No. 90.

1

Orinoco is a river which is accounted as the property of the King or Crown of Spain, and consequently that nation there master, and whenever a vessel from Essequebo (we represent the matter truthfully) be now come in Orinoco, whether it be for trading in vessels or otherwise, and likewise a canoe out of Surinam or Berbice find itself there, and that according to the fashion of the Indian traffic one of these Indians with some of his wares (whether it be slaves, balsam, or anything that for us is contraband, and nevertheless to those of our aforesaid neighbours is allowed), be come alongside of the Essequebo canoe (to which be it said without flattery they also sell more eagerly partly because they have better cargo, partly because they are able to come to an agreement with us more peaceably), then are our settlers obliged to answer the Indians that such merchandize cannot be traded in by them, thus sending them back to the Surinam canoe; in consequence against their will they are obliged to contribute to the profits of the same, or otherwise the French and English barques know well how to pass up. Yet further, whenever a canoe, be it of Surinam or Berbice, having set sail, has in the neighbourhood of this river or elsewhere met any free Indians who have red slaves for sail, they buy the same in, yes, bring the purchased slaves within the river, deliver them to one or another of our inhabitants, proceed on their voyage, traffic in the Rivers Marocco, Weijne, Barima, Pomeroon, Orinoco, Trinidad, and wherever it is convenient to them, aim at the greatest profit, and when they have got everything they can in repassing, take in again their slaves that they had left here, and push on their journey to Surinam, being well pleased that the Essequibo inhabitants were oppressed by those who ought to protect them and their gains (from which the Noble Company can make no profit) taken away and driven into the Surinam purse. That which relates to their business presents itself to us very painfully, seeing that the Indians get just as good payment in cargo, no matter with whom they deal, yet they of Essequibo are much the best supplied, and being the nearest situated have always before the prohibition been on the most friendly terms with them.

We cannot so far comprehend what is the object of Y. N. in prohibiting the business to us, seeing that you cannot hinder those from Surinam and Berbice-yea, not even French, English, and other foreign nationsit appearing to us as if Y. N. wished to place the yoke on our neck alone, because, so long as Essequibo has been in European hands, there cannot be any instance shown that the inhabitants of this Colony alone were restricted so as not to be able to carry on this traffic, &c.

Y. N.'s very obedient servants, the free settlers of the Colony of Essequibo in America.

(Signed)

A. HOLANDER (and others).

1The translation of this and the preceding line differs slightly from that in the Blue Book.

No. 91.

Extracts from reports by E. D. Maurain-Saincterre, Engineer in Essequibo, to the West India Company, March 19, 1722.

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.

Extract from letter from Laurens de Heere, Commandeur in Essequibo, to West India Company, Apr. 1, 1723.

* * * I likewise intend to send in the coming May, 1723, two buoycanoes to Orinoco, to get from there horses for the Company.

Extract from instructions for Jan Batiste and Hendrik van der Win, sent to the Orinoco by the Commandeur and Court of Policy in Essequibo, March 4, 1726.

*

[Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 2, pp, 249–250.]

ART. 6. Whereafter they shall betake themselves to Aguire, and find out whether there is opportunity there to barter up copaiba and slaves; and, in case there is, he shall leave there Hendrik van der Win with the necessary wares for that trade, and meanwhile buy up as many horses as can conveniently be loaded in his boat, and shall bring them as speedily as possible into this river.

No. 94.

Extract from the Minutes of the Court of Policy in Essequibo, Dec. 2,

In October last the Commandeur informed the Court of his intention to proceed to the Post of Wacquepo, lying between Orinocque and this river, at the end of the aforesaid month, and to inspect the same in company with the Councillor and Secretary; knowing that the said Post lies far out of the ordinary course of boats which come hither through the inland waters, it was his intention to choose a fit place in the river of Marocco to which he might transplant the house and Post, since all vessels which come through the inland waters must pass that way. Everything having been closely examined by the said gentlemen, they decided that the fittest place was where the horse-dealers from Orinocque generally moor their boats in the river of Marocco (called1 in the Indian language Accoujere), it being possible to build a house there so close to the river side that a hand grenade can be thrown into the boats, the river being at its narrowest there. The unfortunate state of affairs in Europe having been taken into consideration, it was resolved to establish the house and Post of Wacquepo upon the aforementioned site as soon as possible, and thus have an opportunity of being kept well informed of the hostile boats that had any intention of coming to disturb this river, and so enable us to place ourselves in a position to resist the same.

Extract from letter from the Court of Policy in Essequibo to the West India Company, March 1, 1727.

At the end of August of last year twenty-three red slaves ran away from the plantation belonging to Pieter la Riviere to Orinocque, and he having sent his son there to claim them, but without any results, resolved to go there in person, but on arriving at the usual mooring place in that river he was attacked by a vessel flying the Spanish flag, and was unfortunate enough to be killed. Those with him begged for quar

1 Note by Prof. Burr.-The italicized words are those of the Blue Book; it should rather read at the landing where those fetching horses, coming from the Orinoco into the river Moruca, usually make a stop (a place called, etc.)

No. 95.

ter, whereupon the Spaniards took all their merchandize, and told them that they had orders from the Governor of Trinidad to stop the trade in that river.

Extract from letter from the Commandeur in Essequibo to the West India Company, Sept. 26, 1727.

Turning now, my Lords, to the matter of the River Essequibo, it is now about two years since I myself, with Mr. van der Kaey, proceeded up the river to find out whether it was not in any way possible to successfully set on foot some enterprise up above the falls, but we found the river very dangerous, so that in some places we were obliged to be drawn up in a corrial through the falls, with great danger to our lives. It is absolutely impossible to navigate the river with large boats, such as canoes, and it is equally impossible with barques, because, above the plantation Nieuw Cortrijk there is fall upon fall. With regard to the land out there, it seems to me very good, but having inquired how high the water rose in those parts, it was pointed out to me in different places that it rose in the rainy season between 25 and 30 feet, so that nearly all the land is then under water, and there are also many great hills there which are nearly all rocky and very steep at the river side.

I have also carefully inquired, my Lords, what kind of trade might be done there with the Indians, and have up to the present not been able to discover any other trade but a little maraen which is brought thence, and sometimes a few red slaves. To this end two creoles went up the river only last year, who, having been out for seven or eight months, brought very little home. The only profit that this Colony derives from the River Essequebo is, that the latter is very rich in fish, and is therefore visited annually both by the company and by the private colonists for the purpose of salting, to which end two boats have again been prepared for your Lordships, which will be ready to depart in the month of October. I see no profit for your Lord

ships in sending any man up the river, because I can discover nothing of the savage nation.

No. 97.

Extract from Minutes of Court of Policy in Essequibo, May 12, 1728.

The Secretary, H. Gelskerke, having communicated to us a certain letter written by Jan Batiste from the Post in Wacquepo, and opened by him (the Secretary) in the absence of the Commandeur, in which information was given that the Spaniards of the Orinocque had, with armed force, taken possession of a Suriname vessel fishing in the neighbourhood of the aforesaid river, and having also received information from Barbadoes that there was great probability of a war:

It was resolved to reinforce the aforesaid Post of Wacquepo with two soldiers, and to direct Jan Batiste to keep the necessary lookouts,1 so that we may receive the earliest information in case the Spaniards should send any armed ves sels to this Colony in accordance with the rumours afloat. And in case the Post of Wacquepo should be attacked, the aforesaid Jan Batiste shall defend himself to the utmost, and immediately inform the Commander of such hostilities, the Secretary Gelskerke being hereby authorized, in the absence of the Commandeur, to give all the necessary orders for the accomplishment of the aforesaid.

Extract from letter from H. Gelskerke, Secretary in Essequibo, to the West India Company, April 26, 1729.

Referring to the documents and papers sent your Lordships by this vessel, showing the state of your Lordships' property here, and referring also to the letter of the Court of Policy in this matter, I shall now proceed to inform your Lordship that for some years past your Lordships' slaves, as well as those belonging to the colonists, run away to Orinocque as soon as they think they have any grievance. There the Spaniards keep them, and will not give them up when we have claimed them. This makes them so insolent that measures have been devised to provide

1 Note by Prof. Burr.--For this word lookouts the Blue Book has beacons in order.

2 Note by Prof. Burr.-For this word himself the Blue Book has it.