Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1854-07-14
MIS- n Y .
A pREpICAMENT;
And how I got out OF it.

Perhaps few Of our colonies are 80 little
Known as Guiana. Its very name, ten years
src. was seldom either heard or seen, except
5a the contingencies and ledches Of the
comparatiyely few merchants trading to ons
cf is three great diyisions-pemarara, Es'
guiso, and Berbice. Il Is better known
amongst US now, by name q, least, as III,
homc Of the Victoria Regia; TO saw nothing
Of the impetus given to is timber trade by
,he fns collection Of ITS WOODS shown IN tbs
Grrl, Exhibition.
Perhaps nav just say, that Guiana Is The
northeast pOr:ion Of South America, cH'
tenJins from the Orinoco southwark TO the
Amazon. Il Is divided amongst the British,
Dstch and French. British Guiana is the
most uorihcia portion, extending % the
sca-b0lri from the Ornoco TO Ihe Coreniyu,
and inland to the sources Of the la, men,
TONED river and the Esquibo-an arsa Of per
hars 10000 squarc miles. Dutch Guiana,
or Suriuam, extends from the river Coreo-
,va 10 the Maroay, and between them inland
to their sourccs-,he area being not much
les than 10000. French Guiana, OF Cay
err.. cxtcnds coasiwise from the Narony 10
,hs OyapOck, which separates !, from Brazil.
Is extension inland Is uncertain, bot the area
j, supposed TO be 1900 square miles
With an these divisions Of Guiana, | have
had occasion TO become more or less acquain,'
Cd. thourh chiefly rcsiden, at Georgetown,
theeapi,ll Of Dcmana-indeed, OF the whole
colouy, there being perhaps as many whites
in Georgetown as in the whole Of Esequi-
b5 and Berb.ce together.
a., business is Guiana was an Old Soe.
I, was the collecting Of skins-alike Ofbclsts,
birds, and rcptles-abd such other specimens
ofnatural history as could be dried and ,r'us-
m,,cd TO Europe, TO be re-auima'ed in the
hands OF the professional siutIer Perhaps
d. not oycr-esiimais my success, Il say
,ha, some tvo-,hirds Of tho specimens eN-
ported from the colony were the produce Of
my expeditions. These were, Of course, un-
Jeraken only 10 the dry seasons, Of which,
IN Guiana. there are ,wo-,he long dry sea
son. from Angus, to November, and the
short. February and March. The course Of
proc sediug was this. Nv Indian scout, an
ArraWack naned Bara, got his corral ready,
aud lard in a supply, according to the time
We proposed beirg absess, Of Indian eo'n'
cassaya. sc.
For ths meat TO accompany this. we de-
rendei upon my double-barrelled gun, or n
fr. as the case might be. As TO clothes
Barra's course vas the reverse of that usu-
ally adopted by travellers. Instead Of adding
4 s1rply. Or clothing to his stock, ne
a.scardcd the decent SUI, be used to wear .,
town and cOuisatsd einsslf With single
strip Of cotton e,Jin bound tightly round his
l0ins. and serving to hold large knife. NV
own wardrobe was somWhat Of the scan,lesi,
bet We each had bag slung round us-Bar-
r,'s to hold provisions when We left the co,
rial fur the lores; and mine to receive such
feathercd or other spoil as We nigh, be able
to collect.
Oae part Of our equipment must not be
forgotten a strong, bu, no, thick rope,
abou, eighty fee, long, knO.led At intervals Of
halfa yard, and having a, one end two
pound iron ball. This was used when, BY
good luck, we cane on a bu'h-hog or o,he'
animal and dd not wish to scarce the for.
Is, by our frearms. /, was Of still more
essential service in another way, to be de-
scr.bcl presently.
I,vas a lovely morning in August, when
Barra and I stepped into the hrle corral, and
raddled leisurely Up the noble Esequlbo
AZ We landed a, two or three Islands on our
way, We had not made above twenty miles
when evening drew ia soon afer which vs
pulled ashore to an Arawaek eneamPmeni
Tor the night The next dly ahd nigh, were
so.o, IN the sane and on the thiId morning
Us padded few miles higher up still, ID
the Co, Of the rivers mouth, where We SC
cured the coral. Having slung our bags,
took the rifle, Barr the fOwllng-Piees, an'
we started for the foresi-which indeed cam
down to the waters edge-eaTrying the col
Of rope ~ turns. As nv object was to Sc
cure birds, we did not care to hre until VI
should see something worth firing al. W.
had bssn tracking the forest, assisted by Bar
ra's knife, for about two hours, when w
came upon a small patch Of savanna, at ih'
further side Of which stood a noble greenhar
(N,cioadra Rodiq) Of large girth, and with
out branch for perhaps ihy feet. The tree
however, might have been passed unno,i'ed
bad j, no, been crowned By an unusually zoe
group Of toueans. Had fred at them irou
the ground, mus, have used shO, that would
commercially damage them; while, II We
could only get up the tree pretty near them
snall-sAO, sOuid secure them almost unin'
Jursd.