l6 TiMEHRI. 



either dead or alive. The first record of such a trans- 

 a6lion was in 1743, when three barbecued right hands 

 were brought, for each of which the Commandeur paid 

 ten axes. As ths number of Africans increased and 

 desertions became more frequent, every effort was made 

 to conciliate the Indians and induce them to guard the 

 plantations, but it was not until a system of regular 

 presents came into use that the settlers were able to 

 command their services. We first hear of the engage- 

 ment of a large body of Indians in 1763, when Governor 

 Gravesande sent them overland from Demerara to 

 Berbice, to capture or kill the rebels who attempted to 

 escape after the insurre6lion was suppressed. This 

 measure proved so effeftive that very few negroes took to 

 the bush, and therefore no great community of runaways 

 was formed to give trouble in the future. For the services 

 then rendered, the Carib, Acawoio and Arawak Chief- 

 tains were presented with silver collars on which were 

 engraved the monogram of the West India Company. 

 The arrangements with the Indians appear to have been 

 similar in some respe6ls to those with the Bush Negroes 

 in Surinam, and in the absence of any written treaties 

 with the former we may take a few articles from the 

 agreement made in 1768 with the Auca negroes. If 

 slaves ran away to them they were bound to bring them 

 back and deliver them to the nearest white man, who 

 would send the runaways to a Burgher Officer and get a 

 premium of ten to fifteen guilders for each. As soon as 

 a desertion was reported they were bound to hunt the 

 runaway, and if there should be a riot they must assist 

 in its suppression. There was to be one Captain, who 

 must be eleCled for life, and he was entitled to nominate 



