CHARLES WATERTON IN DEMERARA. 

 By James Rodway. 



In studying the past history of the colony we are struck with the 

 number of strong personalities to be found among the early pioneers. 

 Possibly their isolation was largely responsible for their eccentricities, 

 for now that men come more in contact with each other their angles are 

 more likely to be rubbed down. Whatever may be said against faddists 

 it is certain that people are interesting from their differences and because 

 they are true to their real characters. On the contrary, those who follow 

 custom and fashion either have no real personality or what they have is 

 hidden by the demands of custom. A century ago the fetters of con- 

 ventionality hardly troubled the Demerara pioneer and we therefore find 

 many interesting characters, in fact everyone was himself rather than ;i 

 reflection of others. Hence, no doubt, we feel a greater interest in old 

 travellers' stories because they contain so much of the personality of the 

 writers. 



This characteristic is obvious in Waterton's '•Wanderings" and has 

 undoubtedly conduced to put it in the position of one of the world's best 

 books. Everyone who reads it feels that he can sympathise with the 

 writer and enjoy with him the " pleasure of the pathless woods." 



To the man in Society Charles Waterton was a faddist, an eccentric 

 who isolated himself in his Yorkshire home, kept no company, and never 

 took part in the sports of the count}*. Even in Demerara he was looked 

 upon by some of the rollicking boys of that age as not quite right in his 

 head. For, first of all, he was a teetotaler when custom never excuse* I a 

 man from having a drink. We may also safely state that he would be out 

 of place among the cock-fighting and card-playing gamblers, as well as 

 those votaries of Venus then prominent in Georgetown. As far as can 

 be gathered he spent little time in Stabroek, but Mas busy at first at La 

 Jalousie and Fellowship managing the estates, and, in his spare time. 

 studying the curri-curris and gauldings on the mud-flats. 



He was not. however, wanting in friends, for although his uncle 

 Christopher was away with his family, there were his aunt Mrs. M. Daly 

 at Bellevue and John Daly at Schoon Ord. But, like many other grand 

 personalities, he cared little for general eompany, for he had one real 

 friend in Charles Edmonstone. 



The story of Mrs. Daly is almost romantic She was remarkably 

 handsome. One day when walking in the streets of Wakefield she was 

 seen by Mr. Michael Daly who was on a visit to the old country. It was a 

 case of love at first sight, and although the Waterton family objected to 

 her going to such an out-of-the-way place as Demerara love prevailed 

 and Miss Waterton became Mrs. Daly of Bellevue. On the fact of this 



