Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-01-16

onies," the western boundary of British
Guiana is again stated to be between the
Pomeroon river and the Barima river.
The statement that some regard the
Barma river as the western boundary,
and others the Pomeroon, formerly left
to foot note, is incorporated into the main
text, and further evidence of attention TO
this precise matter Is afforded by some
changes of phraseology. Trinity Parish
Is again described as extending to the
Pomeroon river and las far as the British
settlements extend" A transcript Is given
from a page of the Colonial Blue Book
for 1886 which says of this parish "extent
unknown" The colony Is again described
as wholly east OF the sixtieth parallel of
longitude, the region about Point Barima
being thus again expressly excluded. The
statement which gives the colony about
200 miles of sea coast Is repeated. but an
elaborate chart accompanies the work
which limits the extent of sea-coast to
one hundred and fifty miles, an indication
of a leaning to the Pomeroon boundary.
Mr.. Wyld, geographer to the Queen,
furnished for the work a map which
shows the location but nothing as to the
extent of British Guiana and the map
accompanying the earlier work is not re-
produced. 1t was shortly before this last
mentioned publication that one of the coll
onal governors, whom likely enough Mr..
Martin had consulted, permitted himself
Z 10 say tlut the GOmerOOn might be taken
as the boundary of British Guiana.
1t was in the interval between the two
publications that the British Charge daft
aires in Venezuela, Sir Robert ker Por-
ter. officially requested the Venezuelan
government to erect a light house on
Barima Point, assuming as a matter of
course the jurisdiction of Venezuela in
that region. Sir Robert was an accom-
plished traveller scholar, author, and
painter brother, 1t may be interesting
= % note of Jane Porter of Thaddeus of
| warsaw and Scottish Chiefs fame. He
| ad been for years in Caracas, where he
xecuted two of his most noted paintings.
| nd was thoroughly familiar with the
! elations of England and Venezuela in all
| heir objects. He was anything but a
| lunderer and 1t remains to be proved that
| re was laundering when he addressed his
| low famous note of 1886 to the govern
| tent of Venezuela.
| 1t was, it may further be stated, but a
ew months later than the publication of
Mr.. Martins second work above noted.
hat court of British Guiana rendered
he decision, now frequently referred to,
| lenying British jurisdiction beyond the
| Morocco. The well-known facts with re-
| gard to the governors expression, Sir
| robert Ker Porter's note, and this judi
| 'ial decision, are referred to here for the
| purpose of showing that they were not the
results of individual ignorance, alteration
or carelessness, but that they were Of
fcial acts in strict accord with the views
| endorsed and promulgated by the homo
government, and that the colonial officers
and diplomatic representatives of Great
Britain from 1885 to the time of Schom-
urgk's report understood the views of their
government to be what we now must
gather them to have been from the facts
above recited.
We are at a remove of so years and up
wards from the date of the cession from
Holland to England OF the colonies which
constitute British Guiana When Mr..
Martin began his researches, however not
more than ten years had elapsed since
that event. When he published the His
tory of the British Colonies" barely a
score of years had elapsed, and when the
History of the Colonies of the British
Empire" appeared but rs years had passed
since the transfer of 1914.
: The actual extent of Dutch occupation
was to the generation of Mr.. Martin and
Sir Robert Ker Porter, a matter of COM
paratively easy determination. and the
discovery of new evidence of an unamb-
guous character Is necessary to warrant
a more extensive British claim at this
day than was made in the years from 1885
to 1910.
The boundary dispute between Vene-
! zuela and Great Britain did not, as Lord
Salisbury says, begin until 1870 1t began
then in the demarcation of the Schom-
, burgk line and the assertion by Great
Britain of more extended claim than
, she had heretofore put forth. Did Sir
Robert schomburgk find evidence to war
,, rant this enlargement of claim or did he
, i'm fact encounter evidence confrmatory
of the restricted views previously held?
Schomburgk. 1t must be conceded. was
thoroughly familiar with Guiana and its
inhabitants before the date OF his commits
oil md linz tn I nrdg In iGh ttr oil
among other things upon information OBJ
, tanned from the Indians in determining foi
, his guidance THE zone from which al
traces of Spanish influence was absent
: He began his surveys on the'coast and sci
up posts which carried the British claim
, beyond Point Barima and the Barlma rive
|, to the river Amacuro. But surely on the
Barima and the Waini rivers and in thu
whole region west of the Pomeroon h,
must have been confronted with evidence
:, that he was within and not beyond the
area of Spanish influence. The Indians
themselves were such evidence. A few
: years after his survey an enumeration o.
the Indians included in the coast dstric
inscribed by the Schomburgk line wa:
taken by the colonial authorities of British
Guiana who had begun to advance som
0 pretentions over that region. OF tn
I Arawaaks. the most civilized tribe II
: Guiana, I'LL were, found on the Barim;
6 river and it's tributaries. and of these 81
$ were designated Spanish Arawaaks.
Eastward on the Waini river and Its tri
i butaries were found 119 Arawaaks and o
, these 70 were designated Spanish Ara
$ walks" Further eastward on the Morocco
: river and its tributaries were found Il
t Arawaaks and of thehe 231 were designate
y Spanish Arawaaks"
: Further eastward still on the Pomeroo
& river and Its tributaries the enumeration
showed plainly what a student of the re
levant historical facts would expect
Traces of Spanish influence were almos
:. wholly absent On this river and Its tri
n butaries were found 557 Arawaaks. but o
h these only s were designated as Spanish
J. Arawaaks. The figures given are thos
|. furnished by an official census taken 1
e 1851 in Governor Henry Berkley's tins
n and are those regularly returned by tn
: Pomeroon postholder.
g According to London telegram ex-Gov
ernor Berkeley has recently been inter
o Viewed and has said that In the presen
: contention Venezuela has mot q leg /
i stand on" He must surely have forgotte
s the results of his census of 1851 or he mus
r then have failed to appreciate their tire
h mendous force In disproving the extrem
Views held and acted upon in Englan
4 and the colony prior to is4O. returned I
n by Lord Aberdeen and Sir Robert Peel 1
d 1874, and by the British ministry durin
y the premiership Of Mr.. Gladstone. twic
: made the basis Of ofiiciai propositions.
nj But It ID said by Lord salisbury ths
az 4. a =. 81 N ! ~ .i a. N u.