32 



TROPICAL WILD LIFE IN BRITISH GUIANA 



Hendrik Kol took charge at Kyk-over-al, as Governor, Cap- 

 tain, Storekeeper and Indian Trader, and soon there were 

 three phmtations on the surrounding points of land. A 

 visitor to one of these reports tliat tlieir ''reception was very 

 cordial, the dinner being perfect, consisting of five different 

 kinds of roast meat, including deer, fowl, duck, turkey and 

 pigeons besides made dishes of labba and waterhog. The 

 drinks were mum, wine and brandy, with which they kept 

 themselves merry until the evening when they returned to 

 the fort full and jolly [vol en zoet) ! So much for social 

 life two hundred and fifty years ago in this region. 



In the year 1678 the West Indian Company of Zeeland 

 had four plantations, Vryheid on the present site of Bartica, 

 Duinenburg and Fortuin near Kalacoon and Poelwyck on 

 Caria Island. Succeeding history tells of a constant succes- 

 sion of petty quarrels and bickerings among the Dutch them- 

 selves, varied by periods of prosperity, at the height of which 

 they were usually captured and plundered by French and 

 English corsairs or pirates. One account remains, recorded 

 bv ]Mr. Rodwav. On October 18, 1708, a French privateer 

 under Captain Anthony Ferry, with three vessels and three 

 hundred men, came to Essequibo for the purpose of plun- 

 dering the colony. They took the Brandw^agt (guardhouse) 

 at the mouth of the river, which was garrisoned by only 

 three soldiers, before the Commandeur could send assistance. 

 Immediately on the report of the arrival of the enemy, van 

 der Heyden tried his best, by sending a few soldiers down 

 the river, to stop their progress, but the Brandwagt having 

 been already captured, the soldiers returned to Kyk-over-al. 

 The enemy proceeded np the river, burning a few Indian 

 villages that lay on the banks, and came to Bartica Point 

 without the slightest opposition. Here the manager of 

 Plantation Vryheid tried to oppose their landing with the 

 aid of his slaves and what friends he could get together from 

 the immediate neighborhood. He sent to the Commandeur 

 asking for help, but it appears that van der Heyden was 



