300 STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



Holland having withdrawn her attention from the eastern 

 world, directed it to the improvement of her West India co- 

 lonies. The ideas, which had been hitherto formed of them, 

 were completely erroneous ; and since the English had made 

 estates there, the Dutch discovered that any part of the conti- 

 nent was fit for cultivation, and the soil every where adapted 

 for profitable production. 



The governor and council were now authorized to grant the 

 whole of the land adjacent the sea, lying between Demerary 

 and Berbice, commonly called the east sea coast, and com- 

 prising fifty miles in length, this track, as well as another, 

 called the Arabische, or west coast of Essequebo, were sur- 

 veyed and laid out into allotments of one quarter of a mile in 

 breadth, facing the sea, and a mile in length extending into 

 the interior, containing two hundred and fifty acres each, with 

 a similar proportion reserved at the back of the first, to resort 

 to when that should be cultivated. 



The Mahaica, Mahaicony, and Abarry creeks, empty 

 themselves into the sea between Demerary and Berbice ; the 

 two former are the principal, and were surveyed at the same 

 time with the coasts ; the land here is good and easy of culti- 

 vation. After penetrating through a few trees and underwood 

 just on the edge of the banks, a fine clear open savannah 



