The Indian Policyof the Dutch. 15 



Commandeur, exa6l information on the nature and cus- 

 toms of the Indians who came to trade there, and he 

 was also enjoined to see that not the least offence might 

 be given to them. At the same time however he was to 

 keep a good watch, day and night, to prevent a surprise, 

 and take care that the Indians did not approach the fort 

 when armed with guns. 



With all their care however the early Commandeurs 

 could not avoid disputes altogether, and when the English 

 were at war the latter seem to have used their influence 

 to make trouble. Apart from these great quarrels how- 

 ever there were difficulties in connexion with the Indian 

 slave trade, which caused so much trouble in Berbice as 

 well as in Essequebo, that Ordinances were passed pro- 

 hibiting the taking of any inhabitant of these rivers as a 

 slave. As far as we can glean the first regulation on this 

 matter was made by Commandeur Abraham Beekman 

 in 1686. A white man and a negro had been killed 

 by Indians through the enslaving of one of the natives, and 

 it was therefore ordered that no one should buy these 

 people in future without the transaftion being witnessed 

 by the Commandeur. It was then stated that Indians 

 sold their wives, and even their friends, to the settlers, 

 and the Commandeur was of opinion that such condu6l 

 had led to trouble in Surinam. Later, in 171 7, a special 

 tax was laid upon red slaves and the number owned 

 by each inhabitant was limited to six, who were to be 

 procured from the Orinoco (probably Barima) by purchase 

 or exchange. 



The hunting of runaway negroes by the Indians be- 

 came common towards the middle of the last century, 

 being commenced by offering rewards for their recovery 



