The Georgetown Waterworks

In the early days, domestic water supply in the City of Georgetown was obtained from limited artesian wells together with rain water stored in vats and tanks. In 1825, the creation of the Lamaha Canal was proposed to bring fresh water from Lamaha Creek into Georgetown. The canal was completed using slave labour. Along the length of the Lamaha Canal, plantations and villages tapped into it based on a cost-sharing agreement. Water for fire-fighting was also needed. In 1864, Water Street was the business center of Georgetown and was devastated by two fires. The first fire flattened nearly all of Robbstown while the second destroyed Cummingsburg. The British Guiana Court of Policy reacted immediately by passing ordinances to guard against future fires. The resulting actions included wider streets, drainage and sewage improvements, and improving the physical layout design of Robbstown. Another major improvement in 1866 was the creation of the Georgetown Waterworks at Camp and Church Streets, and laying out of water mains in the city for mainly fire fighting purposes. The water originated from the Lamaha Water Conservancy and flowed along streams and canals to the Georgetown Waterworks, and then it was pumped from a reservoir into the street mains. This canal has now been filled-in to become the Merriman's Mall. In 1886, an ornate drinking fountain was erected at the current Cenotaph location to celebrate the completion of the Georgetown Waterworks. The images show scenes about the Georgetown Waterworks in British Guiana.

Image 01 - The Camp and Church Street entrance of the Georgetown Waterworks (1900s).

Image 02 - The filters of the Georgetown Waterworks (1900s).

Image 03 - Perspective view of the filters at the Waterworks (1900s).

Image 04 - Drinking fountain marking the completion of the Waterworks (1900s).

Sources

[Image 01] - New York Public Library, 1900s.
[Image 02] - New York Public Library, 1900s.
[Image 03] - Stabroek News, Guyana.
[Image 04] - Unknown.

The Pakatuk Falls, Essequibo

The Pakatuk Falls is located on the Potaro River in the Potaro-Siparuni region of the country. The terrain elevation is estimated to be about 320 feet above mean sea level. The surrounding region is relatively flat and mostly uninhabited. The image shows the Pakatuk Fall in 1920 British Guiana.

Image 01 - The Pakatuk Falls, Potaro River, Essequibo (1920).

Sources
[Image 01] - Unknown

The Victoria Regia (Victoria amazonica) Lily

The Victoria Regia (scientific name: Victoria amazonica) Lily is native to the Amazon river basin. In 1837 specimens obtained by the British explorer Robert Schomburgk were described and a name published by the British botanist John Lindley in dedication to Queen Victoria. The Victoria Regia lily is Guyana's national flower and a component of the coat of arms. The lily is considered as the largest on Earth. It is circular with the edges turned up, and can grow to a diameter of 10 feet. The flower changes color from white to pink within days of opening up and are pollinated by beetles. The legend is that teenage girls would sit on the banks of the Amazon River under the moonlight and dream about a better life. The feeling was that if they can physically touch the moon and stars they would become one of them. One young girl, Naia, tried desperately to touch the moon and fell into the Amazon River and was swept away. The moon was guilt-ridden at the loss of Naia's life and transformed her into a giant water lily that would cover the water surface and capture the moonlight. The images show the Victoria Regia lily which was common in the canals of British Guiana.

Image 01 - The Victoria Regia (Victoria amazonica) water lily at Carmichael Street (1907).

Image 02 - The Victoria Regia (Victoria amazonica) water lily at Waterloo Street (1907).

Image 03 - Water lilies in the Botanical Gardens (1920).

Sources

[Image 01] - Unknown.
[Image 02] - Baldwin and Company, British Guiana, 1907.
[Image 03] - Unknown.

The Kaieteur Falls, Essequibo

The Kaieteur Falls was seen by the first European Charles Barrington Brown on 24th April 1870 during an expedition for the Geological Survey of British Guiana. Kaieteur falls is on the Potaro river tributary of the Essequibo river. The Essequibo river is contained in a wide valley and flows in a northerly direction, and the Potaro river at a higher elevation flows from the west into the Essequibo river. Due to limited food provisions, the expedition organized a second trip in July of the same year to conduct physical measurements. This second expedition started at the Mazaruni Penal Settlement and took fifteen days to reach the Falls. During the trip they encountered five other Falls on the Potaro River that were less than 20 feet in height. The height of the Kaieteur Falls is 822 feet of which 741 feet is the vertical height of the first continuous water drop from the curved lip above, and the remaining 81 feet forming the second drop. The width of the river bed at the top of the Falls is 369 feet with a maximum river depth of 20 feet. The cavern behind the Falls is the home to flocks of swallows that leave in droves in the morning and return at nights. Kaieteur Falls is considered to be the largest single-drop waterfall by the volume of water flowing over its escarpment. The name for the Falls comes from the legend where the Amerindian Chief Kai paddled his canoe over the Falls and sacrificed his life so the Great Spirit can protect his tribe. The images and sketches show scenes of Kaieteur Falls in British Guiana.

Image 01 - Sketch of Kaieteur Falls (1873).

Image 02 - Kaieteur Falls under drought conditions (1878).

Image 03 - Front view of Kaieteur Falls (1915).

Image 04 - Kaieteur Falls from the bottom (1924)

Image 05 - Kaieteur from the bottom (1924).

Image 06 - The lip of the Falls (1924).

Image 07 - Front view of Kaieteur Falls (1924).

Image 08 - The gorge looking down from the Falls (1924).

Image 09 - The curved lip of the Falls (1944).

Sources

[Image 01] - The London Illustrated News, 1873.
[Image 02] - Unknown.
[Image 03] - Unknown.
[Image 04] - Unknown.
[Image 05] - Unknown.
[Image 06] - Unknown.
[Image 07] - Unknown.
[Image 08] - Unknown.
[Image 09] - Unknown.

Demerara Rowing Club, Georgetown

Rowing was an organized sport in British Guiana. There was a clubhouse located in La Penitence, with swimming and rowing competitions done in the Demerara River close to Stabroek Market. The image shows the rowing clubhouse in 1924 British Guiana.



Sources

[image] - Unknown

The Lamaha Canal

The intricate network of canals and drains in Demerara, particularly in Georgetown, were developed primarily by the Dutch during their rule in the colony starting in the 1600s. The Dutch, French and British occupied this territory at various times. In 1814, the three colonies of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice came under official UK rule and British Guiana emerged. The British subsequently filled in SOME of the Georgetown canals to create the tree-lined avenues of the Garden City.

Image 01 - Lamaha Canal, Georgetown (1910)

Sources:

[image 01] - Unknown