May 1, 1911.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLt). 



257 



India-Rubber in Dutch Guiana. 



By the Editor of "The India Rubber World." 



FIFTH LETTER. 

 A Ride on the "Kolonial Spoorwagon." — The Wanica Canal and Lelydorp. — 

 The Great Sand Savannah. — Balata Trees. — Through the Gold Fields. — Real 

 Rapid Transit. — Convicts and Calahashes. — Off to Barbados. 



NO matter how perfect a system of waterways a country may 

 possess, one is apt to miss many interesting topographical 

 features unless journeys are taken overland. I was, there- 

 fore, exceedingly pleased when I learned that the Balata Man 

 and the superin- 

 tendent of the 

 Kolonial Spoor- 

 wagon had ar- 

 ranged an all-day 

 journey by rail 

 into the interior 

 for us. 



The railroad is 

 a new feature in 

 Dutch Guiana, be- 

 ing only four 

 years old, and it 

 enjoys a necessary 

 government sub- 

 sidy. In spite of 

 the fact that five 

 hours by rail means 

 five days by water, 

 boat rates are 

 cheaper than 

 transportation by 

 rail and the water- 

 ways do the bulk 

 of the business. 

 The course of the 

 railroad is mid- 

 way between the 

 Saramacca and 

 Suriname rivers, 

 following for 

 much of the way a 

 sandy reef that 

 extends from the 

 hill country nearly 

 down to Parama- 

 ribo. This reef in 

 two or three places 

 stretches out into 

 broad sandy sa- 

 vannahs, but for 

 most part is bor- 

 dered by rich 

 clayey loams that 

 under cultivation 

 are wonderfully 

 productive. The 

 road was specifi- 

 cally to give easy 

 access to the gold 



fields, but once the country is developed its possibili- 

 ties in ^gr.icultural, and other freights , w'ill be con- 

 siderable. , ,,•_, ,.„:,i„;,, ■.,,, . V--., :-,,... .;.. 



We rose at 5 in the morning to, prepare for our journey, and 



Iiintsl^teiii), which was quite near the hotel. We were early, 

 partly because we were doubtful of the correctness of the hotel 

 clock, at least as far as its agreement with the railroad time 

 went. Many others were early also, and the long station plat- 

 form was crowded with negro men and women, and coolies, 

 with here and there a wliile man. The negroes were full of ex- 

 citement over the prospect of a ride in the train, and were jost- 

 ling, laughing and 

 joking, and con- 

 stantly getting in 

 everybody's way. 

 As this train 

 (trein 5) runs 

 only once a week, 

 it is still a novelty 

 to the community 

 and most of the 

 dark population 

 assemble to see it 

 start and to cheer 

 it on its way. 

 Back in the inter- 

 ior the Indians 

 walk scores of 

 miles to the rail- 

 road track, wait 

 patiently until the 

 train passes, then 

 go back to their 

 distant homes, 

 fully satisfied with 

 the result of their 

 journey. 



The train was 

 "mixed," made up 

 of flat cars, sev- 

 eral third class 

 coaches and one 

 mail and parcels 

 carriage and first 

 class coach. The 

 one locomotive 

 was of the typical 

 German type and 

 the coaches simi- 

 lar to those used 

 in Europe, except 

 that above the 

 windows were 

 broad wooden 

 awnings as a pro- 

 tection against the 

 mid-day sun and 

 the heavy rains. 

 One half of a first 

 class car was re- 

 served ' for our 



after early coffee we made our way to the railroad station (vail 



WILD HEVEA- GVYANENSIS IN THE GOLD FIELDS. 



party of four, or rather five, for the young Dutch i)egress'^h'o 

 was to act as caterer for the party certainly counted as one, arid 

 her arrival, accompanied by coolies laden with fruits, tea-making 

 paraphernalia, water cooler, etc., was viewed by us all^ with great 

 content. She had an open compartment all to herself^' and in 



