32i 
Visit to the Penal Settlement. 
t?ibiited a good deal to the iiattiness of the Grove. And what a nice 
impression in their neat and cleaned-uj^ clothes was made by tlie 
children of the forest whom we had seen for such a long- time without 
any clothes at all, and mostly covered with dirt. By next day the boys 
were again bringing me some birds and snakes that they liad killed iu 
the forest near by. Amongst the latter I found the beautiful green tree- 
snake Dri/opJns Catcshi/i Sehl, wliich like D. liocercHS only lives on 
bushes and trees. The colonists and coloured people call both species 
"Whip-snakes" on account of their long thin body and still thinner tail : 
they are botli uncommouly active and "■cross," D. Cateshyi being even 
believed to be poisonous. AVlicu angered they not only change their 
beautiful colour, but hit out all round with their thin tail, and if the 
unprotected skin is hit, a distinct weal is left just as if one were struck 
with a whip. It seems that when Stöckle got to Bartika Grove he 
invested the money earned by him on the expedition, in a provision shop 
and was just on the point of marrying a coloured widow with a little 
property wliom he told me all about in one breadth on greeting me : the 
honest Swabian was proudly happy on seeing us arrive safely at the 
Grove. 
78G. The now completed Colonial Penal Settlement, the House of 
Correction for lawbreakers, that I have already mentioned, rose at the 
mouth of the Cuyuni like a desirable palace, which so long as one did not 
call to mind the object for which it was intended, formed a fitting 
ornament to a charming river landscape. Next day we visited the 
Institution which was under the control of an Inspector, with some 
subordinate officials, several warders for the surveillance of the convicts 
working at the quarry, as Avell as a surgeon. The Inspector very kindly 
showed us roiind. The buildings for the officials were especially fine 
and spacious : the cells for the prisoners were equally as ample and 
healthy. The greatest cleanliness and tidiness was everywhere the rule. 
The number of convicts amounted to 300 among whom I noticed but two 
whites: it is true they were Portuguese from Madeira: all the others 
were Negroes. Some of them were engaged in quarrying, others in 
cultivating the large forest flats upon which they would depend for 
support, the cost of which the Colony has still up to the present to defray. 
The broken stones are partly sold, and partly used for building np the 
streets in Georgetown. Lal)Our is limited to nine hours per day. On 
workintr days the food consists of plantains, each person getting from 
14 to in. and salt fisli : on Sundays it is rice. Artisans among the 
lirisoners were also engag<'d in making a church and a building for 
female convicts. Mr. Bernau attended to the services. After the 
opening of the establishment a number of the convicts had escaped 
punishment by flight, which was not difficult in view of the small number 
of superintendents and the large number to be superintended. To over- 
come this evil, and not to further increase the already high ex])enses by 
appointing more officials, the Avlude Indian ])opulation in the neighliour- 
hood were made guardians of the peace. With this end in view, the 
Inspector made use of a means whereby he incited the brown population 
into complying with the proposition ten times more willingly than the 
