guiana an era when none can point at us the finger of scorn as the home of filariasis, of malaria and of anchylosto- miasis, when we shall have asserted our full right to the title of “‘ The Magnificent Province,’ and malicious islanders can no longer claim to distinguish, as they do row, by his unhealthy pallor of skin and dullness of eye the European from British Guiana. . Even now we suffer largely from our past illfame We need fear no comparison, so far as vital statistics are concerned, with any of the West Indian Islands, or with our neighbours of Dutch and French Guiana. THE BEGINNINGS OF OUR VILLAGES. By J. GRAHAM CRUICKSHANK. When the black people were emancipated on the Ist of August 1838, there were already three tiny villages or hamlets in the colony. The oldest of these—associated probably with the military fort— was situated at the Mahaica ferry. Twelve years before—in November, 1826—Dr. Michael McTurk, Deputy Fiscal of the Eastern District, reported that sugar, molasses and coffee was exposed for sale at the Mahaica ferry, contrary to law. He added that on Sunday nearly two hundred negroes collected there,—far more than were needed to supply the honest requirements of ‘a village so comparatively small.” Another hamlet—consisting for the most part of wattle-and-daub houses, with a little shop--was to be found at the Mahaicony ferry.* Lastly, there was a small village on the Aroabisce coast, Essequebo, which Governor Sir James Carmichael Smyth a short time before his death had named after King William LV, ‘‘ William’s Town.” But these were all,—if we except the plantations themselves, each of which with its great-house and sick-house and negro quarters: its wide grassy spaces where the pickaninies played, and its lonely burial- ground : was a village (big or little) by itself. Is The beginnings of the villages—practically without exception—are to be found in the land-purchases after emancipation by the ‘‘ Freedmen of the first of August.” These purchases—for the purpose of this paper—fall under two heads :— (a) Plantations bought as a whole in undivided shares by a number of people; (b) Front lots of land on plantations bought separately by individuals. | We will dwell first on (a),—the earliest and most ambitious form of _land-purchase. The first recorded transaction of the kind was the purchase from the executors of Hugh Rogers, deceased, of the plantation Northbrook, consisting of about five hundred acres (‘‘ situate in Courabana,” between Pln, Craig Milne and Pln. Belfield, on the East Coast, Demerara) by eighty-three freed Negroes in November, 1839. Fourteen years before, Pln. Northbrook had been a cotton estate with two hundred and eighty- five slaves, the property of Mr. James Stewart. Then cotton failed and afew cattle were grazed on the front lands. When the estate was *It is interesting in passing to note that although the Mahaica and the Mahaicony _ferries—with their punts and bateaux—gave way to bridges upwards of seventy years ago, the old name—‘‘ the ferry ”—survives. Perhaps it willbe evergreen. People, especially at Mahaicony, commonly say when they are going to the village near the bridge :—“ ’'m going to the ferry.” Ifone asked them:—‘‘ Which ferry?” all the answer one would get (I suppose) would be :—“ The ferry, of course 66 Timehr. bought by the black people it had nothing of any value on it except two or three tumbledown houses. The purchase-price was thirty thousand guilders. Two-thirds of this was paid down in hard cash,—‘ Spanish ”’ dollars, guilders, two-bits, bits and half-bits ‘“thrown-up” by the pur- chasers, the coins, some of them, black with the mud in which they had been buried. Transport was passed on January 4, 1841. In a petition to Governor Light the purchasers ask that they be allowed to ‘‘ name our plantation after our Good and Gracious Young Queen, Victoria,”— a request granted by Her Majesty. Pln. Northbrook therefore became Pln. Victoria,—and later Victoria Village. * The next estate to be bought outright was Pln. New Orange Nassau (about 880 acres), the property of Mr. James A. Holmes, also on the Kast Coast, Demerara. This changed hands in April, 1840, the pur- chasers being a hundred and twenty-eight Negroes, labourers on Plns. Annandale, Nonpareil, Lusignan, &c. The price paid was $50,000,— $28,000 at once and the remainder before the end of the year. Transport was passed on January 2, 1841. The estate had a few good buildings on it—a new logie (62’ x 22’) with a slate roof, supplying an iron tank hold- ing ten thousand gallons of water; a manager and overseer’s dwelling- houses ; a hospital, a stable, and three ranges of negro houses with accommodation for forty to fifty people. In addition an 18-ton schooner was taken over with the estate. *The transport of Pln. Northbrook is a curiously interesting document. It is one of the records lodged in the vault of the Registrar’s Office, Georgetown, and is typical of some other transports about that date. It is signed (on behalf of the estate of Hugh Rogers, decd.) by (Mrs.) Catharine Rogers, James Gordon and Alex. Wishart, as executors, and on behalf of the new proprietors by Samuel Burk, one of themselves. An authority to receive the transport is attached from his co-partners, all of whom sign in the presence ef Mr. Sholto — Douglas, J.P., by ‘‘ mark.” Opportunity may be taken to record the names of those fore- fathers of the (British Guiana) hamlet. They were :—William Lewis, John Sistenard, Cornwall Porter, Quamina Adam, Michael James, Simon King, Quashie Rodney, Rice Lewis, Hannah Porter, Welcome James, Ben Benjamin, Prince Edinboroush, John Robson, Wm. Gammell Reavy, James Handy, John Fiddell, Cupidore Hopkinson, Jack Mitchell, Primus Samuel, Bill Williams, Peter Hope, Wm. Negelly, Cassar Solomon, Bristow Barrett, Marlboro Sam, Cicero Hercules, Gamby James, Blackwall Lancaster, Belinda Hopkinson, Tom Andrew, Aaron Duke, Nat Williams, Nelson Jackson, John Lewis, Daniel Isaac, Dublin David, Thos. Colin, John Shakspear, John Wheeler, Romeo Isaac, Martin Invarara, Maria Grant, Adam Grant, Scipio Samuel, Ned Mackie, Moses Hopkinson, Pat Murphy, Simon Tate, Samuel Cooper, Thos. Hercules, Hamlet Cato, Quashy Porter, Alex. Porter, Melville Porter, Sammy Knight, Hall Porter, Valentine Glen, Wm. Smart, Thos. Baillie, Frank Laurence, John Allen, Charles Hamilton, Colin MacRae, James Mercury, Simon Hanover, Willis. Cummings, Simon Scott, John Lion, Cross Summer, John Longham, Kenric Jarrick, Harry James, Catherine Tom, Dorset Europe, Toby Jonas, Spencer Simon, Stephen Porter, Quashy Beard, Polidore Hutt, Isaac Chapman. Abel Cockfield, Philip Robson, and Samuel Burk, It is noteworthy that the purchasers include six women. Evidence of late African descent—perhaps the purchasers were Africans or African- Creoles—is to be found in such names as Quashie (Kwasi)—there are three ‘* Quashies ” and Quamina (Kwamina) ; and the names Cornwall, Europe and Lancaster, Cato, Hesenies and Mercury suggest the emancipated slave who had only recently found a ‘‘ Christian” name or a “‘ title’’ and put it before or after his one-name of the slave-days. Samuel Burk was deputed to go to town and receive the transport, obviously, because he alone among the purchasers could sign his name. He wrote it in the presence of the Judge, ‘<Thomas Norton, J.” The signature —‘‘ Samuel Burk ’’—is written painfully, as an adult scholar might try from memory to follow the copy-book, and is evidently the work of one who was better with the shovel, plane or trowel than with the pen—and may not have been seriously the worse on that account ! The Beginnings of Our Villages. 67 The property had been a cotton and plantain plantation, but a few wild shrubs were all that remained of the smiling cotton-fields, A hundred and sixty acres were still in plantains. Pln, New Orange Nassau, with new owners, also got a new name it became Pln. Buxton, and is now Buxton Village.* A plantation bought by freedmen which kept its name was Pln. Beterverwagting.t It was purchased from Messrs. Danckett and Murray for $22,000 by sixty-two black people. Four of the purchasers held four shares each; fifteen, three; forty-two, two; and one, one,—there being 146 shares in all. Transport was passed on April 15,1841. Pin. ’ Beterverwagting had been a cotton estate—another of the number that at cotton-blow whitened long stretches of the sea-coast—but when bought by the black people not a vestige of its former cultivation remained. ‘The fields were in bush, the drains wanted digging, and the front and back-dams threatened inundation,—the one from the sea and the other from bush-water. There were one or two buildings,—a large coffee-lugie much out of repair, a former manager’s house in bad order, and a few dilapidated negro-houses. Seventy acres were in plantains. These are three notable, early examples of the transference of plan- tations—‘‘ lock, stock and barrel ’—from the white man to the black. They are not isolated cases, however. Had one in those early days made a tour of Demerara and Berbice— starting from the Bonasika creek and ending at the river Corentyne—— one would have noted with astonishment the number of plantations, for upwards of a century the property of Europeans, in the hands of Negroes once slaves on, or in the neighbourhood of, the properties they now owned. On the West Coast, Pin, Fellowship had been bought for $6,000 by twenty-five freed Negroes; Pln. Den Amstel was the property of a hundred and twenty-five Blacks, formerly field labourers on the estate. On the East Coast five properties had changed hands. Plns. North- brook, New Orange Nassau and Beterverwagting we have already noticed. Besides these, Pln. Plaisance had been bought for $39,000 by sixty-five, and Pln. Friendship for $80,000 by a hundred and seventy, freedmen. Crossing Abary into the once “adjacent colony ”--now county--of Berbice, one found other examples of this phase of the ‘“ new era.” On the West Coast, Pln. Litchfield had been bought by the black people ; also the half of Pin. Belladrum ; also Pln. Perseverance and the half of Pln, St. John (which had been re-named ‘“ Hopetown.”) On the West Bank of the river, freedmen had acquired Pln. Ithaca. Crossing the river other sales were found to have occurred. Pln. Gibraltar on the Canje, and Plns. Rosehall and Liverpool on the Corentyne had passed to the Blacks. *Perhaps Pln. New Orange Nassau merely reverted to its old name. In the “ Royal Gazette” of November 4, 1843, a correspondent writes :—‘‘ New Orange Nassau was called Buxton or Boxon before it was called New Orange Nassau, The name had nothing to do with the Abolitionist.” _, tBeterverwagting boasts of an alias,—‘‘ Baron.” This appears to have had its origin in Baron Van Grovestins, who was the owner of the estate just before emancipation, 68 Timehri. Practically no such sales occurred in Essequebo: In some cases, a8 we have noted, the estate kept its old name; in others it was re-named with a view to marking the event. ‘‘ Hopetown,” “ Light-town,” ‘ Victoria,” ‘‘ Blessed Victoria” were names given. There were four or five “ Free Towns.” It is interesting to note--as indicating attachment to locality, and perhaps also as suggesting that the old slave-plantations generally were - not such haunts of cruelty as is sometimes supposed--that, almost as soon as they were freed, many Negroes who in slavery or apprentice- ship had been removed to another part of the colony took the oppor- tunity to return, as purchasers of land, to their old homes or the immediate neighbourhood of them. The proprietors of Pln. Buxton included sixteen freedmen from Pln, Met-en-Meerzorg on the West Coast, ‘whither they had been taken from the Hast Coast in former years.” Pln. Zorg-en-hoop on the West Bank of the Berbice river was bought by thirty labourers ‘‘who in apprentice-time had been removed from this neighbourhood to an estate on the opposite side of the river.” Lots 19 and 21 on the West Coast of Berbice—abandoned cotton estates—were bought and settled by labourers, “‘many of whom had been removed from the vicinity fifteen or sixteen years before and carried to the islands of the Essequebo, but who embraced the earliest opportunity of returning to the place of their birth aud buying land there.”* i. The second type of land-purchase by the Freedmen—the purchase of front lots of land on plantations by individuals—came later. The planters generally did not at once tumble to the new situation; the old planter of the sugar-loaf hat and greybeard type who remembered | “The Trade ” and had replenished his gangs from the dismal hold of a Guineaman, never could accommodate himself to the new situation—or tried to. He refused to sell land, or even to rent land on any other terms than a tenancy at will. ‘‘ How many hours do you think my people will work in the field if I sell them afront lot of land on which they can work for themselves?” he asked. ‘‘No,no! They can have a house on the estate so long as they work on the estate: if they won’t work, out they go!” Such an argument might be water-tight—and Was—in islands such as Barbados, Antigua, &c., where if the entire population had died simultaneously land would hardly have been found to bury them all. It could not (and didn’t) hold water in British Guiana where there were several acres of accessible, arable land per man. In the result many of the best labourers left the estates and established them- selves as freeholders elsewhere. The planter was afraid he would lose part of their labour if he sold them land; in the result he lost all. First among the planters to realize that ‘‘this time no’ like befo’ time ” was Mr. Edward Carbery, the owner of Plns. Dageraad, Mocha and Westfield on the Essequebo Coast. The front lands had grown up *Report of Mr. Magistrate Wolseley, published in the ‘‘ Royal Gazette” of Nevember 16, 1841. The Beginnings of Our Villages. 69 in bush, but within three months after the emancipation he had cleared and drained them, divided them into half-acre lots and laid out three streets. Later on he provided a market-place, built a church and school and provided a resident clergyman. Within half-a-year all the front lots were sold, aud back lots had been laid out with provision-grounds. On September 25, 1841, before a large number of the freeholders and in presence of the estate’s authorities, Sir Henry Light signed his name and affixed his seal to the Chart of Settlement and publicly named the vil- lage ‘‘Queen’s Town.” It was the first of the second-type of villages. Other settlements of a similar type on the Essequebo Coast were ‘Bush Lot,” about five miles westward, and the larger village of “ Daniel’s Town.” In Demerara, among the estates that sold front-lots were Pins, De Kinderen, Stewartville, Anna Catherina and Hague on the West Coast, and Plns. Peter’s Hall, Rome and La Penitence on the Hast Bank. The front land of Pln. Thomas, having been taken up by freeholders, developed into Albert Town. In Berbice, in this way, villages began on the front lots of Plns. Glasgow and Edinburgh on the East Bank of the river. Land-sales to Negroes also occurred on such out-of-the-way and abandoned estates as Plons. Look-out, Ruby, Hyde Park, &c., on the West Coast. Some of these localities have since and with difficulty been brought under the Local Government Board. : In 1842 the peasantry owned upwards of 15,000 acres of land for which they had paid no less than $250,000.* * Tf it be asked—as it ought to be asked when a shower of silver-pieces apparently falls out of the sky, ‘‘ Where did the money come from ?”’ it may be noted :— (1) That the negro had an opportunity of making meney in slavery-time—and had _ little opportunity of spending it! The Sunday market in Georgetown and in New Amster- dam was supplied with green vegetables, eggs, poultry, pigs, all the personal property of plantation slaves who, having come to town afoot or by bateau under the authority of a pass fromitheir masters, drove a keen bargain. Ordinance No. 13 of 1828 is entitled :—‘‘ An Act for establishing a Savings Bank for Slaves.” The fact that deposits were few does not signify that there were few slaves with any money but that there were few slaves whose ‘¢mind gave them” to avail themselves of the Bank. Daddy Quashie, Aunty Molsey and the rest preferred to put their little savings in a stocking and “‘ juke ” it under the thatch, or in a pot and bury it in the ground. | (2) That during the apprenticeship, lasting from August 1, 1834 to July 31, 1838, it was against the law to work an apprentice for more than 73 hours a day (and then only with his consent) unless he were paid for the “‘ overtime.” Rather often—when the coffee-berries were red, when the canes were high in the mill-yard, when the river or sea-dam was down— such extra labour was in great demand, and was liberally paid for. It was Governor Light’s opinion that the exorbitant rate of wages paid for overtime work during the apprenticeship gave the labourer altogether an exaggerated idea of the value of labour after freedom. The apprentices—speaking generally—did not pass from apprenticeship into full freedom men of straw, by any means. (3) That with the withdrawal from the field of a third of the labour supply, and the desultory work of another third, after freedom, the competition for labour was keen, and wages were correspondingly high. The twenty years after emancipation—before the full stream of immigration set in steadily— afforded an opportunity to the black race of the solony of laying the foundation of a material prosperity second to no peasantry in the world. 70 Timehri. Til. What did the Freedman make of his property? It appears to have been intended at first to work the * plantations — the ‘‘ all-black” plantations—as joint-stock concerns. Revenue accrued would go to thecredit of the estate: expenditure would be charged against it : and the resulting dividend (there would be a dividend, of course) would be divided among the shareholders. First of all, each part-proprietor was allotted a plot of ground, usually about six roods by fifty, near the public road, for a house, and in another part of the estate a piece of land, about nine by fifty reods, fora provision-ground. The rest of the estate was regarded as common property. A manager—usually one of the shareholders—was appointed at a small salary ($10 or $12 a month,) with a free house. It is noteworthy that none of the estates, so far as one can gather, was bought in full working order. The cotton- gin (if it existed) was red with rust; the smoke of a “ building’s” chimney had not been seen on the estate for years ; coffee berries had not been spread on the drogherie for many and many a coffee-pick. The plantations were among the ‘had-beens.” On Pln. New Orange Nassau three fields ofcane had been planted not long before, but there was no mill. Some canes, when ripe, were cut and sent to a neighbouring estate, but owing to delay in crushing they went bad and what had been expected to produce half-a-hogshead of sugar yielded only a puncheon of rum, The manager (Mr. Macpherson) suggested that he might purchase a cattle-mill and a few small coppers, but nothing was done, and the fields were abandoned. 7 A little revenue came in from renting such of the buildings on the estate as were habitable. ‘The logie was rented as a whole, or split up and rented in rooms. The old hospital and overseers’ quarters also found tenants. Cattle were allowed to graze on the front lands, and the agistment fees fell into the common coffer. The chief revenue, however, came from the plantain-walk. With the abandon- ment of plantain-growing on the sugar-estates, following on the abolition of slavery, nothing paid better than a plantain-walk. Plns. New Orange Nassau and Beterverwagting, as we have seen, had a hundred and sixty, and seventy, acres in plantains, respectively, when they were bought; and to this cultivation there was added upwards of two hundred acres after purchase. In one month—November, 1840—Pln. New Orange Nassau realised $1,200 from the sale of plantains alone. On this estate a dividend of $26 per share was declared in March, 1841. The joint-stock plan did not work well, however. The revenue derived from such sources as we have indicated was notenough to put and keep in repair public road, dams and drainage, and from shareholders who thought they had done well—and had done well—to purchase the estate, and had almost exhausted their resources in doing so, there was little more to be got, and that little with the utmost difficulty. Beyond building their own houses and working in their own provision plots few of the shareholders laboured on the estate, and all labour had to be hired from without at high current rates, The Beginnings of Our Villages. 71 Very soon, disputes arose. Ancient authority—backed by modern experience—has it that a man cannotserve two masters ; and the manager of some of the new plantations had to attempt the impossible feat of satisfying sixty-two masters or a hundred and twenty-eight! And these were masters, some of them, for the first time in al] the history of the world,—and, as might have been expected, masters with a quick percep- tion of the rights and privileges of the master, but a profoundly foggy notion of his responsibilities. There were a few reasonable men among the shareholders, but they were ina minority. The majority, once the glamour had worn oft, began to quarrel. When the manager asked for money to repair the sea-dam or the back-dam or the public road, and there was nosign of a return on the money already sunk in the purchase of the plantation, the malcon- tents asked :—‘‘ But wha’ happen to all dis money manager get fo’ plan- tain? No las’ week ’choona go a town full, full, wi’ plantain ? Wha’ happen wi’ all da hundred guilda he a sell fo’ ? Hello! Man t’row up money fo’ buy estate, an’ again mus’ put he han’ a pocket fo’ mo’ money! Man no. fool. Goramighty put li'l sense a he head. If manager t’ink say he a fool all dem oder shareholder dem he no fool me! Manager look like he tink he matty dem slave an’ he de master !” Other shareholders wanted to “ play” manager themselves: on one of the estates a part-owner was found to have been selling wood, the common property of all, and pocketing the money. Even when the manager was not imputed to be dishonest—and Jack Kudjo (a little rumin his head) made those imputations rather frequently—he was criticised for incompetence, for digging trenches where there was no need to dig them, or for not digging them-——without the means to employ labour !—where a_ blind-eye man should have seen that they ought to have been dug ‘‘ever since.” His position became intolerable. a In one or two instances managers were not above suspicion— reasonable suspicion—but in most cases the manager (who had been one of the chief men among the purchasers) probably acted honestly enough although up against difficulties that would have defeated aman far more grounded in practical experience, foresight and business methods than himself, A year or two was enough to shatter the joint-stock idea; and then began the partitioning of the plantations which yet goes on. The first Ordinance was No. 4 of 1851: ‘ An Ordinance for partitioning Pln. New Orange Nassau, a part of which forms the village of Buxton, among the joint proprietors thereof and for partitioning other lands and villages similarly circumstanced.” Partitioning removed one difficulty—chronic and heated objections that the estate was not being run properly for the common benefit—but it did not improve the property from an agricultural or sanitary point of view. Ifthe drainage was defective with one man to supervise the whole - of it, it became non-existent when each separate lot-holder could dig his length of trench, and dig it as deep as suited him or not dig it at all, as 2 ; Timehr. pleased himself. Unless the trench was dug from end to end, and “to plan,” obviously it need not have been dug at all; and conditions went from bad to worse. The minutes of the Court of Policy in the ‘40’s, ‘50’s and ‘60's of last century groan with petitions, memorials, &c., from village commu- nities to ‘‘ come over and save us.” They were prepared on behalf of, and signed by, the better type of _-villagers, who were disappointed and disgusted at the condition into which theplantation had got and were genuinely desirous for help to — realize the bright ideals of the ambitious days immediately succeeding Emancipation. | We may quote two petitions as typical of all. To His Excellency the Governor. The Humble Petition of the shareholder of Pln. Zorg-en-Hoop, West Bank, Berbice. Respectfully sheweth :— That many of our fellow-shareholders refuse to per- form their share of estate’s work or pay others to do it for them. Theconsequence is that the front and koker-dam has been grievously neglected. It has given way some dozen times this year, thus causing our yards and cultiva- tion lots to be overflowed, sometimes two or three feet deep with salt water to the injury of the health of the settlers ~ and of the cultivation. ‘ Your petitioners therefore most hnmbly implore of the honourable Court to pass a stringent village law to- compel each shareholder to perform his or her share of work on the estate or pay, say, forty cents a day to procure another person to do the work. ‘We have a contract, but as it has only one witness the magistrate is unable to enforce it. The defaulters know this and thus calculate upon neglecting their duty with impunity. They utterly refuse to sign another contract knowing that by so doing they would bind themselves to do their duty. _ Thomas Harry Plato Murphy Joe Bristol his x mark Robt. McRae 5, =.°% Richard Wray ,, xX &e., &e. Another petition—this obviously the production of the villagers themselves—is the following :— “To His Excellency the Governor of British Guiana. The Humble Petition of the people That Residing in the Craig Village. Sir, we now address you with this few lines hoping that you might grant us with your legal power according to your 33 The Beginnings of Our Villages. 73 Ordinance. Sir, wewill beg your Excellency to assist us with our undertaking by sending some one by your power to Compeld our own self by putting our Village to right Sir for our own expense is able enough to keep up our village but there is some stiffuecked people that hold transport they refuse to assist us by putting our place to right Sir at present our Village is ina misarable Condition it takeing allover with watter and Sir we will beg your Eixcelleney by your power to price those people who refuse to Paid to Compeld them by law to do so Sir we do not mean to Binding our self by any assistance from the Colony or by any law whatever Sir we will try and help our self by your sending authority w.th us and we will not be able to Collect more than 32 cents every month for there is some poor people who cannot afford it. Therefore, &c., Names of people that agreed (12). The quaint phrases and words of this petition—its sad story of the ‘¢ stiffnecked people” who will do nothing, although the village is ina ‘‘ misarable Condition it takeing all over with watter”—almost brings before us some of the distressed old worthies of ‘‘ the Craig Village.” Inthe broken English of their memorial one catches a very echo of the “discourses ’””—punctuated by ‘Titty, a-we black people bad,” ‘*Bad min’ mexky so!” and “Wha’ fo’ do?”—-that took place among the puzzled patriarchs of the hamlet nigh on seventy years ago. Many of the villagers (perhaps most) were quite satisfied with things as they were; and that was the trouble. They had learnt too well in whatever state they were, therewith to be content. They were philosophers. It was philosophy—a wonderful capacity to be glad in the passing sunshine, and not -worry deeply or long about the gloom—that had landed them—‘‘all alive O,”—as Freed- men at all, and to expect this philosophy suddenly to depart, and they suddenly to become imbued with a “ Divine discontent,” simply because the British Parliament had unpinned from their coats the label “Slave”? and had put up the label ‘“ Freedman” was, really, to expect too much, and to attach an undue weight to an Act of Parliament. One cannot so abruptly dismiss the grandfather in the blood. As Daddy Quashie would put it :—‘ You’ se’f too!” ~ IV. Freedmen who had bought the front lots of cultivated estates were in better case, if and so long as the estate remained in cultivation. If the estate was enabled—partly because of the presence of located labour— to “carry on,” the lot-holder was assured of proper dams and efficient drainage. He had merely to keep dug and clean the bit of trench in front and at the back of his lot. Such freedmen had settled on the front lands of Plns. Farm, Peter’s Hall, Rume, La Penitence, &c. The freed- man’s position became very bad indeed, however, if—as happened not 74 Timehr1. infrequently in those dark days—the plantation was abandoned and he was left with his fellow lot-holders to fight sea or river defence, upkeep of public road and drainage alone. The condition of such settlements became very bad indeed, and al- most hopeless. Plns. Kortberaad, Deutichem, De Kinderen and Buse’s Lust on the East Bank of the Berbice River are cases in point. The front lots had been sold while the estates were in coffee cultivation. Afterwards the plantations were abandoned, the fields relapsed into bush, and the black lot-holders on the front lands were left to themselves. They did not struggle against the inevitable; they bowed toit. The kokers went, the river-dam gave way, and the front land at spring-tide was over- flowed by river-water which, having no outlet, was left to evaporate in the sun. A Commissary told the people that if they did not put the pub- lic road in order they would be sold up. They heard him but did nothing, and as a result (wrote the harassed Commissary), ‘it was with vreat difficulty during the wet season that a vehicle could be dragged through the mud and mire of the road, while the grass and bush nearly reached the top of the waggon.” Similar reports are on record from other places. Space allows of one quotation only. Pln. Patientia on the West Bank of the river Demerara had been a coffee plantation in the old days ; its drainage good ; the low bushes glowing with their weight of red berries. The front lots were sold to freedmen—the plantation was abandoned —and this is the description of the place, by the proprie tors themselves, a few years later :— “Pln. Patientia has no koker to prevent the water of the river from coming in, and no efficient dam to keep out the water of the Hobabo creek which comes in from behind in rainy weather. The road is impassable, and although the houses are near the public highway no vehicle or horse can enter the village be- cause the bridge that once led into it is gone. The place is suffering so much that many of the people are abandoning the land as utterly valueless to them.” W Government was slow to interfere with the affairs of any of the village communities, and with good reason. The Negro had been freed, and the password from Downing Street—on which the anti-slavery party kept a keen not to say a suspicious eye—-was: ‘ Let his freedom be absolute.” It was. It would have been to his own interest had it not been ; but any premature restriction would have been fatal to the reputa- tion of the local Government, which would have been told plainly that it was perpetuating slavery under another name. So the freedman was left to himself. ~He was left ‘‘ to stew in his own juice.” The roads first forced themselves on public attention. The villager might live in a swamp, out of the reach of a qualified medical man, and without the benefit of clergy, as pleased himself; but if he did not The Beginnings of Our Villages. 75 maintain the public road which passed through the village and connected settlements on both sides of the village, then he cut a colonial artery and must be brought to book. The first germ of public interference in village affairs is contained in Ordinance No. 18 of 1845—‘“ An Ordinance to make provision for keeping in repair the line of public road and bridges passing through and over the front lands of Plns. Dageraad, Mocha and Westfield respectively, which front lands now form Queenstown.” The Ordinance provided for the maintenance of the road through the village by means of assessment of a rate to be prepared by elected Commissioners and levied from the villagers. In transmitting the Ordinance to the Secretary of State, the Governor wrote :— “This is the first step towards municipal institutions for the newly established villages in British Guiana...... If the Ordinance works satisfactorily, other measures may be adopted for the interior economy and care of the villages. I have from principle abstained from legislative interference in the affairs of the villages, Whatever they require must be asked for, otherwise it would be in the power of a few designing persons to excite jealousies which had better be avoided. No incon- venience has as yet arisen from leaving the inhabitants of the villages to their own arrangements. When they have aug- mented in numbers, are completely settled, and shall have been unsuccessful in mutual bonds for self-government, then they will ask as above, which if forced on them by legislative enact- ment they might be made to believe was unjust oppression.” A similar Ordinance, as regards Plaisance, was passed in 1849. In 1856, an Ordinance (No. 33) was passed, entitled ‘‘ An Ordinance for the better management and regulation of villages and estates held in undivided shares in this Colony.” This Ordinance is the germ out of which the existing more elaborate system has grown. It began by enabling the Governor and Court of Policy by resolution to bring under its provisions all plantations (and their owners) which having been purchased in common had been divided, or should in future be divided in severality among the proprietors. It provided for the election of two Commissioners who should have power to levy rates “ for the pay- ment of the salary of an overseer, for the repair of the road and of bridges, and for the drainage and other necessary services of the estate.” This Ordinance remained in operation for seventeen years, pout it was not very effectual. It was repealed by Ordinance No. 1 of 1866—passed during the regime of Sir Francis Hincks—entitled ‘An. Ordinance for the better management and sanitary superintendence of villages.” This law created a Central Board of Health. Within a few months upwards of a hundred villages had been brought under the Central Board. An outbreak of cholera at the time made villagers—except the type who said (and say): ‘Man no able fo’ dead befo’ he time !’”—more anxious than usual about. sanitation. 76 Timehri. A full account of these and later village ordinances will be found in the late Mr. (afterwards Sir) A. M. Ashmore’s “Memorandum on Village Administration” (Georgetown, 1903), and in a paper by Dr. (now Sir Joseph) Godfrey, then Chairman of the Local Government Board entitled ‘ Village Administration and Local Government in British. Guiana,” in “‘ Timehri,” 1912. - VI. The bevinnings of our villages is a tale of great expectations, with poor results. Perhaps 1 should say with results disappointing, as they must have been, to many of the freedmen; but hardly so to any reflective and thoughtful European colonist who foresaw the difficulties that must crop up, and who knew how ill-qualified, naturally enough, the freedman was to tackle them. Many of the founders of our villages—those who led the way in the purchase of plantations—must have been men of remarkable push and ambition. It is surprising to find such qualities in ex-slaves. Nor are they to be looked down upon because as a rule they were illiterate, or could read just a little of the Bible, or sign their names with difficulty. They had character rather than erudition. They did their own thinking, and put their thoughts in a quaint, metaphorical fashion—a mixture of broken English and African idiom—yet it was the result of personal thinking. They had individuality. . The days were dark and full of problems for white and black. Both made mistakes for which they can hardly be blamed. Freedom was “the grand experiment.” It is easy to be wise after the event. Anybody can prophesy backwards. The black man was more at a loss than the white, for practically he only began then, after some centuries of carrying things on his head, to try to carry things 77 his head. He started——had to start —to think. The founders of our villages did not leave a contemptible heritage, nevertheless. Marks of ‘ beneficial occupation” are to be found in most of the villages. Many of the growing fruit trees—now, alas, too often threatened with destruction by bird-vine—were planted by the first vil- lagers. Houses put up by some of the old people are yet standing,— durable buildings, although showing their age and with but few signs of recent repair. Furniture of that day, too—mahogany sideboards and tables, four-post beds made of crabwood—is still often the most valuable furniture in not a few village houses. Most of the villages have one or more churches or chapels put up for | the most part by the voluntary contributions in money, and sometimes in labour, of the people themselves. All of this—land, houses, &c.,—tells of a not unworthy human stock who had little light to go by, whose difficulties and disappointments were great, and whose memory should be cherished by those who in happier times have inherited the labour of their hands, PROGRESS OF SURINAM. I. POSSIBILITIES AND PRESENT CONDITION By FrepD OupscHANS DENTZ. What is to be the future of Surinam? At one time a prosperous colony, the source of great riches and of the fortune of many a patrician family in Zealand and Amsterdam now stricken with poverty and eking outa wretched existence. The Surinam Investigation Syndicate has endeavoured to answer the question and has issued in a most interesting report the result of the in- vestigations of a special Committee who visited this colony. The contents are of great interest and inspire hopes of great possibilities in store. On reading the 215 pages of the illustrated report, which will be translated into English and circulated abroad, one is most struck by the crying need of taking energetic measures to increase very considerably the available labour. The soil of the colony is uncommonly fertile, the climate excel- lent and there is no reason why an abundance of tropical produce should not be grown, if only sufficient labour to do the work were at hand. It would be beyond the scope of this article to enter into a more de- tailed exposition and it will suffice to set down the conclusions arrived at. It is considered that SuGAR will only pay in the long run if culti- vated on a large scale, as thisis the only way to keep down the cost per acre as low as possible. Surinam has been found especially suitable for Cocoa, the more so as a cocoa plantation demands less labour than other crops. It is stated that Liberia CoFfFEE has already proved to be a suitable and profitable crop for the alluvial lands if the labour problem can be solved. PINEAPPLE growing will, according to the committee, show ample profits and good light’soil is recommended for the purpose. In discuss- ing the cultivation of Bacovgs! and BANANAS? it is pointed out that it would be an excellent way of averaging up the risk, if one and the same company grew both pineapples and bacoves. The report is very circumspect in dealing with ToBAcco, and recom- mends that experiments should be carried out in the Botanical Gardens so that there should be no uncertainty as tc the quality, in view of the fact that this crop, which requires a great number of hands and is therefore costly, would only pay if it proves to be of superior quality. COCONUT PALMS suffer greatly in Surinam from so-called core putre- faction, probably due in a large measure to unskilful cultivation. Before tying up capital on a large scale in this crop, the committee considers it advisable to wait and see how plantations of a later date 1. Eng. Bananas. 2. Eng. Plantains. 78 Timehri. properly laid out, drained and cultivated will behave in regard to core putrefaction. If it proves possible to eradicate this disease, there is a good future for this crop in Surinam. The committee is not yet able to advise the cultivation of OIL PALM on a large scale. Although Surinam appears to be suitable for all species of palms, they would prefer to wait for the results of some experimental plantations of first class imported seed in various kinds. They are convinced that SISAL will give an excellent yield in Surinam and if cultivated on suitable soil will be inferior to none. The cultivation of CAssAva and the manufacture of ‘‘kwak ” from it are considered to be of great importance for Surinam; there are hand- some profits to be made if grown on a large scale. As to MALACHRA, a plant producing a long silky fibre, the committee thinks its possibilities good and they recommend that experiments be carried out. They are less optimistic to COTTON PLANTING as the cotton plant is too much dependent on the weather, so that the risks run are great. Finally the Committee expresses their astonishment that up to now no attention has been paid to PEPPER, a plant which in Java forms a source of good auxiliary profits, while they are of opinion that it would be an excellent step to import Assam TEA and GAMBIER in order to see how these plants will behave in the hothouse climate of Surinam. FORESTRY also comes in for a full share of attention. The outlook for a profitable exploitation of mora woods is considered favourable, mora being a first-class wood which is still little known. The exploitation of other woods, balata, mangrove bark and other forest produce is gone into, while MINING (gold, bauxite, iron, and petroleum) are discussed in detail. In connection with the above we append some of the most interesting figures on the production, imports and exports in 1919 and preceding years. The IMPORTS were in 1,000 florins, pion § q 3 ® ho z 23 = 2 Years} 4 4 S = =~ |Total aa = Be [as A B 3 1908 | 4,302 19 78 | 7,037 1913 | 3,982 18 97 | 7,113 1914 | 3,526 12 72 | 6,400 1915 | 2,123 20 44 | 5,446 1916 | 1,687: 23 | 40 | 5,911 1917 558 2 77 ~| 7,646 - 1918 188 -- 181 | 6,158 4,313 42 9 8,946 It will be seen from the above figures that the imports have greatly increased in the last year, viz., by 45 per cent. At the same time when ; Progress. of Surinam. 79 considering the figures it should not be forgotten that the statistics have meanwhile been improved in the colony and the prices of the majority of articles have risen. Regular shipping services last year caused the imports from the Netherlands to increase again, but the pre-war level was not reached. Imports from the U.S. continued to increase, viz. 1 bY 32 per cent,, com- pared with 1918. The EXPORTS were in 1,000 florins, 1908 6,033 1916 $054 19138 9.45% 1917 8582 1914 6,472 1918 7,080 1915 6,949 1919 8987 We give below a comparison of the principal articles :— a 1918 1919 é AAT GUTS TE AS UAGESEETGCCEEG hy erase DLT TENTED TEEN | eee NII — Articles Units Quantity |Valuein Fl./ Quantity |Value in FI. Potatoes (patatas) — KG, — = 4,360 349 Balata a 625,022 | 2,250,081 493,907 1,880,284 Cocoa ee iu 2,468,363 | 1,234,181 1,669,617 | 1,586,349 Coprah ue si — as 215 140 Gold (crude) . | Grau 696,008 974,413 556,642 | - 892,569 Gomma (starch)* calf, Ws Gap = a 590 322 Timber, round or square ... M3 571 11,420 872 35,733 Building Boards ..... a 241 9,640 210 4.483 Letterwood mle Ge 6,939 1,735 42,324 11,791 Firewood va) oStere 162 486 534 2,561 Quassia wood, bitter ...) KG. 13,300 7,315 3,737 400 Charcoal veh ...| Bag of 40 K.G. = ae 1] ll Hides _ a Saal St One 6,045 4,535 38,172 37,238 Coffee i SACS 1,749 787.| 3,665,511 | 2,995,854 Coaltar a ae 1D = ae, 14,670 1,450 Corn (maize) .. Peabo Karey) Mis 6,830 1,074 322,068 35,354 Mangrove aa AEE, ‘, 277,455 11,373 4,297 750 Molasses 9 hs 410,280 14,359 80,330 2,601 Rum or alone (50%) he ws 812,273 162,454 234,908 49,332 Rubber fel KG: 1,718 6,444 3,962 12,536 Sugar lst Cl. . a. Y 9,939,089 | 2,337,381 | 4,970,407 | 1,394,060 oma Ol. a. Nios ap 428,342 23,102 168,280 34,593 Fish Glue at a a 4,645 6,967 3,236 7,275 Fibres SA ae See CER SS ap 10,350 5,473 2,917 1,835 7,080,019 8,987,870 It should be noted that there are some articles in this list, i,e,, pota- toes, copra, gomma, charcoal, coaltar, which were not exported during the previous year, The quantity of balata, cocoa, gold, building wood and rum exported was less, but the value was ‘ereater than in the preceding year. It may be interesting to compare this list with the exports during eleven months of 1920, January—November, and one will at once be able to see the number of articles which never appeared in preceding years, * Made from Cassava. 80 Article Bacoves (fresh) Bacove-figs Bananas ... Balata Bauxite . Beans (Black Eye) .. Cocoa 3 Starch (cassava)* Gold (crude) Vegetables (fresh) .. Timber (round or square) Letter Fircwood Building Boards Sleepers Shingles... Quassia Wood, bitter Charcoal Hats—Straw Hides Ave Coffee... cag Maize ie Coaltar ... Krappaseeds Limes Molasses Furniture Nekoe (liana) + Potatoes Rubber ..... Rice (husked) Radic” i. Rum 50% Sugar Ist Cl. end: Cl Fish-glue Hibre: 3. Fruit (Fresh) eoner Tiumehr. cere sade seosr January 1918 424,517 10,000 29.601 1,669, 140 2,731 416,011 5,920 3,698 56,204 1,493 184 343 29,150 13,550 20,258 336 14,454 851,889 431,732 107,561 300 185 222,427 698 6,196 108,896 1,361 24,139 673 139,421 5,444,401 428,792 2,873 5,948 1,320 1,125 7,510 fi. | November 1919 488,187 1,636,328 522,072 678 42,324 509 3,563,273 326, 7127 215, 698 Rouen wy fy) Px ‘Co = ~~!) a Ts Poe | ra. QO i) The Fay Go gives the ‘PRoDUCTION in 1919 compared with 1916, 1917 and 1918, Articles Unit Ground Provisions Kilo Bacoves a Daa Fae hea ne Bananas | Bunches Cocoa 2. Kilo Coconuts .| Number Maize be Kilo Coffee ‘ Kwakt “s Molasses __... 5 Rubber cS Rum Liter Rice gal? tERALO Sugar (vacuumpan) tbs . * In Surinam, called Gomma. . + A fish poison. t Made from caasava. - 1916 1917 “1918 1919 2,307,000 | 4,219,642 | 5,570,922 | 2,352,967 237,987 317,772 359,493 241,315 769,292 887,565 662,199 492,896 524,286 563,591 733,778 481,703 1,870,900 | 2,243,595 | 1,887,655 | 1,472,049 1,051,470 | 1,451,740 | 2,370,304 | 2,119,420 2,254,000 | 1,608,151 | 1,873,752 | 1,330,995 764,400 | 1,546,093 | 1,852,662 | - 1,490,843 18,260 28.000} . 30,000 30,180 436,400 657,951 | 1,404,028 142,843 8,910 6,870 2,032 1,757 1,462,800 836,035 | 1,115,736 706,422 7,471,100 | {5,338,322 | 8,774,832 | 11,499,785 13,031,800 | 14,360,105 | 12,085,686 | 7,779,712 ' ~ Progsess of Surinam. 81 With the exception of molasses and rice the production of all the articles mentioned in the list decreased. The Rick INDUsTRy has already drawn the attention of the ‘‘ Mercantile Guardian” (January, 1920) and the ‘ Daily Argosy” (21 March, 1920). The GOLD PRODUCTION increased somewhat, viz., from 585 to 598 kilos, the increase being greatest from the Lawa, where the French Comp. continues working successfully. Interest in BALATA remains on the increase.. Four more concessions for 221,000 hectares were granted and two renewed for 261,700 hectares. New gold concessions for 4,817 hectares were granted, but on the other hand renewals were 28,425 hectares less. The POPULATION increased with 3,382 souls and amounts to 109,768 (with the exception of 9,300 Bush-negroes and 1,500 Aborigines. There were 459 births less and 376 more deaths. 2,059 immigrants arrived from Java, 1.e., 885 more than the preceding year, No immigrants returned to their native country. The number of steamships arrived increased from 72 to 130 and the number of sailing vessels from 19 to 33, a total of 83 ships arriving at Paramaribo, while 65 steamers and 12 sailing vessels left the harbour, Compared with British Guiana, Surinam does not cut such a bad figure. The TRADE per head of the population of Surinam was in 1905 137 Florins 1917 154 Florins toe tag 11S 125 =. Hts 18600, 1919 16401 19le dere The trade per head of the population amounted in British Guiana in 1905 143 Florins ~ 3 1913 158 is PUTA Sot, 1915 161 wundhas no doubt considerably increased. But one should bear in mind that the population in British Guiana is three times larger than in Surinam. The death-rate in Surinam was in 1916 18, in Demerara 27. These figures were in 1917:18.1 and 30.4 per thousand. Surinam spent in 1917 6 florins per bead of the population for EpucaTIon and British Guiana 2 florins. Large foreign capital is being employed of late years in this colony. The Bauxite InpusTRY has been energetically taken in hand by the American ‘“Surinaamsche Bauxiet Company” working at the village Moengo, founded by them, A Netherlands-Norwegian Company is work- ing Mount Rorac, from which the first export of Bauxite is recorded. 82 Timehri. Professor Grutterink has prospected for [Ron for the firm of W. Muller & Co, ; it is reported that the Guiana Gold Placer has concluded a contract with the firm of Krupp of Essen, for the delivery of iron which is found in large yuantities in the Donderbari mountain. GoLp DREDGING in the Marowyne river will be energetically started by alarge American Company, headed by Mr. Perry Tiffany, who has waited 20 years to get his concessions from the Dutch and French Gov- ernments. A large Belgian Company has invested a capital here for TROPICAL AGRICULTURAL AND INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES, A report has been issued by the Guiana Gold Placer of the examina- tion of a sample of Coat found in their concessions, The analysis in Germany showed 86.957 carbon, giving a heat effect of 8,306 calorien. This discovery may be of the greatest importance for this colony. Il. THE PLACE OF THE CREOLE IN THE LITERATURE OF SURINAM, When one comes to consider all that was written about the colony of Surinam half a century ago one quickly discovers that almost everything came from the pen of Europeans and only during the last 25 years has the creole begun to take a place in the literature of Surinam. In this connection the question arises whether or not the creole will increase 1n importance in this direction in the future. It is interesting to notice which Surinamers have written about their land and its people and what subjects they have chosen for their theme.* — The following list gives their names in alphabetical order: J. Abarbanel, C. L. G. van Amson, E. J. Bartelink, Dr (M. D.) Benjamins, L. Bueno Bibaz, 8. Bueno Bibaz, B.C. Colaco Belmonte, LL.D., J. C. M. G. Conradi, Th. A. C. Comvalius, C. A. Duurvoort, H, W. R. Ellis, T. Libertador Ellis, D. J.C. O’Ferrall, Prof. P. OG. Flu, H, C. Focke, LL.D., Mrs, A. van Genderen-Ruhman, Dr, J. J. Halfhide, J. N. Helstone, C. J. Hering, M. Juda, Julius W. Lobato, W. L. Loth, W. F. van Lier, A. W. Marcus, Johan C. Marcus, P. A. May, J. J. de Mesquita, EK. Nunes, H. van Ommeren, F. P. and A. P. Penard, Thomas K.. Penard, J. B. Percival, J, A. Polak, J. F. Pool, J. van Praag, S. van Praag, C. P. Rier, C. J. J. van Romondt, E. A. van Rossem, G. G. F, Rustwyk, Daniel J. Sanches, R. D. Simons, J. G. Spalburg, J. F. Stuger, Knz, J. R. Thomson, Miss M. L. E. Vlier, A. GC. Wesenhagen, LL.D., F. Zeegelaar. : *My source of information has been the catalogue of the Colonial Library revised and published up to 1919. It is possible, however, that there are other Surinam writers unknown to me, whom I have not mentioned in the list and whose names I should be glad to know, The Place of the Creole in the Literature of Surinam, 83 et these, including two women, are represented in the Colonial Library and have contributed more or less in discussing colonial questions and problems, either in Dutch or in English. Their work is distributed over 8 principal divisions: I, Geography, Ethnology, Travel. II. History and Antiquarian Science. IIT. Politics and Political Economy, Law and Justice, Colonisation Slavery and Hmancipation. IV. Theology. V. Literature, Education. VI, Medical Science. VII. Natural History. VIII. Agriculture, Industry, Trade and Shipping. I, In this group we have: Abarbanel, D. Benjamins, Bueno Bibaz, Duurvoort, Focke, Lobato, Loth, van Lier, F.P. and E. P. Penard, Percival, Pool, Spalburg, Thomson and Wesenhagen. The oldest writings under this heading come from the hand of Focke (1880) ; all the others belong to the last 25 years. It is noticeable that several of the Geography books have been a welcome addition to the Education Department, and the profound learning of the Brothers Penard has attracted attention far beyond the boundaries of their own land. The writings of Percival are in English. II. In this group there are publications of Comvalius, Ellis, Loth, Rier, Spalburg, Stuger, Thomson, Miss Vlier. The last mentioned lady has written a history of Surinam and Spalburg a romance “ Brown Mina, the Kotto Missie.”’ III. The writers in this group are: van Amson, Bibaz, Belmonte, Couradi, Comvalius, Juda, Marcus, Mesquita, van Praag, Rier, van Romondt, van Rossem, Sanches, and Zeegelaar. Colaco Belmonte wrote in Hnglish, IV, The only work known to me under this heading is the work of Penard over the religion and superstitions of the aboriginal Indians. V. The chief writers over Literature and Education are: UComvalius, Focke, Helstone, Marcus, van Ommeren, Rier, Rustwyk, Simons, Thomson. Helstone wrote a book on elocution in Negro-English. VI. The medical science has had few to represent in print. Prof. Flu is the great exception. He is the only and first Surinamer to become a University Professor and is a great honour to his country and people. 84. Timehri. VII. Here we have the names of Dr. Benjamins, Focke, Dr. Halfhide, Penard Bros, Thomas E. Penard. The two brothers Penards have written a standard work on ornithology which ranks high, whilé T. K. Penard living in Arlington, Mass. U.S.A., continues to write in English. Halfhide’s book on Entomology is also a standard work. VIII. In this last group we find publications of Bartelink, Ellis, Dr- Halfhide, Hering, O’Ferrall, May, van Ommeren, Polak, Percival, Stuger, and Mrs. van Genderen-Ruhman. Bartelink, Ellis and Hering wrote in Eaglish and Mrs. van Genderen compiled a booklet on corn recipes published by the firm C. Kersten & Co. as a result of a competition during the war. i In conclusion I must not forget to mention the fact that the Encyclopedia of the Dutch West Indies, edited by Dr. Benjamins, was published on the 27th of February, Crynssen Day. This represents the hard work of three years and cannot be too highly praised and appreciated. In British Guiana we notice the same evolution as in Surinam, the writings of Beckett, Cruickshank, van Sertima and others are only about 25 years old. It would probably be a good plan if the Colonial Library in Paramaribo would keep a record of all the books and writings of the natives of the colony. A systematic catalogue for purpose of reference would be of great importance for the future history, SONS OF THE BLACK RACE AS PREACHERS IN OLDEN TIMES. ; By FRED OuDSCHANS DENTz. The Rev. Beets D.D. wrote in “ The Banner,” Janurry 20th, 1916, an article ! entitled ‘‘The Dutch People and the Negro” in which we read: ‘First of all we mentioned, that they \the Dutch) opened their Universi- ‘‘ties to the black man, recognising him as the bearer of God’s image * earved in ebony, long before the other nations did so. This is shawn by “the fact that in 1737 the negro Jacob Eliza Johannes Capitein, was “allowed to enter the University of Leyden in Holland from which he “graduated in 1742 as doctor of divinity, the first negro perhaps in “modern history who obtained this degree, Professor A. Eekhof has the honour of having unearthed from among’ the Dutch archives and described the entire career of this extraordinary man. He divides his book into four parts : I. Capitein’s youth. II. Capitein as student at Leyden and as Preacher, III. Capitein’s work at St. George d’Elmina-Prosperity and IV. Captein’s work at St. George d’Elmina- Decline. A few particulars concerning the life of Capitein may not be out of place here. An exhaustive article of Prof. Hekhof in “The Netherlands Archives for Church History” *?- contains the history of the negro preacher Capitein, a negro slave who in the middle of the 18th century was brought to Holland from the West Coast of Africa. He was baptized in the Hague and educated at the High school at Leyden. There, in 1742, he wrote a thesis in Latin® in which on both political and theological grounds, he defended slavery, judging it by no means incompatible with _ the constitutional ideas of Christian liberties. In the same year he was ordained by the Church Council of Amster- dam and returned to his Fatherland on the West Coast of Africa (Gold Coast) there to act as Minister for the colonists and to preach the Gospel to the Moors, Capitein was born of slave parents on the Coast of Guinea (West Africa). At the age of 11 years he was taken to Holland by Jacobus van Goch, a merchant of the Board of Directors of the African Company at Chama, who had received the boy as a present. At the age of 20, in June, 1738, he became a student of theology. In 1742 he returned to the Gold Coast where he died only five years later, in February, 1747, at the age of 30 years, poor and deep in debt; a _ sad end to such a life so full of promise. (1) See “ Pniel,” 13 May, 1916, and ‘“‘The Banner,” June 8, 1916. (2) Netherlands Archives for Chureh History, Vol, XIII, part 2, The Hague, 1916. (3) Dissertatio Politico Theologica de Servitute Libertati Christianae Non Contraric. “«~ 86 Timehri. The colonists had but little respect for the black preacher on account of his colour, and his own conntrymen showed little interest in his work and hindered him. His tactless action with regard to his own marriage with a negro woman by no means heightened his prestige among colonists or negroes and lastly his passion for trading became greater than that for the faithful discharge of his duties and was the cause of his fall. In 1751 a priest of the Anglican Church, Rev. Thomas Thompson, sailed to the Gold Coast with the idea of endeavouring to convert the natives to Christianity. He remained four years at Cape Coast Castle and on his return home took with him a few natives. One of these, Philip Kwakoe, was educated at Oxford and afterwards returned to Cape Coast Castle where he lived and worked for fifty years, but with little success. It is even said that towards his death he again took refuge in fetishism. * The foregoing particulars are not only of importance to» the Netherlands, but to every colonizing country, because Capitein was the first negro slave to be legally ordained as a Minister of the Gospel in Kurope. Pastor Arthur Jehlee, Missionary at Akropong (West Africa), ina letter to Prof. Eekhofin June, 1916 remarks quite rightly: ‘The subject has so far a certain scientific importance because the “ Anglican negro, ordained twenty years later, was always held to be the “ first man of the coloured race ordained after the Reformation, but here ‘again the Hollaaders must have the first place. ” Times have changed a great deal. There are a great number of preachers and Missioners among the black race now, whose work is greatly appreciated and who are an honour to their people. (4) 18 years on the Gold Coast, Brodie-Cruickshank, 1855, Vol. I, p. 411. A PLEA FOR THE MODERN WOMAN. By A CREOLE GIRL. ** Black were her eyes as the berry that grows on the thorn by the wayside, Black, yet so softly they gleamed ’neath the shade of her tresses.” That may mean Pamela of 1840, in white Jaconet muslin and coloured morocco shoes, or Jill of to-day in impalpable crepe-de-chine and brocade Louis XV. slippers. Itis part of the fundamental which never changes. Time and his conditions have been busy in another way and have brought good and perhaps ill. ‘‘ Prunes and Prisms” are things of the past and frank camaraderie with Jack has taken its place. Mrs. Grundy, that hardy old dame, is still alive, but she is more tolerant to-day than she was with Pamela and her Robin. Her watchword now is moderation. The war has wonderfully helped the advancement of women, in Georgetown but even before August, 1914, woman’s sphere of influence had extended beyond that of the home. The ‘‘ Royal Gazette” of a century ago shows the advertisements of a Mrs. McNish and a Mrs. Hewling, two women pioneers in the working movement. ‘They kept shops, or stores 9s we call them in these days. Women shopkeepers seemed to be a novelty then and their shops were greatly patronised. That can be noticed by the increased quantity and quality of the goods advertised. At Christmas time they evidently did a tremendous trade, for their advertisements even to-day look alluring. Pamela went shopping and spent her father’s money on the newest goods. A boat or chaise brought her to town, not alone, oh no; her father came with her and she was conducted to Mrs. McNish’s parlour over the shop. The shopitself wasa sort of storehouse, hence perhaps the name store, and the goods were taken upstairs to be exhibited. Mrs. MecNish’s old mahogany table, very highly polished, for servants worked in those days, was seen laden with goods. Fancy fringed shawls, crépe scarves straight from Paris, figured Jaconet muslin, the very latest ; paint- _ ed fans, straw bonnets and coloured morocco shoes. All these did Pamela have to gladden the eye, and she was tempted to buy no doubt, some yellow wave writing paper—nice for billet-deux ;a rich breakfast set in real china, with climbing roses—very dainty ;an ash stick, asilk stock and some black court plaister ; beauty spots were part of the dress in those days. Pamela would spend a morning immersed in shopping the same as her sister of to-day. She would utter little polite exclamations and shrieks of delight, but ‘‘ ripping,” “‘ duckiest hat you ever saw’ would seem like Greek to her. She probably bought largely and her father paid cheerfully, as buying and dressing were among her chief amusements, - 88 Tumehrr. Now and then as years passed on women struck out in various lines for themselves, but mostly in a sheltered way. Pin money and incomes were augmented by dressmaking, small schools, fancy work and cake making. It cost far less to live then and these small jobs were considered adequate. Drapery shops commenced first to employ women regularly, the chief reason being that they cost less than men. This reason still prevails to alarge extent. ven then, to see women going and coming regularly from work was something unusual, The Telephone Exchange employed girls next and after that women © began to creep in everywhere. Drapery, drug and stationary shops and lastly offices, reputable firms and those of the Government. The type- writer seemed eminently suited to a waman. The pendulum still swung forward and new women in Georgetown work everywhere. The moruing and afternoon cars take and bring girls to and from business at the same time as the men. Before the war, besides necessity, the independant life and the lure of the unexplored attracted many a girl, during the war the high cost of living was added to these. Now, all these reasons remain, but the spirit of the wage-earner has entered too and the footing gained is going to be a permanent one. Has working for herself improved the Georgetown girl? Emphati- cally yes is the wholesale verdict. Independence of spirit gives broader views of life. The polka schottishe danced to the sound of thin musie is very different from the one-step which follows the Jazz-band. Pamela really cloaked her joyousness, but Jill enjoys her dance to the utmost. _ Her eyes meet Jack’s frankly, they laugh, they talk, they dance—he works, she works; they both know the value of money, false proprieties are things of the past. Some may ask whether Jill, if called upon is prepared to_take up house work as her sister of yore, Of course she wlll and more efficiently too ; everyday work is discipline and to keep that work she must be efficient, efficiency means recognition, and so striving for the best becomes a habit. That habit of being efficient will spread to all things, Some say that when the babies come she may resent the tie, for she has been accustomed to different conditions from those demanded by motherhood, That depends on herself, and her happiness or unhappiness will follow the way she accommodates herself to that stage. Motherhood is one of the fundamentals, and the Jill of to-day is every whit as true a woman as the Pamela of yesterday. Science has opened many doors, and to-day’s baby has a far better chance than the baby of long ago. The veriest gadabout will bring up her baby with attention to hygiene which was unknown forty years ago. Shecan see through no other eyes. Now we are coming to woman’s sufitrage. That has not reached Georgetown yet, Will Jill make a good lawyer, judge or Governor ? Some say that her husband will mind the baby and that with a female majority A Plea for the Modern Woman. 89 she will win. This is the weak spot in the argument for the modern woman, and in our backwater we may never see such things. It may be noted that Queens always had men for councillors and that women shop- keepers are generally helped by a man. Women have made a place and will keep it, but not by being master and mistress as well, Co-partner- ship is good. The woman who resents the idea of being a slave to a hus- hand and preaches therefrom, develops as a rule remarkable slave-driving instincts when she acquires that commodity. Tyranny weakens rule, especially women’s influence over men. It is not a modern spirit by any means—this militant tendency, Mrs, Caudle had it to a remarkable de- gree, but she lacked the freedom of these days. It is a thing that can be used for good or evil, tamed and soothed it can do wonders, but unhappily it is too often allowed to become master. Some disapprovers of the modern woman use this as a weapon and _ they are right in certain ways ; but there are others in whose eyes every- thing is wrong—the dance, the bobbed curls, the abbreviated skirt, the cigarettes. Do not class these as ‘‘ old time people” as is frequently done. Pamela looks with surprised delight on the advancement of her sister of to-day. The type who disapprove now, disapproved then; there have always been Lady Sneerwells and Mrs. Candours. The modern woman is a valuable asset to any community, She knows the value of money for one thing, ‘ Hasy come and easy go,” is not somuch the rule, She sees more life than her earlier sister, is better educated and knows how to play for her side and play the game, Her ideals of cleanliness and purity are the same, but they go hand in hand with tolerance and understanding, She knows that there is moderation in all things, “Good night to you Pamela, may nothing disturb your slumbers.” “Hello Jill! Morning ! how topping you look,” WARAO STORIES. Direct copies of Original MSS. taken down from the parties at Akawabi mouth, Wanno (Crane) Creek, Koriabo creek, Aruka River, of Barima River, N.W. District, British Guiana, by me, C. CooKsEY, 8.J. There is no pretence of editing these stories. They are literal trans- cripts of the interpreter’s narrative, but from time to time the original Warao and its equivalent English was discussed by the whole company. David Mac-sy-hung’s remarkable ability was well known in the district. CATHERINE MARY’S STORY—THE MAN-EATING PUMA. 27, November, 1911. Akawabi Creek Wanno, N.W.D. Interpreter: DaviD Mac-sy-aune. The people went hunting, and they never came back, and a brother of a man who had been lost tracked him, (the lost brother) and found a spoor, like a road where horses run (wide); and on it met a tobe, black and as big as a house which attacked him but he ran and escaped ; run- ning very quickly, he came to his house (hanoko yata, elided to hanaquot) and he told his father and mother. All the family turned out to kill the tobe, and all. ambushed by the traexs ; and a little boy, a swift runner, went to and fro in front play.ng ona fiddle. The tiger chased the boy by the ambush till the tiger being tired and standing still, they shot him with arrows all over the sides. The tiger had two heads on its shoulders and when it turned it was noticed that one head wanted to run away and the other to go on, and in the struggle it fell forward on to its paws and died. This was a he-tiger. Then the boy went along fiddling again as there were marks of more tigers, and the female of the two-headed species chased him, and was shot with arrows and it ran away and fell on its paws and died. And again the fiddler went up and down. several times but nothing came out; and they followed the tracks to the great rocks where the tiger’s den was in a great cave, and found many human skulls and they took torches and all went in, each with a torch. Warao Stories. : 9] They found two great cotton hammocks, and many great water-pots of earthernware, very big, full of water, and two two-headed tiger-cubs, as big as_a maipuri (tapir) ; and a party of the people took the he-cub and the rest the female and carried them to their houses and reared them up, cutting up deer, akuri (agouti), peccaries (bush hogs) and labba and feed- ing both heads of each, and never gave them anything but kasiri (casava beer) to drink ; and they grew exceedingly until like their parents they were each as big as a house, and the aidamo (head of the household— chief) took the he-tiger to hunt for him. And to save the Chief from going bare-foot, the he-tiger carried him on his back, which was like a corial, hollow. When they met a herd of peccaries, they killed all, not allowing one to escape. The Chief collected them and packed them in the hollow of the he-tiger’s back, giving two peccaries to each head to eat. When it had had enough to eat, it growled and touched the Chief with its nose and he jumped on its back and they went home. The English people asked the Chief to sell them the he-tiger, and they brought goods which filled three houses to pay for the hunting- tiger ; but the Chief wept at the idea of parting with his tiger, but he gave in at last. The Englishmen made a stelling by the river side to a great ship with sails, very, very big, much bigger than a sloop; and the chief ordered the he-tiger on board, and on he went, and so it was carried away. The Englishmen used to feed it with beef and pork, and one day they forgot to feed it, and one of the crew went to see it, and it ate him at once and the rest got ready to shoot it. But the merchant who owned it said, ‘‘ If you shoot it, you must pay for it”; aud they paid him. And they fired at it all day from an hour after sunrise till just before sunset (7 a.m.—5 p.m.) and so it died. Note : English=Keritiani, Catherine Mary answered the objection that there were no English here by saying that she was certain it was not Spaniards but English. ‘ Why,” she said, ‘‘they paid for the tiger !’’ | That clinches the matter. The Dutch called themselves Christians to distinguish themselves from their slaves and Catholics. The Indians seem to have transferred this title to the English as political successors of the Dutch. 92 Timehrr, THE MAN-EATING EVIL SPIRIT. CATHERINE MARY AND ANTHONY WAUNA. The people who went over a river (Orinoco) were all young women, and they went to pick koro bisoro (a kind of pine-apple) for they were in season then. Whilst they were picking these, the devils (hebu-evil spirit) were following them and they came upon them and took out their knives and stabbed them. There were twenty young women and the spirits each took three bodies and threw them over their shoulders and carried them off. When they came to their house, they ate them all up. Then they went back to see if there were any who had escaped. But only a little boy had escaped and he climbed a high tree over the corial. Not seeing him, they returned home but came back again and again ; but when they returned home the third time, he came down and shoved out the corial and got in mid-ocean. On returning the fourth time they saw him and transforming them- selves into lizards, they swam out but failed to catch him. The boy went home again and told his mother and father how it happened and that all his sisters were dead. So the father and mother and all the brothers went to kill the devils, but only found the house where their sisters had been eaten; but following the tracks till they came to the sea, they saw the whole tribe of them crossing over; and seeing this, they went back home. This seems to be a legend of a Carib raid from Trinidad to Orinoco mouth, upon the Waraos who inhabit the islands of the Delta. TIKITIKIBANNA. ANOTHER TWo-HEADED TIGER STORY. Some people went to cut Ité palm trees to get the fruit and went home to eat it. (The Waraos often destroy a big tree to get a very little fruit).- There were many women and only two men. Each man filled a quake (basket) and climbed a tree and ate whilst the women packed the corials with fruit ; and the men saw seven two-lheaded tigers coming in the savannah, and they called out, “‘Sisters all, there are seven tigers coming.” But the women laughed, ‘‘ Hah he, hah he, hah he,” and would not listen to the men, and the tigers came and killed all the women and packed all the large number of women ina heap and each packed as many as he could in the big hollow place two-headed tigers have in their backs, and they carried them, and carried them, and carried them, and Warao Stores. 98 carried them until they carried them all. Ten times they earried them before they finished. (Waraos instead of saying how many times a thing has been done by the use of numbers often repeat the statement the “requisite number of times even in confession. ) Then the men came down. But each time the tigers returned, their bellies were more full than before ; hence they came very slowly. And themen were running away ; far, far, far in the bush they ran, ran, ran. And one was weary and fall- ing all about, and as they got near the corial they heard the tigers like dogs coming behind them. And as they reached the corial, the weakest fell, and the tigers were about to seize him, when another took him up, threw him in the corial and cut the rope. And as they shoved off, the tiger scraped the stem of the corial, so. (The narrator scratched the floor with all her nails.) And the men went home and told their families and the men were about to go and look for them, and they had three very large corials, made from a great tree called Bisi, like boats with square stems. And they had a big dog as big as a horse. (Yes Bare, I have seen a horse; I - was once two weeks in Georgetown—Hanokosibi—many houses—and I saw the Governor’s house too. I was a witness in a trial for murder). And they carried the dog to the tigers and his master’s name was Tiki Tiki Banna because he was a great tiger-hunter. When they got there they landed the dog first. Tiki Tiki Banna told his dog that they had to kill tigers and off the two went. - And the rest followed at a distance, and when they found the tigers, their bellies were all full and they were lying down watching. Tiki Tiki Banna and the dog set to work and kill them all ; and then he told the dog: ‘‘ Now you have killed them, you must eat them.” So they left the dog there for a week and went back for him on Monday. Tiki Tiki Banna went alone and found the dog so fat that there was only one inch of free board left when he was embarked in the great -corial. And he brought the dog home and built a great house and floored it and gave it to the dog for itself. This also seems to be another story of Carib cannibals. WAUNA, 4TH OCTOBER, 1912. Kororomani (The Warao Genesis). Oatherine Mary and her husband Anthony. Interpreters—IanaTio A. BaprisTa AND DaviD MAKk-SY-HUNG. | Kororomani, a certain man, delighted in cutting down fields. A woman went to him as wife because of this quality, leaving her first husband ; but because she liked to talk to other men Kororomani sent her away. 94 Timehri. Her sister then came to Kororomani as his wife; he loved her and kept her, and she cooked his dinner and gave it to him (a) and he went to sleep in her father’s house. Next day he took her to his own house. Then her father came in the dark night but not to the house where his daughter was staying at the same time. Now Kororomani had two bottles, one which made day and one which made night. These he gave to his father-in-law, who when he got them, went back home. On the way a tiger-bird tried to take them away from him. He beat it off and went on with the two bottles, but the tiger-bird came again and succeeded in taking away the night bottle from which it drew the cork. All was night. When Kororomani saw the darkness, he knew what had happened, and went to meet his father-in-law, taking ten bottles into which he poured all the night (darkness). He asked his father-in-law why he let the bird take the bottle, and the old man did not answer. But as Kororomani was gathering up the night, before he had finish- ed it, the father-in-law uncorked the day bottle to get a little light to see what they were doing. But when all the night was bottled up, he un- corked the day bottle because the night was gone. But the tiger-bird was a man who disguised himself asa bird when he saw the man coming. So Kororomani and his father-in-law went to their respective houses, Kororomani to his house in the high hill above all the world at that time, and the father-in-law to the plain. A bird came into a tree near Kororomani’s house and Kororomani shot at it with his arrow, but he missed the bird and the arrow fell close to his house, but yet he could not find the arrow. He searched the ground all round but could not find it. But when he failed, his mother-in-law swept the ground all around that side of the house, and whilst she was sweeping she found the arrow buried up to an inch of its butt in the soil. And Kororomani came and pulled it out, but the sand flowed down into the hole the arrow had made; and the hole grew so large that he could see through it to his father-in-law’s house below and still the hole erew bigger. Kororomani threw a long thread through till it reached the lower world and by it he climbed down to the lower ground far below to his father-in-law ; and he came and found bush hogs and akuries and all kinds of animals which were not onthe mountains, for he ate only cassava. Having seen the meat he returned to his house and told his wife that there was plenty of meat below and they would have to go there; and they came down. ~ Warao Stortes. 95 And one woman on the hill was great with child and as all the people went down she got fastened half way in the tunnel and she blocked the way for the others; and they took a stick and tried to push her through but they failed and were left on top and she stuck there and became the morning star. ‘ Amongst those left behind was the piaman (Warrao : Wisidatu) and he sent two bad spirits to kill the people below, that when they were dead he should get their spirits back to the mountains. And if he had not been left there, there would have been no death on the earth. Kororomani found no water on the lower world, and they dug little holes. A little water came, but as they tried to drink it, it went away again. But the killicow bird was then a man, and they sent him to search for water, and as he searched he found a big root, and around the root small quantities of water on leaves ; and he gathered the drops together and went and told them he had made a little creek of water, but they came and found it dry. So they sent the man Korokoro (brown ibis) who promised to find water and he told them that they must quarrel with him and then he would bring them water. _ When they quarrelled they said: ‘‘ You area nasty little bird, and you eat worms and have blue feathers and a bald head.” And so the rain fell and there was a flood; and they drank and bathed and slept; and when they woke upthe sun had come out and the water dried up. And at another house they heard a young man blowing a flute. They called him “‘ Torosidu” (the Thrush), (for the birds were all people then.) And when he came, Torosidu asked Kororomani what he wanted and he said: ‘‘My dear friend, help me for | amin need.” And Torosidu asked: ‘*What is it?’ and Kororomani said: “I want water.” And after two nights, Torosidu came aud said he had made some water, and Torosidu took Kororomani to the place, and Kororomani saw the big sea rolling and the white sands. And that is how the sea was made, and Kororomani had two sisters Wirimando and Torobinako and when Kororo- mani went to cut a field (and to clear the forest to make a field) on the way he forbade his sisters to bathe in the big sea, and showed them a little pond to bathe in, because the sea was a place for him, and not for them ; but they both went to the sea to bathe and the younger sister told the elder that if they did so they would disobey their brother, but the elder sister took off her clothes and bathed in the sea. As she was swim- ming she held on to a stick that stuck out of the water (b) and then saw a lot of white men floating behind her and laughing and she was ashamed and swam back to shore, and being frightened she put on her clothes, and went home with her sister, Two nights after she found herself 96 Timehrr. great with child. Three days later she went to dig cassava and as she went the child was born, and it was a boy. He at once shot a lot of birds with an invisible arrow, because he was a hebu (evil spirit), When his mother returned he went back with her, but no one saw him because he returned to his mother’s womb. Five days later (her size still increasing) she wentfor cassava again and he came forth and shot more birds and the name of the boy was “ Quanari,” and he had a lot of stripes on him. This happened as often as she went to the field and she always came home with game and once she brought back an akuri, fruit from trees and another bird. So Kororomani sent his brother to watch her in the fields and see how she got all her game and fruit and he saw her go below a bullet tree (Mimusops globosa) and a great snake came forth from her womb, and went up the bullet tree and there turned into a man > and called out ‘‘ Mother there is much fruit up here” and he shook the tree and all the fruit fell down. But the birds saw Kororomani’s brother and began to fly about and Wirimando called to her son to come down, but he said he could not come as there was so much fruit and proceeded to shake down more, but the brother was still unseen and he saw the man in the tree return to snake form and return whence he came. Whilst Wirimando gathered up the fruit her brother returned and reported to Kororomani that Wirimando had a fearful thing within her. As she went out almost daily Kororomani told his brother to make arrows, and they took a day to make them. And Wirimando asked her brothers why they made the arrows. The next day she went out again and both brothers followed. Again she went to the bullet tree and the same thing happened as before and the birds again gave warning and she called to the Snake man to come down. Itreturned to snake form and came down the tree,and as it came down the brothers shot it with arrows. As they shot it the mother ran away and the great snake, transfixed with arrows fell dead upon the ground. Then the people (Warao-people) took cutlasses and cut it up into fine pieces and scattered the pieces of flesh all ubout the country, aud, some they buried. But Warimando came and collected the pieces and covered them up with cassava leaves and other leaves and stayed there weeping night and day for three days, and then went home. Four days later she visited the remains and stayed six days returning home with her hair combed and dressed in her best clothes. But worms came forth from the stinking flesh of the serpent and the worms became people, whilst Wirimando slept in the bush. One of these wasa little baby boy who cried con- tinually for meat but when she gave him some he would not eat it. Now Kororomani had a son and Wirimando said “as Kororomani killed my son I will give his child to this child to eat, for it is always crying for meat.” Three days later she brought Kororomani’s baby into the bush and killed it and gave it to the little boy and he eat it. Warao Stories. 97 Three days after this Kororomani went to the house, where Wirimando was, to demand his baby but found all the hammocks empty and everyone gone, but he saw many big pots turned down under one of which he found a pepper-pot, and in it he found the head, hands and feet of his child and so he returned and made arrows to shoot these people (the men who came out of the worms) and with his brother he killed Wirimando and all the people who were there and then he went home. Kororomani Notes. (a) In Warao marriage the accepted suitor for a girl’s hand having arranged all preliminaries with the parents, arrives one evening with his hammock and slings it in the house and the parents tell the girl to take him food and water. The girlsleeps in her own hammock that night. In the morning she is told to take him a calabash of waterfor the guest to wash his teeth with and that completes the marriage ceremony. The girl being left alone that night seems to give her the only chance to make up her own mind and escape the ratification of the marriage. Polygamy still exists on the upper Wauno, but not on Akawabi. (c) The narrator of these stories is Catherine Mary, assisted by her husband Anthony, who as their names indicate were baptized at the Catholic Mission of Santa Rosa, Morucca or by Fr. Messini on one of his _ earlier missionary journeys in the N, W. D. But the surname of Williams which they claim in common with very many Waraos at Wauno and elsewhere points to contact of their ancestors with the Rev. Mr. Brett and his favourite patron Saint of citrous memory, Anthony, who would have been nearly 50in 1911, acquiesced and corroborated Catherine Mary’s relation of the above stories, and said he had learnt them from his father, John, a native of Wauno, who got these stories from his father, a very old man whom Anthony never saw. This grand father lived at Akawabi mouth on the mound excavated by Mr. Verrill recently. Catherine Mary says she was born at Mabaruma Hill and was about 45 in 1911; she heard the story from her mother Sarah, a Warao. Sarah was married in Morucca and I heard the story there. In 1908 I had Mr. Brett’s book of legends in my hands during an idle hour in Abram Zuil, and glanced through it. In taking down the story I saw that I had come across some of the matters he used, but my memory of his verses was too slight to influence my version and I have never since had the opportunity of collating them. The grandfather and father of Anthony had visited and known Mr. Brett, so they may be the original relators and Catherine Mary’s mother one of the hearers in Waramuri Mission. (b) In several places it seems as if some omissions have been made in the story, the sequel seems to imply that the stick was in reality a snake. JUVENAL’S PROVERBIAL PHILOSOPHY. By J. VAN SERTIMA, ‘A thing of beauty is a joy for ever,” Keats crystallised a common saying, and the phrase lives. The poet has deftly given expression to what everyone feels, and thus are assured the life and quotability of the line. But what, pray, is beauty? I conceive thatit is as difficult to set up a standard of beauty av it is to formulate one for literary excellence. It is all a matter of taste. Yet there are two rough measures of the literary worth of authors. One is the sale of their works, the other the quotability of their sayings. Concerning this latter, it will be conceded that, on the whole, the authors most quoted are those who have had the most influence on their readers. It may be that the most quoted poet is not the best. Kipling’s quotability would place him too high, and create the inference that there is no living poet who can better some of the stuff which he has put out. And Stephen Phillips—he whom the ‘Saturday Review” some years ago cruelly dubbed ‘poet to the trade” —would fare ill indeed. Pope’s quotability would perhaps give him what he does not deserve—a place much higher than Dryden. It will be recalled that Johnson had no little difficulty in assessing the respective worth of these eighteenth century poets. (As a model of balanced periods and picturesque contrasts, I recommend the philosopher’s pronouncement to all lovers of prose). Over a long stretch of years, and before tribunals of every taste, ability and jurisdiction, Shakespeare, in a class by himself, far outstrips all competitors. By the aphorisms in Hamlet alone may he be judged. The test referred to can only apply to poetry—and of the kind which concerns itself with the common business of life. That is why the older poets will be remembered longer than the modern ones who prefer to sing to themselves. Ofall literatures, Latin has been incomparably the most quoted, partly, it is said, because Latin is still familiar to every educated man, and largely because of the practical bent of Latin genius. Horace is more quoted than any other Latin poet, but as a literary artist his rank is below that of the Mantuan bard. We remember, of course, Infandum, regina, jubes renovare dolorem and Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes and cannot forget Non ignara mala miseris succurrere disco. But what else is there that persists, save perhaps some of his similes ? On the other hand the applicability of Horace’s sentiments is universal. They are humorous, and not infrequently lapse into the platitudinous. Juvenals Proverbial Philosophy. 99 This colony is peculiarly indebted to the felicity of utterance of the Sabine bard. Its motto is taken from a line of ‘‘ Ars Poetica” :— Scimus et hance veniam petimusque damusque vicissim. Juvenal, too, is much quoted, not infrequently by those who have never heard of the name. For the most part, Juvenal’s satires are moral essays—just the kind of theatre where proverbial philosophy can give itself justice. Nothing much is known of the life of Juvenal, but we have it :—“‘ libertini locupletis incertum est filius an alumnus, ad mediam fere aetatem declamavit.” It must have been in the schools that he perfected - his gift or power of phrase-coining. On material the most drab he in- sinuates purple patches, and the most commonplace of ideas take on a new setting and a new life. His pithy sayings are nothing if not viable. If the colony takes its motto from Horace, the Georgetown Town Council is indebted to Juvenal for its own :— Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes ? In creolese this would be rendered: ‘‘Who gwine watch de watch- man ?” the sly inuendo being that it takes a thief to catch a thief. "Tis true, and pity ’tis ’tis true that Probitas laudatur et alget. Integrity is praised and left to starve, finding a creolese variant or analogue in ‘‘ Good name is nickname for a fool.” (Note the strength of the Latin clauses by reason of the absence of particles). The epigram is no less terse than true. So also, but not so obvious, is the reflection :-— Nil habet infelix paupertas durius in se quam quod ridiculos homines facit. Indignation waits not for fitting instruments wherewith to give itself justice. So | Si natura negat, facit indignatio versum, The late W. T. Stead used to call conscience the chief justice of God. Juvenal felicitously speaks of it as the torturer of the soul, brandishing a sharp scourge within :— : : Occultum quatiens animo tortore flagellum. Equally happy is the germane conceit :— Prima est haec ultio, quod se Judice nemo nocens absolvitur. In “ Civilisation in England,” Buckle notes that while there has been intellectual progress, the essentials of morals have been known for thou- 100 Timehri. sands of years, and not one jot or tittle has been added to them by all the sermons, homilies and text books which moralists and theologians have been able to produce. The poet had forestalled him :— Nil erit ulterius quod nostris moribus addat posteritas. In Juvenal’s day, as now, the dominance of money was all too con- spicuous. ‘ How many slaves does he keep? How many acres of land does he possess ? From how many and from what expensive dishes does he sup?” The last question will be with regard to his morals :— De moribus ultima fiet quaestio. A very common tag is Haud facile emergunt quorum virtutibus obstat res angustae domi Those do not easily emerge to whose merits domestic poverty is an obstacle. This reminds one of Becky Sharp’s cra du coeur :—“It must be very easy to be virtuous on four thousand a year.” It is worth risking any way ! The idea of the splendid pauper is caught in :— hic vivimus ambitiosa paupertate omnes And this obiter dictum is worth remembering :— Ventre nihil novi frugalius We have a proverb in creolese, ‘Stan’ easy is better dan beg pa’d’n. The following is something like it; at any rate there is no gainsaying its truth: Plurima sunt quae Non audent homines pertusa dicere laena. Whereof the English is: ‘‘ There are very many things which men in a threadbare coat do not dare to say.” The sixth satire is pregnant with good things. This one is very common. Rara avis in terris nigroque simillima cygno. The eternal mother-in-law comes in for some polite reference at the hands of Juvenal, who declares that you must despair of harmony while your mother-in-law is alive: : Desperanda tibi salva concordia socru The creole saying: “ Lime tree don’t bear orange” is exemplified in Scilicet expectas ut tradat mater honestas atque alios mores quam quos habet ? Juvenal’s Proverbial Philosophy. 101 Our poet does not set overmuch value upon glory, for be it as glori- ous as it may be, it is no more than glory: Gloria quantalibet quid erit, si gloria tantum est. The science of Political Keonomy was not born in his day, but he had perspicacity enough to venture the opinion that luxury is more pernicious than war: Et patimur longae pacis: saevior armis Luxuria incumbit. Speaking of his own childhood days, Gladstone recalls Juvenal. “ And what pains and shames me most of all is to remember that at most and at best I was like, the sailor in Juvenal Digitis a morte remotus Quatuor aut septem. Removed from death by four or maybe seven fingers’ breadth.” A seeming paradox is the advice that reverence should be paid to the young: Maxima debetur puero reverentia, But we must remember that Christ took children as the type of what people should try to become. He held them up as examples to their elders —the chief use of children, if what is perfect should have a use Enough, I think, has been shown to prove the quotability of the Prince of Roman satirists. It is his proverbial philosophy, and his genius for descriptive epigram that will keep him a favougite with all lovers of literature. THE CREOLE EAST INDIAN. By JOSEPH RUHOMAN. The request of the Editor for an article dealing with the progress of the Creole East Indian in British Guiana, has failed to evoke in me a sweetly responsive note. And simply because I am not at all satisfied with the measure of the progress made by this numerically preponderating section of the community. What occurs to my mind at once as I think of progress in relation to the East Indian creole is the great deal that could have been accomplished and the very little that has actually been achieved. Asfar back as a quarter of a century ago— a stretch of time in which marvels have been wrought in more wideawake communities—in a lecture in St. Leonard’s schoolroom, Georgetown, I spoke in regretful terms of the backwardness of my race in this colony in the things that make for racial advancement and solidity, and threw out some practical suggestions whichI thought might be helpful in this direction. A quarter of a century has gone by, and I do not see that the situation has improved to an extent reasonably proportionate to this length of time. The progress that should have been made has yet to be made. The race has been languidly marking time, more or less. The truth is, the average creole Kast Indian is not given to high as- pirations, nor is he stirred and enthused by great ideals. This may be due to heredity, to environment, or to the depressing effect of our tropical atmosphere; and there is also to be taken into account constitutional defects and temperamental leanings. Unless powerfully operated upon by some dominating influence, he is frigidly irresponsive to demands for action which has made heroes of individuals and turned the feeble stream of a struggling race out into the ocean of high endeavour. He isa curious specimen of his race—our British Guiana East Indian creole. Left alone to himself, he is a sadly helpless creature. His vacillaney reveals his lack of initiatory power. Easily capitulating to the enemy in a fight for liberty or for justice, he gives evidence of want of moral courage. And no wonder. He is the descendant of people who toiled in field and factory under conditions which denied them the opportunity of realising the full stature of a decent and upright manhood, but which rather vitiated their minds and prevented the free and full development of their moral being. Heisto a large extent the creature of circum- stance. And yet consider for a moment what might have been with a different order of things ! It is not difficult to tell, Had the “ man-shall- hold property-in-man” spirit not imbued so largely the policy of our sugar magnates in the past, and had a more humane and considerate : The Creole East Indian. 108 method of dealing with their labouring hands prevailed, the results to-day would have been vastly different. The virility, courage, self-reliance and initiative whose absence we now deplore would assuredly have been conspicuous in a race whose members in other parts of the world have, under better and more reasonable conditions of life, given evidence of in a very striking manner. But self-interest too largely prevailed in the minds of those who operated the energy of labour. The moral welfare of the labourer hardly counted in the policy of the employer. He was generally regarded as a machine capable of exerting only so much man- power for certain ends. With him it was only work, work, work—like the woman in Hood’s ‘‘ Song of the Shirt’’—“ Till the heart is sick, and the brain beaumbed as well as the weary hand,” Legal regulations for ensuring his general wellbeing certainly existed, but the machinery respon- sible for their due observance was miserably inadequate and unsatisfactory. The educational interests of his children received but scant attention—so seant indeed as to have implied culpability in a high degree on the part of our education authorities. I often referred to this vitally impor- tant matter in public speeches and press articles. What must we think of a so-called paternal Government which tolerates, if not actually encourages, a state of affairs in which we find that out of some twenty thousand children of Indian parentage who should be attending school, only about six thousand do so, and this despite the presence in the Education Ordinance of the compulsory attendance clause? The only reasonable explanation for this is that the Government does not wish to see a literate Indian population; or it may be that in the interest of a _ certain class of employers of labour it recognizes the expediency of keep- ing these people at such a mental standard as to make them practically incapable of extending their outlook beyond the field of agricultural labour. Even at the present moment many of us are painfully aware of an atrociously iniquitous movement on foot to conserve and utilise the Indian child life of the Colony for labour purposes on sugar plantations ; and a supine and conniving Government is supposed to be looking on quite complacently. Asa result of all this studied neglect of the varied interests of our Indian fellow colonists in the past, we have the sorry situation now con- fronting us. It is as true in things social as economic that whatsoever aman soweth that also shall he reap. At a time when the country wants population for all its manifold purposes—manual as well as skilled workers—men with grit and granite, with adequate animal efficiency, well muscled and sinewed, and with intellects trained enough to be able to operate intelligently and correctly in the many avenues of labour, what do we find on every hand? Enfeebled and demoralised constitutions, nerveless and thewless ; and a tremendous mass of illiteracy and ignorance that would be reproach enough to any decent and self-respecting com- munity. And amongst these, alas! are a large percentage of the creole element. 104 Timehri. In estimating the position of our creole Kast Indians, we have also to bear in mind that if they have not progressed and improved as much as we would have liked, they have not been afforded in any appreciable measure the advantages of the help of those of their own race who could have been of inestimable service to them, Itis the duty of the strong to help the weak, as much as it is the rightful moral demand of the weak to have the assistance of the strong. Those, however, who have got to the top of the ladder either through their own efforts or with the adven- titious aid of good fortune, have always been loath to recognize their obligations in this respect. Reluctantly, now and then, they have come forward, and in afeeble and half-hearted way have spoken up in support or in defence of the cause of an individual or of the race; but this has invariably been more or less in deference to public opinion or in obedience to popular demand. Icannot remember a single case where a creole member of the race has spontaneously responded to the crying needs of some intolerable situation by openly standing up and publicly denouncing a wrong, or in suggesting remedial measures. Many, on the other hand, armed with all the powerfor good represented by a superabundance of cash, have often been appealed to by well-meaning reformers for the where- withal to organize and operate for the general welfare, but to no avail. Appeals of this kind at once bring the idolised Self looming so largely before them that everything else on the horizon of a wider and nobler life is completely shut out from view. They see nothing in any great measure affecting the whole body. ‘‘ What am I to get for it?” is the question immediately asked by the party appealed to. Like the working man of nearly a hundred years ago in England (before the organization of industrial and social movements) of whom a great reformer wrote, ‘‘ He has not the heart to do anything even for his own advantage if that advantage be remote, and he has no desire to stir himself for the advantage of other persons.” Anditis precisely in this way that such people are virtually assisting the Government in a policy which seems to be aiming at keeping the labouring classes in a state which shall not permit the growth of independent thought and action in the economic life of the country. I am afraid that my remarks in one or two respects may not be in strict keeping with the traditional policy of Zimehri, but in no other way can I account for the progress which the creole East Indians have failed to make. I am glad to think, however, that in spite of the hindering elements at work, there is a good deal to the credit of the East Indian creoles. We find them in almost every sphere of lifein the colony. The majority of them—of the first generation, the immediate descendants of indentured immigrants from India—find their means of subsistence in agricultural pursuits, Many of them are stil] attached to sugar plantations, and many of them find inrice planting a lucrative occupation, though adverse weather conditions often bring them serious reverses in fortune. Those who have gone in for stock-farming have done exceedingly well on the whole; and = The Creole East: Indian 105 * not a few can boast of vast possessions in flocks and herds, and in landed property. In trade and commerce they find a profitable field for their industry and their natural shrewdness; and in these pursuits their plodding, persevering habits never fail to bring them their reward. As _ book- keepers, panboilers, chemists and dispensers on sugar estates they are always in demand, and on no account for either of these offices where an East Indian creole is available will the service of any other nationality be engaged,—so extremely careful and methodical are they and worthy of the confidence of their employers. As artisans and mechanics they can hold their own. They have proved their usefulness at works run by steam or electricity, and have shown a marked ability to master quickly the working of the most highly organised and intricate machinery. In the teaching profession they are thought well of by their managers and the Education authorities, and it is regrettable to think that in this impor- tant calling the pecuniary inducements are not such as to attract many more thereto, In the Public Service the Government have seen the wisdom and expediency of employing East Indian creoles in various departments, thereby not only recognizing merit, irrespective of nationality, but facilitating official business where illiterate Indians are concerned and eliminating the risk of possible misunderstanding and mistakes. The Judicial Establishment, the Treasury, the Medical Service, Postal Depart- ment the Official Receiver’ s Office, have all gained more or less by such appointments. _ In the professions, East Indian creoles are fairly well represented, and their number promises to be further augmented in the near future. Several of the youngsters have recently distinguished themselves in Queen’s College and the Berbice High School, one of them having actually carried off the Guiana Scholarship and is now at Oxford. The Berbice High School—of which the Rev. J. A. Scrimgeour is Principal—is proving more and more its immense usefulness and to an extent never anticipated when started as an ordinary primary school, and the exceptional ad- vantages it offers are eagerly availed of by a large and increasing number of East Indians all over the county of Berbice. Itis only to be hoped that the youngsters when out of training will think not so much of the two professions which in the eyes of East Indian parents constitute the summum bonwm in earthly aspirations, but of the general wide field of human operations for which their minds are being trained and fitted under a system which aims at turning out good and useful citizens. Believing that the future of the colony is largely in the hands of the East Indian ereole, I should like to see him taking a greater and more active part in public affairs. His varied interests demand this, It should not be all shopkeeping and money-making, while the higher interests of life are neglected. Efforts should be made ona well-organized and co-operative basis to work for all that would lift the race to a higher plane of thought and action. It was for just such a purpose that the 186 : Tumehri. British Guiana East Indian Association was started, though selfish interests and party feeling have since been allowed to come in and it is to-day as a house divided in itself. In a young community like ours and in such a narrow sphere of operations, I should not expect to see Gokhales and Gandhis and Filaks in our midst; but I should expect to see at least some of the patriotic and self-sacrificing spirit of these men directed towards ends that shall compass every possible good de- manding our attention and our efforts. % OUR FUTURE PEASANTRY. By P. M. DEWEEVER. A nation’s place in the world’s Commonwealth of the future entirely depends upon the present influences brought to bear upon its children. If these influences are coincident with the part to be played by the nation, its future position becomes assured. This principle was recog - nised from the earliest period of man’s existence ; and wherever it was made the guiding star of the leaders of the people, that country was pros- perous and wealthy and often gave birth to conquering heroes who led their armies in triumph over the prostrate bodies of senile communities. When other principles were adopted as the ruling passion of the State, that particular State fell from its pinnacle in ruin and disgrace, and in turn was trampled upon by other nations. Of such communities were Egypt and Dahomey, Greece and Rome. British Guiana is, comparatively speaking, a new or undeveloped country. Canada and Australia were also, in the same sense, new countries; but in Canada and Australia a large proportion of the Kuropeans, on landing, took to agricultural pursuits—wood-cutting, sheep-farming, and wheat-raising. In British Guiana, present-day colonists take to pen wielding, In Canada, the Aboriginal inhabitants had before their eyes object lessons of agricultural labour, strenuous and ° successful. In British Guiana, witha few marked exceptions, examples are not set to its people. The climate of British Guiana is not that of Canada or of Australia. Kuropeans cannot, day by day, and with impunity, as a rule, stand our tropical sun for long hours in the pursuit of agriculture. The attempt would be indeed heroic, but deadly. Hence, to work under the cool shade of a counting-house, or to labour in the dark and dust of a merchant’s store, came to be considered by our lads as the ideals of decency and respectability, and the ambitious father and the fond mother looked anxiously forward to the day when their beloved sons might become the proud messengers of lawyer’s offices, or cash boys of dry- goods stores. But stores and offices do not require messengers every day, and year by year the rural districts of the colony send forth hardy, healthy lads, either to swell the ranks of the unemployed, or to become recruits of the centipede brigades in the city. Some of these lads after a time, drift to the gold-fields or to the balata bush, while an increasing and an inconvenient percentage continues to exist in the city by disrepu- table means. One may justly enquire, “Is there no remedy ?” Certainly there is. It may not be possible to entirely stop the living stream from the country to the town. In allages and among every civilised race the city has always a great attraction for youth and ambition. The wonders and wealth of a nation are mainly concentrated in its large cities, where, also, are to be seen the pomp, the glitter, and the show of the idle rich; 108 Timehri. and these are always attractive to the young. But this attraction can be made to appear to the country boy just as a wild beast show is to the town lad,—a thing to be seen and wondered at, and no more. To the country lad, his cows and his sheep, his fresh air and his sunshine, should be made so dear to him, that he would refuse to barter them for the pageant of the town. This beneficial state of mind could only have its foundation laid bythe training received in the elementary school of his native village. The 1919 Code of Regulations is well adapted to lay this foundation of love for rural pursuits, if the area encompassed by its sections be ex- tended. The Code makes it compulsory for parents to send their chil- dren to school from 5 to 12 years of age, and they can do so up to the age of 16. Ohildren are given free books, free slates, free everything necessary to make elementary tuition a success, but this tuition is mainly directed to benefit the city lads. All the lads of the colony are not centred in the city, and provisions sbould be made for those that are not. A child goes to school, say from 5 or 6 years, and maybe in attendance until he is 16. Hence, for about 20 to 30 per cent. of his waking life he is under the influence of his school surroundings, and for this period he has been trained, both by precept and example, to look upon the penas the chief means of obtaining future success. Manual labour and physical dexterity are at a discount, and the robust lad who cannot recite the possessions of the British Empire without a mistake, or work correctly problems in Compound Proportion or advanced Simple Interest, is looked upon with contempt, while his weak class-mate- is petted and praised because he has secured a first place in the periodic test of his class. Every system of education should have some definite aim, and the aim of the country school should differ, in several respects, from that of the town. This is an agricultural country, and an agricultural bias should be a prominent feature of the curriculum of every rural school. In the past, our school codes followed in the train of those of English Elementary ‘Schools. and these catered more or less for such hives of commercial and industrial activity as are the distinguishing features of the British islands, The codes specifically framed to meet the needs of rural districts were en- tirely eschewed, with the disastrous results visible today. We have no efficiently trained native tradesmen, no progressive agriculturists. Money has been spent, teachers have been overworked, and managers have been solicitous for the welfare of their schools without beneficial results. But by the 1919 code, the necessary weapon has been thrown into the hands of those who can fight for the educational and material progress of British Guiana. Thus, the educational destiny of our rural population is now, for the first time, entirely in the hands of school managers. The curriculum intended for a country school should aim at developing those faculties of our youth which would make them good manual workers as well as correct thinkers. Hence there should be created in our rural seminaries, an enthusiasm, amounting almost to a passion, for agricultural Our Future Peasantry. 109 pursuits on the lines of nature study. Higher arithmetic should take a secondary place. It is true that Arithmetic, as one of the fundamental subjects of mathematics, teaches, to some extent, the certainties of life. But lifeis not all certainties. 1t consists also of probabilities, and Nature study, teaches these. Apart from the necessary three R’s, gardening should be taught systematically. Rural carpentry, basket- -making, net, or broom-making should find a place in every school curriculum. Girls of the upper standards may give some of the time they now devote to arithmetic to becoming acquainted with the principles underlying washing clothes and cooking food, and to learning something about the care of the sick, without interfering with their needlework. Girls, when they leave school, may not be required to work problems in compound proportion, but they will certainly have todo clothes washing and to prepare food, and they will have to attend to the sick some time or other during the course of their lives. Very few of our farmers have improved in the method of cultivating the various food substances grown inthe colony. Often sweet potatoes from Barbados undersell those grown in British Guiana. Our farmers have been marking time for lack of efficient direction, whilst those of other countries have been marching in the van of industrial pro- gress. But who is to teach this Nature Knowledge with this leaning to- wards agriculture? Certainly not the majority of the elementary school teachers. They cannot, The visible features of the ordinary school ‘gardens attached to country schools proclaim this fact, the few prominent exceptions only exhibiting this general failure in a more glaring light. There should be other teachers as district agricultural instructors, who are enthusiasts, men who have been specially trained for their work, whose duty should be to gather the children of various schools at con- venient centres, and teach them. This is now done, to a limited extent, at the various district gardens established by the Board of Agriculture, but in the whole county of Essequebo there is but one such garden. There should also be evening continuation schools, and every effort should be made to make these schools attractive to lads too old to attend the day school. ‘he teaching should also be oi amar to that given in the day school as far as is possible. It should be constantly borne in mind that rural schools should not be supported by Government money to train village children to become book-keepers and clerks, however desirable this training may be. There are schools established by private enterprise, and efficiently conducted, where these subjects are being taught. The purpose of the elementary school in the country should be to begin the training of efficient workers of the future. If the friends of ourrural population do not look after the children now, and give them the necessary bias so as to fit them to take their place in the future life of the colony, we may have the melan- choly satisfaction of seeing strangers enter into our country, elbowing aside its people, climbing on their backs, and with impunity, plucking the industrial plums which are to be had for the gathering. THE NEOTROPICAL RESEARCH STATION OF THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, By WILLIAM BEEBE, DIRECTOR. At the request of the Editor of Timehri I take pleasure in present- ing a brief resumé of the activities during the year 1920 of the Station which the Zoological Society has established in British Guiana for the investigation of wild life in jungle and air and water. This laboratory has found what I hope is its permanent home, at Kartabo, on the point of land at the junction of the Mazaruni and Cuyuni Rivers. This is the fourth year of the work of the Station, beginning at Kalacoon in 1916, and from the present point of view, the choice of location could hardly have been better. So exactly balanced between civilization and the jungle is our chosen site, that within a half hour down river at H.M. Penal Settlement, we have the facilities of telegraph, cable and post office, and the tri-weekly service of the Government steamers, bringing us ice, fresh fruit and vegetables, and all the comforts and luxuries which long residence in one place demands. On the other hand, red, baboons, pecearies and all the varied life of the jungle, sometimes come within afew yards of the op- posite side of our laboratory. Historically, the site of the Research Station is probably the most interesting in the colony. Four hundred yards away is the little island of Kyk-over-al, which for over a century was the capital of Guiana. In the Hakluyt volumes on British Guiana and in Rodway’s History are many interesting allusions to ‘‘ Catharbo.” In the course of our residence at Kartabo, we have learned that it is possible for persons wholly unused to the tropics and who have never camped out before, to live in comfort and health in double roofed tents, sleeping with the entrance flaps open, without mosquito nets, at the very edge of the jungle and a few feet distant from theriver. And this not for a few weeks merely, but fora year ata time, throughout all four seasons——the two rainy and the two dry, which are so remark- ably distinct in this district. The success of these regulation United States army tents has been greater than I could have expected. To go through the heaviest of long rainy seasons without leaking a drop, or to have one’s clothing without mould during that period is a record better than many Georgetown houses can boast. A single lantern keeps vampires at a distance, and mosquitoes and flies are unknown, while itis a radical refutation of the generalidea of the tropics to have to sleep under a blanket every night. In spite of the presence of perai, electric eels and poisonous sting rays, all of which are found near by, the entire staff bathes daily, often Neotropical Research Statton—New York Zoological Society. 111 swimming far out into the river, and we believe that this exercise does much toward keeping us fit. We have learned that the most delicious meat of the Colony is bushmeat, and two Indians provide the accourie, labba, maam, monkeys, marudis, warracabras, bushpigs and deer which make up most of our bill of fare. As far as actual exploration goes, we can add little of value to the general knowledge of the district, The area in which we work we have carefully mapped, and divided into numbered, one-hundred-foot squares. But the life of the jungle is so omnipresent and abundant at our very door, we have seldom gone beyond a radius of three miles, while nine- tenths of our investigations are carried on within a half-mile of our laboratory bungalow. During the seven months from/June to December, 1920, we have welcomed about seventy visitors at the Station, while actual workers on the staff have numbered seventeen. Some of these investigators with their special problems, are as follows :— BaitEY— Harvard University : Relation of Ants to certain Plants. BEEBE— Oolumbia University and Zoological Society : General Evo- lutionary Problems in Ornithology and Ecology. CoopER— Bryn Mawr: Artist. EMERSON— Cornell University : Life History of Kartabo Termites. FLroyD— University of Glasgow : Parasites of Vertebrata. ForsEs— Cornell University : Organs of Hearing in Lepidoptera. GIFFORD— University of Nebraska : Comparative Ophthalmology. HARTLEY— Cornell University : Relationships of certain non-oscine Birds. PoPE— University of Virginia : Life Histories of Kartabo Fish. SATTERLEE—Columbia Oollege : Coloration of Ameiva and the painting of Optical Fundi. SMoLUCcHA— New Jersey : Photography and pen-and-ink-drawing. TAYLOR— South Carolina : Botanical Painting. TrE-Van— Zoological Society : Ecology of certain Lepidoptera. WHEELER— Harvard University : Ants of Kartabo. Woop— Stanford University : Optical Fundi of Birds and other Vertebrates. Twenty or thirty papers are in course of preparation and will be published, beginning with the autumn of 1921. Only the barest outlines can be given of some of the researches at present being carried on. In the field of biology, the three aspects to which most attention hag been paid, have been colour, its occurrence, development and use ; breed- ing, with especial attention toseason, courtships and nests ; and food, with detailed examinations of stomachs of all classes of vertebrates, 112 Temehrr. About sixty species of mammals have been recorded from the district ranging from Mouse Opossums to Dolphins. One of the rarest is the Two-toed Anteater or Silky, of which three have been seen, the last individual in the Colony House at the Penal Settlement. The mammals of British Guiana possess a unique historical interest, from a taxonomic point of view, for most of Linnzus’ original collections game from this region, and thus we find that the most of the forms are the types of their respective genera. Nearly four hundred and fifty species of birds have been recorded, of which breeding notes have been made on one hundred and thirty-five species. This is probably the largest number ever recorded from so limited an area, Elaborate food notes have been made, and dissections of characters, hitherto little studied in fresh specimens, such as turbinals, the tail muscles, syrinx, tongue and fundus oculi. Over one hundred species of reptiles and amphibians have been col- lected, their brilliant but evanescent colouring painted, and the embryology and life history of many worked out. Only the fishes which have been taken inshore in weir and nets have been studied. These number about seventy-five, and in diversity and strangeness of form, food and habits, are an assurance of intensely interesting future work in this field, Collections have been made of the land travelling forms of study of their adaptive swim bladders. Among the insects, ants, and termites or wood ants, are the only groups which have been studied with any thoroughness. Professor William M. Wheeler, who is the acknowledged authority on ants, collected over two hundred forms in two months, within a short distance of the labora- tory, and actually secured sixty-four species from a single tree of medium size, In the cleared compound of the laboratory, he found every genus of fungus-growing apt known in the world. During two seasons’ work, Mr. Alfred Emerson has discovered seventy species of wood ants, within a half-mile of the Station. Fifty of these are new to science. A most remarkable series of one hundred kinds of guest insects were collected, some modified to an astounding extent. The castes of soldiers, workers, kings and queens, the nests, fungus disease and parasites, wing development and general habits of many of these species have been recorded in notes, drawings and photographs. Although the interest is primarily purely scientific, yet investigations such as this may ultimately prove to be of considerable economic interest. Although no work has been completed in other groups of inverti- brates, yet a hasty resumé of butterflies and moths shows that out of a possible forty-four families, representatives of thirty-nine have already been secured. Besides the research work carried on by members of the Staff, speci- mens have been gathered in particular cases for immediate study else- Neotropical Research Station—New York Zoological Society. 118 where. Usually, however, reyuests for indefinite collections, desired for study at some future time, have been refused, for this is intended more eSpecially as a Station for workers in the field, and not a collecting “medium, Dr. Schultz of John’s Hopkins is working on the embryology of ‘Red Howling Monkeys; Dr. Reese of the University of West Virginia on Alligators, and young Hlectric Hels have been sought for Dr, Dahlgren of Princeton. ~ Several collections of live animals and birds have been sent to the New York Zoological Park, including a Two-toed Sloth, several Cocks-of-the- Rock, a Hacka, Electric Eels, Bushmasters, Fer-de-Lance and a young Red “ Baboon.” : We have already delved more deeply into the wild life of Kartabo, than corresponding work carried on in any tropical area of equal size, and yet the more we study the living things about us, the more we realize what a vast labour confronts us and our successors. We have hundreds of sheets of manuscript, thousands of photographs, coloured plates and moving pictures, but only the satisfaction of a little thorough and truthful work accomplished, keeps us from discouragement at the immense fields of investigation still lying ahead, y While most of the work of the Station will be brought out in scienti- fic publications of the New York Zoological Society, yet the Director has felt it an equal duty to set forth some of the more popular aspects in magazines and books, such as the essays in “Jungle Peace” and in the later series in the ‘‘ Atlantic Monthly,” beginning with “A Tropic Garden” waich deals with the Georgetown Botanical Gardens, Highty-six con- tributions from the Station, both technical and popular, have already been published. There are two vital sources of satisfaction to the Director. First that scientists of Great Britain and other countries are beginning to be interested, and to join the staff of workers, thus emphasizing the inter- national character of scientific research, and refuting any consideration of _the Station as solely an Atnerican undertaking. And second, the cordial relations which have always existed between the British Guiana Govern- ment officials and the Director and his Staff, relations direct, generous and altogether satisfactory. : \ These, then, are some of the serious activities of the Station, its raison d’étre, present and future. But it is impossible to convey in words the joy of life in such a place as this ; the wonderful sunrises and the in- describable sunsets, the full moon glowing through bamboo filigree, re- calling Japan, and the wandering little storms, each with its rainbow or sometimes two; the hard work and the hard play—the evenings of violent scientific argument, others of the reading of poetry, or to tales of travel or war. The nights—dreamless and of absolute healthy repose, in preparation for days all too short. : 114 Timehri. The only regret, always present, ever more real, is the hopelessness of understanding more than a fraction of the problems which confront us. Kach strange habit or character, song or colour is no sooner studied and interpreted, than a hundred others rise to take its place. If after all our labours we can add a single stone to the edifice of human understanding of the great world of Nature about us, if we can bring any cf our fellow human beings in the world to a greater apprecia- tion of the beauties and wonders of this splendid country, I, and the generous gentlemen of the Zoological Society who are making our Laboratory possible, will feel that we have been more than repaid. SHOOTING NOTES. By G. E. Bopkin ayp C. T. MATTHEY. “ Dem Bakra dem come, dem shoot charion krow, chicken hawk, fisherman, gaulding, an so. Den dema trow bottle and shoot "pon em. Dey fire two—t’ree hundred load and when dem a go dem does say “ a-we got too much a spoat.”—Natwe Observation. We make no apologies for this article—what it contains or what it does not contain. We can at least lay claim to a fairly wide experience of shooting in this country and the paucity of previous literature has stimulated us to set down our combined experiences of shooting game birds. We hope that the contribution may arouse discussion and from this the older and more experienced sportsmen may be tempted to give us the benefit of their knowledge which will be both good and interesting. However, we digress, Climatic and other conditions which exist in British Guiana render a comparison between shooting in England and in this country a diffi- cult matter. Sport such as grouse, pheasant or partridge shooting is frequently a highly organised and specialized business enjoining the expenditure of much time andmoney. Fora civilized country, highly cultivated and thickly populated, this must necessarily be the case. The man who, in England enjoys his annual pheasant or partridge shooting; looks forward to several days of excellent sport carried out under ideal conditions with a minimum of personal discomfort—if such exists at all. The sportsman in British Guiana knows that, as often as not, he has to make an intimate acquaintance with tropical sun and rain, mosquitoes, sandflies and, as often as not, mud such as only Demerara can produce, tenacious and evil smelling—eminently nasty, before he can hope to get within sight of the game. There are, however, compensations. Magnificent sport is to be secured, at times merely at the cost of powder and shot ; in passing it may be noted that much of the game is correspondingly excellent from a gastronomic view-point. : Curiously enough, shooting, for sport’s sake is not extraordinarily popular. Opportunity, expenses of equipment and travel are insur- mountable barriers to many. Of course the pseudo-sportsman exists—he who talks mueh and performeth not! Game, too, to judge from the remarks “ of those who have gone before us” is not so plentiful as it used to be. Itis not uncommon to hear an ‘old-time’ sportsman re- counting doughty deeds of duck destruction where the birds flew in 116 Timehr. clouds—not flocks, and where it was impossible to discharge one’s mus- ket without accidently slaying at least twenty birds. A reduction has undoubtedly taken place but anyone who has witnessed the immense flocks of duck which visit the coast-lands during a favourable season ean hardly subscribe to the statement that birds are getting scarce. The introduction of cheap guns into the country (‘‘pi-booms ” of the worse description !) and the increasing number of men in the country districts who shoot solely for the pot have done much to spoil the chances of the bona fide sportsmen. Shooters in British Guiana, as elsewhere, belong to several classes — sportsmen, those who have a family to feed, and people who let off guns indiscriminately, The aboriginal Indian—the ' Buck ’—belongs to the second class. His knowledge of forest game and methods of pursuing it is quite unique. His experience is very largely derived from the very forceful and ele- mental fact that existence without nourishment is not possible, Indians invariably hunt in a condition of semi or almost entire nudity. Their copper-coloured skins match their surroundings in the forest in a most wonderful manner which secures them a big advantage over the game. The most successful Indian is the most expert hunts- man ; through his prowess with gun, blowpipe or bow and arrow he acquires the simple luxuries of his kind. - An Indian never takes a shot at a bird or animal whilst flying or moving ; he relies upon his powers of approaching the game silently and inconspicuously till the success of the ‘brown’ is sure. Gun-traps appeal to him as a pretty sure method of obtaining food which, oe all, is what ~ he is after. Apart from this, however, he takes a real pride in his skill. Some East Indians take naturally to hunting and attain proficiency ; a few real sportsmen of this race may be met with every here and there but on the whole these people shoot exclu8ively for the pot or to sell. On the Courantyne Coast, during the duck season, an Hast Indian will sit hidden in a swamp for hours until he can be quite certain of procur- ing, with one shot, not less than twenty ducks. There is money in it of course. Negroes make fair sportsmen and are often genuinely fond of shoot- ing but he, too, is far too fond of the irresistible attraction to “‘ mek a load.” The shooting proclivities of the majority of the upper classes are well defined by the ‘“‘ Native Observation ” which appears at the com- rmencement of this article, Shooting Notes, 117 A well organized shoot, be it for duck, pigeon, parrots, plover or other birds usually proves most successful if time and place are carefully studied. By ‘time’ is meant the hours during which the birds may be most favourably sought and shot. By ‘ place’ is meant the exact locality where it is certain that the birds will be found. Sucha place must, of course, afford cover of some kind and convenient spots for the disposal of the shooters. All this is most necessary in a country like British Guiana where the birds have an immense area in which they can feed and rest. Such knowledge can only be obtained from people living in the locality and who thus have a chance of regularly studying their habits. Itis a very easy matter (how easy !) for a shooting party to meet with few or no birds at all owing to misleading information having been given either accidentally or on purpose. When givenon purpose the ‘motives of some selfish sportsman (?) may be traced or else the desire to obtain recompense for information given—be it correct or the reverse— is evident. It is, therefore, a sine qua non for a shooting party to meet with sport, that accurate information be previously obtained as to the birds and their doings. Of course it is quite possible to accompany a shooting party without obtaining any real shooting; such occasions need not necessarily be either slow or sad, in fact both writers can recall parties which, despite bad luck and no sport, were the reverse of slow. After all an empty beer bottle or gin flask flung high in the air is not at all a poor representation of a flying bird. Chicken hawks have been known to succumb to a load of No. 8 shot whilst a volplaning carrion crow makes an interesting target and the satisfaction of slaying the fowl is heightened should its carcase drop on a fellow sportsman in the middle of a meal. The regurgitative habits of carrion crows at expiration are too well known to need description here ! _ However, we digress. British Guiana is a museum of cheap guns. The old muzzle-loader is still used by the Indians in the far interior. Such weapons have earned the nickname of “ pi-booms.” The term is alliterative and represents the sound created by the discharge. First is heard the explosion of the cap on the anvil and, perceptibly later, the explosion of the charge in the barrel. They are marvellous engines of destruction and appear to be able to withstand wondrous charges of black powder The aboriginees make wonderful practice with them and continue in their use as long as they will hold together. Breech-loading guns of all ages, bores, makes, stages of rust and decay exist. Itis a rare thing to meet with a high-class gun. Hammer- less guns are few and far between. Gun accidents are not common, which is strange. For bush work the siugle- ha pelted 16-bore or even the double-barrelled 20-bore is favoured ; both are light and kill at a distance—two necessities 118 Timehri. for these conditions. Asa matter of fact for all round work a sound 12-bore gun is hard to beat. A strongly made, medium priced weapon is the best. The rough work which guns must necessarily encounter whilst shooting in British Guiana soon wears out the best gun; it is cheaper, in the long run, to use a gun for some years and then retail it to some un- © suspecting person. A new gun can then be purchased. In Georgetown a number of signboards demonstrate the fact that ‘ouns are repaired here.’ Such shops should, if possible, be avoided. It is a strange fact that these people who profess to repair guns are, as often © as not, sharks of the worse description, and unblushingly demand fabu- lous sums of money for the smallest and simplest repair. A word about 20-bores. Many experienced bushmen treasure such weapons and swear by their capabilities. They are correct in so doing. Such a gun is light to carry—one very strong point in its favour, while for a shot under bush conditions, which means stalking your prey and shamelessly ‘browning’ it, the killing powers of this weapon when generously loaded with black powder are wonderful. It is often used for the larger game suchas bush-cow, deer, water-haas, labba, etc. It is also cheap to use—no mean consideration, particularly in these days ot high prices, with the generally penurious bushman. Paper-case cartridges are very expensive, The Customs Department sees to that. It becomes infinitely cheaper to load one’s own cases. With care paper cases can be loaded several times. Solid drawn brass cases are popular among bushmen and are undoubtedly the best under such conditions. They can be loaded many times and are practically proof against the extremely humid conditions of the forest. On the other hand they are heavy and awkward to carry. Paper cases during wet weather have a bad habit of swelling and consequently sticking in the gun—at a critical moment of course. Cases that have been reloaded too often will do the same thing. Black powder is universally used. The flat, oval flasks of a_post office red colour are familiar to most of us. The brand known as F.F.F. is popular. Smokeless ‘‘ Diamond” powder is also used but the altitude of its price is a distinct bar to its popularity. Paper cases, when loaded at home with black powder, must be used within a few weeks, otherwise the powder causes the cases to swell at contact surface and renders them useless, Smokeless powder does not do this. Ready-made smokeless or black powder cartridges can, of course, be obtained but they are very expensive by comparison. With regard to clothing. Only novices sally forth to shoot in white sun helmets, coats of white drill, black ties and patent leather shoes ! a en Shooting Notes. 119 Most sportsmen cherish an antique shirt, an ancient pair of trousers, old socks and asenile pair of boots or shoes all of a neutral tint. A battered felt hat completes the equipment. Arrayed in these the worst swamp can give no qualms of conscience as to one’sclothes, 1tisatip to pull the socks up over the trouser ends and tightly secure them in that position. People who have an affinity for béte-rouge take note! Eschew shorts, they expose too much of the anatomy for the delectation of sandflies and mosquitoes ! A good. strong knife, cartridge extractor, roomy bag or haversack for cartridges aud possibly game, complete the outtit. The most highly esteemed game birds in this country (from the sportsman’s as well as other people’s view-point) are the various kinds of duck. These may, for our purpose, be divided into three species, the Muscovy, the Teal Duck and the Wicissi, The Muscovy,---Presumably the domesticated species of this bird ig the same as the wild species, though a close comparison does not seem to establish the fact. There are several points of difference one being the superior length of feet possessed by the wild variety. The plumage, too, is different, and there are other points which distinguish the wild bird from its congener of the wayside trench. The muscovy seems to occur all over the colony. Travellers in the interior savannahs speak and write commonly of it. On the coastlands it is fairly common and would be seen more often were it not perpetually persecuted, pursued and shotall the year round. At certain times of the year the water savannahs some miles inland from the coast hold quite Jarge flocks of these birds, The Abary Creek and the savannahs in that district are favourite resorts of the muscovy. During dry weather their habits become more localized owing to the drying up of the savannahs and consequent scarcity of the swamps. Muscovy nest during April and May and the young may be seen on the wing in August. Not many people realize the arboreal habits of this duck ; a number of them may sometimes be seen perched on the limbs of a dead tree, generally in a conspicuous position where they get a good view of the surrounding country anda timely warning of the approach of danger. It is not an easy matter for the ordinary individual to get a shot at muscovy ; in fact the average sportsman can number on the fingers of his two hands the occasions when he has had a fair chance (and a success- ful one !) at these birds. To go out and get a couple of brace of muscovy duck constitutes a red-letter day in the diary of most shooters. People who live in the districts where it is possible to get tired of shooting muscovy may not agree with this. Differences of opinion exist as to the correct size of shot to use for muscovy duck. Some sportsmen assert that No, 5 shot is unrivalled ; on 120 Timehri. the other hand we know of one shooter who uses nothing but slugs in his cartridges. We might add that this gentleman is known as a particularly successful shot. The most commonly used shot is undoubtedly that known as B.B, The ftight of muscovy is, in our experience, most deceptive. The almost slow, steady beat of their powerful pinions propels them through the air at an infinitely greater rate than the ordinary individual would estimate. They will also carry away a lot of shotand have a disquieting habit, if winged and fallen into a trench, of at once diving and conceal- ing themselves amongst the vegetation, Many birds are lost in this way. Finally, having secured your birds, they make splendid eating, For delicacy of flavour, Huanily and quality they are second to none. Rumours of the presence of muscovy duck form asplendid basis for the formation of a shooting party. A terse, condensed account of such a party and its doings, reads something like this :—Rise 3.30 a.m. to 4.30 a.m; proceed to destination via Toroue, mules, boats, on foot, or a combination of several of these (heavy rain generally falls); arrive at destination ; gin and bitters ; await ducks ; continue to await duck ; decide - duck probably aren’t coming; they don’t come; chicken hawks and carrion crows in vicinity receive a severe strafing ; return home! Perhaps the best method of shooting muscovy is to obtain quite accurate information as to their whereabouts and movements in the early morning or late afternoon, At such times muscovy have a habit of going either to or from their feeding grounds. We know of one spot on the coastlands where, during several months of the year, it is possible to stand on the public road and get excellent sport both at dawn and late afternoon, the birds flying low in small flocks of five or Six. Small boys belonging to the district can be very helpful both in retrieving the birds and in giving information. Dogs can be trained to retrieve here as elsewhere but alligators get them sooner or later, and it is consequently not worth while. Teal Duck give excellent sport at certain times of the year—usually about June and July. The Courantyne Coast in Berbice, which abounds in suitable swamps, generally contains large numbers. But few are found nowadays on the lower Hast Coast of Demerara as sea defence works have driven many of themaway. Flocks are to be found in the area between Mahaica and Rosignol both on the front lands and also in the swamps behind. We have had our best sport, however, on the Courantyne Coast. Early morning and evening are the best times. Three guns in a fair-sized swamp can perform ‘considerable slaughter, as, at high tide the birds desert the shore and fly inland to feed. Better results are Shooting Notes. 121 obtained if a rough shelter is made for each gun with brushwood, as the ducks are then less likely to observe the presence of the shooters. Teal duck ffy surprisingly fast and when arriving at a swamp often fly in pairs ; they do not appear to conform to the same methods of flying in formation as Wicissi duck do. Shooting in such swamps is apt to be an uncomfortable occupation, especially if few or no birds put in an appearance, Sandflies and mosquitoes generally abound as the evening draws in and squatting in an ill-smelling mixture of adhesive mud and stagnant water becomes a trifle irksome, Pleasanter memories obtain under such conditions if each shooter has with him a boy belonging to the district who has some knowledge of the birds. Such lads are extremely useful in retrieving birds and borrowing cigarettes from one’s companions (!) whilst their observations on life in general—the accuracy of your aim and that of your fellow shooters, couched in apt Creolese and of an engaging frankness prove invariably interesting. _ The blue-winged teal is sometimes met with especially on the East Coast of Demerara. History hath it that this species once~ predominated ; now itis almost rare. Specimens that we have seen were distinctly smaller than the ordinary, now common, metallic green winged teal. Teal duck prove good eating and are invariably appreciated. Wicisst Duck (known also as ‘ Wissi-wissi’’) are to be met with most of the year but they are more prevalent during the heavy wet season. Noone who has ever heard the peculiar whistling call of these duck is ever likely to forget it. It is apt to be an eerie sound for sometimes at dead ‘of night a flockmay be heard passing over high up in the heavens and their call is heard in rising and falling cadences according to the wind. They invariably fly in the well-known V. formation peculiar to ducks the world over. At the point of this V. there is usually a leader—a veteran who controls the movements of the flock. ? tis an exciting moment for the shooter when, crouching in some | swamp, 4 flock of Wicissi appear, and, being attracted by the imitative calls of the sportsmen they circle slowly overhead and gradually approach with- inrange, Everything then depends on concealment and a clever imitation of the call for the circling flock answers vigorously and any discrepancies will quickly be detected. On such occasions the leader may actually be observed craning his neck earthwards in search of friends, for ‘‘ somewhere a voice is calling.” In 1918 during the exceptionally heavy wet season that prevailed an unusual sight was witnessed in Georgetown. For some three evenings in succession, just before dusk, an immense flock of Wicissi passed over Georgetown flying in a long strung-out line reaching nearly from one horizon to the other. The chorus of their cries filled the air and great 122 Timehrr. interest and excitement pervaded the worthy citizens of Georgetown. Bridge and poker tables were suddenly deserted and drinks arrested half way to their destination—-everyone rushed out to gaze at the rare spectacle. Unfortunately the ducks flew just out of range so that on the second and third nights the fusilade which the birds then encountered proved of very little avail. This species of duck is very fond of recently sown padi and great damage is done to the rice-fields every year. When feeding in the rice- fields unrivalled opportunities present themselves for local gunners to perform remunerative ‘browning.’ A successful shot under such condi- tious is reckoned at several dozen birds. Wicissi ducks on the whole give first-rate sport and are by no means hard to hit as they have a habit of wheeling overhead in answer to an imitation of their call and particu- larly when their companion or mate has been shot. They have an evasive habit of diving under water if only lightly wounded and brought to earth or rather to fall into a trench or swamp. A bird under such circum- stances is often impossible to find. There are several varieties of Wicissi. The Canvas-Back which is not common and is often found up creeks and such places, the ordinary red Wicissi which is the common kind and the Bat-Wing Wicissi which has a white bar on the wing; this bird is somewhat larger than the ordi- nary variety. The Wicissi makes good eating and it is a larger bird than the Teal Duck. Pigeon are found in most parts of the colony and good sport is ob- tainable with them when opportunities occur. Time and place have to be carefully studied however. The Blue coast-land pigeon is a very fair- sized bird and particularly nimble on the wing. Its vision is quick, also, and it has a habit of dodging the zuns in a wonderful manner. Best sport is to be had with them when certain wild trees and bushes bear fruit on which they feed. The so-called ‘‘clammy cherry’ is favoured in this respect. When paddy is being beaten pigeons are often to be found in numbers in the vicinity. These birds are perpetually on the qui vive and itis no easy matter to approach them without their being aware of the fact. Their call is typical of pigeon the world over and when heard at eventide, particularly across water, in a restful setting of peaceful evening scenery, is apt to linger long in the memory. The so-called Speckle-Breast Pigeon which seems to abound especially in Essequebo isa really fine bird. With this species, owing to its habit of frequenting high bush it is difficult to obtain a flying shot. Sport is obtainable, however, by marking the trees to which they come during the cooler hours of the day to feed and concealing oneself nearby. This bird is atits best in October and appears in large numbers during that month. At other times of the year few or none are seen. The vicinity of the freshwater lakes immediately aback of the Essequebo Coast is par excellence their locality. It is alarger bird than the blue pigeon and makes Shooting Notes. 1238 supericr eating. In the North Western District there is a reddish coloured pigeon which gives good sport. Near the clearings which are made by the farmers and particularly in the abandoned ones these birds are often ‘numerous. When the Sapium Kubber trees bear fruit it is possible to secure quite a larye bag but the local pot-hunters are also ‘ wise’ to the habits of these pigeons and spoil the chances of the sportsman. By paddling slowly and quietly down the river in a light corial it is always possible to get a shot and the early morning is the best time for this performance. Plover.—The various kinds of plover such as ‘ Pika,’ Longlegs, Suriname plover and Cotton tree plover give good sport during a number of months in the year. In fact when nothing much else is doing it is generally possible to go out and get a decent bag of ‘ Longlegs’ or Pika. The swamps about the coastlands abound in these birds, pastures when flooded are also a favourite feeding place. Suriname plover are not at all common and Cotton tree are not nearly so numerous as they used to be Pika and Longlegs answer well to an imitation of their somewhat plaintive cry but it has to be well executed. Cotton tree plovers are much sought after by sportsmen as they have a rapid tricky flight which tries the ‘skill of the shooter and they are alsoa distinct table delicacy They are to be found more in the dry pastures—especially those contain- ing sage bush. Parrots.—Along the upper east bank of the Demerara River, ceriain parts of Essequebo, the Pomeroon and North West District are places where, at certain times of the year, it is possible to experience splendid sport with these birds. Of course there are other localities but those mentioned are known to us personally. The early evening hours are best for shooting parrots. For some places it is possible to stand on the public road and shoot them as they cross on the way to their roosting places. They invariably fly in pairs and when one is brought down its mate will often fly back over the spot a number of times in search of its companion which gives ample opportunity of bagging both. Sometimes these birds fly far out of range but when they do fly within range they seem to choose that which, from the point of view-of the sportsman, is as near perfection as possible. Novices at this form of sport should be care- ful about retrieving their birds. It is not an unusual event for a person who is ignorant of the powers of retaliation possessed by a parrot to carelessly seize.a bird that has been merely winged and is fluttering on the ground, the yell of pained surprise as the fowl ‘gets home’ with its powerful beak on a tender finger rivals the screechings of the creature itself ! Parrots are, seemingly, hard birds and take some bringing down. No, 4 shot is the best while for long shots we have seen good results with B.B. ; Parrot shooting seems to be associated with still, clear, evening scenery, expanses of water and forest. The Raucons call of the birds ag ~ 124 Timehrr. they approach is like no other sound and is apt to conjure up in the mind even when heard many thousands of miles away from British Guiana—in London for instance—many pleasant memories of other scenes, people and places. Parrot pie, we have heard, is very good. It has not been our fortune, however, ever to experience it. Curri-Curri.—lt is not often possible to obtain a shot at these birds. Apparently they are getting scarcer than they used to be owing to con- tinual persecution, They are certainly not so common on the inhabited parts of the coastlands as formerly. ; The young birds—before they attain the scarlet plumage—occa- sionally give sport but to shoot them in any number it is necessary to go to out of the way places like the mouth of the Pomeroon River, Dauntless, or the mouth of the Waini River in the North Western District—most of them fearsome, mosquito-ridden spots. A long line of curri-curri in mid-air is a wondrous sight, the undulating flight and occasional glimpse of their scarlet plumage is quite beyond description. Negro Cop and Heert.—The first named bird is not often met with as it prefers the lonely swamps and savannahs far away from civilized and inhabited areas. A large negro cop was shot in the vicinity of the Demerara Golf Club some years ago. Itis a problem what the bird was doing so near Georgetown. It made excellent curry however! Heeri have a majestic, wheeling flight and a flock of them in mid air is not at all unlike a squadron of circling aeroplanes. They can usually be successfully dealt with with B.B. shot. There is a good story about a certain sportsman, who, after an unsuccessful afternoon in pursuit of duck, was sorrowtully and wearily trudging his way home. The going was heavy as much rain had fallen. Suddenly his depresssed spirits were raised by the sight of a lonely Negro-cop standing in a swamp; a careful stalk ensued fraught with many perspirations and peregrinations. A satisfactory range was: accomplished; up went the gun; down went the bird. The spoils of sport were gathered up and the shooter continued on his way well pleased and looking forward to a satisfactory reception by his fellow sportsmen. Alas! to the utter chagrin and disgust of this gentleman this same bird was later identified as being the tame pet of the owner of the land over which he had been shooting! ‘Twas in Berbice it happened. Wounded Negro-cop can deliver a nasty stabbing blow with their pick-axe beaks. They also have the reputation of being distinctly edible. In conclusion we can very fully commend shooting as a form of sport in British Guiana. In this article we have only touched on those i —_—— i Shooting Notes. 125 game birds with which we have some acquaintance and which are to be found on or near the coastlands, Still greater possibilities exist in the great forests and savannahs of the vast hinterland. Apart from the actual sport of shooting itself there is much to be said for a day in the open ‘“‘neath God’s boundless blue” especially to those whose daily round brings them into amonotonous contact with the atmosphere of offices, edges of desks, pens and paper. There are other aspects ; memories can be pleasant things and in the years to come, when our joints stiffen and arteries thicken, we shall have the retrospect of many joyous parties and days with boon companions when sport was good and—when we were young. # FEATHERED FRIENDSHIPS. By L, D. cuales JNR., F.E.S. Most people seem to be attracted by and interested in birds, although their interest is sometimes shown in ways that are more or less deterimental to the birds themselves, such as keeping them in cages, either on account of the pretty notes which they utter or for their brilliant colouring, or by the less humane habit of killing them to adorn hats or other pieces of female apparel. Large numbers of persons, however, find great pleasure in observing the ways and habits of these “ most beautiful of God’s creatures,” wlile the majority of people seem to derive some pleasure from merely hearing about them, It isfor this reason thatit is _here proposed to tell of afew of the habits of some of our commoner and better known birds. On the question of the value of birds to man it is not here proposed to touch—a few of the observations will speak for themselves. It must, however, be mentioned that apart from any esthetic feelings we may have on the subject, it is matter of good business to protect the majority of birds, for although a few cause a small amount of damage to our crops, it will usually be found that even they are not entirely harmful, while the majority are decidedly beneficial. We may well begin with the Kiskadees, for they are perhaps our most familiar birds. Everywhere, in towns and villages, along our coastlands and rivers, one finds the kiskadee—and by kisxadee I meau the common yellow-breasted form, with white band around its head, Pitangus sulphu- ratus—and wherever he ii met with he seems to be holding his own. They apparently fear nothing, and never miss an opportunity of attack- ing hawks, against which they seem. to have an ancient feud. Often one may see a Chima-chima, Milvago chiiia-chima, or other hawk, being pursued by kiskadees making vicious attacks on it, and even when it comes to rest on some tall tree the kiskadees continue their attacks, rising several feet above and swooping down and past it, at the same time making violent stabs at its head with their beaks. Occasionally an unfortunate Carrion-Crow, Catharista atratus, comes in for one of these attacks through being mistaken for a hawk, but whenever I have observ- ed this the mistake was apparently soon discovered and the attack withheld. Kiskadees exhibit little concern at the presence of man, and for sheer cheekiness may be compared to the English sparrow. Some years ago we possessed a large fox-terrier which had his meals served on the open plat- form atthe head of the kitchen stair. As often as not some of his break- fast would he left in his plate, a fact that became known to a kiskadee. Regularly every morning this bird would turn up to feed on the remains of cooked rice, and only when the dog came quite close would it fly off. . This particular kiskadee, however, had a somewhat unusual taste, for they Nest of Tricoloured Heron, showing three nestlings. (Original). Nestlings of Tricoloured Heron, Hydranassa tricolor. (Original). inal). oO" tan) i (Or Nest of Blue Gaulding, /lorida coerulea. inal). or dn wla pica. (Ori UU st of Cotton-bird, /7 N Feathered Friendships. 127 much prefer to make a meal off ripe ‘Baby Cucumbers” (Coccinea Indica) and insects. Unfortunate is the lizard thata kiskadee espies, for they never seem to pass these tit-bits, and we may often see one of these birds with a lizard almost its own length in its bill, viciously striking it against its perch to kill it. When all signs of life are extinct, the lizard is swallowed head-first, often not without some difficulty. Kis kadees may often be seen in the process of reourgitating, and one may observe that it is a small seed that they eject. The bird covers the seed with a sticky saliva so that it readily adheres to any object on which it falls, and one often finds the seeds sticking to the backs of benches in gardens. A large number, however, fall on the more fruitful surroundings of the branches of tr ees, and soon develop into that trouble- some parasitic plant which we know as “ Bird Vine,” Loranthus sp. The name kiskadee is popularly applied to a number of different though closely related birds, all of which more or less resemble one -another in habits and coloration; the name is thus applied to some seven different species. The most striking of these kiskadees is the one commonly known as the ‘‘scissors-tail,” though a better name would probably be “swallow-tailed ” kiskadees. In coloration it is somewhat like some of the other kiskadees—black head, no white band, dark grey back and greyish underside—but it can at once be recognised by its peculiar long swallow-shaped tail. This bird can often be seenin certain parts, but I have only occasionally seen it about Georgetown. They always move about in small flocks, and on one occasion I saw one of these flocks flying over the town in an easterly direction about 6.15 in the afternoon, at which time it was still quite light. Another evening, just about the same time too, in the Botanic Gardens, my attention was drawn to a number of these birds flying about a clump of trees, it was obvious that they were catching ‘something, so I gradually approached near enough to see what they were up to. A short distance from the trees on which they were perched grew a thick tangled mass of vines, it covered the ~ decayed stump of another tree, and from this clump of vegetation a large number of winged ants were emerging, Hardly did one of the ants make the open before a kiskadee would leave its perch with a great swoop, and in a couple of seconds return with an antin its bill and immediately swallow it. A close relation to the kiskadee is the little black and white *‘ Cotton- Bird,” Fluvicola pica, though its habits are somewhat different. This pretty little bird may invariably be seen flitting about trenches, evenin the vicinity of Georgetown, catching the insects that frequent such places. Some months ago I found one of their nests in the country ; it was built on ahead of a sedge, ‘‘ bizzy-bizzy grass” ina small trench which at the time contained several inches of water. The nest was spherical in shape, and was made of the same kind of grass on which it stood, the interior et 128 Tumehrr. being lined with feathers. The entrance, which was at the side, faced away from the prevailing winds and rain. There were three eggs in it— white with some small brown spots at the broader end. Most adorable of all our birds is the little ‘‘God-bird ” or Wren, Troglodytes musculus, and its cheery little voice—three notes and a thrill—inspires a homely feeling not produced by other birds. It may be because the God-bird is always to be found around man’s habitations, for they may often be seen perched on some window singing to their heart’s content, the liquid notes just pouring forth in the most delightful man- ner, producing that glad-to-be-alive feeling which is worth so much; or scurrying about the rafters and eaves, dodging into nooks and corners, catching spiders and insects. | Wrens build their nests in all sorts of peculiar places, and invariably in very exposed positions. For the last reason it is no wonder then that these little birds at times fall victims to the Lazy Bird. The Lazy Bird has, in common with the cuckoo of temperate climates, — the peculiar habit of laying its eggs in some other bird’s nest, leaving them for the other bird to hatch, and, what is still worse, to bring up the youngsters. The little God-birds often suffer in this way. On one occasion] saw a pair of wrens endeavouring to satisfy one of these foster- children, and it was really a most pathetic sight. From place to place, wherever the birds would go, they would be followed by their big baby, quite twice their own size, forever shouting to be fed. The many different kinds of Sackis or Tanagers are familiar birds about our towns, and they are some of the most beautiful of our common birds. The rich wine coloured Cashew, Sacki Rhamphocoelus Jacapa, or the beautiful cobalt Blue Sacki Tanagra episcopus are really “things of beauty "especially when seen in strong lights. The Blue Sackis may often be seen in cages, but much of their beautiful blue colour is dulled under these unnatural conditions. The Palm Sacki, Yanagra palmarwm, although nothing like as striking as the two former birds, — is nevertheless quite handsome, and its alert manner together with its olive-green colour give it quite a smart appearance, perhaps it is the service-kakhi ! Occasionally one sees the pretty yellow-vented sacki, but itis not common ; its metallic blue and black colouring makes it a striking bird, easy torecognise. Except for the last named all these sackis are abundant during the mango season. Sackis seem to be particularly fond of kathing, and in our garden a fountain left running during the heat of the day never failed to attract these birds, while a pair of yellow-vented tanagers could often be seen bathing in the gutters around the gallery roof. I have seen the same thing in New Amsterdam, but in this case there were Blue, Cashew, and Palm sackis, besides an occasional yellow- vented one. Very often the ‘Tom Pitcher” Saltator magnus, may be heard, if not seen, for he shouts out his vindictive call “ If you trouble me I shall pick you” at the top of his voice. Just the opposite is the song of the Thrush, Merula phecopygia, for its delicate cheerulp, cheerulp, cheep— cheep—cheep—, is one of the most pleasing of our bird songs. Early in the morning when day is just break- ) —— Feathered Friendships. 129 ing, and again latein the evening, they may be heard at their best, along with the kiskadees, swelling the wealth of sound that occurs at such times. The familiar ‘‘ Old Witches are common birds of our countryside, and even in Georgetown they are often to be seen. There are two kinds of old witches, one somewhat larger than the other and not as often seen. This large witch, C, major, is, however, the more handsome bird, the beau- tiful iridescence of its feathers and pale green eyes making a lovely con- trast. In the pastures it is the small dull coloured witch, Crotophaga ant, with scale-like neck-feathers that one sees following the cattle, pick- ing up grasshoppers and other insects which they disturb, as well as a number of ticks from the cattle themselves. In the Botanic Gardens both kinds may often be seen, scrambling over the branches of Saman trees, eagerly devouring the dainty little flesh pink insects which are a veritable pest on these trees. The larger old witches also have a habit of collecting in numbers in the shade and uttering a peculiar long-sustained noise which may only be likened to a person gargling, or the sound made by drawing a small empty tobacco tin along a pavement by a small boy. The old witches have anear relative in the ‘‘ Wife Sick,” Dzp- lopterus neevius, its eerie whistle pi—pi—may often be heard in the country, and frequently in the Botanic Gardens and cemetery in Georgetown. It is not so often, however, that one sees the bird, for its colouring is quite protective, and when hidden amongst the grass it is not easily detected. But the Wife Sick is a simple bird and can easily be brought to within close range by imitating its call, and many atime have I practised this dodge with unfailing success. There is one thing, however, peculiarly interesting in the Wife Sick which [ have not observed in any other bird. It is a development that may perhaps be likened to the remarkable development of “fingers” on the wings of the Hoatzin or Canje Pheasant, Opisthocomus cristatus, but in this instance the wings are not used for locomotion. What really is the case is that the Wife Sick is capable of moving its “fingers,” and does so frequently. It was several months ago during a week-end in the country, in a locality where the Wife Sick is common, that I observed this peculiar habit. A pair of these birds were working about some grassy land in search of insects, and it was then I made the observation. Here and there either of the birds would suddenly stop, and lowering itself slightly would erect the feathers on the top of its head, at the same time spreading its wings, then suddenly, with a sort of shrugging of its shoulders, a little tuft of black feathers would come forth from the angle of its wing. Time after time I noticed this singular characteristic, for the birds did it frequently. Some days after, on my return to town, I examined the cabinet specimens* of these birds in the collection of our local museum and found that the little black tufts were what is known as the ‘“ bastard wing ” in birds, and which correspond to the thumb on our own hands, and the claws on the wings of the Hoatzin. , 130 Timehri. Hawks arecommon on the coastlands, but the majority are of five or six species. By far the most common of these different hawks, however, is the snail-eating Rostrhamus sociabilis. It is a distinctive bird, and can hardly be mistaken ; it isa dark slate colour, andin flight shows a broad white band at the base of its tail, the legs being a bright orange-yellow. One of its characteristics is its very hooked bill, and it must be of great use to it in extracting snails from their shells, for snails seem to be its sole food, I have seen a collection of a few dozen snail shells at the base of a telephone post which was a favourite resting place for these hawks on a sugar estate where there was no other perch for many yards around. These hawks abound on the pastures of the coastlands, and it is notice- able that none of the smaller birds seem to fear them, while they themselves go unmolested even by the pugnacious kiskadee—indeed sociabilis seems to be a very appropriate name ! The common Chima-chima hawks, Milvago chima-chima, on the other hand, do not seem to be welcomed anywhere, and kiskadees never lose an opportunity of attacking them, while even swallows join in. But perhaps there is a good reason for this at least so I concluded after witnessing the following incident. It occurred about 3 o'clock one afternoon while walking along the railway line between Golden Grove and Belfield on the East Coast. It was the noise of the kiskadees that first attracted me, for they were. shouting iu that excited manner which they do when attacking some- thing, and in a courida tree a short distance away I found their objective, Suspended in the usual manner from the end of a branch was a yellow plantain bird’s nest, and hanging on to the nest by its claws, almost in an upside down position, was a chima-chima hawk. The hawk had apparently a few minutes earlier attacked the nest, with the object of obtaining the young birds or the eggs it contained, and when I arrived on the scene it was then being vigorously attacked by several birds—kiskadees, swallows and yellow plantain birds, the latter un- doubtedly the owners of the nest. In spite of this sharp attack the hawk held on for several minutes, and during periods of a few seconds when the attack subsided from time to time, it made an effort to get at the contents of the nest. After about tive minutes of this it let go the nest end flew away, followed by several of the birds vigorously attacking it. Just before the first chima-chima took flight, another one arrived in the tree though when the first one took flight this one also made off, but the birds had already commenced to attack it. There is, however, another side to the chima-chima’s character—sometimes he is decidedly beneficial. Last August there was an outbreak of the Coconut Butterfly (Brassolis sophorae L.)in a certain district in Georgetown, and many of the palms were a most completely defoliated. Suddenly one day, after the attack had been in progress for several weeks, a number ofjchima-chima hawks turned up in the locality, and their cries could be heard incessantly. It was unusual to have such a number of these birds in the locality sol made observations as to what they were after. It was not a difficult a eee —$$_—_— ——— % Feathered Friendships. 131 — undertaking ; as many of them were seen feeding on both the caterpillars and chrysalids of the butterfly. The hawks had apparently only then got the news, but they turned out in good numbers to the feast, and in a few days they were gone again. I will not go so far as to say that these hawks stopped an attack of this pest, which looked as ifit might spread over the entire city, but it can safely be said that they accounted for a large number. It sometimes happens that one runs across peculiar little incidents in bird life, and one such incident which I witnessed a few months ago was a contest between two hawks. About six o'clock one evening in the Botanic Gardens while going along the central avenue, I noticed a large hawk across the trench on the southern side of the avenue, and as it ap- peared to be Urubitinga, a bird I had seldom seen in the Gardens, I stopped to look at it. Atthe time it was feeding on something it had on the grass but what it was I was unable to see, and immediately the bird observed me it stopped. After a few minutes it made an attempt to fly off with its prey, but dropped it, and continued its flight to a lilac tree nearby ; but I could then see that the prey was small and looked as if it might be a bird or rat. After the hawk had settled in the tree it emitted a weird cry,