The cultivated portion of the colony is confined to the sea-coast. and to a short dis tance up each of the rivers Berbice and Demerara. The estates were laid out by the Dutch in the shape of a parallelogram as nearly as circumstances would permit, and the staples were sugar, rum, and molasses, cotton, and coffee. In 1747 two schooners sufficed to carry to Europe the crop of 559 half-hogsheads of sugar; in 1759 the culture of cotton and coffee commenced. Immediately after the conquest by the British in 1790, it great impetus was given to agricultural operations; since that period the fluctua tions, arising from various causes at different times, have been considerable, of which some idea may be perhaps arrived at by glancing at the gradual decrease of the numbers of estates in cultivation. In 1831 there were altogether 322; thirty years later there were not more than 160. Cotton and coffee have ceased to be exported; the former is not cultivated. the latter to a very trifling extent. All available resources have been concentrated upon the production of sugar and ruin; molasses have much diminished in quantity, owing to the improvement in the manufacture of sugar. By the introduc tion of improved machinery, and an accession of labor by means of immigration, time produce of many estates has been increased from 50 to 100 per. cent. The timber-trade has become of importance, and for this the colony is mainly indebted to the interest excited in its natural resources by the great exhibitions at London in 1851, and Paris in 1855 and 1878, at which much Guiana produce was exhibited.
It has been ascertained that the population of the colony in the year 1874 amounted to 218,009, inclusive of the aborigines and the troops in garrison. As the increase since 1851 us more than accounted for by the net results of immigration during that period, it seems to follow that the Creole population has rather receded than advanced—a circum stance which, especially as it. is belived to he borne ont.by the experience of some of the smaller West India insular Colonies where :immigration has had little or no influence, is matter of serious concern. It is, however, to be remembered. that in the interval the colony has been visited by epidemic cholera and small-pox, both extensively fatal, espe cially to the aged and the young.
The population is of a diversified character; the aboriginal Indians, who, rapidly becoming extinct, are supposed to number from 7,000 to 10,000, within the British ter ritory; the Creole negro; the mixed race; the immigrants front Madeira, from the East Indies, and from China; with a sprinkling of Europeans, chiefly British, French and Dutch. The immigrants of all races introduced from 1871 to 1874 inclusive, were 27,810. On Dec. 31, 1874, there were 34,360 Indian coolies under indenture; and 14,653 working as ordinary laborers on the estates; 14,833, not indentured, being otherwise employed.
For ecclesiastical purposes, the colony is divided into 17 parishes, of which seven belong exclusively to the church of Scotland, and eight exclusively to the church of England, while Georgetown, in Demerara, and New Amsterdam, Berbice, have minis ters of each church appointed to them. The ministers of both churches, with those of the Roman Catholic church and the Wesleyan church, are maintained by salaries from the colonial treasury, secured by law for a term of years. There are also independent missionaries scattered throughout the colony, who are supported exclusively by the vol untary contributions of their flocks. In 1874 the charge for religion amounted to £19,563 19s. 6 d.. Iii the same year public education cost £19,525 18s. 1d., and was reported by the inspector to be in an unsatisfactory state.
The position of this important dependency may be described as one of advancing prosperity; but until a more ample supply of available labor induces a greater influx of capital, it cannot be asserted that its condition is positively satisfactory. Like the other sugar-producing colonies of Great Britain, it has had to struggle against great difficul ties—partly, at least, arising from imperial legislation; and it has still to contend with an expensive system of recruiting the deficient labor-market from distant regions.
The statistics of the years 1861 and 1874 show the steady progress of the colony. In 1861 the revenue was £301,761; the expenditure, £325,032; in 1874 they were respect ively £603,790 2s. 5d., and £613,798 15a. 10d. The public debt has decreased from £576,409 to £347,264 4s. 10d., with ample security. In 1861 the imports were valued at £1,339.713; in 1874, £1,873,219 9s. In these two years the exports were valued at £1,583,649 and £2,761,837. Sugar, rum, and molasses are the chief exports, and in 1874 had a value of £2,579,246. The trade in valuable native woods—chiefly greenheart—is enlarging, being, in 1871, worth £3,900, and in 1874, £32,418. The imports consist mainly of flour, dried salt fish; rice, malt liquor, brandy, machinery, oils, lumber, pork, and manufactured goods. There are 124 sugar estates, 65 plantain (provision) estates, 78 cattle farms, 16 coffee and 0 cocoa-nut estates. In 1874 there were exported 908,887 hogsheads of sugar, 276,606 puncheons of rum, and 179,625 puncheons of molasses. During the same year 7.615 immigrants from the East and West Indies were added to the coolie population. The criminal statistics for 1874 show a large amount of crime. Out of a population of 218,909, there were 39,965 apprehensions and summonses; and of those convicted there were 17 for murder, 22 for manslaughter, and 7 for attempt of murder.