78 
My Brother Appointed Magistrate. 
did not permit of further enquiry into the matter: it was quite suffi- 
cient that a coloured baker lived here to supply us with plenty of bread. 
The Mission consisted of 1U houses and about 100 residents, partly col- 
oured people, partly Arawak Indians, who out of their own funds had 
built quite a pretty chapel. Mr. Peters belonged to one of the Dissent- 
ing bodies and therefore received no support from the Established 
Church. The Indians were all clothed and distinguished themselves 
lo advantage from the coloured people, particularly in their beautiful, 
long hair. 
271. Still desirous of reaching Zeelandia to-day, we were only able 
to make a short stay at Caria-Caria. The boys were apparently ex- 
hausted, and as the lower portion of the estuary of the Essequibo requir- 
ed double strength, my brother considered it advisable to accept Mr. 
Peters's offer of taking his boat, and letting the youngsters return to 
Bartika Grove. After giving full supplies of provisions to these nice 
boys, they returned to Bartika, and we to Zeelandia. It was indeed a 
stroke of luck that we had taken a larger boat and stronger pullers be- 
cause towards evening the weather again became so boisterous that uni- 
former craft and paddlers would never have been able to stand it: even 
as it was, the violence of the waves, their fury still further increased by 
the rising flood, forced us to seek shelter on Truly Island at one of the 
coffee plantations where we were heartily welcomed. In spite of re- 
monstrance our pullers returned to Caria-Caria during the night so as 
not to miss next day's Divine Service, the manager supplying us with a 
boat and reliable crew on the following morning. 
272. We landed all right at Zeelandia by mid-day, stayed here until 
the Thursday and then, in company with Mrs. Arrindell and Miss Boss 
who wanted to spend a short time in the city, travelled in the estate’s 
schooner to Georgetown which we luckily reached by evening, so as 
now to complete all the preparations for the First Expedition to the 
estuary of the Orinoco, my brother having instructions to start his la- 
bours with the mapping of the western boundaries. 
273. My brother had already engaged a portion of his boats’ crew 
during my stay at Zeelandia and now from day to day was awaiting the 
remainder from Essequibo. The large corial which the Expedition 
had purchased and christened “Victoria” bid fair to fulfil all the hopes 
which one had set upon her durability and lightness. Cut out of one 
single trunk it was 13 feet long, its breadth being considerably increas- 
ed by the planking along its edge. All roads cease beyond the culti- 
vated areas of the colony where the impenetrable virgin forest still 
keeps absolute sovereignty. Overland journeys across impassable 
swamps would be Quixotic, and so the rivers remain the only means 
whereby the traveller can make his way into the interior. 
274. A second corial was still wanted but, not managing to buy any, 
my brother was forced to hire one. To maintain the strictest discipline, 
the Governor appointed my brother a Magistrate until his return to 
Georgetown, so that he could punish by tine, forced labour, reduction of 
the daily rum, tobacco, or ration allowance, any subordinate disobeying 
his own written instructions or orders of the senior officers of the Expe- 
dition The last-named punishment proved the most effectual for the 
negroes. After my brother had filled the number of his crew, I had a look 
