34 



TiMEHRI. 



gum. If he is to be preserved from extin6lion this 

 appears to be about the only thing left to do; otherwise 

 it is probable that during the next century he will be 

 quite extin6l where not absorbed. Since the beginning 

 of the present century, as may be seen from the foregoing, 

 he has decreased wonderfully^ and even within ths last 

 twenty-five years many a creek on the Demerara rive^ 

 has been deserted. 



Governor CARMlCHAEL Smyth in 1833 refused Father 

 Hynes a grant for a mission on the Moruca, because the 

 area petitioned for was so great — twenty-five miles by 

 fifty, yet nothing has been done by the colonists during 

 the sixty years which has elapsed to develop that part of 

 the country. He refused the grant " to the ridiculous 

 extent applied for" and declined giving the Catholic 

 Priest any civil authority, yet the colony might possibly 

 have been the better for such a mission to-day. True, a 

 smaller grant was made later, but nothing would have 

 been lost by treating these poor refugees in a liberal 

 manner. Such a mission might also have been a model 

 for others as we believe that of Santa Rosa is to-day. 



A great deal has been said at different times about 

 the desirability of populating the interior of the colony 

 from outside, but little about promoting the welfare of 

 our native tribes. While not wishing to disparage the 

 missions at present in existence we are bound to admit 

 that their lines are not quite suitable to the race in ques- 

 tion. The old system of presents was very bad, but it 

 was an Indian policy ; now we have nothing whatever in 

 its place, for the missions can hardly be considered as a 

 system. The result is disastrous and it would be well to 

 consider the possibility of saving the small remnant of 



