40 NARRATIVE OF AN 



CHAP, cruifes between the river Marawina and Berbice, to give 

 ^r^- J intelligence in cafe of any threatening danger to the 

 colony. 



I had almoft forgotten to mention, that a path fortified 

 with military pofts had been projeded, and was actually 

 begun, from the upper parts of the river Comawina to 

 the river Seramica ; but the plan did not fucceed, and 

 the line, which is called the orange-path, is at prefent in 

 the ftate of a wildernefs. 



Having thus defcribed the furface of the country in 

 general, with its boundaries, rivers, &c. I fliall proceed 

 to an account of the earlieft difcoveries and moil remark- 

 able revolutions of this once flourifhing colony, which 

 efcaped being vifited by the gallant Admiral Rodney in 

 the laft war. — That part of Terra Firma, which is called 

 Guiana, or the Wild Goaft, and in which lies the colony 

 of Surinam, is faid by fome to have been firft found 

 out by the juftly celebrated Chrillopher Golumbus, 

 in the year 1498, whence he was fent home in chains; 

 though others contend that it was not difcovered till 

 the year 1504, by Vafco Nunes, a Spaniard, as was 

 ftated in the beginning of this Ghapter. 



In 1595 it was vifited by Sir Walter Raleigh, under 

 Queen Elizabeth, who alfo failed up the river Oronoque 

 above 600 miles, in fearch of the fuppofed El Dorado, and 

 in hopes of difcovering the gold-mines, of which he 

 had the moft lively expectations, from famples of a 



marcafite, 



