8o TlMEHRI. 
islands and divers shoals, and many dangerous rocks, as 
we were sometimes in great peril of drowning." 
During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries 
hardly anything was done towards exploring the interior 
of Guiana. The many disasters of the gold seekers 
appear to have had a disheartening effect on the early 
settlers. The authorities even went so far as to prohibit 
gold hunting, as may he seen from BANCROFT'S asser- 
tion. " The Dutch are sensible the wealth of America 
has impoverished and depopulated the once powerful 
monarchy of Spain, and have, therefore, wisely prohi- 
bited the working of mines within their territory of 
Guiana."* Mrs. Aphra Behn gives a graphic account 
of a gold fever in Surinam about 1667 which also goes 
to prove the disinclination of the government of that day 
to allow prospering. She says : — u We met some 
Indians of strange aspects ; that is of a larger size, and 
other sort of features, than those of our Country. Our 
Indian Slaves, that row'd us, ask'd 'em some questions ; 
but they could not understand us, but shew'd us a long 
cotton string, with several knots on it. and told us, they 
had been coming from the mountains so many moons as 
there were knots : they were habited in skins of strange 
Beasts, and brought along with 'em Bags of Gold Dust ; 
which as well as they could give us to understand, came 
streaming in little small Channels down the High 
Mountains, when the Rains fell ; and offer'd to be the 
Convoy to any body, or persons, that would go to the 
mountains. We carry'd these men up to Parham, where 
they were kept till the Lord -Governor came : And 
because all the Country was mad to be going on this 
L * Essay on the Natural History of Guiana, 1769. 
