Mr. de Graav, on counting the money, add_Narrative, of a five years' expedition against the Revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana on the Wild Coast of South America; from the year 1772 to 1777 ... Volume 2 (of 2)

terms:—“Stedman, two hundred florins of this sum belong to me as

administrator. Permit me also to have a small share in this happy

event, by not accepting this dividend, as I shall find myself amply

paid by the pleasure of having been instrumental in bringing about what

seems so much to contribute to the enjoyment of two deserving people.”

Having thanked my disinterested friend with an affectionate shake by

the hand, I immediately returned the two hundred florins to Mrs.

Godefroy, and all were happy. I must not omit, as a farther proof of

Mrs. Godefroy’s humane character, that on hearing of the dejected

situation of the sick at Magdenberg, she at this time sent them a

present of a whole barge-load of fruit, vegetables, and refreshments of

every kind that the colony could afford, for their relief.

On the 7th of April, matters being thus far settled, I wrote a letter

to Mr. Lude, at Amsterdam, to give him intelligence, and to thank him

for having parted with the most valuable property of his estate; and my

ancle being now pretty well recovered, I also wrote to Colonel

Fourgeoud, that I should have the honour to join him in a few days.

This letter I directed to Barbacoeba, for there he still continued,

while the intrepid and active militia captain, Stoeleman, was beating

up the woods with a few rangers at another quarter, and who this day

sent in four captive rebel negroes to Paramaribo [5].

On the 10th, finding myself sufficiently recovered, and ready once more

to enter the forest, I bade farewell to my sweet family and friends,

leaving the first still at Mr. de la Mare’s, at their request; and

cheerfully set off with a tent-boat on my fifth campaign, in the hopes

of accompanying Fourgeoud; who, having assembled all his remaining

forces, and made the necessary arrangements to attack the enemy, was

now determined to march in a very few days.

On the 14th I arrived with a boat at Barbacoeba, in the upper part of

the river Cottica, where formerly I was when I killed the aboma snake.

I found here the old gentleman (who civilly welcomed me) ready to start

the following day. I never saw the troops in such fine spirits, or so

eager for service; which proceeded from different motives, as I had

said before, some in the hopes of plunder, some from revenge on the

rebels, and some from a wish to see the war at an end; while I believe

in my soul, that others were tired of existence by continual illness

and hard service; and heartily wished for a glorious end of all their

miseries—as nothing can be more wretched than a soldier’s or a sailor’s

life, perpetually soaking in the wet or scorching in the sun,

surrounded by an unbounded forest, and in a tropical climate.

CHAP. XX.

A Rebel Negro described—Bush-fighting—Sentimental Expressions of

the African Blacks—The Town of Gado-Saby taken by Colonel

Fourgeoud—Superstition—Wonderful Expedients—Great Generalship in

the Enemy.

On the 15th of August 1775, the rebels, flushed with their late victory

over Captain Meyland and his party, whether with a design to brave

Fourgeoud, or to intimidate his troops, being well apprised by their

spies that he was at Barbacoeba, had the assurance to set fire to all

the huts in two different camps which had been left standing by his

patroles, while they continued shouting and hallooing the whole night

within our hearing; but this only proved an incentive to action, and

enraged our veteran commander so much, that he now declared he would

have ample revenge at all hazards. During this night a large tiger also

alarmed the camp, but did no damage of any kind.

An hour before day-break next morning, Colonel Fourgeoud, with his

troops, were ready to march, and immediately entered the woods. They

now amounted exactly to two hundred Europeans fit for service, the rest

being ill and unfit for service; but no rangers were as yet arrived,

though they had been expected. The fact was, they were so much

disgusted with Fourgeoud’s command, that they did not appear at all,

which afforded this gentleman for once an opportunity of stigmatizing

them as a band of pusillanimous rascals; and I confess I was myself

extremely astonished at this wilful absence of my black favourites, who

were at other times so eager to rush upon the enemy, and had declared

their satisfaction at the hopes of a decisive engagement with their

sable countrymen.

This whole day our course was due E.; and after proceeding about eight

miles (which is a great distance in this country, where the pioneers

with bill-hooks must constantly open a path), we erected huts, and

encamped. Having frequently mentioned the rebel-negroes with whom we

were now certain to have a rencontre, I present the reader with the

figure of one of these people, upon his guard, as alarmed by a rustling

amongst the bushes. At a distance are supposed a couple of our rangers,

waiting the moment to take him by surprize. This rebel negro is armed

with a firelock and a hatchet; his hair, though woolly, may be observed

to be plaited close to his head, by way of distinction from the

rangers, or any other straggling negroes, who are not yet accepted

amongst them; his beard is grown to a point, like that of all the

Africans, when they have no opportunity of shaving. The principal dress

of this man consists of a cotton sheet, negligently tied across his

shoulders, which protects him from the weather, and serves him also to

rest on; while he always sleeps under cover in the most obscure places

he can find, when detached from his companions. The rest of his dress

is a camisa, tied around his loins like a handkerchief; his pouch,

which is made of some animal’s skin; a few cotton strings for ornament

around his ancles and wrists; and a superstitious obia or amulet tied

about his neck, in which he places all his confidence. The skull and

ribs are supposed to be the bones of his enemies, scattered upon the

sandy savannah.

The two rangers who make their appearance at a distance may be

distinguished by their red caps; and here I must observe, that the

rebels have many times availed themselves of seizing one of these

scarlet distinctions, which by clapping on their own heads in an

engagement, has not only saved their lives, but given them an

opportunity of shooting their enemies.

Another stratagem of theirs has sometimes been discovered, viz. that

fire-arms being scarce amongst them, numbers have intermixed in the

crowd, with a crooked stick shaped something like a musket; and this

appearance has more than once had the effect of preventing a proper

defence by the plantation slaves, when the rebels came to ransack the

estates; while with this show of armed numbers they have often struck

such a panic, and so damped the courage of the former, that they have

been calmly permitted, after burning their houses, even to carry away

their wives and daughters.

On the 16th we continued our march due E. upon a ridge or elevated

ground. These ridges, if I mistake not, run generally in this country

E. and W. as do also most of the marshes and swamps. Having advanced

rather a less distance than we did the day before, we were ordered

early to sling our hammocks, and to sleep without any covering, to

prevent the enemy from hearing the sound of cutting the trees; nor were

any fires allowed to be lighted, nor a word to be spoken, while a

strict watch was kept round the camp. These, in fast, were all very

necessary precautions; but if we were not discovered by the enemy, we

were almost devoured by the clouds of gnats or musquitoes, which arose

from a neighbouring marsh: for my own part I suffered more here than I

had even done on board the fatal barges in the upper Cottica, as we

could make no smoke to drive them away. In this situation I saw the

poor men dig holes with their bayonets in the earth, into which they

thrust their heads, stopping the entry and covering their necks with

their hammocks, while they lay with their bellies on the ground. To

sleep in any other position was absolutely impossible.

By the advice of a negro slave, I however enjoyed my rest.—“Climb,”

said he, “massera, with your hammock to the top of the highest tree

that is in the camp, and there go sleep; not a single musquito will

disturb you, the swarm will be sufficiently attracted by the smell of

the sweating multitude below.”—This I immediately tried, and slept

exalted near one hundred feet above my companions, whom I could not see

for the myriads of musquitoes below me, nor even hear them, from the

incessant buzzing of these troublesome insects.

This was the principal distress of the night; while, during the day, we

had frequently been attacked by whole armies of small emmets, called

here fire-ants, from their painful biting. These insects are black, and

very diminutive, but live in such amazing multitudes together, that

their hillocks have sometimes obstructed our passage by their size,

over which, if one chances to pass, the feet and legs are instantly

covered with innumerable of these creatures, which seize the skin with

such violence in their pincers, that they will sooner suffer the head

to be parted from their body, than let go their hold. The burning pain

which they occasion cannot, in my opinion, proceed from the sharpness

of their pincers only, but must be owing to some venomous fluid which

they infuse, or which the wound imbibes from them. I can aver that I

have seen them make a whole company hop about, as if they had been

scalded with boiling water.

On the 17th we continued our march still due E. till nine o’clock, when

we altered our course to the N. and had to scramble through great

quantities of those mataky roots, or trumpeters already described,

which proved that we were descending into the low grounds, and indeed

the soil soon became very marshy; fortunately, however, though it was

now the wet season, we had as yet very little rain.

This evening we encamped about four o’clock. Colonel Fourgeoud being

seized with a cold fit of the ague.

As I was slinging my hammock between two large branches, but not so

high as the preceding night, my eye chanced to fall upon what I

conceived to be the leaf of a tree, but which appeared to move and

crawl up the trunk. I called several officers to see it: when a

gentleman of the Society exclaimed, “C’est la feuille ambulante.” That

is the walking leaf. Upon closer examination it proved to be an insect,

whose wings so perfectly represent a leaf, that by many it has been

mistaken for a vegetable production. This seemed to be a species of

grasshopper, but covered over with four wings of an oval form, and

about three inches in length, the two uppermost so folded together as

to appear exactly like a brown leaf, with all the fibres, &c.

I now returned to my hammock; where, reflecting on all the wonders of

nature, while the silver-moon glittering through the verdure added

beauty to the scene, I fell into a profound sleep, which I enjoyed till

near midnight, when we were all awaked in pitch darkness and a heavy

shower of rain, by the hallooing and shouting of the rebel negroes, who

discharged several muskets; but as the shot did not reach our camp, we

were extremely astonished, the darkness rendering it impossible to form

any just idea of their meaning. This disturbance continuing till near

day-break, made us expect every moment to be surrounded, and keep a

very sharp look-out.

In the morning early we unlashed our hammocks, and marched due N.

towards the place whence we conjectured the hallooing noise to have

proceeded, being all much fatigued for want of rest, especially Colonel

Fourgeoud, who could hardly support himself, so much was he weakened by

the ague. We had not marched above two miles, I having the van-guard,

when a rebel negro sprang up at my feet from under a shrub, where he

had been asleep; but as we had orders not to fire upon stragglers, he

escaped, running with almost the swiftness of a stag amongst the

brambles. I no sooner made report to the old hero, than, swearing he

was a spy, which I believe was true, he shook off his illness, and

quickened his pace with redoubled vigour: but our pursuit was to no

purpose, at least this day; for about one o’clock we got into a bog,

from which we could hardly extricate ourselves, and were forced to

return to our last night’s encampment, missing two privates of the

Society troops, whom we supposed to have perished in the marsh.

This day we saw great quantities of arnotta-trees, with which this part

of the forest abounds. In the evening a slave presented me with a

bush-spider of such magnitude, that putting him into a case-bottle

above eight inches high, he actually reached the surface with some of

his hideous claws, whilst the others were resting upon the bottom. No

creature can be more dreadfully ugly than this enormous spider, which

the people of Surinam erroneously call the tarantula. The body is

divided in two, the posterior part oval, and the size of an

Orlean-plum; the fore-part square, with a figure somewhat resembling a

star upon it. This monster has five pair of thick legs, with four

joints in each; is entirely black or dark brown, and covered over, legs

and all, with thick and long black hair, like some caterpillars, while

each leg is armed with a crooked yellow nail, and from the head project

two long teeth with inverted pincers, resembling the claw of a crab,

with which it seizes its prey; while its bite, if not fatal by the

venomous liquid infused into the wound, always occasions a fever. It

has eight eyes like most spiders, and feeds on insects of every

species; nay, it is even asserted, that young birds do not escape it,

out of which this spider sucks the blood: its web is small but very

strong. Upon the whole, it is such a hideous creature, that the very

sight of it is sufficient to occasion a tremor of abhorrence, even in

persons most accustomed to inspect the deformities of nature.

Innumerable indeed are the pests and dangers to which one is hourly

exposed in the woods of this tropical climate; and though it is my

present business only to make mention of such as I met with in this

march, and which must appear new to the reader, yet a recapitulation of

the names only of our numerous plagues may not be improper to refresh

the memory of those who have a heart to sympathize with our sufferings.

I have already mentioned the musquitoes, monpieras, patat and serapat

lice, chigoes, cock-roaches, common ants, fire-ants, horse-flies, wild

bees, and spiders; besides the prickly heat, ring-worm, dry-gripes,

putrid fevers, boils, consaca, bloody-flux, thorns, briars, alligators,

snakes, tigers, &c.; but I have not yet spoken of the bush-worms, large

ants, locusts, centipedes, scorpions, bats, and flying-lice, the

crassy-crassy, yaws, lethargy, leprosy, and dropsy, with a thousand

other grievances that continually annoyed our unhappy troops;—a

particular description of which I must delay till a more suitable

opportunity occurs for introducing them into this narrative.

Such were the pests that we had to struggle with in this baneful

climate, whilst our poor men were dying in multitudes, without proper

assistance, unpitied, and frequently without a friend to close their

eye-lids, neither coffin nor shell to receive their bones, but thrown

promiscuously into one pit, like heaps of loathsome carrion.

On the 19th, we again left our encampment, and after keeping a little

S. marched E. till ten o’clock, when we were overtaken and joined by a

party of one hundred rangers, with their conductor, Mr. Vinsack, to my

great satisfaction. At this period we mustered three hundred men; and

however little Colonel Fourgeoud affected, at other times, to value

these black soldiers, he was now not at all displeased with their

company, upon our near approach to an enemy with whom the rangers were

well acquainted, and knew how to engage much better than the marines:

while it will ever be my opinion, that one of these free negroes is

preferable to half a dozen white men in the forest of Guiana; it indeed

seems their natural element, whilst it is the bane of the Europeans.

Colonel Fourgeoud now issued orders for our little army to march in

three lines or columns, his own regiment in the centre, the Society

troops on the right, the rangers or black soldiers on the left, all

within hearing of each other, with a few flankers or riflemen outside

the whole: thus formed we advanced till about noon, when we changed our

course from E. to N. E. and continued our march over a biree-biree

swamp, or quagmire: these are very common and dangerous in this

country, being a deep soft miry bog, covered over with a thin crust of

verdure, sufficient in most places to bear the weight of a man, and

quaking when walked over; but should this crust give way, whoever

breaks it is swallowed up in the chasm, where he must inevitably perish

if not immediately extricated; thus it has frequently happened that men

have been seen to sink, and have never more been heard of.

Quicksands are quite different, as they overwhelm by a gradual suction,

whereas the effects of a quagmire are instantaneous. To avoid

accidents, we opened our files as much as possible, which occasioned a

very long rear; but even with this precaution several men sunk through

it, as if the ice had broken under their feet, and some in my presence

up to the arm-pits, but were fortunately, though with much difficulty,

extricated.

In the afternoon we passed through two old cassava fields, which

indicated our near approach to the rebel settlement; we afterwards fell

in with Captain Meyland’s path, which we knew by the marks cut upon the

trees, as before explained. The evening being too far advanced to

attack the enemy, we once more encamped a few miles from the swamp in

which Captain Meyland and his party had been defeated.

Having had a long march, and the men being much fatigued, Colonel

Fourgeoud allowed, during this night, both huts and fires; which

surprized me greatly, being so near the rebels, though he had forbidden

these comforts when we were at a very considerable distance from them.

I however availed myself of his bounty, and having got some pigeon-peas

from my serjeant, which he had picked up in the old cassava grounds,

and laid hold of one of the kettles, I invited him, and a captain of

the black corps called Hannibal, to a share; who having thrown their

salt-beef and rusk-biscuit into the mess with mine, and stirred it

round with a bayonet, we made a very excellent supper, though in a sad

dreary night and heavy rain.

The pigeon or Angola peas grow on a shrub about eight or ten feet high;

five or six of these peas are contained in a pod; they are flat like

lentils, and of a reddish-brown colour: the negroes are extremely fond

of them, and cultivate them in their gardens without any expence or

much trouble.

Hannibal now observing that we should certainly see the enemy

to-morrow, asked me if I knew in what manner negro engaged against

negro? Having answered in the negative, he gave me the following

relation, while smoking his pipe under my hammock.—“Massera,” said he,

“both parties are divided in small companies of eight or ten men,

commanded by a captain, with a horn, such as this (shewing me his) by

which they do every thing, and fight or run away. When they fight they

separate immediately, lie down on the ground, and fire at the flash of

each other’s pans through the trees; while each warrior is supported by

two negroes unarmed, the one to take his place if he is killed, and the

other to carry away the dead body, to prevent its falling into the

hands of their adversaries [6].”

From this discourse I perfectly understood his meaning, which I have

since seen put in practice; and for the clearer conception of the

reader, I have illustrated it with the following plan, where the whole

engagement is exhibited at one view.

The two columns E and F are supposed to be first engaged, where No 1 in

the column E commences the attack by firing at random in the opposite

bushes; and instantly retires, by shifting his place to No 1 in the

column C, where he re-loads; while No 2 in the column F, having fired

at the flash of his pan, advances in the same manner, shifting his

station to re-load at No 2 in the column D; and at the flash of whose

pan No 3 fires in E, and receives the fire of No 4 in F, &c. &c. Thus

continuing through both lines, till No 8 has fired in F, when the whole

have shifted their stations; and the same manœuvre is continued with

the columns C and D, beginning again with the identical numbers 1, 2,

3, &c. at the top; while these lines, having shifted their places,

still the firing is repeated by the lines A and B, and thus ad

infinitum, until by sounding the horn one of the parties gives way in

flight, and the battle is over. I shall only add, that when the forest

is thick, instead of lying on their bellies, or kneeling, each negro

skulks behind a thick tree, which serves him as a bulwark, and from

which he fires at his adversary with more certainty and less danger,

usually resting his piece against the trunk, or in the forked branches,

like the Shawanese and Delaware Indians.

Captain Hannibal also informed me, that the famous chief Bonny was

supposed to be in person amongst the neighbouring rebels; and that he

was born in the forest amongst them, notwithstanding his being a

mulatto, which was accounted for by his mother escaping to the woods

from the ill treatment of her master, by whom she was then pregnant.

Having frequently mentioned the different shades between a black and a

white, the same plate represents them to the reader at one view. From

the above two colours the mulatto is produced; from the mulatto and

black, the samboo; from the mulatto and white, the quaderoon, &c.

&c.—This sable warrior made me also acquainted with the names of

several other rebel commanders, against whom he had frequently fought

for the Europeans. Such as Quammy, who was the chief of a separate

gang, and had no connection with the others; Coromantyn, Cojo, Arico,

and Joli-Cœur; the two last being celebrated captains, whose revenge

was insatiable against the whites, particularly Joli-Cœur’s, who had I

confess great reason, as has been already stated. The noted rebel negro

Baron, he believed, was now serving also under the great chief Bonny.

He next proceeded to tell me the names of the principal rebel

settlements, some of which were already destroyed, some now in view,

and some of these were only known to us by name. These appellations

were all very expressive indeed; and as they may serve in some measure

to elucidate our enquiries concerning the negro nations, I have thought

proper to give them a place in this narrative, with their meaning in an

English translation; viz.

Boucoo I shall moulder before I shall be taken.

Gado Saby God only knows me, and none else.

Cofaay Come try me, if you be men.

Tessee See Take a tasting, if you like it.

Mele me Do disturb me, if you dare.

Boosy Cray The woods lament for me.

Me Salasy I shall be taken.

Kebree me Hide me, O thou surrounding verdure.

The others were:

Quammi Condre From Quammi, the name of the chief.

Pinenburgh From the pines or manicole-trees which formerly

surrounded it.

Caro Condre From the quantity of maize it afforded.

Reisee Condre From the quantity of rice it produced.

Such were the names of the negro warriors, and their settlements.

I now shook hands with Captain Hannibal, while my mind being occupied

with the hopes of victory unstained by cruelty, and being very much

fatigued, I soon fell profoundly asleep.

On the 20th in the morning, no one could awake in a more beautiful day

and better spirits than I did, until they were damped by observing that

at so critical a time, and even in the moment before the conflict,

instead of that kind treatment which it would have been prudent to have

shewn to those from whose exertions we were to expect a happy period to

our sufferings, there was even then such discouragement of the

subaltern officers and private men as involuntarily drew from me the

reflection—That (if possible to avoid it) princes and ministers should

never invest any one individual with unlimited authority, especially in

a foreign country, without being perfectly well acquainted with the

rectitude of their moral principles and disposition; no men being fit

to command but those who are possessed of manly feelings, and whose

valour is tempered with humanity; since ’tis a truth that sterling

bravery is incompatible with a cruel heart.

At six o’clock we advanced N. E. by N. towards the marsh, my melancholy

evaporating with the rising sun.

About eight o’clock we entered this formidable swamp, and soon found

ourselves above our middle in water, well prepared nevertheless for the

warm reception we expected from the opposite shore, as the former party

had so fatally experienced. After wading above half a mile, our

grenadiers rapidly mounted the beach with cocked firelocks and bayonets

fixed; the main body instantly followed, and also mounting the beach,

the whole formed without the smallest opposition. We now beheld a

spectacle sufficient to shock the most intrepid, the ground strewed

with skulls, bones, and ribs still covered with human flesh, and

besmeared with the blood of those unfortunate men who were killed with

Captain Meyland.—That officer had indeed found means to bury them, but

the rebels had dug them up for the sake of their cloaths, and to mangle

the bodies, which, like ferocious animals, they had torn limb from

limb. Amongst these, the fate of Meyland’s nephew, a promising young

man, was peculiarly affecting. He came from the mountains of

Switzerland in quest of military preferment, and met his fate in a

marsh of Surinam just after his landing. His bravery was equal to that

of his uncle, his intrepidity, voluntarily exposing himself to danger,

knew no bounds.—Such is the enthusiasm of military ambition.

“And ’tis most true, while Time’s relentless hand

With sickly grasp drags others to the tomb;

The soldier scorns to wait the dull command,

But springs impatient to a nobler doom.

“Tho’ on the plain he lies, outstretch’d and pale,

Without one friend his stedfast eyes to close,

Yet on his honour’d corpse shall many a gale

Waft the moist fragrance of the weeping rose.

“O’er the dread spot the melancholy moon

Shall pause a while—a sadder beam to shed;

And starry night amidst her awful noon

Sprinkle light dews upon his hallowed head.

“There too the solitary bird shall swell

With long-drawn melody her plaintive throat;

While distant echo from responsive cell

Shall oft with fading force return the note.

“Such recompence be valour’s due alone.”

This being the second or third heap of human bones we had met with in

our march, I frankly acknowledge did not operate upon me as a

stimulative to engage with negroes; yet these awful relics spurred on

the common soldiers to take revenge for the loss of their massacred

companions.

Having so frequently had occasion to speak of marching through a swamp,

it may not be improper to illustrate the description by the annexed

drawing. The first figure represents Colonel Fourgeoud (preceded by a

negro slave, as a guide, to give notice by his swimming when the water

deepens) followed by myself, some other officers and marines, wading

through the marsh above our middle, and carrying our arms, ammunition,

and accoutrements above our heads, to prevent their being damaged by

the wet.

In the back-ground may be seen the manner in which the slaves carry all

burdens whatever on the head, and the mode of the rebel negroes firing

upon the troops from the tops of high palm-trees, &c. A march of this

nature, though occasionally necessary in Surinam, must be always very

dangerous, being exposed to an attack from under cover of the

surrounding bushes, without having the power of returning the fire more

than once; for in such a depth of water no soldier can re-load his

musket without wetting both the lock and the priming.

We now followed a kind of foot-path made by the enemy, which after a

little turning led us in a westerly direction. Serjeant Fowler, who

preceded the van-guard, at this time came to me pale, declaring, that

the sight of the mangled bodies had made him extremely sick; and that

he felt himself completely disarmed, being that moment, as it were,

rivetted to the ground, without the power of advancing one single step,

or knowing how to conceal his tremor:——I d—n’d him for a pitiful

scoundrel, and had only time to order him to the rear.

“No force, no firmness, the pale coward shews:

He shifts his place, his colour comes and goes;

A dropping sweat creeps cold on every part,

Against his bosom beats his quivering heart:

Terror and death in his wild eye-balls stare;

With chattering teeth he stands, and stiff’ning hair,

And looks a bloodless image of despair.”

At ten o’clock we met a small party of the rebels, with each a green

hamper upon his back; they fired at us, dropped their bundles, and

taking to their heels ran back towards their village. These we since

learned were transporting rice to another settlement for their

subsistence, when they should be expelled from Gado-Saby (the name of

this settlement) which they daily expected, since they had been

discovered by the gallant Captain Meyland. The green hampers, which

they call warimbos, were very curiously plaited with the manicole

leaves. And when our men cut them open with their sabres, there burst

forth the most beautiful clean rice that I ever saw, which was

scattered and trampled under foot, as we had no opportunity of carrying

it along. A little after this we perceived an empty shed, where a

picquet had been stationed to give notice of any danger, but they had

precipitately deserted their post. We now vigorously redoubled our pace

till about noon; when two more musket shot were fired at us by another

advanced guard of the enemy, as a signal to the chief, Bonny, of our

approach. Major Medler and myself, with a few of the van-guard, and a

small party of the rangers, at this time rushing forward, soon came to

a fine field of rice and Indian corn: we here made a halt for the other

troops, particularly to give time for our rear to close up, some of

whom were at least two miles behind us; and during which period we

might have been cut to pieces, the enemy, unknown to us, having

surrounded the field in which we were, as we were afterwards informed.

In about half an hour the whole body joined us, when we instantly

proceeded by cutting through a small defile of the wood, into which we

had no sooner entered, than a heavy fire commenced from every side, the

rebels retiring, and we advancing, until we arrived in the most

beautiful field, of ripe rice, in the form of an oblong square, from

which the rebel town appeared at a distance, in the form of an

amphitheatre, sheltered from the sun by the foliage of a few lofty

trees, the whole presenting a coup-d’œil romantic and enchanting beyond

conception. In this field the firing was kept up, like one continued

peal of thunder, for above forty minutes, during which time our black

warriors behaved with wonderful intrepidity and skill. The white

soldiers were too eager, and fired over one another at random, yet I

could perceive a few of them act with the utmost coolness, and imitate

the rangers with great effect; amongst these was now the once-daunted

Fowler, who being roused from his tremor by the firing at the beginning

of the onset, had rushed to the front, and fully re-established his

character, by fighting like a brave fellow, by my side, until the

muzzle of his musket was split by a shot from the enemy, which rendered

it useless; a ball passed through my shirt, and grazed the skin of my

shoulder; Mr. Decabanes, my lieutenant, had the sling of his fusee shot

away: several others were wounded, some mortally, but I did not, to my

surprize, observe one instance of immediate death—for which seeming

miracle, however, I shall presently account.

This whole field of rice was surrounded and interspersed by the enemy

with the large trunks and roots of heavy trees, in order to make our

approach both difficult and dangerous; behind these temporary

fortifications the rebels lay lurking, and firing upon us with

deliberate aim, whilst their bulwarks certainly protected them in some

measure from the effects of our fire, we having vast numbers of these

fallen trees to scramble over before we could reach the town: but we

still advanced, in defiance of every obstacle, and while I admired the

masterly manœuvres of their general, I could not help pitying them for

their superstition. One poor fellow, in particular, trusting to his

amulet or charm, fancied himself invulnerable; he mounted frequently

upon one of the trees that lay near us, discharged his piece, descended

to re-load, and then with equal confidence and the greatest

deliberation returned to the charge in my full view; till at last a

shot from one of my marines, named Valet, broke the bone of his thigh,

and he fell crawling for shelter under the very same tree which had

supported him just before; but the soldier instantly advancing, and

putting the muzzle of his musket to the rebel’s ear, blew out his

brains, while several of his countrymen, in spite of their spells and

charms, shared the same fate.

Being now about to enter the town, a rebel captain, wearing a tarnished

gold-laced hat, and bearing in his hand a torch of flaming straw,

seeing their ruin inevitable, had the resolution to stay and set the

town on fire in our presence, which, by the dryness of the houses,

instantly produced a general conflagration, when the firing from the

woods began gradually to cease. This bold and masterly manœuvre not

only prevented that carnage to which the common soldiers in the heat of

victory are but too prone, but also afforded the enemy an opportunity

of retreating with their wives and children, and carrying off their

most useful effects; whilst our pursuit, and seizing the spoil, were at

once frustrated both by the ascending flames, and the unfathomable

marsh, which we soon discovered on all sides to surround us, as in the

Maccabees:

“Behold the battle is before us, and behind us, and the water of

Jordan on this side, and that side, and the marsh, and forest, so

that there is no place for us to turn aside.”

I must indeed confess that within this last hour the continued noise of

the firing, shouting, swearing, and hallooing of black and white men

mixed together; the groans of the wounded and the dying, all weltering

in blood and in dust; the shrill sound of the negro horns from every

quarter, and the crackling of the burning village; to which if we add

the clouds of smoke that every where surrounded us, the ascending

flames, &c. &c. formed, on the whole, such an uncommon scene as I

cannot describe, and would perhaps not have been unworthy of the pencil

of Hogarth: this scene I have, however, faintly endeavoured to

represent in the frontispiece—where I may be seen, after the heat of

the action, fatigued, and dejectedly looking on the body of an

unfortunate rebel negro, who, with his musket in his hand, lies

prostrate at my feet.

In short, having washed off the dust, sweat, and blood, and having

refreshed ourselves with a dram and a bit of bread till the flames

subsided, we next went to inspect the smoking ruins; and found the

above town to have consisted of about one hundred houses or huts, some

of which were two stories high. Among the glowing ashes we picked up

several trifles that had escaped the flames, such as silver spoons and

forks, which we supposed, by the marks BW. to have been pillaged from

the Brunswick estate in Rio Cottica. We found also some knives, broken

china and earthen pots; amongst the latter one filled with rice and

palm-tree worms fell to my share: as this wanted no fire to dress the

contents, and as my appetite was very keen, I emptied it in a few

minutes, and made a very hearty meal. Some were afraid this mess had

been left behind with a view to poison us; but this suspicion, proved

however, fortunately for me, to be without foundation.

The silver plate I also purchased from the men that picked it up,

determined to carry it off as a trophy, and I have used it ever since.

Here we likewise found three skulls fixed upon stakes, the mournful

relics of some of our own brave people, who had been formerly killed;

but what surprized us most, were the heads of two young negroes, which

seemed as if fresh cut off, these we since learned had been executed

during the night of the 17th, when we heard the hallooing and the

firing, for speaking in our favour.

Having buried all these remains promiscuously in one pit, we returned

to sling our hammocks, under those beautiful and lofty trees which I

have already mentioned; but here I am sorry to add, we found the

rangers shockingly employed, in playing at bowls with those very heads

they had just chopped off from their enemies; who, deaf to all

remonstrance,

“Resistless drove the batter’d skulls before,

And dash’d and mangled all the brains with gore.”

They related that upon reconnoitring the skirts of the surrounding

forest, they had found quantities of human blood in different places,

which had flowed from the dead and wounded bodies the rebels had

carried away during the action.

To reprimand them for this inhuman diversion would have been useless,

as they assured us it was “Condre fassee,” the custom of their country;

and concluded the horrid sport by kicking and mangling the heads,

cutting off the lips, cheeks, ears, and noses; they even took out the

jaw-bones, which they smoke-dried, together with the right hands, to

carry home, as trophies of their victory, to their wives and relations.

That this barbarous custom prevails amongst savages is a well-known

fact, which originates from a motive of insatiable revenge. And though

Colonel Fourgeoud might have prevented their inhumanity by his

authority, in my opinion he wisely declined it; observing, that as he

could not do it by persuasion, to do it by power, might break their

native spirit, and produce no other effect than alienating them from

the service, so necessary were they to us, though so savagely

revengeful, and so bloody.

About three o’clock, whilst we were resting from our fatigue, we were

once more surprised by an attack from a party of the enemy; but after

exchanging a few shots they were repulsed. This unexpected visit,

however, put us more upon our guard during the night, so that no fires

were allowed to be lighted, and double sentinels were placed around the

camp. Thus situated, being overcome by excessive toil and heat, I after

sun-set leaped into my hammock, and soon fell fast asleep; but in less

than two hours my faithful black boy Quaco roused me, in the midst of

pitch darkness, crying, “Massera, massera! boosee negro, boosee

negro!”—“Master, master! the enemy, the enemy!” Hearing, at the same

moment, a brisk firing, with the balls whistling through the branches,

I fully concluded that the rebels were in the very midst of our camp.

Surprised, and not perfectly awake, I suddenly started up with my fusee

cocked; and (without knowing where I ran) first threw down Quaco, and

next fell down myself, over two or three bodies that lay upon the

ground, and which I imagined to be killed. When one of them, “d—ning me

for a son of a b—ch, told me, if I moved I was a dead man; Colonel

Fourgeoud having issued orders for the troops to lie flat on their

bellies all the night, and not to fire, as most of their ammunition had

been expended the preceding day.” I took his advice, and soon

discovered him by his voice to be one of our own grenadiers, named

Thomson. In this situation we lay prostrate on our arms until sun-rise,

during which time a most abusive dialogue was carried on indeed between

the rebels and the rangers, each party cursing and menacing the other

at a very terrible rate; the former “reproaching the rangers as

poltroons and traitors to their countrymen, and challenging them next

day to single combat; swearing they only wished to lave their hands in

the blood of such scoundrels, who had been the principal agents in

destroying their flourishing settlement.” The rangers “d—n’d the rebels

for a parcel of pitiful skulking rascals, whom they would fight one to

two in the open field, if they dared but to shew their ugly faces;

swearing they had only deserted their masters because they were too

lazy to work.” After this they insulted each other by a kind of

war-whoop, sung victorious songs on both sides, and sounded their horns

as signals of defiance; when the firing commenced once more from the

rebel negroes, and continued during the night, accompanied by their

martial voices, at intermissions resounding through the woods, which

echo seemed to answer with redoubled force.

At length poor Fourgeoud took a part in the conversation, myself and

Serjeant Fowler acting as his interpreters, by hallooing, which created

more mirth than I had been witness to for some time: he promised them

life, liberty, victuals, drink, and all they wanted. They replied, with

a loud laugh, that they wanted nothing from him; characterized him as a

half-starved Frenchman, who had run away from his own country; and

assured him that if he would venture to pay them a visit, he should

return unhurt, and not with an empty belly. They told us, that we were

to be pitied more than they; that we were white slaves, hired to be

shot at and starved for four-pence a day; that they scorned to expend

much more of their powder upon such scarecrows; but should the planters

or overseers dare to enter the woods, not a soul of them should ever

return, any more than the perfidious rangers, some of whom might depend

upon being massacred that day, or the next; and concluded by declaring

that Bonny should soon be the governor of the colony.

After this they tinkled their bill-hooks, fired a volley, and gave

three cheers; which being answered by the rangers, the clamour ended,

and the rebels dispersed with the rising sun.

Our fatigue was great; yet, notwithstanding the length of the contest,

our loss by the enemies fire was very inconsiderable, for which I

promised to account; and this mystery was now explained, when the

surgeons, dressing the wounded, extracted very few leaden bullets, but

many pebbles, coat-buttons, and pieces of silver coin, which could do

us little mischief, by penetrating scarcely more than skin deep. We

also observed, that several of the poor rebel negroes who were shot,

had only the shards of Spa-water cans, instead of flints, which could

seldom do execution; and it was certainly owing to these circumstances

that we came off so well, as I have mentioned before; yet we were

nevertheless not without a number of very dangerous scars and

contusions.

Inconceivable are the many expedients which these people employ in the

woods, where in a state of tranquillity they seemed, as they boasted,

to want for nothing, being plump and fat, at least such as we had an

opportunity of observing. It should be noticed, that game and fish they

catch in great abundance, by artificial traps and springs, and preserve

them by barbacuing; while their fields are even overstocked with rice,

cassava, yams, plantains, &c. They make salt from the palm-tree ashes,

as the Gentoos do in the East Indies, or frequently supply the want of

it with red pepper.

We here found concealed near the trunk of an old tree a case-bottle

filled with excellent butter, which the rangers told me they made by

melting and clarifying the fat of the palm-tree worms: this fully

answers all the purposes of European butter, and I found it in fact

even more delicious to my taste. The pistachio or pinda nuts they also

convert into butter, by their oily substance, and frequently use them

in their broths. The palm-tree wine they have always in plenty; they

procure it by making deep incisions of a foot square in the fallen

trunk, where the juice being collected, it soon ferments by the heat of

the sun; it is not only a cool and agreeable beverage, but sufficiently

strong to intoxicate. The manicole or pine-tree affords them materials

for building; they fabricate pots from clay found near their dwellings;

the gourd or callebasse tree procures them cups; the silk grass plant

and maurecee-tree supplies materials for their hammocks, and even a

kind of cap grows naturally upon the palm-trees, as well as brooms; the

various kinds of nebee supply the want of ropes; fuel they have for

cutting; and a wood called bee-bee serves for tinder, by rubbing two

pieces on each other; it is also elastic, and makes excellent corks;

candles they can make, having plenty of fat and oil; and the wild bees

afford them wax, as well as excellent honey.

Cloaths they scorn to wear, preferring to go naked in a climate where

the warmth of the weather renders every kind of covering an useless

incumbrance.

They might breed hogs and poultry, and keep dogs for hunting and

watching them, but this they decline, from the apprehension of being

discovered by their noise, as even the crowing of a cock may be heard

in the forest at a considerable distance.———I shall now once more

proceed.

The rebels of this settlement being apparently subdued and dispersed,

Colonel Fourgeoud made it his next business to destroy the surrounding

harvest; and I received orders to begin the devastation, with eighty

marines and twenty rangers. Thus I cut down all the rice that was

growing plentifully in the two above-mentioned fields; this being done,

I discovered a third field south of the first, which I also demolished,

and made my report to Fourgeoud, with which he appeared highly

satisfied. In the afternoon Captain Hamel was detached, with fifty,

marines and thirty rangers, to reconnoitre behind the village, and to

discover, if possible, how the rebels could pass to and fro through an

unfathomable marsh, whilst we were unable to pursue them. This officer

at length perceived a kind of floating bridge amongst the reeds, made

of maurecee-trees, but so constructed, that only one man abreast could

pass it. On this were seated astride a few rebels to defend the

communication, who instantly fired upon the party, but were soon

repulsed by the rangers, who shot one of them dead, but he was carried

away by his companions.

On the morning of the 22d, our commander ordered a detachment to cross

the bridge and go on discovery, at all hazards. Of this party I led the

van. We now took the pass without opposition; and having all marched,

or rather scrambled over this defile of floating trees, we found

ourselves in a large oblong field of cassava and yams, in which were

about thirty houses, now deserted, being the remains of the old

settlement called Cofaay. In this field we separated into three

divisions, the better to reconnoitre, one marching north, one

north-west, and the third west. And here, to our astonishment, we

discovered that the reason of the rebels shouting, singing, and firing,

on the night of the 20th, was not only to cover the retreat of their

friends, by cutting off the pass, but by their unremitting noise to

prevent us from discovering that they were employed, men, women, and

children, in preparing warimboes or hampers filled with the finest

rice, yams, and cassava, for subsistence during their escape, of which

they had only left the chaff and refuse for our contemplation.

This was certainly such a masterly trait of generalship in a savage

people, whom we affected to despise, as would have done honour to any

European commander, and has perhaps been seldom equalled by more

civilized nations.

CHAP. XXI.

Spirited Conduct of the Rangers and Rebels—A Skirmish—Scene of

Brotherly Affection—The Troops return to Barbacoeba—Plan of the

Field of Action—A Slave killed by the Oroocookoo Snake.

Colonel Fourgeoud, on finding himself thus foiled by a naked negro, was

unable any longer to restrain his resentment, and swore aloud he would

pursue Bonny to the world’s end. His ammunition and provisions were

however expended, and if they had not, it would have been in vain now

to think of overtaking the enemy.—To the surprize of most persons, our

hero however persevered in this impracticable project, and dispatched

Captain Bolts, with one hundred men and thirty rangers, besides a

number of slaves, to transport a quantity of shot, and a week’s

provisions from Barbacoeba, and at the same time issued orders for the

troops to subsist upon half allowance, desiring the men to supply the

deficiency by picking rice, peas, and cassava, and prepare them in the

best way they could for their subsistence, and this was also my lot, as

well as most of the officers; while it was no bad scene to see ten or

twenty of us with heavy wooden pestles, like so many apothecaries,

beating the rice in a species of mortars, cut all along in the hard

trunk of a levelled purper-heart-tree by the rebel negroes (being the

only contrivance used by them to separate the rice from the husk) this

was however for us a most laborious business, the sweat running down

our bodies as if we had been bathing, while water was at this time the

only beverage in the camp.

Among other vegetables we had the good fortune to find here great

quantities of wild purslane, which only differs from the common, by

growing nearer the ground, the leaves being less, and more of a

blackish green; this vegetable grows wild in the woods of Guiana, and

may be either eaten as a sallad, or stewed, without reserve, being not

only a cooling and agreeable food, but reckoned an excellent antidote

against the scurvy.

Here were also great quantities of gourd or calebasse trees, which are

very useful to the natives of the country. This tree grows to the

height of a common apple-tree, with large thick pointed leaves: the

gourds it produces are of different forms and dimensions, some being

oval, some conical, and some round, growing often to the size of ten or

twelve inches in diameter; the shell is hard and very smooth, covered

over with a shining skin or epidermis, which becomes brown when the

gourd is dry and fit for use: the heart or pulp is a pithy substance,

which is easily extricated by the help of a crooked knife. The uses are

various to which these gourds are applied, they furnish bottles,

powder-flasks, cups, basons, and dishes: I seldom travelled without

one, which served me as a bason, plate, &c. in the forest. The negroes

generally adorn them by carving on the outer skin many fantastical

figures, and filling up the vacancies with chalk-dust, which sometimes

has a very pretty effect.

The rangers having been out to reconnoitre, returned on the afternoon

of the 23d, and reported that they had discovered and destroyed another

field of rice to the N. E. This pleased Colonel Fourgeoud very well;

but when in the dusk of the evening I observed to him, that I saw

several armed negroes advancing at a distance, he turned pale,

exclaiming, “Nous sommes perdus!” and ordered the whole camp

immediately under arms. In a few seconds these negroes were near enough

to be discerned, and we now saw that several of them were carried upon

poles, in hammocks. Fourgeoud then said, “We still are ruined, though

not the enemy: ’tis Captain Bolts, beaten back, with all his party;”

and this proved literally to be the fact, when that unfortunate officer

(having delivered the wounded to the surgeons) made his report, that

having entered the fatal swamp where Captain Meyland had been defeated,

he was attacked by the enemy from the opposite shore, who, without

hurting a single European, had made a dreadful havock amongst his

rangers; that Captain Valentine, a brave young fellow, belonging to

that corps, whilst sounding his horn to animate his countrymen, had it

shot away, with his pouch also, and was himself most desperately

wounded in five different parts of the body. In this situation he was

met by his brother, named Captain Avantage, who, upon seeing his mortal

condition, a scene of such real fraternal affection ensued as is seldom

to be observed in a civilized country:—kneeling at his side, and

bending over the mangled Valentine, he sucked the blood and gore from

his shattered breast and sides; then cherished him with the manly

promise to revenge his death upon his foes, and the hopes that when he

himself was killed he should meet him again in a better place.

Colonel Fourgeoud now found that the rebels had kept their promise of

massacring the rangers; while Captain Bolts reported that some had

fired upon his party from the tops of the palm-trees, and then sliding

down with surprising agility, disappeared, whilst the rangers were

foaming for revenge on their active adversaries, and could hardly be

restrained from an immediate pursuit through the verdure.

Our mighty leader now found his absurd scheme of pursuing the enemy

compleatly frustrated, and himself in danger of total destruction;

being cut off from every supply, and having neither ammunition nor

provisions left in his camp, with very few men, except the sick and

wounded, to defend it. Thus he at last began most seriously to consider

how to secure a safe retreat; to which he was urged likewise by the

general and incessant murmurings of the troops, who were not only

almost starved, but indeed dreadfully harassed by daily fatigues and

nightly watchings:

“They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way, they found no

city to dwell in.

“Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.”

On the 24th, a detachment of one hundred and forty men, commanded by

two field officers, were still ordered to destroy the fields, and the

old settlement called Cofaay; of this party I had the honour again to

be one. We soon performed the service we were sent upon, and also

picked up, out of the marsh, several utensils, such as tea-kettles,

iron pots and pans, &c. that the rebels had formerly pillaged from the

estates, and had thrown into the water to conceal them from us, with an

intention, no doubt, of returning to fish them up, as soon as we were

gone from Gado-Saby.

Upon the return of the detachment in the afternoon, we immediately

decamped, and began to retreat for Barbacoeba. Here I must remark in

Colonel Fourgeoud an instance of bad policy, at least, though many have

not hesitated to bestow upon it a harsher epithet. This evening, upon

our return, when we entered the ominous swamp, he suddenly caught up

one of the empty bread-boxes, and having stuffed a hammock into it, he

carried it before him as a shield, crying aloud to his men, “Sauve qui

peut!” At this moment a Walloon named Mattow stepped up to him, and

said, “Mon Colonel, but few can, and I hope fewer still will, follow

your example. Drop your shield, and do not intimidate your soldiers:

one brave man creates others, then follow thy Mattow, and fear for

nothing.” Upon which he instantly threw open his bosom, and charging

his bayonet was the first that mounted the opposite beach: this

intrepidity inspired the rest, and they passed the marshy swamp without

opposition; for which act of heroism this private marine was since made

a serjeant. I should think myself deficient if I did not observe, that

the Walloons in general behaved with great spirit, and were in every

respect excellent soldiers. This evening we encamped upon the same

ground where we had passed the night before the engagement, with

excessive bad weather and very heavy rain.

Early on the morning of the 25th, we again marched, and proceeded on

our return, having now a beaten path before us. It will suffice to say,

that we reached our place of general rendezvous, Barbacoeba, on the

afternoon of the following day, but in a most shocking condition; the

whole of the detachment being mostly spent and wore out with fatigue,

some nearly starved, others mortally wounded; whilst all the slaves

were employed in carrying the sick and lame in their hammocks, on long

poles, though these poor wretches were scarcely able to support

themselves.—Such was the concluding scene of the taking of Gado-Saby.

However, if during this expedition we neither captured any of the

rebels, nor gained booty, we nevertheless rendered the colony a very

essential service, by rooting out this concealed nest of enemies, who

being thus discovered and driven away from their capital settlements,

never think (as I have already observed) of returning to live near the

same spot. I might, indeed, pronounce our victory almost decisive; I

say almost, for if we except the demolishing a few plantations for

immediate subsistence, and from a spirit of revenge, the rebels were,

by being driven from this settlement, so disconcerted and panic-struck,

that from the present period their depredations were certainly less, as

they soon afterwards retired to an inaccessible depth in the forest,

where they neither could do any material injury, nor be joined by negro

deserters.

To shew the masterly manœuvres of our sable foes to more advantage, I

here present the reader with a plan of this extraordinary settlement,

together with our different stages, after leaving our encampment on the

borders of the Cottica River, viz.

Nos 1, 2, and 3, are supposed to be the general rendezvous at

Barbacoeba, and the two succeeding nights encampment.

No 4. The spot where we heard the firing and shouting of the rebels, on

the night of the 17th.

No 5. The latitude where the troops were joined by the black corps or

rangers.

No 6. The night’s encampment previous to the engagement.

No 7. The beach on the opposite side of the marsh, where Captain

Meyland with his troops had been defeated.

No 8. The advanced post of the rebels, whence the first shot was fired

at the troops.

No 9. The field with rice and Indian corn, entered without opposition.

No 10. The pass or defile in which the firing commenced.

No 11. The beautiful rice-field in which the action continued above

forty minutes.

No 12. The town of Gado-Saby in flames at a distance.

No 13. The spot whence the rebels fired on the camp, and held the

conversation, on the night of the 20th.

No 14. The ground of the old settlement Cofaay, with the floating

bridge that covered the retreat of the rebels.

No 15. The fields with cassava, yams, and plantains, that were at

different times destroyed.

No 16. The field of rice discovered and demolished by Captain Stedman

on the 21st.

No 17. A field demolished by the rangers on the 23d.

No 18. The swamp or marsh which surrounded the settlement.

No 19. The quag-mire, or biree-biree, adjoining it.

No 20. The forest.

Having formerly described the manner in which we erected our huts, I

shall here also add a small plan of the mode of arranging them during

our encampment in the woods of Guiana, which camps were generally of a

triangular form, as being most secure in case of a surprize, and the

easiest to defend our provisions and ammunition; but the situation of

the ground would not always permit this, and then we encamped in any

form, square, oblong, or circular, &c.—In the annexed plan,

No 1. Is the hut or shed of Colonel Fourgeoud, or the commanding

officer, in the centre, with a sentinel.

No 2. The huts of all the other officers, in a small triangle,

surrounding that of the commander in chief.

No 3. The angles of the outer triangle formed by the huts of the

privates in three divisions, viz. the main body, the van, and the rear

guards, with sentinels at proper distances, to cover the front of each.

No 4. Powder-chests, provisions, and medicines, with a sentinel.

No 5. The fires in the rear of each division to dress the victuals, and

round which the negro slaves are lodged upon the ground.

No 6. A coppice of manicole-trees to erect the huts or sheds.

No 7. A rivulet or creek to provide the troops with fresh water. And,

No 8. The surrounding forest.

I must now return once more to my narrative, and observe, that

Barbacoeba, instead of being in a state of sending provisions to

Gado-Saby, as our chief had expected, it could scarcely afford daily

subsistence to his emaciated troops on their arrival; who having for

many days lived on rice, yams, peas, and Indian corn, were now most

violently attacked by the flux; for although that kind of nourishment

will keep the Indians and negroes strong as horses, the Europeans

cannot long subsist without animal food; which was at this time so very

scarce, that even the Jew soldiers of the Society troops devoured salt

pork as fast as they could catch it.

I nevertheless continued among the few that still were healthy; which

was almost a miracle, as I had fared very hard indeed for want of my

private stores, and which I had left at the neighbouring estate Mocha:

however, expecting leave now to bring them in person from that

plantation, I was in good spirits also. But here I was disappointed, by

Colonel Fourgeoud’s declaring he could not spare me one moment, while I

was able to stand upon my feet. I therefore waited patiently for an

opportunity of sending for them; in the mean time sharing with my black

boy the scanty allowance of a private soldier, with the casual addition

of some mountain-cabbage, or palm-tree worms, and perhaps a few

warrappa fish.

As for the miserable slaves, they were so starved, that having killed a

Coata monkey, they broiled it, with skin, hair, intestines and all,

then tore it to pieces with their teeth, and devoured it like so many

cannibals, before it was even half dressed. Of this animal they offered

me a limb; but, hungry as I was, my stomach could not relish this kind

of venison.

A good constitution, sterling health and spirits, now supported me, or

I must have sunk under the load of misery and hardships, which were at

this time become so intolerable, that the rangers again forsook the

camp; and Mr. Vinsack, their conductor, as brave and active a man as

ever entered the wood, threw up his commission, as Mr. Mongol had done

before, during Colonel Fourgeoud’s first campaign at the Wana.

In the beginning of September, the bloody flux raged in the camp to

such a degree, that the colonel saw himself obliged to send off all the

sick officers and privates, without exception, not to Paramaribo for

recovery in the grand hospital that is there, but to linger and die on

the banks of the rivers, where they relieved others to be encamped, and

undergo a similar wretchedness; the sick of his own regiment being

dispatched to Magdenburg in the Tempatee Creek, and those of the

Society troops to Vreedenberg in Cottica.

Colonel Fourgeoud’s inhumanity to the officers was now actually become

such, that he would not even permit those who were past recovery a

marine to attend them, whatever price they offered; some of whom I have

seen expanded between two trees, while the very filth, for want of

assistance, was dropping through their hammocks. Of this number was

Ensign Strows, who, in this dreadful situation, was ordered to be

transported in an open boat to Devil’s Harwar, where he died. At length

Colonel Fourgeoud himself was seized with this dreadful malady, and his

beloved ptisan proved to be of no more avail; yet he soon recovered, by

the plentiful use of claret and spices, which he seldom wanted, and

which his colleague Seyburg also employed as a preservative of his

health, though by swallowing too copious doses he frequently lost the

use of his reason. In such a situation, and in such a despicable

encampment, our commander in chief had the vanity to expect a

deputation from the court at Paramaribo, with congratulations on his

victory: in consequence of which he had built an elegant shed, and sent

for sheep and hogs to entertain them—but the expected deputies never

yet arrived.

On the 5th, therefore, the hogs and sheep were slaughtered, and, for

the first time in his life, he ordered one pound per man, bones and

all, to be distributed among the poor emaciated soldiers: indeed the

number able to partake of this bounty was at present very small.

On the following day a reinforcement of one hundred men arrived from

Magdenburg, in Comewina; and from the Society post Vreedenburg, in

Cottica, nearly as many. These confirmed the death of Ensign Strows,

besides of a great number of privates, who had assisted at the taking

of Gado-Saby, and who had expired in the boats during their removal

from Barbacoeba.

Intelligence arrived at the same time that the defeated rebels had

actually crossed the river Cottica below Pattamaca, intent on immediate

mischief, and that they were marching to the westward. In consequence

of this information, a captain and fifty men were immediately detached,

by water, to reconnoitre the banks near the Pinenburg Creek. This party

returned upon the 8th, and confirmed the intelligence. Our

indefatigable chief now again determined to pursue them; but the slaves

who were to carry the ammunition and provisions had been sent home to

their masters, nothing but skin and bones, to be exchanged for others,

not yet arrived, and to be starved in their turn. I shall therefore

relate what happened the two following days, until the arrival of these

unfortunate beasts of burden; for so they might with propriety be

called.

On the 9th were sold upon credit, and to the highest bidder, the

effects of the deceased Ensign Strows, when the poor soldiers,

regardless of price, and only wishing to obtain some cloaths and

refreshments to keep (in the vulgar phrase) soul and body together,

actually paid at the rate of 700 per cent. and this infamous debt was

accordingly stated in their accounts. I have seen, for instance, a

private marine pay five shillings for a pound of mouldered tobacco,

that might be worth six-pence, and double the prime value for a pair of

old stockings or shoes. A sick man paid one guinea for a couple of

meagre chickens; and for a broken bottle-case to hold his lumber,

another paid a similar sum. Thus were these poor dying half-starved

wretches deprived of the little property they had earned at the expence

of their blood and sweat, while this miserable necessity might have

been easily prevented by only supplying them with what was their due. A

private marine, of the name of Sem, at this time, swore, in the heat of

his resentment, that he would certainly shoot Fourgeoud, whenever he

had an opportunity; which being overheard, upon condition of

repentance, I bribed the evidence not to inform against him, and so

literally saved this poor rash fellow from dying on the gallows.

Fortunately, all the world did not possess this chieftain’s

insensibility, for this day the good Mrs. Godefroy once more sent up a

flat-bottomed barge, with a fat ox, oranges, and plantains for the

private soldiers, which was accordingly distributed amongst them. The

same evening a small supply of provisions also arrived for me, from

Joanna, with a few bottles of port wine; and though part was stolen,

and part was damaged by the way, it made me very happy, and I gave

nothing to Fourgeoud.

When we speak of provisions in the woods, we only mean sugar, tea,

coffee, Boston biscuit, cheese, rum, ham, or a keg of sausages, since

little else can be carried through the forest by a single slave, and we

were now allowed no more. Shirts, shoes, and stockings were also

usually accounted among the necessaries, but the last two articles I

did not use, being accustomed to walk barefooted, which I had now

practised for more than two years, and with great advantage to my

limbs, when I compared them with the diseased and ulcerated shanks of

my ghastly-looking companions.

On the 12th, the fresh supply of slaves being arrived, the necessary

preparations were made to pursue the rebels the next day, directing our

first course towards the spot formerly called Jerusalem, mentioned in

1773, when I commanded the fatal expedition in Upper Cottica; and on

the 13th, the baggage and provisions being sent before us by water to

Jerusalem, escorted by the sick officers and privates, we at last

decamped to follow them, and bidding a final farewell to Barbacoeba,

re-entered the woods, marching S. and S. E. the whole day, then passed

the night on the opposite bank of the Cassiporee Creek, where we

encamped.

Nothing could be more diabolically cruel, than the persecution of the

new slaves during this march; not only overloaded and starved, but beat

like mules or asses by every ill-tempered individual—for instance, I

saw Fourgeoud’s black favourite, Gousary, knock down a poor negro slave

for not taking up his load—and the chief himself knock him down for

taking it up too soon; when the wretch, not knowing what to do,

exclaimed, in hopes of pity, “O massera Jesus Christus!” and was

actually knocked down a third time by an enthusiast, for daring to

utter a name with which he was so little acquainted.

During the last day’s march, a large drove of Warre hogs or wild boars

broke through our line; several of them were cut down by our sabres,

and stabbed with the bayonets, the men having orders from the commander

in chief not to fire at any game whatever. The animals that were killed

were cut in pieces, and distributed among the troops, which proved,

though small, a very seasonable dainty. It is certainly very

remarkable, that if the first wild boar or leader passes through any

danger, all the others stupidly follow, in hopes of a similar escape,

which on the contrary, as I have said, frequently proves the cause of

their destruction.

On the 14th we marched S. W. till about noon, and arrived at Jerusalem,

which the van had reached about an hour before us, all thoroughly

soaked with mud and heavy rains, and several men unhappily with

ruptures in the groin, by falling over the roots of trees, large

stones, &c. Here just arrived, we found again, to my astonishment, the

identical Mr. Vinsack, with one hundred fresh rangers: he had heard, it

seems, of the rebels passing Upper Cottica, and had been prevailed upon

to resume his command by the governor; thus he now once more offered

his service to Colonel Fourgeoud, who was very happy indeed to accept

it.

Here, our camp being mostly overgrown with long coarse grass, one of

the slaves was unfortunately bitten in the foot by a small serpent,

called in Surinam the [7]Oroocookoo snake, from its colour, which

resembles an owl. In less than a minute the man’s leg began to swell,

when he was seized with excruciating pains, and soon fell into

convulsions. One of his companions, having killed the snake, made the

patient drink its gall, mixed with half a glass of spirits, which I

gave him. He seemed now (perhaps from imagination) to bear his

misfortune better; but the fits soon returned with increasing violence,

and he was instantly sent to his master’s plantation, where he expired.

That the gall of adders, externally applied, is efficacious, I have

often heard. In the Grand Magazine for April 1758, may be seen a

letter, signed J. H. and dated 24th March, which treats systematically

of the application of gall. But these investigations I must leave to

the learned of the medical profession; and only observe, in general,

that the smaller the snake, at least in Guiana, the more fatal the

poison; as is justly and beautifully observed by Thomson:

“——But still more direful he

The small, close-lurking minister of fate,

Whose high concocted venom through the veins

A rapid lightning darts, arresting swift

The vital current.”——

In this grassy wilderness one of the rangers also killed a snake,

called the whip-snake, from its resemblance to that instrument; it was

about five feet long, and not very much thicker than a swan’s quill;

the belly white, and the back a lead colour: concerning its bite, I can

say nothing. I was informed by the negroes, but I cannot speak from my

own observation, that it has the power of giving a very severe stroke

with its tail, like the lash of a whip, which it so much resembles.

I must also notice an amphibious animal which some of the negroes

killed this evening, called by them the Cabiai; it is a species of

water hog, and about the ordinary size of the land animal which goes

under that name; it is covered with grey bristles, and armed with a

number of very strong teeth; it has no tail; on each foot it has three

toes, webbed like those of a duck. This animal, it is said, goes ashore

only during the night, where it feeds on young grass, and other

vegetables. I have been told it is good food, but never tasted it

myself.

On the 16th, having rested one day at this place, Colonel Fourgeoud

detached two strong parties to reconnoitre, viz. Lieutenant Colonel de

Borgnes, with 100 men, was sent to the Wana Creek in Upper Cormoetibo;

and Colonel Seyburg, with an equal number, was ordered to the Creek

Pinenburg, in Upper Cottica. The latter returned about midnight with

two canoes, which he had found hauled ashore, on the opposite side of

the river, a little below the mouth of the Claas Creek. This convinced

us that the rebels were gone westward to plunder, and had brought their

empty canoes down the Claas Creek, from the rice country, in order to

send them back loaded with booty from the estates they intended to

pillage. In consequence, therefore, of this information, the proper

preparations were immediately made to pursue them with alacrity. Never

did the old warrior display more vigour than on this occasion, swearing

aloud that he now would be revenged of them all, coute qui coute.

“Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them;

though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down.”

But how far his generalship on this occasion proved to be a match for

that of Bonny, I must beg leave to reserve for the succeeding chapter.

CHAP. XXII.

Alarm in the Pirica River—A Detachment marches to its

Relief—Ambuscade—Wonderful Effect from the Biting of a Bat—Scene in

a Quagmire—Sketch of the Inquisition and Return of the Troops to

Cormoetibo Creek.

On the morning of the 19th of September 1775, just before sun-rise,

Colonel Seyburg marched with one hundred marines and forty rangers, who

did me the honour to fix upon me as one of the party, and was upon the

whole so polite, and his behaviour so contrary to what it had lately

been, that I knew not at all in what manner to account for it.

Having crossed the Cormoetibo Creek, we kept course S. W. and by S.

till we approached the river Cottica, where we encamped, having met

with nothing on our first day’s march worth describing, except a

species of ants, which were no less than one inch in length, and

perfectly black. These insects pillage a tree of all its leaves in a

short time, which they cut in small pieces the size of a six-pence, and

carry under-ground. It was indeed entertaining to see a whole army of

these creatures crawling perpetually the same way, each with his

green-leaf in a perpendicular direction. So general is the propensity

to the marvellous, that some have imagined that this devastation was to

feed a blind serpent under ground: but the truth is, that it serves for

nourishment to their young brood, who cannot help themselves, and are

sometimes lodged to the depth of eight feet in the earth. Madam Merian

says, they form themselves in chains from one branch to another, while

all the others pass over these temporary bridges; and that once a year

these formidable armies travel from house to house, killing all the

vermin, &c. that comes in their way; neither of which facts ever came

within the limits of my observation: but that they can bite

confoundedly I have found by experience, though their attack is not

nearly so painful as the bite of that diminutive insect the fire-ant

already described.

The following day we proceeded along the banks of the river Cottica,

till we came near the Claas Creek, (where I formerly swam across with

my sabre in my teeth) and early slung our hammocks; from whence I was

detached, with a few rangers, to lay in ambuscade in the mouth of the

creek till it was dark. Here, however, I discovered nothing, except

that the rangers were possessed of the same superstition as the rebels,

with regard to their amulets or obias making them invulnerable. They

told me that the latter mentioned procured them from their priest, and

that they themselves bought theirs from Graman Qwacy, a celebrated and

cunning old negro, whom I shall in a proper place circumstantially

describe.—When I asked them, “How came any of you, or of your

invulnerable adversaries, to be shot?” I was answered, “Because, like

you, Massera, they had no faith in the amulet or obia.” This piece of

policy in Mr. Qwacy, however, had the effect of making all his free

countrymen so undauntedly brave, that I must confess their valour had

often surprized me. However, this imposition, as shall be shewn

hereafter, besides respect and veneration, procured this dealer in

magic considerable both ease and wealth, which for a black man in

Surinam was indeed not very common.

In the mouth of this creek I again saw a quantity of nuts floating on

the surface of the water, such as I have before mentioned, when I was

informed that they were the real acajow or cashew nuts, which I have

partly described: to which I shall now add, that they grow on the edge

of a pulpy substance like a very large pear, which is produced on a

middle-sized tree, with a grey bark and large thick leaves. This

excellent nut will bear to be transported to any part of the globe, and

keep good for a considerable time; it is by some called the Anacardium

Occidentalis. From the tree exudes a transparent gum, which when

dissolved in water has the consistency of glue.

I also tasted here the eta-tree apple, of which the negroes seemed

extremely fond. This tree is of the palm kind, with large leaves, but

is less in size than the maurecee or the mountain cabbage-tree. The

fruit or apples are round, and grow in large clusters resembling

grape-shot. In the middle of each apple is a hard nut, in which is a

kernel, and this is covered near half an inch thick with an

orange-coloured pulp, that has a most agreeable acid taste. They are

seldom used till the apples by ripeness drop from the tree, when the

Indians steep them in water, and by maceration convert them into a most

healthy and agreeable beverage.

An express on the 21st arriving by water from Colonel Fourgeoud,

informing us that the alarm-guns [8] had been fired in the river

Pirica, we instantly crossed to the opposite or west shore of the river

Cottica, where the rangers, with a party of marines, were again ordered

to lie in ambuscade or under cover, in hopes of cutting off the rebels

on their retreat, when they returned to cross the Cottica river with

their booty. And this very afternoon a rebel negro was seen with a

green hamper, who, startled by the smell of tobacco (for some of the

rangers were smoking) stopt short of his own accord. He was instantly

fired at by me and one ranger: when the warimbo or hamper dropped to

the ground, but he himself escaped. This bundle we found stuffed with a

dozen of the finest table linen, a cocked gold-laced hat, and a couple

of superb India chintz petticoats, &c. the bulk of which I gave to my

black companion, reserving only the chintzes for another friend at

Paramaribo.

The free negroes now rushing forwards with unrestrained valour, I asked

Colonel Seyburg liberty to follow them; and calling for volunteers, a

great number presented themselves, which, however, the Colonel thought

proper to reduce to four only, with whom he sent me off; and having

scrambled through thorns and briars woven together like a net or a mat,

which tore one of my feet in a terrible manner, I overtook them at one

mile’s distance from the camp: shortly after we discovered thirteen

fresh huts, where the rebels, we conjectured, had slept but a few

nights before. In consequence of this, I now dispatched a ranger back

to Colonel Seyburg to give him intelligence, and ask permission for the

rangers and myself to march forward to Pirica without delay, in hopes

to meet the enemy: but the answer was a peremptory order instantly to

rejoin him with all hands. We now returned disgusted back to the camp;

my sable companions in particular extremely discontented, and making

many shrewd and sarcastic remarks.

Here we found a reinforcement just arrived from Jerusalem, consisting

of sixty men, black and white, with positive orders for us to break up

and march early the next morning for Pirica River, while this whole

night a strong party lay once more in ambush.

Accordingly at six o’clock, with the rising-sun, all was in readiness,

but by some unaccountable delay it was very late before we left the

camp; during which time we were informed that a canoe was seen crossing

the river with one single negro in it, who was no doubt the poor fellow

at whom the ranger and I had fired the preceding day.

I cannot here forbear relating a singular circumstance respecting

myself, viz. that on waking about four o’clock this morning in my

hammock, I was extremely alarmed at finding myself weltering in

congealed blood, and without feeling any pain whatever. Having started

up, and run for the surgeon, with a fire-brand in one hand, and all

over besmeared with gore; to which if added my pale face, short hair,

and tattered apparel, he might well ask the question,

“Be thou a Spirit of health or goblin damn’d,

Bring with thee airs of Heav’n or blasts from Hell!”

The mystery however was, that I had been bitten by the vampire or

spectre of Guiana, which is also called the flying-dog of New Spain,

and by the Spaniards perro-volador; this is no other than a bat of a

monstrous size, that sucks the blood from men and cattle when they are

fast asleep, even sometimes till they die; and as the manner in which

they proceed is truly wonderful, I shall endeavour to give a distinct

account of it.—Knowing by instinct that the person they intend to

attack is in a sound slumber, they generally alight near the feet,

where while the creature continues fanning with his enormous wings,

which keeps one cool, he bites a piece out of the tip of the great toe,

so very small indeed that the head of a pin could scarcely be received

into the wound, which is consequently not painful; yet through this

orifice he continues to suck the blood, until he is obliged to

disgorge. He then begins again, and thus continues sucking and

disgorging till he is scarcely able to fly, and the sufferer has often

been known to sleep from time into eternity. Cattle they generally bite

in the ear, but always in such places where the blood flows

spontaneously, perhaps in an artery—but this is entering rather on the

province of the medical faculty. Having applied tobacco-ashes as the

best remedy, and washed the gore from myself and from my hammock, I

observed several small heaps of congealed blood all round the place

where I had lain, upon the ground: upon examining which, the surgeon

judged that I had lost at least twelve or fourteen ounces during the

night.

As I have since had an opportunity of killing one of these bats, I cut

off his head, which I here present to the reader in its natural size,

and as a great curiosity, with the whole figure flying above it on a

smaller scale. Having measured this creature, I found it to be between

the tips of the wings thirty-two inches and a half; it is said that

some are above three feet, though nothing like in size to the bats of

Madagascar. The colour was a dark brown, nearly black, but lighter

under the belly. Its aspect was truly hideous upon the whole, but

particularly the head, which has an erect shining membrane above the

nose, terminating in a shrivelled point: the ears are long, rounded,

and transparent: the cutting teeth were four above and six below. I saw

no tail, but a skin, in the middle of which was a tendon. It had four

toes on each wing, with sharp nails divided like the web-foot of a duck

[9]; and on the extremity of each pinion, where the toes are joined,

was a nail or claw to assist it in crawling, like those of its hinder

feet, by which it hangs suspended when asleep to trees, rocks, roofs,

&c.

One of the marines having this morning taken a murine or mouse

oppossum, I shall also take the opportunity of describing it, and

present it to the reader as I designed it from the life. This animal

differs widely in some particulars from the description of the Count de

Buffon:—For instance, it was much swifter than any of the oppossums

that he speaks of, and had the whole tail covered over with hair

instead of scales, to the best of my remembrance; if, however, my sight

deceived me, I am not the only erroneous writer on the subject of this

animal. Linnæus, Seba, and Mr. Vormeer, with the last of whom I am

acquainted, consider it as common to both the old and new continent;

whereas all its species are most assuredly inhabitants of America only.

Linnæus is also mistaken when he asserts, that all bats have four

cutting teeth in each jaw.—(See Buffon, Vol. V. page 282.)

This murine oppossum was not more than the size of a very large mouse.

It was perfectly black, except the belly, the feet, and the extremity

of the tail, which were all buff-coloured, with a buff spot above each

eye, which resembled those of a rat: the ears were long, rounded, and

transparent: its toes were twenty in number, one on each foot being

placed behind, and serving as a thumb. It had ten or twelve paps, to

which the young ones stick fast, it is said, as soon as produced, when

they are not larger than small beetles; but it wanted that pouch which

is common to all other oppossums; in place of this there were two

longitudinal folds on the inside of each thigh, equally adapted to

preserve its offspring from every injury, which no tortures whatever,

not even fire, will make it forsake. I have only to add, that it

burrows in the ground, and often climbs trees; but it feeds like a

mouse on grain, fruits, and roots. Of the other species I shall defer

the description till chance affords me an opportunity.

Madam Merion mentions one kind of them, which, in time of danger,

carries its young ones upon its back: but this animal, I confess, I

never heard of in Surinam, and am persuaded of its non-existence.

I have already stated that, from some unaccountable delay, it was very

late this morning before we left the camp; we, nevertheless, all

started at last; I having the van-guard with the rangers, and the poor

marines loaded each man with nine days provisions on his back. In this

condition we had not proceeded long, when one of the rangers sounding

his horn, they spread, and I among them, all instantly falling flat

upon the ground, with our firelocks cocked, and ready to engage; but

this, however, proving to be a false alarm, by a stag rushing out

through the foliage, we soon rose, and after marching the whole day

through water and mire, at three in the afternoon encamped on a high

ridge, where not a drop of water was to be found till we had dug a hole

for that purpose, and this was so very thick and muddy, that we were

obliged to strain it through our neckcloths or shirt-sleeves before we

could drink it. Here I was once more accosted by the Lieutenant

Colonel, who invited me to some supper in his hut, and treated me upon

the whole with such very great civility as I could not account for

after his former behaviour.

On the succeeding day we marched again, keeping course W. and N. W.

with very heavy rain, while I had the rear-guard; and once more entered

on a quagmire, which cost me three hours time to bring up the rear to

the beach, this march being particularly distressing, as the negro

slaves, with their burdens, broke through the surface every moment,

while the loaded marines had enough to do to mind themselves, and I too

weak by my late loss of blood to afford them any assistance whatever.

At last, approaching the beach, I perceived the dead bodies of several

rebel negroes scattered on the ground, with their heads and right-hands

chopped off. These bodies being fresh, induced me to conclude, that

they must have been very lately killed, in some engagement with the

troops and rangers stationed on the Pirica river.—And here I must again

remark, that had I been allowed to pursue, on the 21st, with the

rangers, when I was ordered to march back, the enemy would have been

between two fires; in which case few could have escaped, and all the

plundered spoil must have been re-taken. The reader will probably

recollect a similar instance which occurred two years before, when I

was stationed at Devil’s Harwar. Had I at that time been provided with

men and ammunition to march, I might have rendered the colony a

material service. These two capital blunders I am sorry to relate, but

a regard to truth and impartiality obliges me to do it. Let not these

remarks, however, fix a stigma of cruelty on me in the eyes of the

world, since no man could more strongly feel at the sight of such manly

youths stretched dead among the surrounding foliage; and finer bodies

than two of them were in particular I never beheld in all my life.

“So two young mountain lions, nurs’d with blood,

In deep recesses of the gloomy wood,

Rush fearless to the plains, and uncontroul’d

Depopulate the stalls, and waste the fold;

Till pierc’d at distance from their native den,

O’erpower’d they fall beneath the force of men;

Prostrate on earth their beauteous bodies lay,

Like mountain firs, as tall and straight as they.”

While my mind was engaged by these and similar remarks, many of my

loaded slaves still remained entangled and struggling in the quagmire,

while the commanding officer, with all the other troops, having got on

a dry ridge, were quite out of sight and out of hearing, by which

separation the rear-guard not only ran the hazard of losing all the

provisions and the baggage, but of being cut to pieces, such was their

critical situation.

Having not a single European that had sufficient strength remaining to

overtake the party which had proceeded, I resigned the command to my

lieutenant, a Mr. de Losrios, and ventured forward alone through the

forest, till, greatly fatigued, I overtook them; when reporting the

situation of the rear-guard to Colonel Seyburg, I requested “he would

slacken his pace till they were able to extricate themselves and come

up from the bog, without which I could not be accountable for the

consequences.” To this the reply was, “That he would form his camp when

he met with good water;” and I instantly returned to the rear, where

having struggled until it was quite dark in a most distressed and

dangerous situation, the last man was dragged out of the mud at seven

o’clock at night, when we slowly proceeded on till we entered the camp.

My solicitude for the people, powder, and provisions, instead of

procuring me commendation from the person under whose command I then

happened to be, and who had lately been so very polite, brought me now

into such difficulties, and produced a misunderstanding of such a

serious nature, and so very distressing to my feelings, that it had

nearly terminated my existence. The reader may judge of my

mortification, when I inform him, that, instead of receiving the

approbation of my commander, as I certainly deserved, I was immediately

on my arrival in camp put under an arrest, to be tried by a

court-martial for disobedience of orders. Colonel Seyburg and I had

never been on amicable terms; and though, during the former part of

this march, he had treated me with apparent civility, yet from this

step it was evident that he was my mortal enemy. I must not omit, that

though a prisoner (strange to tell!) I was ordered to carry my own arms

and accoutrements, till further orders.

On the 24th, we took our departure very early, and directed our course

S. and S. by W. when we passed close by Pinenburg, a forsaken rebel

village formerly mentioned—I still a prisoner, in the most dejected

spirits.

On the following day our course was S. W. through a matakey or

trumpeter morass, which was very deep, and which we entered when we

were all in a violent sweat by advancing too fast while upon the hard

ground: but the health of our men was not made an object during this

expedition, though so much wanted to succeed.

Having got again upon a ridge, an accident had now nearly befallen me

incomparably greater than all my former misfortunes put together; this

was no less than, having fallen into a deep reverie, while I followed

the rearguard, I imperceptibly wandered away from the troops, till I

was entirely lost and by myself in an unbounded wilderness. Quaco no

sooner had missed me, than, poor fellow, at every hazard he rushed

through the wood to recover his master, and by a miracle saw me as I

was sitting under a tree, in the most dejected state of mind that it is

possible to conceive, immersed in grief and abandoned to despair. I had

this morning thought myself perfectly unhappy, but now would have given

the world once more to have been in the same situation. Good God!

entirely cut off from society, in a forest, surrounded by relentless

savages! while a deluge of rain poured from the heavens, and tigers,

famine, with every woe and every danger, stared me in the face.

Farewell, for ever Joanna!—Such was the picture of my mind, when on

discovering the boy, I started up from the ground, and a new life

instantly diffused itself through my whole frame. Having now straggled

backwards and forwards together for some time, I called to the lad that

I saw a pool through which the troops seemed to have passed, the water

being fresh clouded with mud; but to my utter disappointment, he

observed, that this puddle was only occasioned by a Tapira [10], and

shewed me the print of the animal’s foot in the surrounding mire. At

this time the boy shed tears, crying, “Massera, we deade, we deade!” In

the midst, however, of this distress, recollecting that, by the map,

the river Pirica was due west from us, I determined to lose no more

time, but to set forwards without delay. Thus having fresh primed my

fuzee, I ordered Quaco to follow me; but again to no purpose, my

compass being with the troops, and not a glimpse of sunshine, owing to

the heavy rain; till the black boy put me in mind that on the south

side the bark of the trees was usually most smooth. This in fact was a

fortunate hint, and we proceeded through thick and thin, till, overcome

by fatigue and hunger, we both sat down, and looked at each other,

exactly like two victims doomed to execution. During this last mournful

silence, we heard a sound like coughing and the rustling of arms,

which, thank Heaven! soon proved to be our own troops, luckily for us

resting near an old encampment, where the pursuing party from the river

Pirica had lately lodged. At this moment, notwithstanding my present

situation, I enjoyed an extraordinary degree of mental happiness; which

proves how much all good and evil are only of a relative nature. Having

now been heartily welcomed by the other officers, I partook of some

cold beef and bread, and a gourd full of grog, as did also my poor boy.

After this regale the party rose, and pursuing our march, we once more

entered a quagmire, or rather a mud-pool, the surface being too thin to

carry us; through which having waded till it was pitch dark, we were

obliged to encamp in the very middle of it, the troops by slinging

their hammocks in the trees, one above another, and the slaves on

temporary rafts made above the surface of the water, on which were also

placed the powder, the victuals, &c.

On the 26th, the good Colonel having now drank his coffee in his

hammock, while he kept the troops standing round it in water above

their middle, a whole hour before day-light, we again scrambled

forward, keeping our course, first W. and afterwards N. W. when the

road was so excessively bad, that many slaves let fall their burdens,

breaking, wetting, and spoiling every thing that was in them. At last,

having passed through a second deserted camp, we halted on the old

cordon, or path of communication on which I formerly discovered the

track of the rebels, when I commanded in Cottica river; and here,

having erected slight sheds, we passed the night—I still a prisoner.

At this time a small quadruped running through the camp with incredible

swiftness, it was cut down by one of the rangers with his sabre. This

proved to be the Paca or Spotted Cavey, called in Surinam the Aquatic

Hare. This animal is the size of a sucking pig, and extremely fat. The

under jaw is short, the nostrils large, the eyes black, and the ears

small and naked. It has five toes on each foot, a tail like the first

joint of a man’s thumb, and whiskers like a cat; the colour is an

earthen brown, with longitudinal rows of buff-coloured spots; the belly

is a dirty white, the hair all over coarse and short. The Paca is an

amphibious animal. On land it digs up the earth like a hog in quest of

food, and when in danger flies to the water for its safety;

notwithstanding this animal is so very plump and heavy, it runs swifter

than most other animals of its size in South America, contrary to the

account given of it in the supplement to the Count de Buffon’s

description [11], where it is said “not to be nimble, to run but

seldom, and then with a bad a grace;” which may all be the case in a

domestic state (for the Paca is capable of being tamed) but he is not

sluggish in a state of nature. This I know to be true, having seen him

run like a hare. We had this animal dressed for supper, and found him

even more delicious than the wood-rat, or even the warra-bocerra:

indeed, nothing can be better eating than the Paca or spotted Cavy.

The long-nosed Cavy, better known by the name of the Agouti Pacarara,

or Indian Coney, is also very common in Surinam: this is the size of a

large rabbit, its colour is an orange brown, the belly yellow; the legs

black and slender, with four toes on the fore-feet, and three on the

hindermost; the ears small, the eyes a bright black, the upper lip

divided; it has whiskers, and its tail is like that of the Paca. This

animal breeds very fast, and suckles its young, which are three or four

in number, in concealed holes of old trees, &c. where it also retires

for shelter if pursued; but it does not seek its food in the earth,

like the former. The Agouti is easily tamed, and feeds on fruits,

roots, nuts, &c. But its flesh, though very good, is not so delicious

as that of the Paca.

In Surinam I have been told there is still another species of the

Agouti, called the Indian Rat-Coney, on account of its having a long

tail. This I never saw, unless it is the same animal (which I apprehend

it to be) that I have described under the name of the bush-rat.

On the 27th we again broke up, and finally arrived in the forenoon, and

in a forlorn condition, at the estate Soribo, on the river Pirica, to

defend the plantations against Bonny and his rebel negroes.

The river Pirica by its many windings is thought to extend about

three-score miles. It is very deep but narrow, and has its banks, like

all the others, lined with fine coffee and sugar plantations; its

general course is from S. E. to N. W. We were scarcely arrived at this

post, than I was accosted by several deputies from Colonel Seyburg, who

earnestly intreated that I would only acknowledge myself to have been

in fault, assuring me that I should then be set at liberty, and all

would be forgotten. As I was conscious, however, of my own innocence, I

could not in common justice criminate myself in an instance, where even

my alledged crime amounted to no more than an anxious solicitude for

the poor men and the provisions who were entrusted to my care. I was,

therefore, placed under the guard of a sentinel, for what my commander

was pleased to term unpliant stubbornness, and disarmed. In the mean

time the marines caused me fresh uneasiness, and of the most poignant

kind, by loudly threatening to mutiny in my behalf; nor could any thing

have prevented them, but my decisive declaration, that as no cause

could justify military disobedience and rebellion, I should be under

the necessity myself (however injurious to my feelings) of taking an

active part against them, and seeing the ringleaders brought to condign

punishment. I felt that at this time I could war with all the world,

and nearly with myself—my heart was breaking apace—my life became a

burden:

“Dependants, friends, relations, love himself,

Savag’d by woe, forget the tender tie,

The sweet engagements of the feeling heart.”

The day after our arrival in this station, we received the particulars

of the Pirica news, which were, that on the 20th the estates Schoonhove

and Altona had been pillaged by the rebels whom we had routed at

Gado-Saby, but that at the plantation Poelwyk they had been beaten back

by the slaves: that the rangers stationed at an estate called Hagenbos

had pursued them on the 21st, overtaken them on the 23d, killed

several, and brought back most of the booty: that on the same day

another party of the rebels had made an attempt to seize the powder

magazine at Hagenbos (which was no bad plan) but that (while the

rangers were in pursuit of their associates) they had been repulsed by

the manly behaviour of a few armed slaves, one of whom, belonging to

the estate Timotibo, took an armed rebel himself, and next discovered

their camp at the back of his master’s plantations; for which he was

handsomely rewarded. From all which intelligence, there was now no

doubt remaining that if Seyburg’s detached party on the 16th had

marched forwards instead of backwards, by his orders, the above

mischief might have been prevented, and the enterprize of the rebels

entirely frustrated. It was also evident from this narrative, that the

man whom we fired at on the 21st was certainly one of the plunderers on

the 20th, and that the bodies found dead on the 23d had been shot the

very same day.

On the 29th, among other fruits, some dates were sent to me by a

Society officer. This tree is also of the Palmeto species, but not

extremely high; its leaves diverge from its summit, very thick, hanging

down in the form of an umbrella. The dates appear in large clusters,

being an oblong thin fruit like a man’s thumb, of a yellow colour, and

the pulp, which is fat, firm, and sweet, adheres to a hard

greyish-coloured stone, with longitudinal furrows.—I ought not to omit

mentioning, that this day sixty rangers going to reconnoitre,

discovered the old rebel camp at the back of Timotibo, which seemed to

have contained about sixty armed men.

On the morning of the 30th of September, having nothing more to do in

the neighbourhood of the Pirica River, we left it, and on the 1st of

October came to Devil’s Harwar much fatigued, nothing remarkable having

happened on our march. I had written on the preceding day to Colonel

Fourgeoud, informing him, that I was weary of existence in my present

state, and requesting that a court-martial might be immediately called;

and this letter I had sent by a slave to the commander in chief. On our

arrival at this station, I indeed found every hard means employed to

bring me to terms; and such was the severe usage I experienced, that

one of the rangers, called Captain Quaci, exclaimed, “If in this manner

these Europeans treat one another, is it to be wondered at that they

should take a pleasure in torturing us poor Africans?”

At Devil’s Harwar, however, my stormy voyage drew to a conclusion.

Colonel Seyburg was evidently convinced that he was wrong, and knowing

what must follow, now only wished for a handsome opportunity of

extricating himself from the effects of his unmanly passion. On the 2d

of October, therefore, he asked me with a smile, “If I had a heart to

forget and forgive?” To which I sternly answered, “No!”—He repeated the

question.—I then said, “I venerated truth, and would never confess

myself in an error, unless my heart coincided in the

acknowledgment—that this was a concession I would make to no man

living, and least of all to him.”—He here grasped my hand, begged me to

be pacified, and declared, “That he would make peace on any terms;”—but

I again drew back with contempt, and decidedly avowed, “That I could

not agree to any compromise, unless he owned his fault in the presence

of all the officers, with his own hands tearing from his journal every

sentence that could reflect upon my character.” The journals were

immediately produced, my arms were returned me, and my triumph was

attended with every circumstance that could add to my full

satisfaction. I then, frankly and sincerely gave my hand to Colonel

Seyburg, who gave a feast in honour of our reconciliation; and after

dinner, to my utter surprize, produced the letter which I had written

to Colonel Fourgeoud, which he acknowledged he had intercepted to

prevent the affair proceeding to extremities: at the same time he

acquainted me, that Fourgeoud was encamped at the Wana Creek, instead

of Lieutenant Colonel de Borgnes, who had fallen sick, and was gone to

Paramaribo. A perfect reconciliation having taken place, and every

thing being now adjusted, while the troops having had some rest, we set

out once more on the 4th for the head quarters at Jerusalem; but I was

obliged to leave poor Quaco, who was very ill, at Devil’s Harwar, under

care of the surgeon; and that evening we encamped opposite the mouth of

the Cormoetibo Creek.

On the following morning early, having crossed the River Cottica, the

troops marched back to Jerusalem; where I now had leisure to reflect on

the various evils which befal poor mortals, as well those who are

innocent of the difficulties they are brought into, as those (which are

the greater part) who have brought themselves into distress and even

despair by their own indiscretions. These reflections arose from

finding here, among others, a newly-arrived acquaintance, a Mr. P—t—r,

who having squandered away in Europe above thirty thousand pounds, and

lost a beautiful wife by elopement, was now reduced to the income of an

ensign in the Society troops. This gentleman having formerly possessed

considerable property in this very colony, his present situation could

not but be assuredly the more galling on that account.—Alas! unhappy

young fellow: well might you exclaim—

“Privé de tout mes biens,

Dans un climat funeste,

Je t’adore & te perds,

Le poignard seul me reste.

Mais, Oh! je suis P—t—r,

Reservé pour souffrir;

Je sçaurois vivre encore,

Et faire plus que mourir.”

These are the words which he spouted with a sigh, throwing the last

silver he had left among the slaves; and indeed nothing could be more

applicable to himself than the lines he quoted, or more lamentable than

this poor devil’s forlorn condition; which, however, created in me,

during my present humour, no other effect—than a loud and immoderate

fit of laughter.

CHAP. XXIII.

Second march to Gado-Saby—Account of a living Skeleton—Beautiful

Landscapes—The Commander in Chief falls sick, and leaves the

Camp—Some Rebels taken—Discourse on the Existence of Mermaids—Heavy

Rains—Disease—Famine—Misery.

On the 9th of October, 1775, Colonel Fourgeoud broke up the encampment

at the Wana Creek to join us at Jerusalem, having sent down the half of

his party sick in barges; and their number being greatly augmented by

the invalids from this place, they were all together transported to

receive the coup-de-grace in the hospital at Devil’s Harwar. The

rangers also took their leave, and marched, with Mr. Vinsack their

conductor, to guard the Pirica River.

Fourgeoud, during his last cruize, had discovered a hundred empty

houses, and seen some straggling rebels, but he had taken none. He had

also found a scalp fixed to the branch of a tree, which we justly

conjectured to be the remains of the unfortunate Schmidt, who was lost

[12].

On the 13th my black boy, Quaco, being perfectly recovered, arrived, to

my great satisfaction, as his fidelity to me was so steady and

unshaken. At the same time we received an account that Captain

Stoelman, with some rangers, had discovered a fresh settlement of the

rebels by a great smoke appearing at a distance in the forest, but had

not yet attacked them; that Captain Fredericy, with a party of black

volunteers, was scouring the sea-side below Paramaribo; that the two

men we had lost on the 18th of August had miraculously escaped, and

found their way to the post at the river Marawina; and that no less

than twelve fine negro slaves had just deserted from the Gold Mine

estate to join the rebels.

This news so much exasperated Colonel Fourgeoud, that the indefatigable

man again determined to persevere in pursuing his enemies. We

accordingly entered the woods very early on the morning of the 15th,

although he and his little army were at this time greatly reduced. He

buried but the evening before one of his countrymen, a volunteer,

called Matthew, and brother to the ensign: but death was now become so

familiar to us, that upon losing a friend or relation, the first

question generally was, “Has he left any brandy, rum, or

tobacco?”—“Pauvre Laurant!” said I, to his shrivelled valet-de-chambre,

“the brave Fourgeoud is like fire; he is to the colony an excellent

servant indeed; but I think to both you and myself but a roughish

master.” The poor fellow, shrugging up his shoulders, replied, with a

grin and a heavy sigh, “Oui, par ma foi!” and then treated me with a

pinch of his snuff. I must not omit that, a little before our

departure, seven more of our negro slaves did desert us, who went home

to their masters perfectly broken-hearted, emaciated, and nearly

starved; however, we proceeded, and marched directly N. E. during which

nothing happened, except my box with all my bottles being dashed to

pieces; and in the evening we encamped, though then unknown to us, near

the Cassipore Creek, where the dry season having commenced, we dug a

pit for water. Orders were also issued to the troops no more to build

huts, sheds, &c. as the rains were now less violent.

On the 16th we continued our route, marching N. E. as before, and

towards the evening arrived at the houses which Colonel Fourgeoud had

lately discovered, which proved since to be only a temporary

settlement, erected by the rebels as a shelter or asylum in their

expected retreat, before they were dislodged from Gado-Saby; and to

this little settlement they had given the name of Boossy Cry, that is,

“the woods lament.” Here we encamped, and took much notice of Bonny’s

house in particular, which was built like a watering machine, being

elevated from the ground, with two doors, so that he might the better

observe all around him, and prevent his being taken by surprize; it

also had more air, and, of course, was better calculated for his

health, he having in some late action received a very dangerous wound

in the groin, as we afterwards learned from a rebel negro prisoner.

Near to Bonny’s house were the private baths, where his women washed

themselves morning and evening, there being no river near this

settlement.

In this encampment one of our slaves presented me with a land-turtle,

which indeed we had met with several times before; but as I have never

described this animal, I will now endeavour to give some account of

it.—The land-turtle of Surinam is not more than eighteen or twenty

inches in length, and of an oval form; the shell is more convex than

that of the sea-turtle, and marked with thirteen elevated hexangular

shields, dark brown and yellow, so hard that it will bear almost any

weight without breaking; the under shell is a little concave, and of a

light yellow: the head of this animal resembles that of other turtles;

the tail is naked and short, but instead of fins or swimmers it has

four feet covered with scales, and armed with sharp claws to assist it

in crawling over the ground. When this poor creature sees any danger,

it instantly shrinks within its shell. In this situation the Indians

put it on the fire, where they broil it until it is drest, which is

known by the under shell separating from the upper, which serves for a

dish to hold the contents. A less barbarous way, and the way which I

always followed, is only to provoke the animal by the heat of the

embers to run away; when stretching out its head and neck, they are

easily chopped off, and the food extracted without additional torture.

I have known Mr. de Graaf keep three or four of these land-turtles for

above four months for transportation, during which time they lived

without any apparent nourishment whatever, yet still remained vigorous,

and even prone to copulation.

Another kind of land-turtle, called here the arlacacca, I have often

seen; this is less in circumference, very flat, of a disagreeable

greenish colour, and nothing like so good as the former.

On the 17th we continued our march N. and N. E. in hopes of more

discoveries, but without success. We this day passed some ant-hillocks

above six feet high, and, without exaggeration, above one hundred feet

in circumference. We also saw great quantities of valuable timber, and,

among the rest, the black-cabbage tree, the wood of which is of a deep

brown, and is in high estimation among carpenters and joiners. The

sand-booker tree was like-wise shewn me, which receives its name from

the fruit, which being divested of its seed, is used as a sand-box by

writers. It is of the shape of a large onion, with small holes in the

surface; the seed is both laxative and emetic, but the juice of the

pulp is a fatal poison. More than this I cannot say, having had neither

the time nor the power of examining it with the accuracy of a professed

botanist.

On the 18th we continued the same course for a few hours longer, when

we found a beaten path, which, though circuitous, seemed to be a

communication between Gado-Saby and Boossy-Cry. We followed this path,

which led us due W. for a few hours, when a poor rebel negro was found

by me covered with branches of the manicole-tree, and indeed barely

alive, being in appearance nothing but skin and bone, with one of his

eyes almost beaten out of the socket. I put my bottle to his mouth, he

swallowed a few drops of rum and water, and said with a faint voice,

which we could scarcely hear, “Dank ye, me Massera!” but could

articulate nothing more. Fourgeoud ordered this man to be carried with

us in a hammock; and we soon afterwards encamped near a biree-biree

swamp or quagmire. I ought not to forget that this day we saw some very

fine locust-trees, being eighty or a hundred feet high, and

prodigiously thick; the trunk is grey and very straight, with no

branches till near the top, on which the leaves are disposed two to

each stem: this is justly called the king of the forest, for a finer

tree cannot be found. The timber is of a beautiful cinnamon-colour, and

possesses every desirable quality of gravity, polish, grain, and

durability.—But what particularly attracted our notice was its seed,

like beans, three or four in number, enclosed in a broad light-brown

pod, that lay flattered in quantities at the root of the tree, upon the

ground, and tasted like some kinds of gingerbread. From the root of

this tree a gum exudes, which, properly prepared, affords a varnish

hitherto unequalled for transparency and effect.

Innumerable indeed are the various fine trees that this country

produces, and which may be had for the cutting; yet, when we consider

the distance they usually grow from navigable rivers, the great labour

in felling and working them, the vast number of slaves required to drag

them through the forest, where no horses can be employed, besides the

danger and loss of time, we may easily account for the enormous price

generally paid for the best timber in Guiana.

This march undoubtedly afforded us the most enchanting prospects that

can be imagined, in a luxuriant and ever-green forest, while the dry

season contributed greatly to beautify the scene; and simple nature by

far outshone the most strenuous endeavours of art. Here we met with

immense savannas of the most lovely verdure, interspersed with

meandring brooks of water, cool and clear as rock crystal; their

borders adorned with flowers of every lively hue and fragrance. In some

places we observed small clumps of elegant shrubs, or perhaps a single

tree, whose beauty would almost induce one to think they had been

designedly left growing to enrich the scene. The whole surrounded by a

vast wood of lofty palm-trees, waving their sea-green foliage above the

variegated copse of never-fading verdure, blossom, and fruit, as if to

invite the panting wanderer under its cooling shade, till in the later

hours he might enjoy the bracing pleasures of the limpid flood, and

contemplate nature’s beauties undisturbed.—When universal silence

reigned every where around, how often have I thought on my dear friend,

and wished with her to glide through life in these Elysian fields!—But

I must wave the pleasing recollection.

On the 19th we again marched, and fell in with our old path, which we

followed, leading directly to the fields of Gado-Saby, where quantities

of rice once more appeared in full bloom, which we cut down and burned

to ashes. Here, perceiving the poor rebel negro hopeless of recovery,

not absolutely to bury him alive, he was overspread with moss, leaves,

and green boughs; after which we slung our hammocks, being almost

choaked with smoke.

In these fields I saw a lizard above two feet long, which the negro

slaves killed and ate: they called it sapagala, it was of a brownish

green colour, but did not resemble the iguana. Among the ruins of the

consumed town we discovered some scolopendras, or centipedes, no less

than eight or ten inches in length; this odious reptile is of a

yellowish-brown colour, walks very fast backwards or forwards, and

bites so severely, that the venom it infuses, though not deemed fatal,

generally produces a fever. Some writers assign this reptile twenty

pair of legs, others forty; I never reckoned them, and can only

observe, that they appeared to me exactly to resemble the centipedes in

Europe. Some of our gentlemen formed large collections of these

curiosities, which were very valuable, whilst I contented myself with

the drawings and descriptions only of those I thought most uncommon.

Narrative, of a five years' expedition against the Revolted Negroes of Surinam, in Guiana on the Wild Coast of South America; from the year 1772 to 1777 ... Volume 2 (of 2) · 第 16 / 19 章

Mr. de Graav, on counting the money, addressed me in the following