CHAPTER XIII
DUTCH AND FRENCH GUIANA
Dutch Guiana
This country, sometimes called Suriname, about the size of New York State, by the Peace of 1667 was conceded to the Netherlands, Great Britain taking New York in exchange. Situated between British and French Guiana it has the Atlantic Ocean on the north, and Brazil on the south.
The colony has a Governor and an executive council appointed by the Crown, a Legislature elected from the 16 districts. There are District Courts besides a Supreme Court at Paramaribo appointed by the Crown. The population is about 107,500, the vast majority colored, besides negroes and Indians in the forest.
Paramaribo, population 37,000, the capital and the only city of importance, is situated at the mouth of the Surinam River. Other settlements are on or near the coast, mostly a little east or west of the Surinam, between the Saramacca and the Commewyne rivers. Some remarkable cross channels and the various rivers make boat navigation possible, at least in the rainy season, all the way from the Maroni River, the eastern boundary, to the Corentyn on the west. Like the rivers in British Guiana those here are not navigable far up, being likewise interrupted by rapids. Back of the low coast land are savannas with low hills, some rising to 3000 feet, and impenetrable forests back to the Tumac Humac Range along the Brazilian frontier. There are a long and a short dry season with periods of heavy and lighter rain.
Transportation. The only port of commercial importance is the capital. Internal communication, in addition to the rivers and channels, is confined to a single railway extending 109 miles from Paramaribo to Macami on the Surinam River, a gold shipping point, to which at last accounts there was a weekly train.
Resources
The natural resources of the country are practically the same as those of British Guiana.
Agriculture
Sugar was a source of great wealth in the days of slavery, but since this was abolished in 1863 the industry has declined. Where once there were 400 plantations with an export of 26,000,000 pounds in the year 1800, there are now hardly a dozen, scarcity of labor hindering industry. The soil is rich, and recently there has been some revival, so that 25,000,000 pounds were produced in 1918.
Cacao has been cultivated from the beginning, and increasingly after the abolition of slavery. From 1870 when 1,000,000 pounds were exported the production increased until 9,000,000 were exported in 1895, since when it has been declining. Some plantations were ruined by a disease which attacked the trees. Its effects have been gradually overcome, and the crop in 1918 was nearly 4,000,000 pounds.
Coffee was a large crop in the 18th century, 400 plantations producing over 12,000,000 pounds annually; later the production decreased to 500,000 pounds, but in 1918 was over 3,700,000.
Balatá for a while was first in importance, but later diminished.
Rice alone shows progress but though 7,500,000 pounds are raised, some is imported, mostly from British Guiana. Some bananas are raised, over 700,000 bunches, a few sent to Europe. The production of corn was nearly 4,000,000 pounds; of rum over 1,000,000 litres.
Mining
Gold has been mined for a long time. After a large discovery in 1876 there was a rush to the field. For ten years prior to 1914 gold production declined, but increased in 1915 when nearly $800,000 in bullion was exported to the United States. Some European countries have invested, but few attempts with machinery have been successful.
An American company is said to have spent recently $1,000,000 in prospecting, in securing land, and in construction work about 100 miles from Paramaribo. They found large areas with high grade bauxite, and gold-quartz possibilities. Some gold was procured from hand worked placers. Arrangements for placer working on the Marowijne River have been made with the Dutch and French authorities. Quicksilver and high grade iron ore are reported as existing. Great caution should be exercised by persons disposed to enter the field.
Oil is said to have been located in three places: on the Surinam River about 90 miles above Paramaribo; on the Marowijne, 100 miles above Albina; and between the Surinam River and the railway, 48 miles above the head of deep water navigation. The second field is said to offer the best prospects, but there have been no developments.
Other Industries
Dutch Guiana is rich in undeveloped resources. There are immense untouched forests, grassy savannas capable of feeding thousands of cattle, undeveloped mineral resources; but all these await transportation facilities.
East Indian coolies and Javanese have been brought to the colony as laborers, but it is said that there are not enough laborers in the busy season and too many the rest of the time. It is hoped that the region will again prove attractive for settlement and capital.
French Guiana
This colony, the smallest of the three, has the Atlantic on the north and northeast; the Oyapock River on the east and the Tumac Humac Mountains on the south separate it from Brazil, the Marowijne River from Dutch Guiana on the west. The population is about 26,000. The country is governed by a Commissioner-General, and by a Privy Council; there is an elected Council of 16 members.
The Capital, Cayenne, with about one half of the population, at the mouth of the Oyack River, is the only town of importance. It is well situated on a rocky eminence with a pleasant view of the harbor. It might be made more attractive than Georgetown, but the colony has always been a little behind the others, its use as a penal settlement being a great disadvantage.
Transportation. Steamboat communication is had with the Safety Islands, 35 miles, with the mouth of the Marowijne River, 80 miles, with the coast in both directions, and with the Island of Martinique, which has better shipping communication. Steamers of the Compagnie Générale Trans-Atlantique call at Cayenne monthly.
Resources
In physical characteristics this colony is similar to the others, but its agriculture is of slight importance. The principal crops are corn, rice, manioc, cacao, coffee, sugar, indigo, tobacco.
Mining and forest products alone are of value in export. Gold is the chief production, more than $2,000,000 a year being generally exported. Most of the 225 claims developed are being worked by paroled convicts. Those who escape or are paroled often give serious annoyance to the people in the other Guianas and are frequently a serious danger. Most of the country is still covered with dense forest, where probably much more gold will be found. Phosphate rock is shipped in small quantities.
The American Company already referred to has headquarters at St. Laurent, the site of the penal colony, a port 40 miles up the Marowijne or Maroni River. Here they have big dredges, aeroplanes, and a wireless station.
Traces of petroleum have been observed southeast of the Marowijne River, but the indications are not of definite importance.
Forest products are second in importance, rosewood and its extract, other hard woods, and balatá being exported; also vegetable oils, cacao, and a few domestic animals.
Railways have been talked of, and it is expected that one will be constructed towards the interior in the not remote future.
Aeroplane service is reported as to be installed, both freight and passenger, from Cayenne to the gold regions of the interior.