172 STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



river, as far as the Devil's Creek, attracted notice, and was 

 quickly transformed from a heavy impenetrable forest to a field 

 of cotton trees. This coast was surveyed, and was cut into two 

 parallel lines of estates with a navigable canal between die two 

 lines for the convenience of water carriage; behind this second 

 row of estates, runs the stream of the river Canje, the banks of 

 which on both sides are cultivated with sugar, coffee, and 

 plantains. The estates are thus denominated ; that line facing 

 the sea, are the coast estates, the second line the canal estates, 

 and the other are the Canje. 



This is a fine river, and navigable for colony schooners, 

 thirty miles up; it runs nearly in an easterly direction; at the 

 head of it are immense falls and cataracts; about forty miles 

 below these is a creek which connects itself with the Couran- 

 tine, through which overland dispatches are brought from Su- 

 rinam by the Indians : no Europeans have, as far as I could 

 learn, ever attempted this lonely track ; its ways are long and 

 intricate, and known to few ; there are many creeks to cross, 

 tor which purpose the Indians travel with a light canoe, 

 which they carry on their shoulders, and which is launched 

 without any trouble as occasion requires. When the colonies 

 are formally ceded to Great Britain by peace, communications 

 from Surinam will soon be opened with these settlements, and if 

 regular mails and stage coaches should follow, I shall not be 

 surprised. Indeed the opening of a regular communication 



