The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-12-01
DUTCH GUIANA NATIVES.
FACTS ABOUT SOME QUEER AND
LITTLE KNOWN PEOPLE.


Forests Their Habits and Customs.
cooiie. VINO work she plantations. =.
One OF the notwithstanding and least
known OF the American countries ID
Dutch Guiana. Though civilized colony
Of Holland, its forests contain numerous
Wild people of African ancestry, as savage
and untamed az any tribe in the dark
continent. Vastly rich in gold, the whole
interior Is one big placer mine, the bed
OF every stream being aglitter with the
precious metal.
The population OF Dutch Guiana, which
does not number more than 10000, Is
mainly composed Of civilized negroes
They are very different from people OF the
African race anywhere else, 50 that the
stranger, ON first ascending the Surinam
river, is apt to be astonished at their pc
culiarities. The costumes worn by tho
women are extraordinary, the invariabie
rule being that the skirt shall be made
exactly the length Of the wearer from the
top of the head to The toes. This article
of dress is fastened around the waist bya
gathering string, which leaves one hall
Of 1t trailing on the ground. But the
slack Is pulled up to the waist and fas-
tened again about that part Of the body
"a
fiuous material falls in an enormous
doubled fiounce around the stomach and
hips.
The waist OF the gown is made Of
single piece OF calico, with short sleeves,
which is starched TO such stiffness that IT
projects from the body all around at an
angle OF forty-tive degrees. From the
back OF this garment always dangle two
long pieces Of tape, though what they are
for nobody knows, tradition having
ceased to record the use to which these
streamers may be supposed to have been
put formerly. Presumably they were
once meant to fasten something, like the
two buttons at the back OF the white
mans coat. On, their heads the women
wear bandaffa handkerchiefs, tied in a
peculiar turhan-Iike fashion, which can
not be successfully initiated by any one
not Initiated in the art. They go bare
foot usually, and the men likewise, the
latter being attired In commonplace
paI1taloons and shirts.
The wild people already referred to are
known as the bush negroes. They live in
the forests OF the southern part of the
country, and are almost naked, the men
wearing only loin-cloth. They are ex-
tremely black, with kinky hair, and their
skins are glossy. 1t is believed that they
are descended from African slaves who
escaped from their masters during the
early slave days in Dutch Guiana. They
sustain existence by fishing and hunting,
after the most primitive methods, having
NO firearms, but pursuing game with the
bow and arrow. Nobody knows how
many OF them there are. They build she'd
like huts of palm leaves. Very rarely
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purpose of bartering certain raw prod
nets for liquor, OF which they are very
fond, like all sayages. For such trading
they collect gum from the balata tree,
which is exported in considerable quanti-
ties from Paramaribo. 1t serves excel
Iently as q substitute for gutta percha,
now that the latter substance is becom-
ing scarce. These bush negroes are quite
harmless and are frequently hired by
miners to help in the work. They seem
TO have no tribal organization, each fam
lily living by itself in isolated dwelling
or small group of huts.
The civilized negroes of the country
mostly make their living by catching
fish, selling fruit and working at the
mines, the women doing washing also.
Up to the present time the mines have
remained undeyeloped, only the most
primitive processes being employed to
obtain the gold. However, COMPANIES
have been newly formed for the purpose
of properly opening up this source OF
wealth, and before long it may be ex-
pected that Dutch Guiana will contribute
sarge quantities Of the yellow metal to
the worlds supply.
Another very interesting class of peo-
pie in Dutch Guiana inciudeszthe agricul-
tural laborers, the majority Of whom are
coolies from India. They are fetched
from that country under contract with
the British Government, being engaged
to work on the plantations for five years,
at theend of which time they must be
sent back. II they prefer to remain the
terms of the agreement EMIT e them to q
certain amount Of land or certain sum
of money.
The coolies are very misery, having
learned extreme frugality through gen.
erations Of want in their native land.
They subsist on the least that will sup
port life, saving every possible penny.
The women are very fond OF jewelry,
wearing as much of it as is practicable.
In fact the family savings are usually car
ried about in this shape, the females being
adorned with heavy bracelets, anklets,
silver. They further adorn themselves
with weighty earrings and huge rings,
often or inches in diameter, dan
gle from their noses. 1t is no uncommon
thing for woman to have such a
ring through the wing of one nostril,
while large pendant of filigree work
hangs from the nasal partition. Among
these people are many very expert jewell
ers, and two or three such are found on
every estate, who manufacture the orna-
ments out of the coin received in pay
ment Of wages. Many, of the women are
extremely pretty, their figures being
superb. They are also remarkably grace
full. AS to their morals not much that is
favorable can be said, but this applies
chiefly to the unmarried females, mas
much as the men will almost always kill
their wives if they find them unfaithful
Rene Bache, in st. Louis Globe Demo-
crat.
IN. - : IL