Pomeroon settle efforts theretofore made to establish any settlement on ment planned. the Essequibo itself, looked around for a more promising location; and, disregarding Spanish rights, planned a settlement on the Pomeroon and Moruca rivers. What was actu ally done. Cornelis Goliat, an engineer, was sent out to survey the region and lay out the new colony. Great things were promised. "There was to be a town which should bear the name of Nieuw Middelburg. Above this was to be built an imposing fortress called, after the colony, Nova Zeelandia. Below the town, on the same side of the river, was to stand the 'House of the Height.'"* These proved to be mere air-castles. What actually happened was this: The buildings planned were begun, but never completed; probably nothing was done beyond laying some of the foundations.+ A few Portuguese Jew sugarplanters, driven from Brazil for their religion, were induced to settle on the Pomeroon. The enterprise was neglected and soon languished. In September, 1660, the Jews complained, asking "whether the Commissioners [directors] propose to attend to the colony, since, if otherwise, they intended to depart and abandon it." In this same year, Vere was unable to pay its stipulated share of the costs. Before the end of 1663 the Managing Council in Zeeland had become so embarrassed that it broke up altogether. * U. S. Commission Report, i, 214-215. + Netscher, taking the account from the Ryks Archief, says that they "at once began to fit up or build fort Nova Zeelandia, a few miles up the river, the village of New Middelburg and the Huis ter Hooge, which establishments, however, were probably never completed." [Geschiedenis van Essequebo, etc. 8°, 's Gravenhage, 1888, p. 73.] Netscher (P. M.) Geschiedenis van Essequebo, etc. 8°'s Gravenhage, 1888, pp. 74-75. § Rodway (J.) and Watt (T.) Annals of Guiana. Georgetown, 1888, i, 147. Appendix to Case, ii, 56; see also U. S. Commission Report, i, 215, note 3. But this attempt at a colony was not permitted to die the natural death that awaited it. The events of 1665-66, which put an end to its existence, are best told in the words of Professor Burr: "In the winter of 1665-66 the English from Barbados, led by Major John Scott, after taking possession of the Essequibo, swooped down also on the Pomeroon, and left the colony in ruins. What was left was devoured by the military occupation of the French, who followed the English in its possession. It was an entire year before the invaders were here dispossessed, and the settlers had meanwhile scattered to the four winds. But, though thus destroyed prematurely from the earth, Nova Zeelandia still lived on paper. Even before the colony's ruin the chart of Goliat fell into the hands of his enterprising townsman, the geographer Arend Roggeveen of Middelburg, and when a little later that map-maker brought out his fine atlas of these coaststhe Burning Fen, lighting up all West India '-Nieuw Middelburg, with its fortress Nova Zeelandia and its Huis der Hoogte, took a handsome place on the map, which it did not lose till almost our own day." Thus, at the hands, first of the English, and then * U. S. Commission, Report, i, 216. + Scott himself says: Anno 1665, . . . in the month of October, the author having been commissionated Commander-in-chief of a small fleet and a regiment of soldiers, for the attack of the Island Tobago, and several other settlements in the hands of the Netherlanders in Guiana, as Moroco, Wacopow, Bowroome, and Dissekeeb, and having touched at Tobago, in less than six months had the good fortune to be in possession of those countries, and left them garrisoned for his majesty of Great Britain, and sailed thence for Barbados, where meeting with the news of the eruption of war between the two crowns of England and France, endeavoured to persuade Francis Lord Willoughby to reduce those several small garrisons into one stronghold, and offered that was the way to make good our post in those parts, having to do with two potent enemies, but his Lordship, that was his majesty's captain-general in those parts, was of another opinion, and before he embarked on the unfortunate voyage for the reducing of St. Christopher's, in which design he perished by a hurricane, the wages he had prescribed for supplies to the forementioned garrisons proved ineffectual; and they were lost the year following to the Dutch after they had endured great misery in a long siege by the French." [Appendix to Case, iii, 360-361.] On the second page of his journal, Byam thus narrates the conquest and loss of the Dutch colonies: Colony attacked and destroyed in 1666. Colony attacked of the French,* did this proposed Pomeroon colony come to an end it lasted hardly more than half a dozen and destroyed in 1666. years. The result was tersely and graphically stated by the Zeeland Estates themselves: "Essequibo and Pome "In Novem" [1665] here arrived from his Excllee his Serjt. Majr Jno Scott after his victory at Tobago wth a smal Fleet & a regimt of Foote und the Carrect" of Majr Gen" of Guiana, Cheife Commission' and Commandr in Cheife by Land & Sea in few months his great Fortune and gallantry prudent and Industrious Conduct made him master of all the great province new Zealand & Desseceub settled a peace wth the Arrowayes [sic] left both Collonys in a Flourishing Condition and well garrison'd for the King of England New Zealand undr the Conduct of one Captaine Boxlson [sic] and Dessecube undr the Comand of one Capt Kenn, both old Soldiers and sober Gent. "About two months after his arrivall at Barbados the Indians understanding he was not to returne withdrew all Commerce wth the English in the Forts. Many the Dutch French and Jews were soone upon ye Wing to the French Islands Martinico & St. Christophers &c. and those that remained grew discontent . . . and onely for want of supplies . . . after many brave defences [our men] were forced to submit themselves many to the merciless French and in April following the whole Colony to the Dutch." [Appendix to Case, iii, 363.] A little further on in his narrative Byam goes into more detail as to this disaster: "Nor was Capt Rendar unsuccessful at leeward, having stormed two warehouses of the Arwacas and had other bickerings wth them wherin he slew about 30 men and took 70 captives. But for the releife of or men at Dissekebe he came too late, who about 3 weeks before through want of ammunicion and iresistable hungar were forced to surrender themselves and 12 hundred slaves wch they had taken to Burgunas a Dutch Gener who beseiged them, But on good articles, wch those Complaine hee afterwards broke, And as for or poore men at Bawrooma they were also for want of timely supplies destroyed by the French who most unhumanly (after they were starved out of the fort [] delivered them to the cruelty of the Arwacasto at the mouth of that River to be massacred. This was informed me by one of that fort who was absent when it was taken, who learned it from the Indians: But since I understood the maine fort was not taken untill the coming of the Fleet from Zealand 1667." [Appendix to Case, iii, 363-364.] * "During the war that followed, France employed her pirates and filibusters against the Dutch colonies. These were authorised to attack the Spanish possessions as well, war having been also declared with Spain. The West India colonies of all nations were now in a most critical state, England and France being pitted against Spain and HolJand, with 1,200 French pirates let loose to burn and plunder." [Rodway (J.) and Watt (T.) Annals of Guiana, Georgetown, 1888, ii, 15.] Essequibo and Pomeroon abandoned. take possession. roon, first taken by the English, then plundered by the French," and now "by the whole world abandoned."* The Zeeland Estates took possession, but did nothing Zeeland Estates except maintain a small garrison at Kykoveral, abandoning the Pomeroon entirely. Two years passed, and yet no one could be found to again undertake the management of the "Colony." Late in 1668 it was offered to the three Walcheren cities, but they declined it.† Another two years elapsed and still no taker. Finally, in 1670, the Zeeland Chamber of the Dutch West India Company was induced to once more receive "the Fort takes the Colony. and the Colony of Essequibo."+ The outlook for the colony was now very gloomy. When Hendrik Rol, the new governor, arrived, in 1670, there appear to have been no private planters whatever. During the first year of his administration three plantations were started.§ But Rol's energies seem to *"Just when the last European of the Nova Zelandia colony left the Pomeroon can not be learned. The Dutch admiral, Crynssen, on taking possession in 1667, is said to have left a garrison in that river as well as in Essequibo (Hartsinck, Beschryving van Guiana, i, 224); but this was doubtless only until the wish of the Zeelanders could be learned as to the resumption of the colony. We hear no more of Europeans there." [U. S. Commission, Report, i, 218, note.] "Essequibo and Pomeroon, first taken by the English, then plundered by the French," and now "by the whole world abandoned ”—to use the phrases of the Zeeland Estates themselves—passed again into the hands of the Netherlands. [U. S. Commission, Report, i, 197.] They [the Zeeland Estates] at last (late in 1663) offered them to the three cities; but these, dismayed at the expense of a fresh beginning, would no more of them, and thought of selling the colony. [U. S. Commission, Report, i, 197-198.] U. S. Commission, Report, i, 198. "There does not appear to have been any private planters in Essequebo at the commencement of his administration [Rol's, 1670], but with the improved prospects two or three Zeelanders came to Essequebo and commenced clearing land. Rol proposed that estates should be cultivated on behalf of the Company. On their arrival [arrival of some negro slaves], land was cleared and the Company's plantations were commenced, being principally laid out for cane cultivation." [Rodway (J.) History of British Guiana. 8°, Georgetown, 1891, i, 13, 14.] U. S. Commission, Report, i, 199, 348. Zeeland Chamber W. I. Co. again Hendrik Rol's administration. administration. Hendrik Rol's have been given to trade rather than to agriculture. This policy was in line with that which had first brought, and which still kept the Dutch in Essequibo. His policy was, therefore, not new. It differed from that of his predecessors merely in degree. He maintained the Essequibo as a trading post; but he also converted it into a trading center. He sought, He sought, beyond the confines of his island home, to attract and build up trade with the Spaniards and with remoter parts of Guiana. Pursuant to and as a result of this policy, trading stations came later to be established at points more or less distant from the Essequibo itself.‡ But while the territory thus actually occupied by the colony for purposes of cultivation, whether in the neighborhood of Fort Kykoveral or in the coast district, was confined within such narrow bounds, there was another colonial activity, which laid far wider regions under tribute. This was the colony's trade; for this trade was mainly a trade with the natives. As we have seen, this was at the outset and for more than a quarter century of its existence its exclusive function. Even after plantations had there been established by its proprietors and the colony thrown open to private planters, it was alone this trade with the Indians which the Company retained as its own monopoly; and for many decades this remained its chief source of income and the object of its most jealous care. This it was in defense of which it built its forts, planted its outposts, maintained its garrisons. [U. S. Commission, Report, i, 203.] The natural supply of these [dyes, oils, precious woods, balsam, etc.] was, therefore, at best, but constant, and the increasing demand made it necessary to seek them ever farther afield. The means employed to this end by the colonial authorities were of two sorts, which must be clearly distinguished. They had, first, the agents whom they called outrunners (uitloopers). These, who must have existed from the very beginning of the colony, scoured, by canoe or on foot, the whole country, stirring up the Indians to bring in their wares and barter them at the fort or themselves carrying into the wilderness the trinkets for exchange and bringing back the Indian produce. The outrunners were regular employés of the Company-in the later time usually half-breeds or old negroes familiar with the Indian dialects-and seem to have been sent on definite tasks. "All the old negroes," wrote the Essequibo governor to the Company in 1687, "are off for their several old trading-places among the Indians, to wit, six for annatto, two for balsam copaiba, and two for letter-wood and provisions." Later these outrunners regularly appear in the muster-rolls of the colony. The districts or routes of their activity are, however, never named. Occasionally in the correspondence of the colony one hears of them in this region or in that, but too vaguely to infer their exact whereabouts. [U. S. Commission, Report, i, 204.] |