SETTLEMENTS ON THE DEMERARY, &C. 317 



fortified, the entrance into the harbour is very narrow, and 

 no ship of any burthen can work in until high water. 



The aboriginal natives in the immediate neighbourhood of 

 the sea coast, cannot exceed eight thousand, who, by the as- 

 sistance of several missionaries sent among them, were induced 

 to think better of the French then they deserved, from tlieir 

 repeated acts of oppression. 



The first production of Cayenne was arnotto, a red dye, 

 called by the Spaniards, ochote, and by the Indians, achiotl. 

 The tree that yields this is from eighteen to twenty-four feet 

 high, has large dark green leaves, a red bark, and is very 

 bushy; it produces pods twice a year, nearly as large as a 

 chesnut, which contain a pale red fruit or seed, about the size 

 of a pea, which is made into cakes of arnotto, by undergoing 

 fermentation and boiling ; the scum taken from the liquor 

 constitutes the dye. Cotton, indigo, and sugar, were next 

 introduced, and in 1721, coffee was brought from Surinam. 

 Twelve years after, they planted cocoa. In 1753, the popu- 

 lation and production stood thus : 500 whites, who employed 

 1500 negroes, and 1200 native Indians, and produced about 

 260,000 lbs. of arnotto, 80,000 lbs. of sugar, 18,000 lbs. of 

 cotton, 27,000 lbs. of cofi'ee, 92,000 lbs. of cocoa, and this 

 was still nearly the situation of the colony in 1763. The cul- 



