XVIII
THE  GUIANAS:  BRITISH,  DUTCH
AND  FRENCH
Most  travelers  ignore  British,  Dutch  and
French  Guiana,  assuming  that  climatic  conditions ­
  are  unfavorable  and  the  small  size  of  the
population  means  no  demand  for  goods.  The
fact  is  that  they  are  not  unhealthful,  that  their
credit  is  good,  their  merchants  reliable,  their
purchasing  power  in  proportion  to  their  inhabitants ­
  is  excellent  and  especially  the  Dutch
and  British  colonies  are  friendly  to  us  and
what  we  produce.  They  are  well  worth  a
visit,  and  spend  annually  in  the  United  States
jointly  about  $3,000,000.  Furthermore,  they
are  easily  accessible  from  either  Trinidad  or
Barbados.
British  Guiana  is  by  far  the  largest  and  most
prosperous.  This  entire  tract  was  at  one  time
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