THE Caribbean Press continues in virtual leaps and bounds to preserve the literary heritage of Guyana on two fronts.
This newly established press is committed to reprinting rare and out-of-print books on Guyana, and to publish contemporary writings on Guyana. Within two short years of existence, this Press has already produced twenty-six of a projected target of thirty-six titles in the series labelled, the Guyana Classics Library.
On Monday, July 16, 2012, The Caribbean Press launched another six titles in the Guyana Classics Library. Those books launched included two books dealing with particular fragments of Guyana’s history; three collections of poetry; and one collection of short stories.
This rich mixture of books offers two perspectives on Guyana: A historical perspective, and an imaginative creative perspective.  The two history books are: ‘The New Slavery, an account of the Indian and Chinese Immigrant in British Guiana’ by Joseph Beaumont, and ‘British Policy Towards the Amerindians in British Guiana, 1803-1873’ by Mary N. Menezes.
The short-story collection is titled ‘The Short Stories of Cyril Dabydeen’ by Cyril Dabydeen. The three collections of poetry are ‘Unclosed Entrances – Selected Poems’ by Sasenarine Persaud, ‘Selected Poetry’ by Maggie Harris, and ‘Selected Poems’ by Elly Niland.
The publications on Dabydeen, Niland, and Harris are the first set of reprinted books that have won The Guyana Prize for Literature. From time to time, I would attempt to review those books. Here is an in-depth look at one of those books, ‘British Policy Towards the Amerindians in British Guiana, 1803-1873’ by Mary N. Menezes, R. S. M.
The story behind this publication runs thus, quoting from the Preface written by Menezes to the first appearance of the book in 1977:
“In 1969 at the end of a third summer’s research on the Guyana-Venezuela Boundary Dispute, I had noted in the margin of my summary: ‘At a future date, research in detail on the relationship of the British with the Indian.’ Out of this marginal comment grew the topic of this work, which, after years of painstaking research, led to the publication.”
Out of that marginal comment, totalling sixteen words, emerged a massive scholarship totalling 379 pages.  This recent reissue of the book contains a Series Preface written by President Bharrat Jagdeo, and a new Introduction by Dimitar Angelov. Those two bits of information are additions to a Preface, and an Introduction to the 1977edition, both written by Menezes.
Those two prefaces and two introductions are only a small part of the book’s total scholarship. The book also contains some 118 pages of useful information via fifty pages of Notes; thirty-five pages of Appendices; twenty-one pages of Bibliography; and twelve pages of Index.
Faced with all of this data, Menezes ensures the reader is not lost, by providing a page of Abbreviations and three pages of Maps, all of which point to the fact that she is a consummate researcher and writer.
Further, in support of her lengthy introduction, Menezes eases the reader through her dissertation, chapter after chapter, with long, self-explanatory titles:
Chapter One: ‘The Principal Tribes of Guiana – their Customs and Culture – their Relations with the Dutch in the Eighteenth Century’;
Chapter Two: ‘The Dutch and British Policy of Indian Subsidy – A System of Annual and Triennial Presents’;
Chapter Three: ‘The Role and duties of the Postholders and Protectors of the Indians – the Advantages and Disadvantages of the System’;
Chapter Four: ‘The Superintendents of Rivers and Creeks – Police of the Interior or Protectors of Indians?’;
Chapter Five: ‘British Legal Jurisdiction over the Indians – Conflict between Native Customs and British Law’;
Chapter Six: ‘The Boundaries, the British and the Indians’;
Chapter Seven: ‘Indian slavery – Industrial Employment of Indians – Indians and the Land’;
Chapter Eight: ‘The Role of the Missionaries in the Protection, Civilisation, and Christianisation of the Indians’; and
Chapter Nine: ‘The Balance Sheet of British Policy’.
So, the book, ‘British Policy Towards the Amerindians in British Guiana, 1803-1873’, gives a background to European interest in British Guiana, starting with the magnetic pull of El Dorado; colonisation by the Dutch, Spanish, and English; the changing fortunes of the country; the story of sugar and slavery and indentured labour; and the role of missionaries. This background information was necessary in order for the writer to put her issue in perspective.
The book, ‘British Policy Towards the Amerindians in British Guiana, 1803-1873’ covers seventy years of British colonial rule of British Guiana, and what transpired during those significant dates, 1803 and 1873.
1803 was the year when the Dutch handed over the colony to the British, and 1873 was the year when there was a major policy change: The abolition of the post Superintendents of Rivers and Creeks, described as a ‘pivotal moment’ in the history of Guyana.
The book ‘British Policy Towards the Amerindians in British Guiana, 1803-1873’ is significant, in that it fills a gap in the history of Guyana by highlighting a previously unexplored issue. Previous scholarships on Guyana focused mainly on sugar, slave and indentured labour with cursory references to the welfare of the First Peoples of this country. This slight was due mainly to the fact that the Amerindian was from “time immemorial, a rover, a wanderer through his forest home.”
Before 1803, the Dutch had cemented a good working relationship with the Amerindians. The two parties started off on a good note which was described as ‘mutually beneficial trade’. This relationship moved to another level when the Amerindians were employed in the internal defence (policing for runaway slaves) and external defence of the country – “keeping the Spanish at bay.” The Dutch also bestowed gifts to the native and appointed postholders who were the “key players in the implementation of the Dutch policy towards the Amerindian population.”
When the British took over in 1803, they continued in the same vain until things fell apart. There were many reasons for this including the promised (gifts) were “often tardy and inconsistent,” and the Amerindians considered themselves free people, making British law incompatible with the law of the jungle.
So, the administration of the Amerindian by the British was a work in progress, rule of thumb attitude. Stretch this attitude over seventy years and imagine the damage done to the first peoples of Guyana. So, ‘British Policy Towards the Amerindians in British Guiana, 1803-1873’ is an important handbook on how to treat the Amerindian as real human beings.
Menezes’ contribution to the scholarship on the Amerindian is only part of the story. She confesses in the preface of her book, “A great deal has been left untold, especially concerning the role of women missionaries.” This is another marginal note to elicit another book or two…

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