January 1. 1911.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



115 



India-Rubber in Dutch Guiana. 



By the Editor of "The India Rubber World." 



rlRST LETTER. 



An Amsterdam Promise. — Eiittrine the Suriname River. — Nieuw Amster* 



dam. — Paramaribo. — A Tropical Holland Dutch Negresses. — The "Balata 



Man." — The Botanic Gardens. — "Hevea" Under Cutivation. — Various Rubber 

 Planting Experiments. 



THERE lives in Holland a genial and wealthy Dutchman 

 with large Balata concessions in Dutch Guiana. I came in 

 touch with him through these interests and made him the 

 promise that if ever I came within hailing distance of the 

 Guianas 1 would look up his partner resident there. This 

 promise came back to me as our boat entered the mouth of the 

 Suriname river and we had the prospect of a day of shore leave 

 before continuing the journey to New York. After a resolve to 

 keep that promise with courteous haste; to do the city in a cab, 

 say How-do-you-do to the Director of Agriculture, to whom I 

 had a letter, and to depart, I gave myself up to the witchery of 

 the morning and tiie joy of the cool, refreshing breeze that made 

 the air as balmy and exhilarating as a June forenoon in New- 

 England. 



The river is very broad at its mouth and is guarded by a little 

 tub of a lightship that in its gaudy paint adds color to the 

 landscape. One notes at a glance that the country is flat, much 

 like the coast of British Guiana, with the same tropical growths 

 down to the water's edge always flanked by bright green man- 

 groves standing high out of the wash on their myriads of stilt- 

 like roots. The water of the sea as well as that of the river is of 

 a light coff'ce color suggestive of the Amazon. Indeed it is the 

 Amazon, as far as the sea is concerned, for the ever moving flood 

 of that mighty river turns north as it emerges from the Brazils 

 and follows the coast for many miles until it loses itself in the 

 boisterous Carribean. It is due to this, indeed, that the great 

 alluvial plains in Dutch and British Guiana exist. Beyond the 

 memory of man the great river began its task of transferring 

 the rich soils of the Brazils to the broad shallows beyond French 

 Guiana, and as a result has filled in hundreds of square miles 

 with soil as rich as any in the world. 



On either side of the Suriname river one sees the managers' 

 houses, the hospitals, and the coolie barracks that indicate banana, 

 coffee, and sugar estates. A strong tide runs up the river and the 

 tide line is marked by a ribbon of froth that extends from shore 

 to shore, sometimes far up the river, other times almost out to 

 sea. The morning we entered, the fresh water side of this line 



was spotted and stained for hundreds of yards with tons of 

 mahogany colored fish spawn. The first considerable settlement 

 passed was Nieuw Amsterdam, the gathering place of the great 

 barges of bananas that are there transferred to the fruit steamers. 

 Beyond this and around the slight curve is the city of Paramaribo. 

 Stretched along the river bank, well above the water's edge, it 

 looked very Dutch, very substantial, and wonderfully attractive 

 in its setting of palms and other distinctively tropical trees. That 

 much of the soil had been rescued from the waters was apparent 

 by the glimpses of long dykes and solidly built canal gates that 

 are shut as the tide rises and opened as it ebbs, thus forever 

 draining the plantations that border the river on either hand up 

 to the foothills. The same system is employed in the town in 

 lieu of sewerage, and what with the wash of the tropical rains 

 and the cleanliness of the people, the city is very healthy and 

 has' not had a case of yellow fever in more than fifty years, 

 except as such as are brought in by visiting vessels from some 

 less fortunate port. We passed safely the menace of the ancient 

 Dutch fort that still frowns in grimness ; had a fine view of the 

 Government building, club house, and many warehouses that line 

 the river front, and paused about two rods from the pier until the 

 tide should rise high enough to float us up. We reached it at 

 last, and after a conscientious customs man had examined with 

 great care the small handbag containing only pajamas, toilet 

 articles, and a single change of clothing, we were allowed to go 

 ashore. 



Instead of the usual crowd of clamorous cabbies anxious for 

 employment, were only a few Dutch negro porters who said 

 "Yes" to everything we asked, and walked us through the city 

 streets to one hotel which was full, and then to another where 

 we secured rooms and breakfast. 



The city was fascinating in that it was different to anything 

 in tropical America. The two and three story houses, painted 

 white, with green blinds, the red tiled roofs, and the store signs 

 all in Dutch, suggested a still, moist, tropical Holland. Then, too, 

 the dresses of the black Dutch women. Huge stiff gowns, with 

 short kimono-like capes. 'I he skirt fitted over a great padded 

 hoop passed around the body under the armpits making the 

 wearer appear often humpbacked and always very short waistcd 

 and unwieldly. Tlie garments of the brightest colors imaginable, 

 stiffly starched and scrupulously clean, were worn with exag- 

 gerated pride. 



The negresses also wear turbans, usually made of the same 

 material as the dress, and the turban, or rather the way in which 

 it is worn, is exceedingly informing. If the wearer is out calling 



Entering the Suriname River. 



Harbor at Paramaribo. 



