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made the tour to the Cottica creek, observed, that he never had
been at Bluebergh, and therefore asked me whether I would make
a party with him ? The plan was soon arranged, and on the twenty-*
first of last month we set out in a very handsome barge. In rowing
up the river Surinam, at the first plantation on our right we passed
a canal which has been made for a communication between the
river Surinam and that of Saramacca: on the banks of the latter
are many new plantations established, § had been twice on this
river, but as it was in the company of some gentlemen who are in the
mercantile line, their business obliged them each time to return to
Paramaribo in the course of two or three days. On the upper part
of the river Saramacca, the settlements are plantations of wood, but
towards the mouth of the river it appears that a good deal of rite
and Indian corn is cultivated, which sell extremely well at Surinam.
The canal which joins the two rivers, tonsave expense, has been cut
into the Wanica creek, which proceeds from the Saramacca; but as
this canal is cut in a zigzag manner between the boundaries of the
plantations, the heavy rains often wash down quantities 6f the earth,
particularly from die angular points: besides which, the tides are
hindered thereby from passing freely and rapidly through the channel,
in 'consequence of which, this earth is left to accumulate,
and fill up the canal; wherefore a t present the heavy laden
boats, except at very high water, find a great difficulty in passing*
and those who suffer most by the inconvenience are very anxious
to have the canal altered, and made straight. But as for the
completion of such a work many planters must send their negroes
to labour in cutting the canal, the desired undertaking meets
with great difficulty; besides, the owners of those plantations
through which the straight line would lead, and whose fields are
highly cultivated, will, of course, ask now a considerable indemnification
for their land. I never could learn whether the land
lying along the coast between the rivers Surinam and Saramacca
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has been examined to see if it be good for the cultivation of cotton,
as its situation might naturally lead one to expect: but it seems it has
not. Nbw*;if some persons were1 sent properly to investigate this
parti Und theyishOUld^frnd it; to possess all the qualities for the
growth:.of excellent cotton, the'project for a eanal might be immediately
carried into, effect, and the land here only given to such
persons as would ..Contribute! towards the execution of i t ; which
would favour also the communication between the colonies of Surinam
and Berbice.- At the end of the present-canal, whefe it communicates
with the Wanica c r e e k - , a military post, and here is
also a'eburitry inn, the only bnC-in the colony; this inn; however,'
is -biit seldom* visited'; and aS the landlord knows that it is only
chance,1'or some partieulaf accident, which brings a traveller to his
house, he-thinks himself entitled. to!charge most eiorbitantly.
i- The next day, which was the twenty’^ecdnd of April, we arrived?
at Wbrlsly Ja'cobs, wh^rc there is a quarry of stone belonging to
government, and the only one that is worked in the colony: the
stou&nare blown up with gunpowder by negroes, th£n loaded in
carts drawn by oxen, and brought to the river, from whence they are
conveyed to Paramaribo for laying the foundations of houses. The
negroes employed here in the stone works do not labour harder
than those men who follow a similar calling in Europe.
The director assured us government had no profit from this
place; but that ibis kept on merely for the benefit of the public.
We continued our journey very easily. The tides in these rivers
flow five hours and a half, and ebb six hours and a half. The
spring tides are twice a. month, at the new and full moon; the
frfle runs at the rate of about seven miles an hour, and as we only
pursued our course by it, our boatmen in these short stages were
not in the least: fatigued: they are eight stout negroes, who sing in
chorus all the way. Our barge is the same that we had in our first
excursion.
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