SOME OLD GRAVES OF THE COLONY. 
By Micuaet McTurk, C.M.G. 
In the course of my journeying and in pursuit of evidence of previous 
Dutch occupation to be laid before the Arbitral Tribunal for the delimita- 
tion of the boundary between this Colony and the United States of 
Venezuela, beside coming across many undoubted and prominent remains 
and listening to the recollections by old residents, I took the following 
verbatim copies of inscriptions on some of the graves I discovered or 
which were pointed out to me. These are all from the left bank of the 
Essequebo river or the islands in that river. I have seen and known of 
the existence of many others in other parts of the Essequebo, but | 
confined my quest for information to the left bank of that river and the 
islands adjacent, or as in the case of Fort Island, where indisputable 
evidence of former Dutch occupation existed. 
In nearly every instance the graves had been dug up by persons 
hoping to find money, the idea then, and which is still, prevalent being 
that the Dutch buried money in their graves ; and this incited to their 
desecration. 
The direct descendants of several of those named are still resident in 
the colony. 
It may be interesting here to mention that the oldest person from 
whom I derived information was a member of the Militia and was drilled 
by Lieut. Colonel Hislop on his visit to Essequebo in 1797. This man 
died about ten years ago. I also had information trom the man who 
acted as pilot to the schooner in which Lieut. Col. Hislop travelled. He 
predeceased the former mentioned by several years. 
Begraaf Plaats 
Van Der Heer 
Bastian Christiasen 
Arrawarri Creek, Left Bank, Essequebo River. 
5th May 1896, 
Beegraaf Plaats 
Van Mejufvrouw 
Moeder Van Den Heer 
Bastian Christiansen 
Arrawarri Creek, Left Bank, Essequebo River 
bth May 1896. 
