The Crown Lands of British Guiana. 347 



year distinftly forbid any timber dealer so to do, save 

 for his own personal use. The Government have helped 

 other merchants to break this ordinance in town. There 

 is no depot for the sale, by a Government Officer, of such 

 timber on the Demerara river or at Christianburgh. My 

 business at this place has been affe6led by the sale 

 of Indian timber exclusively in town as can be sur- 

 mised from the above statements; so long as so-called 

 Indians are allowed to cut and sell timber in the open mar- 

 ket even if royalty be imposed, just so long will they 

 continue to be a millstone about the neck of the licenced 

 woodcutter; at the present moment the reputed Indians 

 bid fair to produce more than half of all the timber that 

 will be cut in the year 1894-5 o" ^^^ Demerara river. The 

 only sure cure for the evil is very drastic, but must be 

 used if the woodcutter is to live, and that is to stop the 

 Indians by repute cutting timber altogether. The long 

 tailed variety or "real Indian" does notcut timber because 

 so doing does not coincide with his natural habits of life. 

 Every word that the Crown Surveyor, Mr. FORSYTH, 

 and Mr. DA Gracia have told you about the unfortunate 

 Indian, is, I sincerely deplore and regret to say only too 

 true, I could bear out fully from personal experience 

 every statement made by these three gentlemen. The 

 relatives, other than Indian, of some reputed Indians, 

 make use of their Indian relative as a fence behind 

 which to carry on a little illegal timber business ; as a 

 matter of fafl this would be exceedingly difficult to 

 prove at law. Before I am burst up by Indians I think 

 it might be well for me to find an Indian relative and 

 open negotiations with him. I don't think it would be diffi- 

 cult to do this ! ! ! as I see my name flourishing about in 



