496 



PROVINCE OF GUIANNA. 



" sans se reserver on retenir aucune portion des dites terres, afin quelles soient 

 " desormais possedies par sa Majeste Portugaise" 



The Portuguese and French always gave the name of Vincent Pinson to the river 

 Oayapoek ; the latter nation, after Condamine, wished the boundary line to be con- 

 sidered the Aguary, by them called Arauary, which discharges itself near two 

 hundred miles further to the south-east; but the French never had any kind of 

 establishment south of the Oayapoek.* The fort of St. Louiz, which changed 

 its name to that of St, Francisco with the revolution, situated fifteen miles from 

 the sea, on the northern margin of the Oayapoek, was always the most south- 

 em establishment of Equinoctial France. 



By the treaty of Madrid, in 1801, the Portuguese crown, unwillingly ceded 

 the territory north of the Carapanatuba. In the following year, by the treaty 

 of Amiens, the divisionary line received twenty leagues, the river Aguary then 

 -serving as the limit, as well as subsequently to the conquest of the country. 



About the year 1630, the French established themselves here, under the 

 same evil star that has influenced all their conquests in the western hemisphere. 

 Shortly afterwards, abandoning their establishments on Terra Firma, they 

 removed to the island of Cayenna, where they remained till the year 1655, with- 

 out the colony arriving at that flourishing state which was expected. In this 

 year it passed under the dominion of the British government, and was retained 

 by us till the year 1674. The Dutch took possession of it at this time, and 

 kept it for four years. 



Various obstacles were opposed to the activity of the colonists (who always 

 lived in hopes of fortune being more propitious) to the period of the revolution, 

 which threw every thing into a worse state ; with it disappeared some small 

 towns and Indian aldeias which were on the island and upon the continent, 

 beginning with an Hospicio of Franciscans. 



The island of Cayenna, formed by the river of the same name, the Mahory, 

 and a narrow and winding strait by which they communicate, is twenty miles 

 long from north to south, of proportionable width, and irregular form; the 

 land is low, diversified with gentle elevations, and overspread with timber. 



* The Spaniards, from whom the French took this portion of territory, always recognized the river 

 Oajapoek and the Vincent Pinson as the same river; and near its mouth a marble stone was erected, 

 by order of Charles V. to serve as a limit between his conquests and those of the Portuguese. 



