192 SELLING LATIN AMERICA 
in the possession of Spain and was under its 
control until 1624. The Dutch in 1648, after 
the close of their war with Spain, and through 
one of their mercantile companies, obtained a 
trading port in what afterwards became 
known as Dutch Guiana. Following their 
move, the English under Sir Walter Raleigh, 
acquired their present possession, establishing 
a town now known as Surinam, the English 
afterwards giving a portion of this territory 
to the Dutch in exchange for their holdings in 
North America. About the same time the 
French established a colony at Cayenne, and 
later on came near being embroiled in a war 
with Brazil over the boundary line, which 
was finally amicably adjusted. 
These three European colonies, the only 
ones by the way, in South America, British 
Guiana being the most westerly, French 
Guiana the eastern and Dutch Guiana be 
tween the others, have for their northern 
boundary the Atlantic Ocean. Venezuela is 
the western neighbor of British Guiana. 
Brazil touches each of these colonies as their