much as leaving one at Paramaribo to guard the colours and the regiment's chest, which had both been left to the care of a quarter-master.--This, indeed, was literally the fact; but to this he might safely, and without hurting his conscience, have added, the inveteracy of his disposition, with which he had determined to persecute me and some others to annihilation.

'I now returned to resume the command at the Hope, where I found my friend Mr. Heneman (who was now made a captain) very sick, with several others. All these, as well as myself, were left without a surgeon, medicines, or money; while as I stated before, the many hogsheads of wine sent from Amsterdam, together with scores of kegs containing preserved vegetables, and other fresh provisions, were for ever kept invisible from the poor, emaciated, and languishing troops, for whom they had certainly been intended by that city. I indeed here made one more attempt to recover our property, but to no purpose; money, medicines, wine, and refreshments, were all kept back. Thus did we continue to pine and lose strength, instead of gaining it. I mean the greatest part of us; as for myself, I had the least cause to complain, being well attended by Joanna and my servants, who the next day all arrived from Egmond at the Hope, besides receiving presents, which were as usual sent me from all quarters. One additional inconvenience I however felt-my feet were infested with chigoes, which I partly impute to having, during my illness, worn stockings and shoes while at the good Frenchman's estate Egmond. Joanna, with her needle, picked twenty-three of these insects out of my left-foot; which being all hatched under the nails, caused, as may be imagined, the most terrible torment, but which I bore without flinching, with the resolution of an African negro."

Captain Stedman, notwithstanding a dangerous relapse, was condemned to linger at the Hope; while his beloved Joanna's critical situation greatly contributed to his misery. His sufferings were not diminished by the information he received from Mr. Lolkens, that the estate Fauconberg was again transferred, with all its dependants, to Mr. Lude of Amsterdam, with VOL. I.--(14) 2 R

whom he had not the smallest interest. However, this sentence was alleviated by Mrs. Lolkens, who insisted that Joanna should reside with her at Paramaribo, where she should receive the care and attention that her situation required. After conducting his amiable partner to some distance, he bid her an affectionate farewell, after which he relates the following incident.

At my return to the Hope, my indignation was scarcely to be restrained within the bounds of prudence, when I found myself upbraided by my mess-mates for taking care of my own offspring: "Do as we do," said they, "Stedman, and never fear. If our children are slaves, they are provided for; and if they die, what care we, should they be d-d into the bargain? Therefore keep your sighs in your own belly, and your money in your pocket, my boy, that's all."I repeat this in their own language, to shew how much my feelings must have been hurt and disgusted with similar consolation.

The following morning, awaking by day-break in my hammock, the first thing I saw, when looking up, was a snake about two yards long, hanging with its head downwards like a rope, and straight above my face, from which he was not one foot distance, while his tail was twisted round the rafters under the thatch. Observing his eyes bright as stars, and his forked tongue in agitation, I was so distressed that I scarcely had power to avoid him, which however I did, by running out; after which, I heard a rustling in the dry thatch, where the negroes attempted to kill him, but in vain, he having escaped, and thus I cannot say what species he belonged to. Being now by myself, and rather startled by this unwelcome guest, I shut up my house, and lodged and messed with my friends the major, Heneinan, and Macdonald.

'On visiting my boxes, I now found that great depredations had been committed by the ants, which are throughout all Guiana so very numerous, and of so many different species, that once I had a pair of new cotton stockings perfectly destroyed by them in one night only. Those which frequent the estates are generally small, but very troublesome. The only way possible to keep them from the refined sugar, is by hang

Ing the loaf to the ceiling on a nail, and making a ring of dry chalk around it, very thick, which crumbles down the moment the ants attempt to pass it. I imagined that placing my sugarboxes in the middle of a tub, and on stone, surrounded with deep water, would have kept back this formidable enemy, but to no purpose: whole armies of the lighter sort (to my astonishment) marched over the surface, and but few of them were drowned. The main body constantly scaled the rock, and in spite of all my efforts made their entry through the key-holes; after which, the only way to clear the garrison is to expose it to a hot sun, which the invaders cannot bear, and all march off in a few minutes. That the ants provide for winter, as not only Dr. Bancroft and many others, but even king Solomon, reports, is found to be an error by the most modern investigation. In Surinam, indeed, there is no winter; but where there is, the ants lie dormant, during which torpid state they want no food.

6

Having written to a Mr. Seifke, to enquire whether it was not in the power of the Governor and Council to relieve a gentleman's child from bondage, provided there was paid to its master such a ransom as their wisdom should judge adequate; I received for answer, that no money or interest could purchase its freedom, without the proprietor's consent; since, according to law, it was just as much a slave as if it had been born in Africa, and imported from the coast of Guinea. This information now perfectly completed my misery, and I at last had recourse to drinking; which temporary relief, however, only caused my spirits to flow higher, in order to make them sink lower after its evaporation,

'During this conflict it happened that I was invited with the major to dine, at an estate called Knoppemonbo, in the Casavinica creek, where a Mr. De Graay, the proprietor, did every thing in his power to amuse me, but to no purpose.-At last, seeing me seated by myself on a small bridge that led to a grove of orange-trees, with a settled gloom on my countenance, he accosted me, and taking me by the hand, to my astonishment, pronounced the following words:

"Sir, I am acquainted by Mr. Lolkens with the cause of your just distress. Heaven never left a good intention unrewarded. I have now the pleasure to acquaint you, that Mr. Lude has chosen me for his administrator; and that from this day I shall pride myself in making it my business to render you any service with that gentleman, as well as the virtuous Joanna, whose deserving character has attracted the attention of so many people, while your laudable conduct redounds to your lasting honour throughout the colony."

'No angel descending from above could have brought me a more welcome message; and no criminal under sentence of death could have received a reprieve with greater joy. The weight of a mill-stone was removed from my labouring breast; and having made Mr. De Graay repeat his promise, I felt I should yet be happy. Soon after this I was surrounded by several gentlemen and ladies, to whom my friend had communicated his generous intentions. They congratulated me on my sensibility, and on having met with so valuable an acquaintance. All seemed to partake in the pleasure that I now felt; and the day being spent in mirth and conviviality, I returned to the Hope, much better pleased than when I left it, where next day the whole company was entertained by major Medler; nor did we separate, or cease feasting up and down the river, till the 13th of November, when we once more spent the day at Knoppemonbo.

Here Mr. De Graay, having bought some new slaves, gave a holiday to all the negroes on his estate; and here I had the opportunity of seeing the diversions peculiar to that people: the Loango dancing, as performed by the Loango negroes, male and female; consisting from first to last in such a scene of wanton and lascivious gestures, as nothing but a heated imagination and a constant practice could enable them to perform. These dances, which are performed to the sound of a drum, to which they strike time by clapping of hands, may properly be considered as a kind of play or pantomine divided into so many acts, which lasts for some hours. But the most remarkable is, that during this representation, the actors, in

stead of being fatigued, become more and more enlivened and animated, till they are bathed in sweat like post-horses, and their passions wound up to such a degree, that nature being overcome, they are ready to drop into convulsions.

"However indelicate the above exhibitions may be, fashion has rendered them no more disgusting than any other diversions to the European and Creole ladies, who in company with the gentlemen crowd about them without the least reserve, to enjoy what they call a hearty laugh; while such scenes would change an English woman's face from white to scarlet."

Fourgeoud, with all the able troops he could collect, which were now not much more than 100, had again entered the forest, where he destroyed some fields belonging to the enemy. But the negroes continued to elude his pursuits, and occasionally pillaged several plantations. On the 4th of December, our hero received the tidings that his Joanna was delivered of a strong and beautiful boy, and on that same day he wrote to Mr. Lude at Amsterdam to obtain her manumission. Being now perfectly recovered, he wrote to Fourgeoud requesting that he might either be permitted to accompany him in the woods, or to go for some time to Paramaribo, but neither the one nor the other request was granted.

In this situation,' says he, I wrote a letter to town, to inform my poor friend that I was well, with which I went to the river side to look out for a boat, and towards noon hailed the tent-barge belonging to Fauconberg, which was rowing with the overseer to Paramaribo. This was, unfortunately, a new superintendant; and not knowing me, he refused to come ashore for the message. However, seeing the negroes rest upon their oars, I took the letter in my teeth, and leaped instantly into the river to dispatch it, knowing they would put me again on terra-firma. Having thus swam with the stream, my shirt and trowsers, till I came within two oars length of the boat, I held up the letter in my hand, and called out, "Who the devil are you, that refuse to take on board a piece of paper?" When, being answered in French, “Je suis Jean Bearnec, paysan de Gauscogne, a votre service,” I

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