CHAPTER V.

THE GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES OF THE TERRITORY IN DISPUTE AS BEARING ON THE QUESTION OF TITLE.

The territory in dispute comprises a considerable portion of the land lying between the Essequibo, on the east, and the Caroni, a tributary of the Orinoco, on the west.

The course of both the Essequibo and the Caroni is nearly due north; that of the Orinoco is nearly east and west. The main tributaries of the Essequibo are the Cuyuni and the Massaruni. The course of these rivers, with their branches, is also approximately east and west. As a consequence, it happens that the Cuyuni River System practically traverses in the interior the entire territory between the Essequibo and the Caroni, including the whole width of the territory in dispute.

The territory between the Essequibo and the Caroni is bounded on the north by the Orinoco and by the sea. To the north of the Cuyuni valley, which, as already stated, has an easterly and westerly trend, lies a range of mountains, defined on the maps with considerable clearness, which is known as the Imataka Ridge or Imataka Mountains. This ridge runs in general parallel with the Cuyuni and its tributary the Curumo in a northwest and southeast direction, across the whole territory between the Caroni and the Essequibo. Near its eastern extremity is a small spur or group of hills, known as the Blauwenberg or Blue Mountains. The range is sufficiently defined to form a clear division between the basin of the interior and the territory watered by the rivers which run north into the Orinoco and the sea.

In the discussion of the various districts in controversy in this Argument the region south of this range of hills is designated the Interior Territory, the region north of them the Coast Territory.

The physical features of the Interior Territory had a marked influence upon its history. Its extreme eastern border extends

close up to the fringe of settlements on the Essequibo. This river runs in a line almost due north for a distance of over five hundred miles. Its mouth forms a large estuary, and in the lower part of its course it contains many islands. The rivers Cuyuni and Massaruni empty into it at a point about sixty miles from the sea. Just before reaching the Essequibo the two rivers unite.

The lower Essequibo is a large navigable river, though navigation ceases at no great distance above the mouth of the united Cuyuni and Massaruni. On the Cuyuni and Massaruni navigation is also brought to an end a short distance above the mouths. of these rivers by falls or rapids. The Cuyuni is over 300 miles long. The lowest falls are about twelve miles from its mouth. In the Mazaruni the lowest falls are about ten miles from its mouth. The obstructions to navigation in the falls or rapids constituted a physical barrier, a natural boundary, beyond which settlement at no time passed, and it determined ultimately the development of the colony away from the upper waters and their tributaries.

The British Counter-Case dwells at great length (pp. 15-20) upon the character of the falls in these two rivers, with a view to show that they were not impassable. It objects to the name "falls," although that designation was invariably applied to them by the Dutch for more than a century, and although its own Atlas calls them "cataracts." It insists that they are not falls but rapids, and that they can be passed. The question is one of material importance, for the falls were one determining feature in the history of the Cuyuni. As to the character of the obstruction, no one denies that it was possible to pass it by taking the canoes overland, and sometimes by "shooting" the falls, though only at great risk. This, however, is not navigation, and a river which, is in the condition described is not a navigable river.

Whether the obstructions to navigation in the Cuyuni are known as "falls" or "rapids," and whether it was possible in some way and at some times to pass them, the fact remains as an incon

trovertible fact, that their presence was effectual in determining the limits of colonial development. Had the rivers been navigable highways, which they were not in any sense, they would undoubtedly have led to the establishment of some settlements or plantations above the point where settlements and plantations absolutely stopped.

The early plantations of the Essequibo colony clustered about the point where the union of the Cuyuni and Mazaruni with the Essequibo forms a small inland basin. On the four radiating arms of this basin, from the point of union as a centre, the entire settlement was established within a distance of twelve miles from the central point. For a long time the colony was nearly stationary, and when about 1734 it began to develop, the movement was entirely towards the mouth of the Essequibo. In 1740 the fort was removed from Kykoveral to Flag Island, and from that time on the old plantations in the neighborhood of the union of the three rivers were almost wholly abandoned.

It was well known that the land beyond the falls was adapted for cultivation, but at no time was there any movement towards settlement in that direction. This was due entirely to the obstruction of the falls. Of this fact there is abundant evidence.

The engineer Saincterre reported to the Company, March 19, 1722 (B. C. I, 252): "The ground is even better above in the Rivers Essequibo, Mazaruni and Cuyuni, than below; but because they are full of rocks, falls, and islands, and much danger is to be feared for large sugar canoes, this is the reason why up to this time the Europeans have not been willing to establish sugar plantations there," showing that no such plantations had yet been established.

The Court of Policy, in a letter to the West India Company, July 14, 1731 (B. C. II, 14) states: "The great number of rocks which lie in these two rivers, and which occasion the falls by reason of the strong stream rushing over them, makes these rivers unnavigable for large vessels, wherefore it is impossible to estab

lish any plantations there, although the soil is very well fitted for it."

In 1739 the Commandeur reported (B. C. II, 30), speaking of the prospecting for minerals in the Cuyuni above the falls:

"As the continuous rainy season makes the road [weg] above the falls very dangerous, it has prevented the making of any further discovery-assuming that anything at all is to be found there."

Hildebrandt, the Mining Engineer, reported (V. C. II, 93) in 1741 that he "came to a great fall named Tokeyne, where we had great[er] trouble to get up than we had anywhere, the perpendicular height of the above named fall being 4 fathoms [27 feet]. If I had not had the luck [to meet] six Indians who showed themselves helpful in dragging over my boat, I should have found it impossible to get up; and I kept these Indians by me still after they had helped me, in order to show the way further through the many islands and two other difficult falls."

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And, again, in the following year (V. C. II, 94), he

came to beneath the second great fall and saw almost no chance to get up, so was the water swollen, which in my former journey I could not get through; so that the additional Indians were very opportune for me, and it was dark by the time we had the two boats up above."

Even Schomburgk gives his testimony to the existence of these conditions and their effect upon the colony. He mentions one fall (B. C. VII, 28) as "called the Canoe-wrecker, in consequence of many fatal accidents which have occurred here." Speaking of the Camaria, one of the lowest group of falls in the Cuyuni, he said (B. C. VII, 29):

"As it did not afford any portage, we attempted to descend it in our craft. It nearly proved our destruction. As it was, the craft filled with water, and it was only the presence of mind of some of our crew to which, under the Almighty, we were indebted for our safety."

At the next fall, "Ematubba, generally called 'the Great Fall,'" he had to unload and haul his corials overland.