The history of the Wild Coast in ten objects - 8
Not much trace remains of the British Empire in Guyana - but there is this: a statue of Queen Victoria. Her rule broadly coincided with the abolition of slavery, and with one of the most prosperous periods in the region's history. That, of course, had much to do with the value of sugar, and British rule is not much celebrated these days.
The history of the Wild Coast in ten objects - 7
This monstrous thing is the Ariane space rocket. It's an odd one to find on the Wild Coast, but it explains a lot.
With the final closure of the penal settlement in 1963, French Guiana took on a forlorn air. The economy was completely supported by France, and there seemed little future for the colony.
The history of the Wild Coast in ten objects - 6
Is this the shoe of one of those poisoned in Jonestown (Guyana) in 1978? It could be. I took this picture on the exact spot where, on 18 November that year, over 900 people took (or were forced to take cyanide). Few women will have lost their shoes in this bit of jungle since then, so it could well be the wreckage of that terrible day.
The history of the Wild Coast in ten objects - 5
Why am I showing this embroidery depicting 'The Secret War' in Laos in the 1970s? Remarkably, because it's was made on the other side of the world by Hmong tribesmen in French Guiana.
The history of the Wild Coast in ten objects - 4
The Dutch were in what's now Guyana from 1595, and they remained in Suriname until 1975. Across the 'Wild Coast' is extraordinary evidence of their lives. Throughout the creeks there are flagons, demijohns, hand-blown wine bottles, decanters, crocks, pots and flasks. But mostly it's gin. These ones are owned by Gary Serao, who told me there were flasks everywhere: the Dutchmen liked his gin.
The history of the Wild Coast in ten objects - 3
Across the three Guianas (Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana), around half the population have African ancestry. These objects - a gourd bowl and a comb - show off African culture in its most traditional form. Whilst elsewhere African art has been transformed by the influence of other cultures, this is not so among the Maroons of Suriname.
The history of the Wild Coast in ten objects - 2
These are stone axe heads from Berbice, Guyana (with my watch for scale!). The man who found them couldn't say how old they were, and nor can I. However, they are broadly similar to tools found in Europe and the Middle East, dating from the Stone Age (which ended between 4,500BC and 2,000BC).
The history of the Wild Coast in ten objects - 1
Today, I shall start a new series, exploring the story of Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana through some of the things I encountered on my travels. I start with this, a plaster cast of a convict's foot, seen in the museum in Cayenne (Fr G). The foot is grossly deformed, and the label says that the cast was made whilst the prisoner was under torture.
Unusual menu items
Six unusual things I've eaten/drunk on my travels:-
1. Ducks' tongues (Hong Kong). All you'd expect of a tongue except with an unexpected crunch.
2. Baked limpets (Madeira). There must be enough limpets around British waters to feed the world but, in my view, they're best left stuck to the rocks.
3. Pigs' ears (Thailand). Imagine eating plastic handbags.
How England saw Guyana (then British Guiana) in Victorian times
This painting depicts the naturalist, Charles Waterton (1782-1865) wrestling with a caiman somewhere in the interior. The background depicts an earthly paradise, with trees resplendent with birds.