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No. 330.

may be made difficult to an enemy by strong fortresses placed within their mouths, and by a couple of frigates stationed before and near them, this would be a reason the more for the enemy to effect a landing along the coast, anywhere where it seemed to him most convenient, and to penetrate into the heart of the colonies, without troubling himself with the fortresses. But even such fortresses as might be able to offer a formidable resistance are lacking there. In the river of Essequibo, on Flag Island (the seat of the administration and of the officials of that colony; for the rest, a small, barren patch of ground, on which there is not a single plantation), there exists an old, rickety fort, named Zelandia, which has not been kept in repair in order not to waste money unnecessarily; it serves only to hoist the flag there when ships are sighted which wish to go up the river, and to lock up criminal negroes in. On the point of that island is placed a small battery of about twenty rusty iron guns, which, without carriages or rollers, are lying on logs and stones and at most are fit to make the flag respected and to fire salutes. A formidable fortress there would at these times, it is true, be without any notable purpose, for the most important cultivation of the colony of Essequibo must no longer be sought in the river of that name, but on its coast and on the Leguaan, Wakkenam, and Arabisi islands, which lie in its wide mouth and cannot be covered, much less defended, by the fort of Flag Island.

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Extract from Journal of A. Meertens, Governor-General in Essequibo and Demerara, December, 1802.1

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The distribution of the troops has been determined on with LieutenantColonel de Milly, weak and sick though he is, according to the arrangements which I made with the proprietors and overseers of the plantations where these are to be stationed, to wit, one company at Bourasiere on the plantation "De Kinderen," belonging to the Boode estate, to be provision

1 Note by Prof. Burr.-The Peace of Amiens, which restored the Guiana colonies to the Dutch, was signed on March 25th, 1802; but it was several months before the Dutch assumed possession. Governor Meertens arrived in Demerara on November 24th; and the Court of Policy resumed its sessions on the same day. The colony was again surrendered to the British, this time finally, on September 19th, 1803.

No. 331.

ally posted there, until we have an opportunity further to distribute them along the west seacoast.

One company in Mahaica on the plantations "Lancaster" of the Phillips estate and "Calaloo" of the Estate Nihiel [?], situated near together, in order further to distribute them in Mahaicony and Abary.

One company on the Arabisi coast and Essequibo, which we have distributed among three stations, to wit: One detachment at the station. on the Plantation "Zorg en Vlijt" of F. Broodhagen, one section of the company at the Plantation "Adventure" of Sandfort, and the third section of the company at the Plantation "Ehrenbreitstein" of D. I. Sandbach; moreover, one detachment of twenty-four infantry, one corporal, and six artillery, to Flag Island in Essequibo.

And, finally, one detachment to the post of Orinoco. 1

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Extract from letter from A. Meertens, Governor General in Essequibo, and Demerara, to the Council of the American Colonies and Possessions of the Batavian Republic, December 17, 1802.

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While I am finishing this letter, the Postholder of the Post Moruca comes to report that the detachment for that post arrived there three days ago, but that everything is in ruins, and that the battery cannot stand for six weeks more; that an entirely new dike of some sort must be made there and all the buildings set back; that the few cannons found there are lying flat on the ground; that the gun-carriages are rotten, and that the English have cut and slashed everything to pieces; in a word, that things are in a hopeless state. I have not yet received a report from the officer who was ordered thither, and we shall have to await it; but according to these details there is not much of good to be expected.

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1 Note by Prof. Burr.—That this means the Moruca post may be seen from the following extract (No. 332), which reports the arrival of this detachment there. This name for that post appears also in the "Register of Responses and Orders given me by or through the Governor" of the Commandant, De Milly, wherein, under date of March 4, 1803, is mention of "a ration-list for the post of Orinoco” (een randsoen lyst voor de post van Oronocque).

APPENDIX

PART 2

DOCUMENTS FROM SPANISH SOURCES

[TRANSLATIONS]

No. 333.

Extract from Report by Captain Phelipe de Santiago, dated November 2, 1595, on the Navigation, etc., of the River Orinoco, made by Command of Roque de Montes, Treasurer of Cumana, for the King of Spain.

[Reprinted from Blue Book, No. 1, pp. 49-50.]

The mouths of the River Orinoco are situated on the coast of Terra Firma, to the windward of the Dragon's Mouth, and part of them are opposite the Island of Trinidad, and although the exact number of the said mouths is not known with certainty, still some information exists concerning some of them, particularly those nearest to the said Island of Trinidad, and which are most generally used for the navigation of the said river. These are the Caroni, Merensa, Arantao, Macareo, and Capure. That of the Capure is nearer to Trinidad than any of the others; indeed so near that there is only a distance of three leagues between it and the said island.

There is another mouth, called the Manavo, by which it is known that the Englishman Guat-erral (¿. e., Walter Raleigh) entered the Orinoco in the present year, [15] 95, after having caused much trouble and injury to the Island of Trididad and its residents. He left two young Englishmen in the Orinoco for the purpose of learning the language of the natives and obtaining all information of the country, for on his departure therefrom, it is said, he left with the intention of returning hither.

There is another mouth called Orinoco, the largest and most important, and the most frequented, of all the others.

And on the banks of all these mouths mentioned an immense number of natives of two great nations, known as the Chaguanes and Tivitives, dwell. The land, however, is subject to inundations, and is marshy.

Entering by any of the above-mentioned mouths, and going up the River Orinoco in the direction of the new Kingdom of Granada, various territories of divers nations of natives are met with, such as the Aruacas, Yayos, Sapoyos, Caribs, and Napuyos. On passing these the territories of the Province of Guayana are reached, and one of them that is entered is the Province of Moriquite. Having passed this province one arrives at the large Indian town of the natives of Guayana, and in its extent and riches, of which so much is heard, and of so favourable a character, that great hopes are entertained of it.

These territories extend from the bank of the said River Orinoco along the windward side as far as that of the Marañon, so that they lie between these two immense rivers of so much fame. These territories are considered to be very rich, for gold in some quantity is taken from them, although with great caution and secrecy, for the Indians are very watchful, and always endeavouring to conceal it, and not discover where it is,

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