Mahaiconi and Abary. 
405 
1.019. As my departure for Europe was deferred uutil the beginuiug 
of June, I made many a short excursion to the West and East Coast, about 
which I propose adding a few topographical and statistical notes. In the 
neighbourhood of the Essequibo mouth on the Arabian coast, are the 
two Negro villages, Queenstown, and not far from it, Catharinensburgh : 
the latter has a chapel. Frederiksburgh Village is on Wakenaam Island. 
1.020. East of Georgetown, the ^'East Coast," undoubtedly the most 
fertile district of the Avhole seaboard, stretches for 25 miles to the mouth 
of the Mahaica. To supply the city of Georgetown at least to some extent 
with fresh water, a canal has been cut to the city at enormous expense 
from the Lamaha, close to its source, down to the sea : by means of sluices 
the rise of salt-water during flood-tide is prevented. Even if the water of 
the Lamaha Canal is not suitable for man to drink, it at least has its use 
for cattle and for washing purposes. 
1.021. Tlie portion of coast-line between the Esseijuibo and Demerara, 
the ''West Coast,'' shews as already reported, a succession of the most 
productive sugar-estates which is only broken by the little village of 
Williamstown. This possesses a large roomy church, an apothecary's, 
and several shops: the villagers are mostly artisans of all colours, from 
negro to European. 
1.022. On the East Coast, between the Demerai a and Mahaica, are 
situate two villages, Buxton, and, a few miles from it, Victoria; they are 
still in their infancy. Vietoi'ia Village has come into existence from the 
fact that 63 emancipated negroes bouglit the abandoned plantation 
Northbrook for 10,000 dollars, parcelled out the lands, and established 
the village to which the}- gave the name of England's Queen. 
1.023. On the western bank of the Mahaica lies the rapidly extending 
village of Mahaica, now Jonestown with something like 150 houses and 
800 inhabitaTits : on its eastern side several houses have already been 
raised dnring the last few years, Avhile a military post has l)oen estaldish- 
ed lower down, at the mouth. Along the stretch of 25 miles between the 
Mahaica and Mahaiconi, are to be seen at the present time, as previously 
mentioned, a long succession of abandoned cotton-estates turned into 
pasture-lands. On the Mahaiconi and Abary, two insignificant streams 
flowing into the sea, lie the two yillages of the same names, the latter in 
the course of formation: the former in earlier days included 50 houses, 
but as the big road from Georgetown to New Amsiterdam leads through 
T»oth places, it is only to be expected that Mahaiconi and Abary have 
already considerably increased by now. 
1.024. On the Berbice, which falls into the Atlantic Ocean 57 miles 
east of Demerara. lies the second big city of the Colony. Berbice or New 
Amsterdam. Zeelandia, the first settlement of the Dutch <m the Berbice, 
is 50 miles up the stieam. The Colonial Government abandoned this 
spot, of little suitability for trade, in 1796 to lay the foundation of the 
new city a little al>ove the mouth of the Canje River whei'e a fort had 
nlreadv been erected in 1720. The city extends about 1^ miles along the 
bank of the Berbice, and is intersected by a number of trenches. For 
everv house the builder received a quarter acre of land which he could 
make use of as he liked : this he surrounded with a trench that, emptied 
