1809.] 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
An account of the coLony of CAYENNE, 
im SOUTH AMERICA; with ANECDOTES 
of the celebrated vicroR HUGUES— 
from the FRENCH Of PITON. 
ULANA, or Grand Terre, is a 
part of America, properly so call- 
ed, comprehending about ten degrees of 
latitude ; bounded on the East by the 
North Atlantic Qcean; on the West, by 
the Mountains of the Cordeliers; on 
the North, by the River Oronoco ; and 
en the South, by the river of the Ama~ 
zons, or the Line. 
French Guiana is divided into districts, 
which take their names from the princi- 
pal rivers or capes. The Muroni and 
Oyapoe are the. only rivers which have 
their source in the great chain of moun- 
tains, which, in this part of the world, 
separate the waters which flow towards the 
gcean, from those which fali into the Ama= 
zon. The rivers Mana, Synnamari, Oyac, 
and Appronague, spring trom the moun- 
tains of the second.class; the others, less 
considerable, from the mountains of the 
inferior order—all have several branches, 
more or less rapid, encreased by a great 
number of smaller streams, 
The chief place of the colony of Cay- 
enne is generally known by the name of 
the Is/and of Cayenne ; but no just idea 
can be formed of this island, if itis re« 
presented as being separated at a dis- 
tance fromthe continent, and surrounded - 
by asea, navigable for vessels of all de- 
scriptions ; on the contrary, when the 
navigator first makes this land, it appears 
to him as for ming apart of Terra Firma: 
possibly it might have been so tormerly; at 
present it is only separated from it by a 
river, or strait, which rises and falls with 
every tide, and which can be only navi- 
gated by boats, or vessels of very little 
burthen. ; 
The greatest breadth of the Island of 
Cayenne, measured on a line running 
from east to west, is four leagues, or 
twelve English miles ; its greatest length 
from north to south i is sixteen miles and 
a half; and its circumference, taking in 
all its windings, is about fifty miles: that 
part of the circumference bordered by 
the oceau, and which is to the north- 
east, may, perhaps, be about eleven or 
twelve miles. 
The town of Cayenne, situated at the 
north-west extremity of the Island, at the 
mouth of the river of the same name, is 
fortified, and might be capable of being 
advantageously ‘defended by a sinall 
Mouutain which is close to it. Its latie 
Montary Mac. No. 188. 
Account of Cayenne, in South America, Kc. 
and tender buds: 
-miserable appearance; 
2. 
tude is 4 degrees 56 minutes, and lone 
gitude 54 degrees 35 minutes, from the 
meridian of Paris, according to the ob- 
servations of M. dela Condamine, in 1744. 
The days and nights are equal through 
out the year, with the exception of about 
half an hour, which we lose from Septem= 
ber to March, but gain in the six other 
months. Day appears at half-past five ; 
and at six the sun darts from the bosom 
of the ocean, surrounded with clouds of 
brilliant purple. We have two summers, 
two eguinoxes, two winters, and two sole 
stices. The heat is tempered by abun- 
dant rains, which fall during the winter 
solstice, from the middle of December 
to March, and return again from May 
tothe ead of July, when the summer 
commences, and continues to December. 
The sun is twice vertical here—the 20th 
of April, and the 20th of August; it is 
but little felt the first time, owing to the 
rains by which the earth is so moistened 
and cooled. Its return, however, gives 
about six weeks of fine weather, which 
dries up the ground a little; but the 
fickleness of these climates often deceives 
the planters, who would be able to reap 
two abundant crops, if the summers and 
winters were regular. Europeans will 
_smile at hearing ei summer ard winter in 
the torrid zone. The summer is a scorch 
ing sun, which, for several. months, is 
only refreshed by a sort of breeze, which 
blows constantly from the east, or north 
east, during the day; this wind comes 
from the sea, and gets the better of the 
land-breeze; this latter is only felt on 
the coast at certain hours, almost ale 
ways morning and evening, just at sun 
rise and at sun:set. 
The winter is one continued fall of 
rain, so heavy and abundant, as often 
to inundate whole plantations, and cover 
them entirely with a sheet of water. The 
rain sometimes falls for fifteen days suc- 
cessively, without the slightest intermise 
sion; it was this which made the Abbé 
Raynal say, that the shore, where the co- 
lony of 1768 had disembarked, was a 
land under water. The winter 1s some- 
times, however, dry and warm; then the 
plants and the trees wither; the north 
wind, with its dry, cold, nitrous breath, 
burns and parches up the flowers, fruits, 
such is the north wind 
of warm climates, more destructive than 
a scorching sun in a dry summer in Hus 
rope. 
The Old Town of Cayenne has avery 
the. houses are 
nothing more than wretched cabins, with 
sashes 
