-‘The Twelve Views in the Interior of Guiana’ by Sir Robert Schomburgk
Preserving Our Literary Heritage
(Published by the Guyana Heritage Society, 2010)
‘THE TWELVE Views in the Interior of Guiana’ is a big book, a very big book in many ways — physically, imaginatively, geographically, ambitiously, graphically, and descriptively.
This big multi-dimensional book will evoke the natural senses of the reader; this book is provocative, inspirational and entertaining.

Physically, ‘Twelve Views’ measures approximately 19 inches by 13 inches, warranting a bookstand for easy handling, but is worth every inch of discomfort, from the exciting ‘Frontispiece’ sucking the reader into the twelve sublime works of art, to the accompanying detailed and descriptive text.

One of the 12 views in the Schomburgk series

Descriptively, ‘Twelve Views’ will blow the mind of the reader. For instance, in the ‘Frontispiece’, Schomburgk writes: “It appears as if the productive powers of nature, on receding from the poles, had collected themselves in their greatest strength at the equator, spreading their gifts with open hand, rendering every scene more imposing and majestic, and manifesting the abundant fertility of the soil… Nature, as if not satisfied with the soil allotted to her, richly decorates the trunks and limbs of trees, the stones and rocks; even the water is covered with a carpet of plants interspersed by magnificent flowers.” 

Graphically, ‘Twelve Views’ is startlingly fresh and magnificent. In the ‘Preface’, Schomburgk declares that credit must go to a number of persons who contributed to the twelve artworks, namely: John Morrison, a draughtsman who accompanied Schomburgk on his first journey to British Guiana, 1835-1839, and who made sketches of localities visited, and Charles Bentley, a watercolour artist who put the finishing touch to the sketches by adding colour, light and shade. 

Credit for the other graphic dimensions of the books goes to Barnard Gauci and Coke Smyth, who drew the images on stone, and to Charles Blunt and G. P. Nicholls who worked on the woodcuts.

Geographically, ‘Twelve Views’ is great in scholarship for academics, or for the reader so inclined, with the inclusion of a map which “delineates the countries visited during my expeditions, and which will assist better than any description in pointing out those spots which have been depicted in the accompanying plates and woodcuts.” 

So, it would be easy to find ‘Pirara’, ‘Roraima’ and ‘Pure-Piapa’ at given latitudes and longitudes. And herein where the scientific account and the sublime description met lies the strength of the book, bringing to the fore Schomburgk’s many talents, namely: Explorer, surveyor, cartographer, botanist, naturalist, and writer.

Robert Schomburgk was born on June 5, 1804, in Freyburg, Germany. His formative years were steeped in the love and interest of nature, natural science and botany. After trying his hand at a few jobs, he finally found his calling in life when, in 1831, he submitted to the Royal Geographical Society, London, a map and his findings on Anegada, Virgin Islands.

This report found favour with the Society, which invited Schomburgk to lead an expedition to explore British Guiana. That expedition, undertaken during 1835-1839, resulted in the ‘Twelve Views’.

There is another dimension to Schomburgk, as the book reveals in its final pages: His concern for the welfare and wellbeing of the Indigenous peoples because they “have not received the attention which I am so anxious to give them.”

This is seen through his recording of their life, manners and customs, including birth, marriage, death traditions, their food and eating patterns, their love for celebration and dance, language, housing, tools, utensils, games, and physical features “so well-proportioned that they might serve as models.”

Such was his concern that Schomburgk put his words to action. After stating that “the Indians are capable of progressive improvement,” and that “the establishment of social order, Europeans arts and Christian morals among them is possible,” he took three indigenes to England with him in 1839 for a short while, during which time they did him proud by making “progressive improvement.”

The first edition of ‘Twelve Views’, published in 1940, was an ambitious project taking 360 subscribers to get it published. That first edition was also published in colour and black and white, making use of innovative colour lithography.

This recent edition, published by the Guyana Heritage Society, was also an ambitious project. Long was the gestation period, but the Society was partnered by the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), which funded the reprinting.

The reprinting of ‘The Twelve Views in the Interior of Guiana’ by Sir Robert Schomburgk, has reopened the adventure in rediscovering El Dorado — the rich literary heritage of Guyana.

(To respond to this author, either call him on (592) 226-0065 or send him an email: oraltradition2002@yahoo.com)

What’s Happening
1. Look out for the staging of the next ‘The Journey’, an ongoing literature event hosted by the National Art Gallery, Castellani House.
2. Be a part of the Ministry of Education’s ‘Remedial Literacy & Numeracy Programmes’ for Grade Six pupils from Monday, April 19 to Friday, July 9, 2010.
3. You are invited to the launch of ‘The Guyana Annual, 2010’ and award ceremony, which is billed for the Theatre Guild, Kingston, Georgetown, on May 1, 2010, at 09:30h (9:30am).