GUIANA, an extensive country in South America, is bounded by the river Orinoco on the north, by the river of the Amazons on the south, by the Atlantic Ocean on the east and north-east, and by New Granada on the west. It is nearly of a triangular form, and is computed to con tain 250,000 square miles. It extends along the coast from the mouth of the Orinoco to that of the Maranon or Amazons river, about 700 miles ; and stretches inland from east to west about 1200. The Orinoco is known to communicate by several branch-streams with the Maranon; and one of these, called the Yupura, is considered as the western verge of Guiana. It is therefore completely an insulated tract, and is probably capable of being circum navigated.
The discovery of Guiana has been attributed by some to Columbus in the year 1498, and by others to the Spa nish navigator Vasco Nunes, who, after ascertaining Cuba to be an island, landed in 1504 on the continent of South America ; and, having traced the coast from the Orinoco to the Maranon, comprehended the whole tract in that ex tensive country, to which, in contradistinction to Cuba and the adjacent islands, he gave the general name of Terra Firma. But, though originally seen by the Spaniards, Guiana was little known, till it was visited by Sir Walter Raleigh in the year 1595 ; who not only explored the coast, but also sailed up the river Orinoco about 600 miles, in quest of the imaginary El Dorado. Several English buccaneers next resorted to the coast ; and, in 1634, about sixty persons, partly English and partly French, under the command of a Captain Marshall, were found in Surinam cultivating tobacco, and making trading voyages to the neighbouring coasts. In 1650, this voluntary settlement was taken under the protection of Great Britain, and Lord Willoughby of Parkham was appointed governor ; but, in 1667, it was taken by the Dutch, and finally ceded to them by the treaty of Wesminster in 1674, in exchange for the province of New York. Similar settlements were gradu ally made by other powers, on different parts of the coast ; the country of Guiana has thus been distributed by geographers into four distinct divisions ; viz. Spanish Guiana, Dutch Guiana, French Guiana, and Portuguese Guiana. Spanish Guiana extends along the coast about thirty leagues, from the mouth of the Orinoco to Cape Nassau, and runs inland about 150 leagues on the south of the Orinoco ; Dutch Guiana lies between Cape Nassau and the river Maroni ; French Guiana between the Maroni and the river Carapana ; and Portuguese Guiana, between the Carapana and the river of the Amazons. The more
inland part of the country, behind these settlements, may be considered as a fifth division, and called Indian Guiana. Of these, Spanish Guiana is by far the most extensive and valuable possession. Its breadth, indeed, for the space of 80 leagues eastward, does not exceed 30 leagues ; but it afterwards widens to more than 150 leagues, running along the back of the Dutch and French possessions, till it reaches the equinoctial line, which separates it from the Portuguese territories. It is divided into Upper and Lower Guiana, of which the river Caroni may be considered as the separating boundary. Lower Guiana is intersected in all directions by numerous rivers, which from time imme morial have contributed to increase the vegetable mould on its surface, so that in point of fertility it is not surpassed by any other portion of territory in the American continent. But, for the space of 30 leagues from the coast, it is com pletely occupied by the Caribs, the most ferocious of the Indian tribes, who have hitherto massacred every Spanish missionary or settler, who ventured to approach their habi tations; and whose hostility to the Spaniards, the Dutch have been accused of fomenting, for the purpose of ex tending their commerce along the coast of Spanish Guiana. The city of Saint Thomas, the capital of Spanish Guiana, is situated on the right bank of the Orinoco, about 90 leagues from the mouth of the river; and is the residence of a governor and a bishop. Its streets are regularly built and well paved ; and its climate pure and healthy ; but its port is incommodious, and its distance from the coast un favourable to its commercial prosperity. From this port of Guiana were exported, from 1791 to 1794, 10,380 oxen, and 3140 mules, all either bred in the province or brought from Varinas ; and, in return, were imported 200 negroes, and 349,448 piastres in specie. From 1791 to 1795 the silver exported to Europe amounted to 25,203 piastres, and the commodities to 363,397 piastres. But this com merce is said to have greatly diminished. The population of Spanish Guiana, exclusive of the portion occupied by the near the coast, is estimated only at 34,000, of which 19,425 Indians are under the jurisdiction of the mis sionaries, 6575 reside in the capital, and the remaining 8000 are scattered through the different villages. Farther particulars respecting the political and ecclesiastical state of this province will be found under the articles CARACCAS and Ortiaroco ; and for an account of the other European settlements on the coast of Guiana, we refer to the articles