La Bourgade, May 21.
I have already informed you that the barrack allotted to the medical
officers is a very commodious house, situated near to the hospital; but
I gave no account of the furniture; nor did I describe what we here
esteem a comfortable dwelling. Let me, therefore, tell you that our
mansion is built wholly of wood, and is of the simplest construction.
Being set upon low pillars, it is so raised from the ground as to leave
sufficient space for dogs and small pigs to pass under it. Chimnies and
fire-places are not required. The windows are mere holes in the sides,
and are neither closed with plate glass, nor well-fitted sashes, but
hung with heavy shutters on the outside, to protect us in time of rain.
No fine stucco covers the walls, nor are the rooms hung with rich paper
or tapestry. No painted cloth, or soft carpet spreads the floor, nor do
any rich cornices, or figured compositions decorate the ceiling. Above,
below, and at the sides, all is plain wood: the walls, the ceilings, and
the floors are alike of naked boards; many of them so loosely joined
together as to allow free admission to air and light. Sitting in the
parlour, we see through the openings into the bed-room above; and to the
pigs routing below. The roof is also of wood, and open to the
bed-chambers, which are hung only with the well-spun tapestry of
industrious spiders. An old bench, or form, with three or four chairs of
rough wood, and a coarse deal board, laid upon a pair of cross legs by
way of a table, complete the furniture.
Thus accommodated, you will be amused to hear that we have had company
to visit us at our dinner-table: a party from one of his majesty’s ships
of war, who were led, by curiosity, to see how the “_soldier-officers_”
were accommodated on shore. They did not express themselves violently
envious of our comforts; but were much diverted in forming conjectures
as to what might have been the remarks of some of our foppish friends in
London, could they have glanced an eye upon our humble banquet, and the
general order of our _manege_. A piece of hard salt beef graced one end
of the table, a heavy lump of salt pork the other, and salt-meat soup
supplied the place of the rich _plateau_ in the middle. Such is our
daily repast, and such was our feast; for we gave to our visitors the
most sumptuous fare of the larder. Fresh animal provisions are dainties
we can seldom procure, and if it were not for the daily allowance dealt
out to us by government, we should be confined to a diet of yams and
plantains, like the slaves. During the passage from England, and while
we were lying at Barbadoes, we disregarded our salt allowance; nor did
we, till now, duly estimate the value of a government ration; but it is
here become of the greatest importance, and forms, to us, as well as to
the soldiers, the principal supply.
We often despatch negroes to the distant plantations upon the coast, or
the borders of the river, in search of fowls, ducks, roasting pigs, or
any other fresh provisions; but they so commonly return empty-handed,
that we have been led to suspect them of idleness or neglect, and have
been induced to make the experiment ourselves, by going in a boat to
different estates up the river, with a view of purchasing poultry or
other stock. But we have been equally unsuccessful; sometimes failing
altogether, and at others procuring only a single chicken, or a sucking
pig to serve a mess of six persons for the week. It happened once that
we met with a whole litter of young roasters to the number of six, when
we thought ourselves in high good fortune; but as we had no convenient
means of keeping them fat or in condition, we were unable to economize
the use of them, and from eating pig every day till they were all
consumed, we became so entirely satiated with this kind of food, as to
make it doubtful whether we shall ever be able to enjoy it again.
Beef, veal, and mutton are luxuries beyond our reach. This settlement
does not supply them in sufficient quantity for the ordinary
consumption; we do not therefore expect them, except by way of an
occasional feast. The great additional demand for fresh provisions,
since our arrival, has likewise taken off all the surplus of smaller
stock, and left scarcely a spare duck, or chicken in the colony.
In one of our provision-hunting excursions to the western coast, we had
the good fortune to meet with Captain Dougan, whom we found to be
residing there, in command of the remnant of the black corps, which was
raised last year for the expedition against the Bush-negroes. From this
gentleman we experienced every mark of polite and friendly attention. In
our conversation we discovered that he was the son of the gentleman whom
I had seen at “Profit;” and, on his learning that I had visited his
father, we became at once as intimate as old acquaintances. But this was
not required to call forth the captain’s hospitality, for he had
previously insisted upon our dining, and passing the remainder of the
day with him; which we did, and he gave us an excellent dinner, with
plenty of good wines, and a most cordial welcome. Cassada cake and
roasted plantains were served instead of bread, and with our fowls we
had a sauce prepared from the cassada juice, which loses its poisonous
quality by boiling and evaporation, and becomes somewhat like the
essence used under the name of soy.
On taking our leave, in the evening, we received many polite and liberal
invitations to repeat our visit; had our boat loaded with fruit, and
were desired to send for a further supply whenever it might be
acceptable. The estate was rich in oranges and plantains, beyond all we
had visited; and so universally were the fields intersected with rows of
fruit-trees, that whichever path we pursued, the eye looked down a fine
avenue, loaded and yellow with fruit.
You will be pleased to hear that although we are still sadly annoyed
with musquitoes during the day and the evening, our nights are passed,
at our new home, in quiet and comfort. In Carlisle Bay, and at Stabroek,
notwithstanding I slept with the door and windows open, I always felt
heated and restless in bed; and, too commonly, rose with a painful and
spotted skin in the morning. At La Bourgade I am free from these
inconveniences. I lie upon a hard mattress, without any bedding under
it, covered only with a thin cotton sheet, and protected by my friendly
musquito curtain. Even with the door and windows shut, I can remain
without feeling myself unpleasantly heated; and, surrounded with my
netting, I can regard the hosts of musquitoes and other insects, buzzing
about me, without the fear of their disturbing my repose.
From the situation of these colonies with respect to the sun and the
ocean, and from the territory being a continued flat, we are scarcely
ever without a free and steady breeze, which creates an equable
temperature, and renders the climate peculiarly uniform. At six in the
morning the thermometer is usually between 74 and 77 degrees, and at
noon it has seldom varied more than from 81 to 84. It being now the wet
season, much rain commonly falls during the night; and, frequently, very
heavy showers in the course of the day; such as quickly find their way
through all the garments of those who happen to be exposed to them: the
most violent thunder-storms of England are scarcely sufficient to give
you an idea of their force and rapidity.