No. 438. longing to the mission of Morocure at the mouth of the Arature, with the gunner, Josef Maria, by order of the Commander; the said gunner, with two Guarauno Indians, as guides for said creek; they were from a hut on the mouth, and they informed me that there were three negroes inside living with some Indians, for which reason I forbade them to enter the place until my return from the trip, and I took the two Indians from them to accompany me. The same day, at three o'clock in the afternoon, we met three Carib Indians from the village of Cumaco of the mission of the Catalan Capuchin Fathers and they informed me that they had come down from the river head of the Barima creek in bark canoes, and no permit was found on them, and having asked them for news of the Barima creek they told me they had seen nothing, and nothing was found in the curiara but nine hatchets and one Mapire de totumo (water gourd) and that same night we slept at Cangrejos Point. Diary, 28th day. At ten o'clock in the morning I weighed anchor, and at two o'clock in the afternoon we arrived at the mouth of the Macuro, where I waited for the tide to go on my way; meanwhile I sent for the three chieftains, one of whom lived at Amacuro in the dwellings that belonged to the Caribs in the past time, and the other two lived at the mouth of the sea, between Barima creek and Amacuro, and I ordered them to ask whether there were any negroes living at Amacuro with Carib Indians and they said there were none, nor even any Carib Indians there. Diary, 29th day. I weighed anchor at eleven o'clock at night, and at two o'clock in the morning I anchored at the mouth of the Barima, and at daybreak I sent the coxswain in a "curiara," with eight scouts, up the creek, and at five o'clock in the afternoon he returned, saying that all he had seen was one dug-out and two "curiaras" concealed in the bushes, where some Guaruano Indians had a hut inland; and a short time after that some Guaruano Indians appeared in two "curiaras" and we made them come on board, and they told me that they were Indians from Sacaupana fleeing from the Carib Indians, and that on Barima creek and Amacuro there were about 3,000 Indians fleeing from the severity (the floods?) of the Orinoco, and being asked by the Indian interpreter of the same nation, named Afortunado, as to whether there were any vessels of any nation on the river Barima or any negroes living with Indians in the woods, he replied that there were none, and that only in Guayna did any schooners enter from Demerara and Essequibo for fishing purposes and to cut timite to cover and build their dwellings. Diary, 30th day. We slept in the mouth of the Mura. Diary, 1st day of July. At five o'clock in the morning we crossed to the mouth of the Guayma, and after visiting every part of it nothing was found but the places where the Dutch were fishing and salting fish No. 438. (and this agreed with the information given by the Indians), and that the last day of the month there were two schooners loading "timite" and one fishing, and that they had gone; and I asked Silvestre Rodriguez whether he might know of any other place where we might fulfill the commission entrusted to us, and he answered that he did not, for the chieftains of Amacuro had said that there were no negroes there, neither Caribs; that those that were in this capital were ordered to be taken away, and since then there had been none, and on that same day I returned to the capital. Diary, 2d day. I left Guayma1 and came to the Barima creek. Diary, 3d day. At five o'clock in the afternoon I sailed from the mouth of the Barima, and on the same day in the afternoon there came some Guaraunos in four "curiaras," who were returning from crabbing, and they said that their chiefs were making ready to come to this cap. ital. I enquired once again whether they knew of any negroes dwelling in Amacuro, or whether they knew if there were any in the neighboring creeks, and they said no, that only some days previous some Hollanders had come down with a few Poytos to the head waters of the Barima, and that they had taken them to Esquivo; that same day, at seven o'clock in the evening, I sailed away from said mouth. Diary, 4th day. At daybreak I was at the mouth of the Aratures, and I dispatched the coxswain up the creek in a curiara, manned with some sailors, to a hut of Guaraunos, that was inland, with orders to bring the chief to me, and they returned with him at eleven o'clock in the day, and when he came on board I had him interrogated as to whether he knew of any negroes living with Carib Indians either at Arature or Amacuro, or other nearby creeks, and he answered that he had neither seen nor heard of any; and at the same hour I went on my way and slept in the "Pasa de Juncos." Diary, 5th day. At four o'clock in the morning I weighed anchor and slept that night in the Loran creek, as there was no wind. Diary, 6th day. At four o'clock in the morning I weighed anchor and slept at the mouth of the Sacopana. Diary, 7th day. In the morning I sent off the coxswain to an Indian hut, which was up the creek, to get information. He found them empty, and came back on board, and then I set sail for the capital, and that same night I slept off the Portuguesa, because the wind died out. Diary, 8th day. I weighed anchor at five o'clock in the morning and arrived at Presidio at eight at night. Diary, 9th day. I awaited the letters from the Commandant. 1 Variously spelled Guayna, Guima, Wayni, Weyne, and Waini. No. 438. Diary, 11th day. We left Presidio and arrived at daybreak at the mouth of the Caroni. Diary, 12th day. We went up to San Joaquin for some tobacco, which was at the port for the "Administration." The same day we slept in said mouth. Diary, 13th day. I weighed anchor at daybreak, bound for the capital. * * No. 439. * * Extract from letter from Fray Thomas de Mataro to Governor Miguel Marmion, dated July 6, 1787, as to the Founding of Tumeremo. In regard to the particular points to which you call my attention, I say That the site or place where they are going to found the cattlefarm or village is called Tumeremo and Cantuario, the Savannahs marching with others called Suama, and only divided by some bits of open wood, through which the cattle can easily pass. From the said site of Tumeremo to the said Savannahs there is a distance of 6 leagues, and the before-mentioned Savannahs extend to the Cuyuni, which one may reach in a day's journey; and from Tumeremo to the great forest, from where there was a road to Essequibo, six hours. From the site where the new cattle-farm is going to be placed (Tumeremo) to the village of Cura it is 7 leagues, and from that port, which is on the River Yuruary, until reaching the Cuyuni, one employs a full day in the rainy season going down the Yuruary, and there are no other mountains higher than those in front of the village of Cura. On the banks of the Yuruary there are difficult mountains on both sides between the Yuruary and the mouth of the Cuyuni. Where the Cuyuni and Yuruan join there is a convenient site to build a strong house or post to stop the passage of the Indians so that they may not go to Essequibo, and to prevent the entry of the Dutch to these Missions and Savannahs. * * * * * No. 440. Extract from letter from F. Mariano de Cervera, to F. Jayme (de Puygcerda,) dated December 9, 1787, as to the Mission of Cura and an excursion to the Cuyuni. Between British Guayana and Venezuela. fol. Rome, 1896, Appendix 1, p. 46.] [Translated from Copy printed in STRICKLAND, (Rev. Joseph, 8. J.) The Boundary Question * * * * * LAST year I went to the mouths of the Orinoco at a settlement of Guaraunos. I had with me only two soldiers and some Guayanos from Caroni. The excursion was brief and lucky, for within a few days I had made the catch, and came back with 140 souls, all of whom arrived here, excepting eight, who escaped at San Antonio, although they were afterwards caught. In the early part of this year I went on another excursion to the river Cuyuni, accompanied by Father Antonio de Martorel, with his Caribs of Cumamu, and we only succeeded in catching eighty-one Guaycas, for on the same day we started out, a Guayca of the Mission of Cura made his escape and warned those living in the woods, so that we found everything in confusion. No. 441. List of Missions of the Catalonian Capuchins in Guayana, dated August 31, 1788 and sent by Father Hermenegildo de Vich to Father Cervera. [Reprinted from Blue Book, No. 3, p. 324.] Table of the Missions of the Reverend Father Capuchins of Catalonia of the Province of Guiana. The Rev. Father Hermenegildo de Vich sent it to Father Cervera. Dated the 31st August, 1788. Presidents. Serafin de Arenas.. P. Hermenegildo de Vich. P. Hermendo. de Premiá.. P. Feliz de Vich. P. Bernardino de Sn. Felice. P. Pedro de Bibas.. It is a copy of that which the Rev. Father Fray Joseph Cervera sent me, and which I received in Turbaco the 27th March, 1789. No. 442. Letter from Governor Miguel Marmion to Buenaventura de San Celonis, Perfect of Missions, dated February 16, 1788, as to Founding the Village of Tumeremo. [Reprinted from Blue Book, No. 3, pp. 328-329.] To comply with the duties of the office I hold, and in order not to retard the measures that may conduce to the establishing of the village and cattle farm of which your Reverence and Assistants inform me in a communication of the 8th instant, I have decided to commission the Adjutant of the forces here, Don Antonio Lopez de la Puente, for this ser |