Encouragement of the Lesser Industries. 123 
Berbice river, where the population consists of ' bovi- 
anders,' the mode of cleaning rice is so primitive 
being by a simple mortar and pestle, that a whole day's 
work generally only supplies sufficient food for dinner 
in the evening. 
79 Village is drained by ' Skeldon', and 78 by ' Eliza 
& Mary ;' but the other villages from ' Spring Garden' to 
Benab have little or no drainage. There are a few box 
kokers here and there, leading to a sand beach on the 
river ; but these are of very little use. In the first place, 
they are badly put in ; and in the second, even if they 
were properly laid down, sand and mud silt up so 
much in the dry season that without a comparatively 
large outlay of money when rain falls, which would press 
heavily on the inhabitants, they would be useless ; and it 
is a rare thing indeed to see any of them acting. 
Not the slightest notice has been taken of this thriving 
population, and nothing whatever has been done to assist 
it. The land is at the mercy of bush-water in a heavy 
season ; the nearest dispensary is in New Amsterdam, 
some 50 miles way ; there are no schools except a small 
hut at Spring Garden ; and as I have already said there 
is no drainage worthy of the name. 
I would propose that a draining canal be dug along 
the road from Spring Garden to the 66 Creek, some 4 
miles, and a good koker or sluice put in at the 
creek. It would be useless to put one in any where 
else. The one at the creek would never silt up, the 
bush-water always keeping the channel clear. 
A dispensary and school should also be erected in the 
most central part of the district. If this is done, and 
Q 1 
