INHABITANTS OF GUIANA. 41 



purchase several wives, tliese natives of Liberia usually return to their native 

 land. 



At present the Guiana negroes form two natural groups — the descendants 

 of the slaves who, after intermingling with the free immigrants, have always 

 remained in contact with the white settlers on the coast, and the independent 

 blacks, who live in the interior of the country. These descendants of the 

 Maroons, or runaway slaves, who have now become peaceful citizens, reconciled 

 with the offspring of their former masters, are universally known as Bush 

 Negroes, the Bosch Negers of the Dutch, and the Nègres Bncli or Nègres des Bois 

 of the French. 



But, despite their name, these blacks do not roam the woods like wild game, 

 but are, on the contrary, peaceful agriculturists, settled along the banks of the 

 river, where they occupy permanent villages surrounded by cultivated lands. 

 Negro republics have been founded in the British, Dutch, and French territories ; 

 but the most numerous groups have established themselves in the Sui'inam and 

 Maroni river basins. 



The first migrations took place in the year 1663, when the Portuguese Jews 

 of the Surinam valley sent their slaves to the forests in order to avoid the poll- 

 tax, hoping they would return as soon as the tax-gatherers' backs were turned. 

 But the fugitives, having tasted freedom, remained in their camping-grounds. 

 About fifty years later (1712) some French marauders having invaded the Suri- 

 nam and Commewijne riverside plantations, the proprietors took refuge in the 

 capital, leaving their slaves to shift for themselves. The majority joined the 

 French in plundering the abandoned houses, and on the return of the owners 

 took refuge in the neighbouring forests, where they began a protracted war of 

 pillage and reprisals with the whites. 



The number of predatory bands increased from year to year, and suddenly, in 

 1730, a formidable insurrection broke out in the Upper Surinam basin on the 

 plantations belonging to the Government itself. The struggle lasted with vary- 

 ing success for nearly 20 years, when the authorities were fain to recognise the 

 insurgents as belligerents and freemen. Then followed a treaty of peace, in which 

 the boundaries of the independent territory were determined. 



Other risings took place in 1757, when Arabi, a chief probably of Mahom- 

 medan origin, defeated the Dutch planters, and in 1761 compelled the Government 

 to agree to terms of peace in the treaty of Auca, from which the principal black 

 republic became known as that of the " Aucan (Jocan, Yukan) Negroes." Next 

 year another group, that of the Maroons of the Saramacca river, also secured its 

 political independence. Later other communities were established, such as those 

 of the Poligudus (Poregoedoe) and of the Paramaccas on the Upper Maroni, the 

 Koffi, Becoes, Matrocanes, or Musingas. 



In 1772 Boni, the legendary hero of the Bush Negroes, led his bands nearly 

 up to the very walls of Paramaribo. Regular war had to be declared against him, 

 and an army of 1,200 men despatched from Europe, one of the chief officers being 

 Stedman, well known for his excellent work on Guiana. The war lasted several 



