The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-09-10
LIFE ON A HUGE MUD FLAT.
WHAT A CORRESPONDENCE SAW IN
DEMERARA
British Guiana and les PeOpIe-Im-
mense Market Houses and what
they ycOntain-HusinessI Interests.

mense Market Houses and what
they cOntain-Business Interests.
In an interesting letter from George
town, Demerara, to the Chicago Tribune
the writer says: On the northern coast
of South America, and to the eastward
of the Orinoco delta, there lies a huge
mud fat. In our biographies it is called
Guiana, and in romance and history it is
spoken of as the Spanish Main; but to
the commercial world and to the people
generally it is known as Demerara. Back
of this mud fiat, at a distance of from
thirty to sixty miles, commences the
dark forest of Guiana, which stretches
in an almost uninterrupted band over the
equator and down to the Amazon River
This mud fiat and this forest have their
history, and strange and romantic one
it is. But, for the present at least,
will have to omit the romance and try to
give you an idea of a very matter-of-fact
city, whose interest now centers in its
chief exports-sugar and rum. George
town, the capital of British Guiana, lies
upon the right bank of the Demerara
river almost at its mouth. Its popula-
tion, they tell me, is about AZ, 900, of
which some 5000 are colored, yellow,
black or brown, for the majority of its
citizens come from distant climes-some
from China, many from Africa, and
thousands from the southern provinces of
India. In approaching the Guiana coast,
if your captain has his bearings correctly,
the taller buildings of Georgetown and the
masts of vessels in the harbor will appear
over the horizon before the land itself is
seen; for, as l have said, Guiana is a
mud-1at, and its coast lies four feet
below the level of the sea, the salt ocean
being only kept off the land by an extern
sive system of dykes. AS your vessel
makes her way through the mud -colored
waters and objects begin to assume some
distinctness you will see directly under
your bow, on little artificial eminence,
the tumble down fort which guards the
mouth of the Demerara river. To the
left will be seen long stretch of sea-
coast made apparent only by the line of
courida trees which grow along its edge,
and by the tall chimneys of sugar estates,
scattered here and there; while to the
right will appear the same monotonous
scene, ending on the western horizon
with the Island of Wakenaam which lies
directly in the mouth of the river Esse-
quibo. Sailing around the little port and
going perhaps half mile up the river
you will drop anchor before the city
itself, the sight of which will certainly
not prepossess you in its favor, especially
if the tide is up and the long slopes OF
green ooze left uncovered by the reced
ing waters are in view.
The day will, without doubt, be hot
for all days are hot in this Southern land
and you will be besieged by shouting
negroes in bright colored boats, who will
worry you more in one minute than oul
much-maligned hotel-runners would in
an hour: but the torture will end some
time, and you will eventually find your.
self on one of the numerous ''stellings, )
or wharves, surrounded most likely BY
sugar hogsheads and rum puncheons
and a disorderly crowd of coolie porterf
and negro donkey drivers, all anxious t.
take you and your baggage to some
hotel. There are only two hotels in the
place--the "Tower" and the 'Demerari
Ice house"-so that no great effort is re
quired to make a choice Both arr
equally bad, and neither can compare il
accommodations or table with many les
pretentious establishments to be found
through "the islands" Perhaps thi
may in a measure be accounted for BY
the opposition which they receive from
the numerous clubs which are supported
here by every body who is anybody, anC
supply solid and liquid refreshment to
vast majority of the white men O
Georgetown. Perhaps the best place t.
get an idea of the strange life here is il
the Stabroek market This handsome
hlI q trrhO
Water street; and runs back to thu
river. 1t is rooted with corrugated iron
and such portions of it as are enclosed
are of stamped metal. The interior il
divided off into stalls, which are rented
to Portuguese, negroes and coolies, and arr
occupied for all sorts of purposes. DowI
one side are the fruit-venders, mostly
fat, comfortable-looKing negro women
each with huge baskets of fruit before
her, loudly soliciting patronage from the
passersby. In these baskets, and hang
ing from a frame work, are all sorts O
extraordinary looking fruits-granadil
las, paw-paws, alligator pears, sapodillas
mangoes, guavas, water-lemons, and sta
apples, to say nothing of the familia
orange, pineapple, and banana. Thes
latter are of various sizes the smalles
here and in ''the islands" called ''ig,
being the fayorite. This little banana
of less size than a mans thumb, has
most delicious, slightly acid taste, and i
as far superior to our common banana a.
can be imagined. Back of the fruit stalls
and covering the whole of the rear o
the building, are the fish and vegetable
markets, and many curiosity they con
taln-hsh of queer appearance anC
strange names, querryman, gillbacca
pacu, cartabac, and so on; vegetable
like the yam and yuca, which take tn
place of our potatoes. and plantains il
enormous lunches, the staple food o
the poorer classes and Indians. Occupyin,
the center of the market are the stalls 0
Portuguese traders-dealers in all man
ner of curious things, paddles, parrots
hammocks, monkeys, common grocerie
and bright-colored cloths; while to tn