IS Timehri. 



view to gradual extension again and again. In British Guiana the situation 

 is entirely different. None but short railways can ever be built here, and 

 I have ahead}' pointed out the disadvantage short railways are under 

 in competing with the new conditions of road transport. 



There are, of course, many arguments advanced in favour of railways, 

 not the least of which, in point of persistence, if not of soundness, is the 

 proposed connection with Manaos. 



Having stated my views of the relatively greater desirability 

 of encouraging interior development by construction of roads, sup- 

 plemented where necessary by light hydro-electric railways rather than 

 the building of the expensive and cumbersome type of railways designed 

 for steam operation, I must proceed to suggest some tangible plan for 

 inaugurating a scheme of road-building that could be gradually 

 developed as conditions, such as the degree of success attained in the 

 present colonisation scheme, would appear to warrant. 



Two alternative routes for roads into the Interior present themselves 

 at first hand. We have on the one hand the cattle trail at present ter- 

 minating at Paradise, Berbice Biver, which is at present a rough cut line, 

 and on the other hand there is a possibility of linking up the seventy 

 miles of the old Kaburi Boad with other existing roads of the Colony. 



It was previously mentioned that over one hundred miles of existing 

 roads were available for reaching the Iuterior. The following would 

 appear to be the most satisfactory route, all factors considered. From 

 Georgetown by Ferry to Vreed-en-Hoop. From Vreed-en-Hoop to 

 Lookout about thirty miles over the existing West Coast Demerara 

 Public Boad. From Lookout to a point on the right bank of the 

 Essequebo Biver opposite Bartica. about twenty-five miles, through 

 bush on river bank. (Or alternatively by way of the West Bank road, 

 one of the dams of the Canals Polder, and thence about thirty miles 

 across what is known to be " easy " country to the point opposite Bartica.) 

 From Bartica to Kaburi, seventy miles, over the existing Public Boad. 

 From Kaburi to Tumatumari, about twenty-two miles, about ten miles 

 would be by recently cut line following chiefly the Kaburi Creek to its head, 

 and twelve miles over the existing line orginally cut to gain access to the 

 Kuribrong district from Tumatumari. From Tumatumari to Potaro 

 Landing, ten miles, the route would follow the right bank of the Potaro, 

 the Potaro being crossed at Tumatumari unless a closer examination 

 should reveal some more desirable point. From Potaro Landing to 

 Amatuk, about eighteen miles, the route would be for about eight miles 

 over the existing Public Boad and about ton miles through the compara- 

 tively flat wooded country between the Potaro Public Boad and Amatuk 

 Falls. The Potaro would again be crossed at a point between its con- 

 fluence with the Amu Kiver and the Amatuk Falls. From Amatuk to 

 Tukeit, twenty-two miles, the route would roughly follow the left bank of 

 the Potaro Biver over an existing cut line. From Tukeit to Kaieteur 



