Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 11.djvu/265

BRITISH.] GUIANA 251 acouri (or hare), numerous monkeys, and vampires, measuring 30 inches from point to point of extended wing. The cayman, alligator, or crocodile of South America, 15 to 20 feet long, abounds in the rivers and canals. Among other reptiles are the iguana (the flesh of which is said to be suitable for eating), many lizards, and snakes (some venomous). Tortoises and turtles are common on the banks of the streams and in sandy districts of the coast. The bird, insect, and fish life of Guiana is of indescribable richness and variety. Produce, Industries, and Commerce. There are 120 sugar and 12 small coffee estates in the colony. Cotton was formerly exported, but the cultivation has now ceased. Coffee, the export of which in 1830 was 9 million Ib, is not now produced for the foreign market. The deep rich soil has induced large investments in the formation of sugar estates; but the industry has undergone great fluctuations. Exports in 1839, when negro apprenticeship terminated, fell from an average of 66,000 to 38,443 hhds. The equalization of the English duties on free and slave-grown sugar still further restricted cultiva tion, exports in 1849 being only 32,000 hhds. In 1854 matters had begun to mend. The prospect of obtaining coolie labourers from India and China caused new capital to be introduced and fresh energy employed. Cultivation was improved and extended, vacuum pans came to be more used, steam ploughs and tile draining were suc cessfully introduced. The value of machinery imported from 1867 to 1876 was 850,000. A quantity of 2 to 3 hhds. (of about 17 cwts.) per acre is often obtained, but the average is 30 cwts. The juice expressed by the powerful rollers is about 60 per cent, of the weight of canes. The Demarara crystals " are very popular for their purity and saccharine strength, and command high prices. The sugar exports in 1876 were 119,891 hhds., fully equal to 100,000 tons ; in 1877, 111,156 hhds. ; and in 1878 (a year with prolonged drought), 86,075 hhds. Nearly all this last quantity went to the United Kingdom, but 20,000 and 32,000 hhds. went to the United States in 1876 and 1877 respectively. The rum exported in 1876 was 36,000 puncheons ; in 1877 it was 32,531, and in 1878 28,752. The quantity of rum issued for consumption in the colony in 1878 was 330,392 gallons. The export of molasses (of which less is made as the quality of the sugar improves) is principally to the United States and British provinces, the quantity being 14,320, 19,862, and 17,084 casks in 1876, 1877, 1878. The same years the timber exports (nearly all to the United Kingdom) were 464,436, 357,430, and 303,693 cubic feet. The woodcutting industry, under Government licence, is a considerable one, as is shown by the export of about 5 million shingles annually. Up the rivers and creeks charcoal-burning is carried on ; 32,266, 35,631, and 46,746 barrels of charcoal were exported in 1876, 1877, 1878. There are 1,250,000 cocoa-nuts exported yearly. In 1853 the total value of imports was 847, 183; in 1877, 2,229,908 (1,079,898 from the United Kingdom) ; in 1878, 2,150,714. The exports were in 1853, 1,014,944; in 1877, 3,049,157 (1,954,766 to the United King dom) ; and in 1878, 2,507,571. The tonnage, inwards and out wards, was 234,089 tons iii 1853, and 519,986 tons in 1877. Government. The government is vested in a governor appointed by the British crown and a court of policy, originally instituted by the Dutch in 1773 for Demerara, and including Essequibo in 1789. Berbice had until 1831 a separate constitution. The unofficial members of the court were elected by a college of kiezers or electors, who were themselves elected by duly qualified inhabitants. In 1795 this college commissioned some of their own members to act with the court of policy in financial matters. This resulted in an independent body, called financial representatives, being elected by the inhabitants who were qualified to vote for kiezers. The financial representatives and the court of policy meet in annual session as the "combined court," to discuss finance and pass the annual tax ordinance. The civil list is not permanent, being renewed every seven years. All other ordinances or IC.A] laws are passed by the court of policy, every ordinance being subject to confirmation by the queen. The colony is divided into five elec toral districts, with a total of 863 registered electors. These districts elect for life one or two kiezers, seven in all, and one or two financial representatives, six in all. When a vacancy occurs in the court of policy the seven kiezers nominate two persons, one of whom is selected by the court. There are five unofficial members chosen as above, and five official members, viz., the governor, attorney-general, Government secretary, auditor-general, and immi gration agent-general. The public revenue in 1853 was 250,017, and the expenditure 236,557. In 1877 the revenue was 389,872, and m 1878 405,092. Half of this revenue is derived from import duties, and the remainder principally from wine and spirit duties, rum duty, and retail spirit licences. The expenditure in 1877 was 380,566, and in 1878 417,995. The public debt in 1877 was 323,563. Public and mercantile accounts are kept in dollars (4s. 2d. sterling) and cents. The Roman Dutch law is in force in civil cases, modified by orders in council and local ordinances ; the criminal law is based on that of Great Britain, and administered in the same way, except that there is no grand jury. The supreme court consists of the chief justice and two puisne judges. Appeal in cases involving 500 and upwards lies to the privy council. There are an inferior court of civil justice, courts of admiralty and vice-admiralty, of petty debt (conducted by stipendiary magistrates), of bail and review (of magistrates decisions). One judge sits in the supreme criminal court ; and there is an inferior criminal court. Questions of law are decided by three judges in the court of crown cases reserved. Besides a police magistrate for Georgetown, there are thirteen districts, each with a stipendiary magistrate appointed by the secretary of state. Towns. For a notice of GEORGETOWN, the capital (resident population about 40,000), see vol. x. p. 430. The lighthouse, with revolving light visible for many miles, is at the north end, near the mouth of the river. The lightship is 11 miles off in 6 56" N. lat. and 58 lg "W. long. The chief town of Berbiee is New Amsterdam, on the east bank of the Berbiee river. It is well laid out, and has a population of 6000. The Berbiee lightship is in 6" 29 10" N. lat. and 57 23 40" W. long. Religion and Education. The diocese of Guiana was established in 1842. The official list shows 1 bishop, 1 archdeacon, 10 rectors, 14 curates, 2 incumbents, and several missionary clergymen and chaplains to institutions. The Church of England has 69 churches or chapels. The Coolie Mission Association and Diocesan Society maintain missionaries and catechists. The Church of England claims 90,000 members. The Church of Scotland has 10 ministers. The Roman Catholics also have several churches and mission stations. The Church of England receives an annual grant of 10,000 from the public revenue, the bishop s salary (2000) being paid from imperial funds ; the Church of Scotland has 5000, and the Roman Catholic Church 2500 from public revenue. There are also 14 "Wesleyan Methodist ministers, a Moravian mission, and several chapels of Congregational Dissenters and others belonging to the London Missionary Society. The system of education supported by the general revenue is denominational. There are 177 schools sanctioned by the board of education. The estimate for primary education in"l879 was 29,695. The Church of England has 81 schools, exclusive of those 011 estates for coolies. See Schomburgk s British Guiana; Martin s British Colonies; Dalton s History of British Guiana, 1855; "Waterton s Wanderings in South America, 1852; Geological Survey Reports ; i. G. Sawkins, " On Geology of British Guiana" in Quarterly Journ. of Gcolog. Soc., London, 1871; Brown s Canoe and Camp Life in British Guiana, 1876 ; Brett s Indian Tribes of Guiana, 1876 ; Colonial Office List ; British Guiana Directory ; Bennet s British Guiana ; Boddam-Whetham s Jioraima, 1879. (J. L. 0.) II. DUTCH GUIANA, or SURINAM, lies to the E. of British Guiana, from which it is separated by the Corantiju or Corantyn in 57 5 W. long. Its coast extends for upwards of 220 miles to the mouth of the Maroni or Marowijne, which forms the boundary towards French Guiana. The Dutch claim possession of 58,530 square miles ; but of this exten sive area, equal to more than four times that of Holland, not more than 3230, according to Wolbers, had been explored in 1868, the colonial territory did not comprise more than 640 square miles, and the actual area under cultivation was little over 200. In 1875 this last was 29,852 acres (47 square miles), and in 1876, 22,180. The principal settlements have been made in the lower valley of the Surinam, or between that river and the Saramacca on the W. and the Commewijne on the E. At its mouth the Surinam is 3 miles broad, and at Paramaribo, the capital, about half a mile. Ships of from 18 to 19 feet of draught can reach the anchorage in front of the town, which has room for 100 vessels. The water is of a dirty yellow colour with brown bubbles on its surface, and its current can be traced far out at sea. As yet no one has seen the source of the Surinam, but it is understood to be high up in the Tumac Humac hills. The principal tributaries are the navigable Para on the left hand and the Paulus Creek oil the right, both of which join it about 6 or 7 miles above Paramaribo. 1 The Marowijne or Maroui is a much larger river than the Surinam. Its water is clear as crystal, so that stones can be distinguished at a depth of 12 feet. Unfortunately its mouth, though about 4 miles broad, is full of sand-batiks, and consequently it has been less visited than might have bee"n expected from the excellent character of the country through which it flows. The banks are high 1 An interesting account of a voyage up the Surinam by Zimmer- mann, with a good map on a large scale, will be found in Tijdschrift

van het Aardrijkskundig Genootschap, 1877.