orders were (that which went to the Jews Savannah excepted) to cruize up and down the upper parts of the rivers, each barge having a pilot, and rowed by negroe slaves, ten of which were on board of each for the purpose, and which made my complement, including my black boy Quaco, exactly sixtyfive, thirty-five of which embarked with myself. With this ship's company was I now stowed in my hen-coop; while on lieutenant's barge the crew consisted of twenty-nine only, and consequently were less crowded.

my

ever.

'On the 1st of July we were going to be stationed where absolutely no kind of refreshment was to be had, being surrounded by the most horrid and impenetrable woods, beyond the hearing of a cannon-shot from any port or plantation whatThis was not the case with the other barges, who were stationed in the midst of peace and plenty, being within view of the most beautiful estates. We were indeed pitied by all ranks without exception; who forseeing our approaching calamities, crowded my barge with the best commodities they had to present, which they insisted upon my accepting,

On the 3d of July, 1773, at 4 o'clock in the morning, the fleet cast off from their moorings, and with the ebb tide rowed down as far as the fortress New Amsterdam, where, being wind and tide bound, we dropped anchor off the battery. Having first reviewed both my ships' companies, stowed the luggage, and slung the hammocks, I perused my orders, which were to cruize up and down Rio Cottica, between the Society posts, La Rochel at Patamaca, and Slans Welveren above the last plantation, to prevent the rebels from crossing the river, to seize or kill them if possible, and protect the estates from their invasions: in all which operations I was to be assisted, if necessary by the troops of the Society on the above posts, with whom I was also to deliberate on the proper signals to be given in case of an alarm.

On the 4th of July, in the morning, we weighed anchor; and having doubled the Cape, rowed with the flood till we arrived before Elizabeth's Hope, a beautiful coffee plantation, where the proprietor, Mr. Klynhams, inviting us on shore, shewed us every civility in his power, and loaded my barge

with refreshing fruits, vegetables, &c. He told us that he pitied our situation from his heart, and foretold the miseries we were going to encounter, the rainy season being just at hand, or indeed having already commenced, by frequent showers, accompanied with large claps of thunder. "As for the enemy," said he, "you may depend on not seeing one single soul of them; they know better than to make their appearance openly, while they may have a chance of seeing you from under cover: thus, sir, take care to be upon your guard -but the climate, the climate will murder you all. ever," continued he, "this shews the the zeal of your commander, who will rather see you killed, than see you eat the bread of idleness at Paramaribo."--This pleasant harangue he accompanied by a squeeze by the hand. We then took our leave, while the beautiful Mrs. Dutry, his daughter, shed tears at our departure.--This evening we anchored before the Matapaca creek.

How

'I here created my two barges men of war, and named them the Charon and the Ceberus, by which names I shall distinguish them during the rest of the voyage; though the Sudden Death and the Wilful Murder were much more applicable, as will be seen. We now continued rowing up the river Cottica, having passed, since we entered Rio Comewina, some most enchantingly beautiful estates of coffee and sugar, which line the banks of both these rivers, at the distance of one or two miles from each other.

'We again kept rowing upwards, and at length cast anchor off the fort Slans Welveren, which was guarded by the troops of the Society. Here I stepped on shore with my officers, to wait on captain Orzinga, the commander, and delivered three of my sick men into his hospital; where I beheld such a spectacle of misery and wretchedness as baffles all imagination: this place having been formerly called Devil's Harwar, on account of its intolerable unhealthiness.

'Here I saw a few of the wounded wretches, who had escaped from the engagement in which lieutenant Lepper, with so many men, had been killed; and one of them told me the particulars of his own miraculous escape:-" I was shot,

sir," "said he, "with a musket-ball in my breast; and to resist or escape being impossible, as the only means left me to save my life I threw myself down among the mortally wounded, and the dead, without moving hand or foot. Here in the evening, the rebel chief, surveying his conquest, ordered one of his captains to begin instantly to cut off the heads of the slain, in order to carry them home to their village, as trophies of their victory: this captain, having already chopped off that of lieutenant Lepper, and one or two more, said to his friend, Sonde go sleeby, caba mekewe liby den tara dogo tay tamara; The sun is just going to sleep, we must leave those other dogs till to-morrow. Upon saying which (continued the soldier) as I lay on my bleeding breast, with my face resting on my left-arm, he, dropping his hatchet into my shoulder, made the fatal wound you see, of which I shall perhaps no more recover.-I however lay quite still. They went away, carrying along with them the mangled heads of my comrades, and five or six prisoners alive, with their hands tied behind their backs, of whom I never since have heard. When all was quiet, and it was very dark, I found means, on my hands and feet, to creep out from among the carnage, and get under cover in the forest, where I met another of our soldiers, who was less wounded than myself; with whom, after 10 days wandering, in torment and despair, without bandages, not knowing which way to proceed, and only one single loaf of black bread for our subsistence, we at last arrived at the military post of Patamaca, emaciated, and our putrefied wounds full of live

worms."

"On the following day we continued to row farther up the river, till we came before the Cormoetibo creek, where we moored the fleet, as being my head station, by colonel Fourgeoud's command. Here we saw nothing but water, wood, and clouds; no trace of humanity, and consequently the place had a most dismal, solitary appearance.

On the 10th I detached the Cerberus to her station, viz. Upper Patamaca; for which place she rowed immediately, with a long list of paroles, according to my orders, but which were never of any VOL. I.

service.

2 K

"We now tried to cook the victuals on board; our furnace was a large tub filled with earth, and we succeeded, at the expence of having almost scalded one of my men to death, and at the hazard of setting the barge once more on fire. As we had no surgeon along with us, this office fell to my lot; and, by the help of a small chest of medicines, I performed so well, that in a few days the scalded marine recovered.

6

To prevent, however, a similar accident again, I sought an opening in the creek above-named, which having found not very far from the mouth, I ordered my negroes to build a shed, and my men to dress their victuals below it, placing sentinels around them to prevent a surprize, and in the evening we returned to our station. This cooking we continued to perform every day, until the 14th, when we rowed down to Barbacoba; and, on the 15th, to Devil's Harwar for repair, where I put one of my sick negroes in the hospital.

'On the 18th, by a water-patrole from the Cerberus, I received intelligence this evening, that the men began to be sickly; and on the following day I was informed, that on the spot where we had dressed our victuals, in the Cormoetibo creek, and which is on the rebel side of the river, a strong detachment had lately been murdered by the enemy. I therefore ordered the shed to be burnt to the ground, and the meat to be dressed on board the barges. Here all the elements now seemed to unite in opposing us; the water pouring down like a deluge, the heavy rains forced themselves fore and aft into the vessel, where they set every thing afloat; the air was infested with myriads of musquitoes, which, from sun-set to sun-rising, constantly kept us company, and prevented us from getting any sleep, and left us in the morning besmeared all over with blood, and full of blotches. The smoak of the fire and tobacco, which we burnt to annoy them, was enough to choak us; and not a foot-step of land could we find, where we might cook our salt provisions in safety. To all this misery may be added, that discord broke out between the marines and the negroes, with whom, as promises or threats had as yet no weight, I was obliged to have recourse to other means.--I tied up the ringleaders of both parties; and after ordering

the first to be well flogged, and the latter to be horse-whipped for half an hour, after due suspence and expectation, I pardoned them all without one lash. This had equally the effect of the punishment, and peace was perfectly re-established; but to prevent approaching disease was totally out of my power. Not all the golden rules in Dr. Armstrong's beautiful poem upon health could avail in this situation.

We rowed down on the 20th, till we arrived before the Casepoere creek, in hopes of meeting some relief, but were equally uncomfortable. So very thick were musquitoes now, that by clapping my two hands together, I have actually killed to the number of thirty-eight at one stroke.

In rowing down at Barbacoebo, we saw one or two beautiful snakes swim across the river. In the course of our progress we occasionally met with a little relief, by stepping ashore under the shade. I now had recourse to the advice of an old negro." Caramaca," said I," what methods do you take to preserve your health ?"" Swim every day twice or thrice, sír," said he, "in the river. This, massera, not only serves for exercise where I cannot walk, but keeps my skin clean and cool; and the pores being open, I enjoy a free perspiration. Without this, by imperceptible filth, the pores are shut, the juices stagnate, and disease must inevitably follow." Having recompenced the old gentleman with a dram, I instantly stripped and plunged headlong into the river. I had, however, no sooner taken this leap, than he called to me for God's sake to come on board; which having done with much astonishment, he reminded me of the alligators, as well as of a fish which is here called pery." Both these, sir," said he, "are exceedingly dangerous, but by following my directions you will run no hazard. You may swim entirely naked, only take care that you constantly keep in motion; for the moment you are quiet, you run the risk of their snapping off a limb," or being dragged to the bottom."

I acknowledge his account at first discouraged me from the plan of daily bathing for health; but finding by following his direction that the dangers he represented were to be avoided, I resolved to follow it, and derived great benefit from the