The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-11-22
IN TROPIC SEAS ANDLANDS
A Birds Eye View of Places Hereto
fore Seen Through Glass Darkly.
Jack Harris at the POiut
OF View.

About 13o north latitude, on the way
directly north from British Guiana, s A.
or you can discover by your Biographies
where that il y
Editor Daily JoWpdl-This is Sunday at
sea, not much like that of a Vermont vii.
lage, OF course there are no religious SER
vices, and in fine weather the crew take
sort Of "day off, which is the only recog.
milton of the day The day is spent in
losfing, telling stories, reading, mending
clothes and attending to the little details Of
personal life to which they cannot ordinar-
lily turn their attention.
It's a pleasant sight. The ship is bound
ing along over the long swells in the sun
light, the passengers and crew are disposed
in hooks and corners about tho ship, where
ever the fancy strikes them, and the scene
TO landsman Is one of the most interesting
Imaginable.
We arrived eff the Demerara light ship at
daylight, Friday morning The Demerars,
OdnOcO and other of the great South Amer
lean rivers which drain into the sea in this
vicinity dscolor the water for miles out
with yellow mud. A lead bar at the mouth
! Of, or off the Demerara river, renders navi-
| CATION very difficult and sometimes danger
Gus.
Your geography will tell you that the re-
| public of Venezuela comes first on the
north coast of South America then British
| Dutch and French Guiana, and then the
great republic Of Brazil. Demerara is the
colonial capital and seaport Of British Gut
ana, Surinam Of Dutch Guiana and Cay
enne Of French Guiana. OFF Cayenne is
| Devils Island, the place OF Dreyfus' inn
prisonment The island is not far distant,
and | hope to get around there before |
return.
AS l write 1 am wondering what your
idea is OF a country under the equator. Do
you imagine IL a land OF the burning sun.
OF crocodiles, cobras and tropical swamps?
Very likely. did once Thus far l can
only give you my experience Of British
Guiana, province Of the geographical
size OF Vermont, whose middle and lower
half Is on the equator. 1t is all equator
here; we are supposed to be immediately
under the burning line of fire. But how
about 1t? In cool breeze in the shade the
thermometer will probably stand at $50
In the shade where there is no breeze, TO-
hotter, or, although you may not feel I'M
comfortable, the perspiration will run il
streams. In the sun-oh ye gods any
where from 1909 to 400. 1t bisters
, scorches, prostrstes. No one except tn,
!, dark skinned natives attempts to walk an!
distance in the sun. The first thing Wis
itor has to learn Is to move moderately an(
keep out OF the sun as much as possible.
? The population of British Guiana is, II
! round numbers, 27S, 900. OF these there ar
,, (now wonderD 10000 Hindus, or Coolies
14, 900 negroes of all shades, quite lsrg
number OF Aboriginal Indians, 900 Portu
gese, 1900 Chinese, good sprinkling o
! | Japenese, Australians, Irish, French
l Swedes, Dutchmen and somewhere in tn
vicinity OF $500 real and actual whites
Think of only 1000 or less OF white folks
. in population OF nearly 100000 IL ism
exactly a white mans country" Th
4 population of the city of Demerara, o
Georgetown, is 53,17S divided in race