[Illustration]
The design of the postage stamps of Surinam, or Dutch Guiana, is shown
in the accompanying illustration, the name being spelled, of course,
after the Dutch method. In English the final "e" is omitted.
Surinam lies on the northern coast of South America. On the east is
French, and on the west British, Guiana. The territory over which the
Dutch claim dominion is about fifty-eight thousand square miles in
extent, or more than four times the size of Holland, but the actual area
under cultivation is a little over two hundred square miles. The
principal settlements are in the lower valley of the Surinam River,
which at its mouth is three miles wide. The water is of a dirty yellow
color, with bubbles on its surface, and its current can be traced far
out to sea. Its source has not yet been found.
The Dutch began to visit the coasts of Guiana about 1580. In 1614, the
States of Holland granted to any Dutch citizen four years' monopoly of
any harbor or place of commerce he might discover in that region. The
first settlement in Surinam, in 1630, was made by an Englishman, whose
name is still preserved by Marshall's Creek. Thirty-six years afterward
the English settlement was taken by the Zealanders, and one hundred
thousand pounds of sugar were exacted as a ransom. Finally, the country
was confirmed to the Dutch by treaty, in 1674.
The most renowned name connected with Surinam is that of Cornelis van
Aerssens, lord of Sommelsdjik, who in 1683 purchased one-third of the
territory from the New Dutch West India Company. Sommelsdjik agreed to
govern the colony at his own expense, and his rule was marked by rare
wisdom and energy. He repressed and pacified the Indians, he erected
forts, established a court of justice, introduced the cultivation of the
cocoa-nut, and, in short, devoted himself to the welfare of his people.
But his soldiery turned against him, and massacred him, after five years
of beneficent rule.
His death threw affairs into great confusion. It became necessary to
make some new arrangement, and his widow offered to sell his large
interest in the colony to William III. of England. The arrangement would
not, however, have been satisfactory to Holland, and Sommelsdjik's
portion of the territory was finally purchased by the city of Amsterdam.
Surinam has continued under Dutch rule from 1804, with the exception of
a period of eleven years, when it was in possession of the English.
Slavery was abolished during this period. There is a House of Assembly,
the members of which may never be less than nine nor more than thirteen.
Four are appointed by the government, and the others are regularly
elected by the colonists. There is one curious provision. A royal decree
may overrule a unanimous decision of the Assembly, and not infrequently
a command will arrive from Holland undoing all that has been
accomplished by that body.
The capital of Dutch Guiana is Paramaribo. It has a population of
22,000, a large proportion of which are negroes. The city is regularly
built, and the streets present a pleasant sight, owing to the rows of
tamarind and orange trees which line them on both sides. In 1832 the
city was nearly destroyed by a band of negro slaves, who set fire to the
city. The flames were fortunately subdued before they made any great
headway. In order to deter others from making a similar attempt, the
negroes who executed the horrible deed were publicly burned alive.
There are about seventeen thousand bush negroes in Surinam. These are
descendants of runaway slaves, and consist of three tribes. They retain
curious traces of their former connection with Christianity, though they
are, and consider themselves, pagans. Their chief god is Gran Gado
(grand god), his wife is Maria, and his son Jesi Kist. Various minor
deities are also worshipped; Ampeeka, the bush god, Toni, the water god,
etc. Among themselves these people speak a language based on a corrupt
English, mingled with many Dutch, Portuguese, and native elements.
I came near neglecting to state that in Surinam, in addition to postage
stamps, there are also in use postal cards, and an extensive series of
revenue stamps. These are of two kinds, stamped and unstamped, and in
color correspond to the postage stamps of the colony. The cards were
introduced in July, 1876. A very neat frame surrounds the card, with the
word "Briefkaart" at the top, and four lines for the address.
A card for fifteen cents was first issued; then followed, in 1877, a
card for twelve and a half cents. But last year, a change being made in
postal rates, a card of seven and a half cents was issued. As an example
of the economy so characteristic of the Dutch, the old cards were still
kept in use, and the change made by simply printing the new value on
them in black figures.