The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-08-23

which amounted in that year to 25O OUNCES.
This is represented by the smallest pyramid.
The next year gave 939 ounces. In 1886 the
output Jumped up to 65lS ounces, and oycry
year Shereafter the gold product almost
doubled, until in 1892 1t amounted TO l29.-
615 ounces. Nuggets and dust are exhibited
from the Puruni washings, Groote Creek.
the districts Of Demerara. Esscquebo alld
other gold bearers. SO rapidly il the gold
industry developing that railroad. connect
ING the Esseauebo and Demerara Rivers IL 10
be built for transporting tho product.
British Guiana has but one railroad. a
short coast linz connecting Georgetown, the
metropolis of the country, with Mahalcu,
twenty miles distant. Lines oil steamers,
however, use the rivers, and ferry steamers
are numerous. Logs and lurgo timbers arc
TRANSPORTED in manner peculiar to tho
country. Instead of being rafted down the
rivers the logs are slung in tho water on
either side OF punt, much after tho manner
of loa ling pack mule. A model OF one OF
these log-Iaden punts is one OF tho promi-
nent exhibits. The punt is shaped some
what like an Ohio River coal barge, only
narrower. It is house boat in which ham
mocks are slung, for whole Indian families
often live on thesepunts. The craft Is steercd
by long sweep and carries q surprising
amount of timber. The logs lie ou outrig-
gers of wood, which extend on eithor side
twice the width OF the punt.
British Guiana is rich in woods. Tho fact
Is proved beyond peradyenture by tho variety
of forest products which are shown. Huge
timbers form gigantic fence around thessc-
tion, and hundreds OF polished squares are
arranged in separate exhibit. Pilot Daniels
tapped tho round trunk OF the eta palm al
most with affection, as he recited the virtues
of the "best Of all trees" The eta palm gave
l.Slk md 1uin a.
tive Indians, and the arts OF civilization made
it o great commercial product. Its nuts are
edible, and the tender shoots or palmettos
which grow from the crown are esteemed rs
delicacies and preserved in sirup ana as
pickles. Its fiber, originally woven into
ropes and cloth, makes mats and hammocks,
its oil is used for medicine and cooking and
its sap or milk, which flows readily when the
tree is gashed, is caught in caiabushes, and,
after fermentation, drunk as wine.
The woods exhibited embrace some OF the
hardest and heaviest in the world. They
vary in color from nearly black through the
browns to almost pure white. Perhaps the
most singular Is the motted ''letter wood"
which resembles closely the snakewooi OF
East India. Its dark markings across the
grain look like irregularly formed letters. 1t
is the heart OF tree, rarely exceeding Six
inches in diameter, although the tree is some
times two feet across. Taking very high
polish, it is largely used for walking canes
and for inlaid work. The greenhcart. from
which the quinine OF British Guiana is taken.
| is dense, heavy timber OF greenish yellow
color, almost entirely free from knots and
| even grained. It ranks with oak and teak
! for ship building, and is used all through the
| country for building the homes OF the peo-
| pie. Mora is Z reddi5h-Jrowa wood, not 80
heavy rs graenheart. but like grsenheart IS
! procurablc in logs ofsiNtyto eighty feet long
and 10 to two feet in diameter. Wallaba IS
| dark crimson in color, and makes the shin
sies OF the country. It is easily split. and is
also used for paliny ami sat slaves. A, ator-
iny rlin-water IS 4 necessity III British
! Guiana. the wallaba is Indispensable. lts
| fame rs a ycater-carrier extends 70 the West
Indies, for in 1891 nearly 800, ,O39 waliaha
shingles were shipped TO the Islands.
To the Indians the cassava dominates all
trees and shrubs From its poisonous root
the bread of tho family is prepared. The root
is grated and the pulp, having been
squeezed dry in what is called the ''masta-
pee" is placed Oh tho "5arbacue. or sacl1,
over the fireplace, until all tho poisonous
! iuica is evaporated- It is then baked III L
| flat iron dish to form Il kind OF pancake Or
f1ap-ack. The cassava bread is kept from
| enyious hands il a showcase in the exhibit,
| with several cases OF cassava starch. CassaV;i
| iuioe is prepared in another way. Inc
poison hay: az first beeH expelled by evapo-
ration the juice is turned into dark brown