No. 133.

Tobago, the original of which was torn down there by Captain Sayer, commanding His Britannic Majesty's war-ship the "Richmond," and sent to me by Mr. Gidney Clarke on the 6th of this month, from which your Lordships will plainly see that it is the firm intention of the French to establish themselves there-an intention which they have already fairly carried out.

The title of "Governor of the Continent from the River Amazon to the River Orinoque" (in which district Surinama, Berbices, and this Colony are situated), which that Marquis gives himself, seems to me somewhat strange, although the title itself is of little importance when it is not accompanied by immediate possession, and I would by no means grudge him the title of Governor of Tobago, in the same manner as that of these Colonies, where he has the title and we the possession.

Extract from letter from Storm van's Gravesande, Commandeur in Essequibo, to West India Company, June 10, 1749.

*

[Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 2, pp. 324–325.]

*

*

*

*

*

I also consider it my duty to inform you that I summoned before the last regular session of the Court one Pieter de Blaker, because the slaves of the plantation Aegtekerke in their bread plantations had been greatly injured by his men, their raspstones stolen, their mana vis1 and parses1 burnt, and however frequently I had upon accusation of the director Malgraef, addressed him in this connection, I could obtain not the least satisfaction for the slaves.

However, except that he was ordered to restore the property, I attained nothing, it being urged that the bread-plantations of Aegtekerke are on his land.

I am greatly mistaken if this argument holds good, for those plantations lie fully two hours further inland, behind the plantation of the said Blaker; and if a man may thus reckon backward by the compass, the land of his plantation extends westward to Rio Orinoco. I know and am convinced that this is absolutely inadmissible; but on this account it becomes highly necessary that the estates as to their depth be defined by you, for the Court of Policy is frequently troubled with disputes concerning lands lying thus back in the interior.

*

*

*

*

*

1Note by Prof. Burr.-The meaning of these words is unknown to seem names of implements used in the culture or preparation of cassava. be an r.

* * *

*

the translators. They The v of manavis may

No. 135.

Extract from letter from Adolph von Rosen, Colonist in Essequibo, to Mgr. Tessin, Prime Minister to the King of Sweden, July 20, 1749.1

*

[Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 2, pp. 325-326.]

*

*

*

*

*

MOST NOBLE LORD: May it please your lordship to forgive me for being so bold as to bring to your notice a matter of great importance, inasmuch as I have learned that here, between Orinoco and etc.2, a large and very fertile land lies uninhabited and wild, with two large rivers or rather streams, the first from here Waini, the second river Barima3 at the mouth of Orinoco; and I have learned that this land belongs to His Majesty the King of Sweden by inheritance and in his own right, and this land could yearly produce great sums if it were cultivated and planted.

*

*

*

No. 136.

*

Extracts from letter from Storm van's Gravesande, Commandeur in Essequibo, to West India Company, September 8, 1749.

[Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 2, pp. 327, 328.]

It has been looking for some time as if the Orinoco trade were at a standstill; for, ever since the peace, so many French ships have come there that everything is glutted with wares, so that very little chance is left for our colonists.

*

*

*

*

For six months I have seen no Indians from that side, so that I do not. accurately know now how matters go on there.

1 Note by Prof. Burr.-This letter, seized among Rosen's papers after his arrest in Barima in 1766 and forwarded to the West India Company in the Director-General's letter of September 6, 1767, has been already printed in translation in Blue Book No. 3, p. 147.

*Note by Prof. Burr.—This is clearly the reading of the manuscript. Whether meant as an abbreviation of Essequibo, as seems assumed by the British translators, or as a concealment of the name of that river, is matter for conjecture.

Note by Prof. Burr.-The original was written "the first from here Barima, the second river Waini," and the British translators have followed this; but the writer himself saw his error and placed over Wyne" a "1," over Barima" a "2," iudicating their transpositionwherefore it is here so printed and translated,

No. 136.

But out of curiosity I sent this question1 over and took advice on it from the foremost jurists in the province of Holland.

*

*

*

*

*

* *

*

*

*

At the conclusion of the aforesaid advice I was astonished to note that the owners of the Baskensburg were deemed to have treated me with the utmost ingratitude because I had for their sake risked my honor, reputation and property, inasmuch as this ship had been stranded at Pechy and therefore on the territory of Spain and I had had no right to touch it. Of this I had absolutely no thought, and it shall make me in the future somewhat more prudent.

Extract from proceedings of the West India Company (Zeeland Chamber), including the Report on the Colony of Essequibo, submitted in person by Commandeur Storm van's Gravesande, June 22, 1750.

*

[Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 2, pp. 328-331, 333.]

*

*

*

*

*

The Commandeur Laurens Storm van's Gravesande having arrived here by the aforesaid ship de Goude Spoor and having sent in his name this morning to this Chamber, he was by vote of the members admitted, and when he had taken a seat, by invitation of the President, and had greeted the members, he laid before the Chamber his written memorial or report, setting forth both the present state of the Colony of Essequibo and his plans for the correction and improvement of various matters there. *

*

The lookout-watch has been washed away by the heavy swell of the water and must be transferred to another place. At the Company's trading-places also everything is well at present, they being provided with good postholders. The one at Arinda up in Essequibo I have ordered to be transferred to four days' journey higher, at the creek Rupununi, this being the actual route of the tribes who come from up in

1 Note by Prof. Burr.-This refers to the taking possession, by the Essequibo Commandeur, in 1744, of the slave-ship Baskensburg, stranded on the west coast of Moruca. (See Blue Book, No. 3, pp. 85, 86, No. 75.) In reporting the affair to the West India Company (February 11, 1745), Storm van's Gravesande had described the location of the wreck as 'between Camoeni and Peche, about 15 [Dutch] miles below [i. e., west of] the Post in Moruca" (tusschen Camoeni en Peche omtrent 15 mylen beneeden de Post in Maroco). The bay of Peche, according to the Bouchenroeder map (Atlas of the Commission, map 46), is a little east of the mouth of the Waini. The minutes of the Zeeland Chamber later (October, 1747) speak of "the ship Baskensburg stranded in the year 1744 near the river Orinoco" (ontrente de rivier d'Oronocque gestrand.)

No. 137.

Orinoco and Corentyn and pass through the country to trade or make war higher up.

*

Hereby the colony would attain a flourishing and in course of time a formidable state, and the interior (which is unknown) would be explored and cultivated, the lands which lie along the river being devoted to growing sugar and rice, and those in the interior to other crops; and thus many discoveries would doubtless be made which would bring great utility and profit. For this nothing is lacking but able and industrious people, and it is a shame (if I may use the word) for the Dutch, that two nations not to be compared with them for industry, namely the Portuguese and the Spaniards, who are situated at the right and the left of these colonies, and who are groaning under so hard, even slavish, a rule, are owners of so many treasures and so fortunate in their discoveries.

It is urgently necessary that the limits of the Company's territory be known, in order successfully to oppose the continual approach of the neighboring Spaniards, who, if they are not checked will at last shut us in on all sides, and who under pretext of establishing their missions are fortifying themselves everywhere. And, because the limits are unknown, we dare not openly oppose them as might very easily be done, by means of the Carib nation, their sworn enemies. Please study in this connection the accompanying map, drawn up by the Spaniards themselves and copied from theirs. 2

The frequent and well-founded complaints which the Spaniards make of the damage done to them by the Carib nation well deserve your attention, not only on account of the damage which the Spaniards suffer, for by their harsh and unjust dealings they give cause for this, but on account of the inevitable consequences which in course of time might befall the colony. For it is the extreme of imprudence in the colonists that, urged on solely by an unworthy thirst for gain, they themselves put into the hands of that warlike nation, who beyond dispute are the bravest and most numerous on this coast, the weapons which in future may bring about their own destruction--I mean the firearms, powder, and ball so often given them in exchange for slaves. The meagre excuse to which they resort, namely that these are only bad 1 Note by Prof. Burr.-He has been urging, at much length, the need of more settlers.

2 Note by Prof. Burr.-Atlas of the U. S. Commission, map 61.

No. 137.

trade guns, is far from satisfactory, for not only are good ones sometimes found among the trade guns, but this dealing has already brought about this result, that the great terror which the tribes formerly had of such weapons has almost disappeared, which is bad indeed.

Wherefore it should be deemed of the greatest importance that that trade be absolutely prohibited on penalty of heavy fines.

The determining of the limits being an object of His Highness's1 attention, to whom in this connection a certain small map, mentioned in the Commandeur's memorial, had been handed by him, the Committee was of opinion that His advice thereon should be awaited.

Extract from letter from Adriaan Spoors, Secretary and Acting Commandeur in Essequibo, to West India Company, September 8, 1750.

[Reprinted from U. S. Commission, Report, Vol. 2, pp. 334-335.]

The Commandeur having at his departure given me to understand that there was information that the Spaniards were beginning to construct a new mission close by here, and that it was necessary to pay attention thereto, I have carefully informed myself about it through the colonist Fredrik Persik, who in person has gone thither, and has the greatest intercourse with the Spaniards. He has assured me that the last mission which is being constructed is in a certain little river called Imataca, situated far off in Orinoco, and which (in my opinion) is certainly far outside the concern of this colony. And concerning those which are said to have been constructed up in the river Cuyuni, I am instructed that they are decidedly nearer to the side of the Spanish than to our territory. I have, for the reasons aforesaid, thought it my duty to make report of this to you. The aforesaid Persik has also informed me that the Fathers up in Orinoco were inclined to open a trade with this colony in cattle, which they, if able to obtain permission, could transport overland.

1Note by Prof. Burr.—The Prince of Orange, the Stadhouder. Unfortunately that prince died only a few months later, and no communication from him on this subject is to be found.