CHAPTER V. POLITICAL CONTROL BY THE DUTCH AND BRITISH It is necessary to make some observations upon 5 the relations of the Dutch and British with the Indians, the effect and purport of which has been apparently misunderstood by the framers of the Venezuelan Counter-Case. The British contention is that the fact that the 10 Indians of certain districts habitually looked to the Dutch and British for protection, and were protected and controlled by them, is strong evidence to show that, as between Spain and Venezuela on the one hand and the United 15 Netherlands and Great Britain on the other, these districts belonged to the Dutch and British. Although it is the fact that from local reasons the Indian tribes shifted their quarters from one part of a district to another, it is established that 20 they belonged to certain well known districts, generally connected with a river, and were constantly so spoken of in contemporary documents. Their change of abode in no way impairs the effect of their recognition of Dutch sovereignty. 25 It is in this connection, and for the purpose of these considerations, that it is desirable briefly to review the facts which the evidence establishes with reference to the relations between Dutch and British respectively and the native Indian 30 tribes. In the Charter of 1621 the Dutch contemplated that the West India Company should make contracts and alliance with the natives of the lands within the limits of their Charter; and it was 35 well known as early as that year that this was the policy of the Dutch. British Case App., British Case App., This policy was throughout maintained, and, as is pointed out in Chapter V of the British Counter-Case, was expressly recognized by the Case, p. 40. 40 Treaty of Münster. That the Dutch did, in fact, to the knowledge British Counter British Case App., 5 of the Spaniards, enter into such alliances is established by overwhelming testimony. They were referred to in the Report of the Marquis de Sofraga in 1631. That they had been British Case App., further extended is shown in the letter of the 1, p. 88. Corporation of Trinidad to the King in 1637; British Case App., and the Report of Escobar, cited in that letter, I, p. 101. describes how close an alliance had been established. Other Spanish documents of the years 1638 and 1662 confirm the fact. These alliances 10 continued through the whole of the eighteenth century. Records in 1739, 1752, and 1755 attest the goodwill existing between the Dutch and Caribs. British Case App., I, pp. 116, 124, 153. British Case App., British Counter- British Case App., British Case App., British Case App., British Case App., British Case App., British Case App., 21. The Report of William Hilhouse, Quartermaster-General of the Indians in 1823, and other documents mentioned in the British Case, show that the system was not one of mere form, 5 but that there was actual government and control over the various Indian tribes residing in the territory now in dispute. The affidavits which are printed in the 7th volume of the British Appendix show the con10 tinuance of the system; and the affidavit of Sir Henry Barkly, speaking of the year 1849, shows that Indians dwelling to the west of the Schomburgk line owned allegiance to the British, and after that line was laid down moved to the east15 ward of it in order to reside on British territory. This control was rapidly consolidated under British administration, and, as is seen by reference to pp 99-112 of the British Case, the Indians soon accepted their position as subjects 20 of the British Crown. Their Captains were appointed by the British Governor, the subsidies paid to them in earlier days were stopped, they regularly resorted to the appointed Courts, and they welcomed the missionaries who settled in 25 their midst. British Case App., British Case App., British Case App., As to the north-west district, reference is made to the fourteenth Chapter of the British CounterCase, where particulars are given with reference to it. The whole of this country as far as the right bank of the Amakuru has been com- 20 pletely organized with all the machinery for civilized government. Justice is regularly administered, court-houses and police-stations have been established, post-offices have been set up, roads have been made, a regular service of 25 steamers to Morawhana, and thence up the Barima, has been organized, hospitals, hotels, and stores have been built, the agricultural industry as well as the mining has been developed, and the whole country is under complete political and 30 administrative control. Similarly the Moruka and Pomeroon Rivers are thickly inhabited by British subjects, and are completely administered. Police-stations, postoffices, with a daily post, hospitals, churches, 35 and missions, are there in existence. Some of the estates granted by the Dutch at the end of the last century are still in cultivation, and almost the whole of the rest of the land is now occupied by more recent grantholders. The Pomeroon River is now the great provision farm of the Colony. The Arabian coast, stretching from near the 5 Pomeroon to the Essequibo, is one long line of sugar estates and cattle-farms. The three large rivers Cuyuni, Massaruni, and Essequibo unite at a point some forty miles from the sea, in a common estuary. The banks 10 of this estuary, and of each of the separate rivers up to the first falls have long been thickly populated. From an administrative point of view the three rivers, above their falls with their drainage 15 areas, are regarded as one, and are under one Government Commissioner. It is therefore convenient in part to treat of them together. The Commissioner periodically visits the Cuyuni as far as Uruan, the Massaruni as far 20 up as circumstances require, and also the the Essequibo itself and its tributary the Rupununi to the borders of Brazil. In all these three rivers the captains of the Indians are nominated by the Commissioner, to whom they 25 look for guidance and protection; and offences committed in these districts are tried by British Magistrates. On the Cuyuni itself Posts have been established at Uruan, at Ekereku, and at Macapa; 30 and the Postholders and men at each of these are under the Commissioner. The channel of this river, as well as those of the Massaruni and Essequibo, are under British control exercised through the Commissioner. 35 On all these rivers gold is being largely worked by British subjects, and under licences issued by the British Government. The workings, generally placers but in a few cases mines, are under the superintendence of British gold 40 officers, who are appointed to reside on each of the rivers by the British Government. On the Cuyuni this gold industry extends as far up as Waiamu. On the Massaruni the industry flourishes both on the large tributary, 45 the Puruni, and, still more, at a place called Himaraka, very far up on the main river. On the Essequibo the gold industry is of a still more important nature. It is chiefly situated on both banks of the Potaro, and at various places 50 on the main river above the Potaro and as high as the Siparuni. |