Charles Waterton in Demerara. 2-">!> 



the following reference 1<> a son of Governor Meertens, from a MS. 

 of 1811 : — ' 



"Know then that these Chiefs are very formidable in their own 

 opinion, and that the elegant mamma of Jacco Meertens was no less a 

 personage than the Empress of the vast Madawiny Empire, with seven 

 buck huts and nine naked families. This Empress, his republican 

 Excellency was so much enamoured with that a formal proposal of 

 marriage w r as made and accepted. Strange as it is true, that nothing- 

 made so great an impression on the heart of this enraptured swain than 

 the graceful accomplishment of swimming in the delightful Indian streams 

 (so like a large turtle) which Ins inamorata usually enjoyed with all her 

 nation in undisturbed felicity, so customary in her desultory peregrina- 

 tions through the wilds of the continent.'' 



When an officer of the Government like Antony Meertens could put 

 an Indian Princess into his mansion at Pin. Rome as mistress, and keep 

 up what was then Government House as a fashionable centre, we need 

 not formulate excuses for William Reid. We can easily understand that 

 the wife of a pioneer could hardly be a tine lady ; this " Princess," no 

 doubt, possessed excellent qualities to be admired. 



There is little known about Reid, but from the position of his grant 

 we may presume that he was a timber-cutter. In such a business it was 

 of great advantage to have Indian assistance and we may safely state that 

 this was often given freely by friends of the Chief, his father-in-law T . If 

 we presume that Edmonstone saved enough from the same business to 

 buy Cardross Park it must have paid very well. The fact that Stabroek 

 was then being built and the other fact that the houses required good 

 timber, suggest that the trade was a good one and in few hands. Possibly 

 there may yet be one or two houses which have timbers cut by the 

 relations of Princess Minda. 



Edmonstone got a grant near to that of Reid and we may suggest 

 that they worked together. There is reason for stating that Edmonstone 

 married Reid's daughter a few years after his arrival, but whether the two 

 were partners or whether the younger man was assistant at first does not 

 appear. We may presume, however, that they were friendly from the 

 first and it is even stated that they came from the same place in Scotland. 

 When William Reid died we may also presume that the timber business 

 and savings came into the hands of his son-in-law. 



Our records commence with Dr. Pinckard*s visit to Warrow's Place, 

 which he describes. The dwelling was plain but comfortable, and the 

 hospitality of Edmonstone shone conspicuously : the dinner comprised, 

 among other good things, a ham, pepper-pot and labba, This was in 1796 

 and the Doctor stated that he saw the old Swedenborgian. Glen, teaching 

 Edmonstone's children to read. Possibly these children may have died 

 young, for even the oldest of those taken to England in 1817 was hardly 

 old enough to have been learning her letters 21 years before The second 

 daughter was born in 1S12 and it is probable that Miss Edmonstone was 

 not much older. 



