Berbische.
We rose at seven o’clock. Coffee was brought to us on quitting our
hammocks, and at nine was set before us a more substantial repast. Soon
afterwards we made our congé to the ladies, and took our departure from
Johanna. We crossed the river in a boat belonging to M. Fenner, the
negroes having been sent on with ours early in the morning. To our
surprise, on reaching the opposite bank, we had to ascend a hill, which
to a Dutchman might have seemed a mountain; and on arriving at the
summit of this elevated shore we found slaves and horses, equal in
number to our party, in readiness to conduct us to Arends, the home of
Mynheer Paùels. The distance was much shorter by land than by water: our
negroes, therefore, were sent round with the boat, by way of the river,
in order to meet us in the evening; while we proceeded on horseback,
across the woods, and savannas. This change in our mode of travelling
was planned by M. Fenner, and it not only afforded us a pleasant
variety, but relieved us from a tedious and uninteresting journey in the
boat. The first part of our ride was across a wide plain bordered with
heavy forests, and exhibiting all the rudeness of primitive nature: next
we traversed the deep woods, by way of a narrow path, following each
other in the Indian file: then we escaped, again, into an open savanna,
more varied and interesting than any uncultivated spot we had seen in
the colony. As we were trotting through the still shades of the forest,
we perceived that the notes of our conversation became unusually soft,
and rumbled in gentle murmurs amongst the trees. Struck with this
unexpected charm of our voices, we were induced to sound the huntsman’s
call, and the halloo of the chase, in order to observe the melodious
echo. But we quickly discovered that, however musical and delighting in
the copses of England, these were calls of danger in the woods of
Guiana! Our friendly conductor, M. Fenner, instantly took alarm, and
begging us to desist, desired that we would quicken our pace, and be
still, lest we should bring down the Bush-negroes; who, if they should
find themselves able to overpower us, would certainly take off our
scalps, and perhaps not leave us our heads! Need I say that we were
obedient to our guide, and rode on in silence?
The accommodations of this day’s journey were quite West Indian: we had
blacks as footpages holding by the horses’ manes, or their tails; and
each slave was loaded either with a trunk of clothes upon his head, or a
bottle of Madeira wine, of rum, or of water in his hand. Imagine to
yourself the picture of a party of _Europeans_ riding through the wild
woods and savannas of _South America_, with a body of _African_ slaves
running at their sides, carrying bottles in their hands, and trunks on
their heads, and you will have a correct idea of our travelling group.
The negroes kept pace with us throughout the journey, and were not only
at hand to give us drink on the road; but were likewise in readiness to
supply us with dry clothes on our arrival.
At the distance of about nine miles from Johanna, the estate Arends
opened suddenly to our view, and the scene became unusually varied and
European. It, in some degree, reminded us of England—a circumstance
which gave it additional interest, and led us to contemplate it with a
kind of filial respect. Looking down from high land we saw, below us, a
rich plantation of coffee, cotton, and cocoa, together with the house
and home of M. Paùels. On descending from the rude plain to this finely
improved estate, our road was continued along a fragrant path bordered
with rows of oranges and pines, which leads across the plantation up to
the house.
Our reception at Arends was cordial and friendly. We found M. Paùels to
be a man of liberal education, and of refined manners. The house and
environs, indeed the whole order of the home, no less than his personal
address, indicated an improved and cultivated mind. We took dinner, and
passed a few hours so pleasantly, that we regretted, they could not be
tenfold multiplied. In the evening, M. Paùels, with his own boat and
slaves, undertook to conduct the party to M. Heynemann’s, the remotest
European settlement of the colony. We embarked from Arends on a narrow
river or creek, which, at a short distance from this estate, falls into
the great river Berbische. On the point of land, at the angle formed by
the two streams, is a small battery, and an old established military
post, which is still kept up by a Dutch guard, or at least the semblance
of it, formed of a few antiquated invalids.
The journey from the fort to M. Heynemann’s afforded nothing of interest
or variety. The scenery was a dull sameness of river and forest: wood
and water overspread by the azure canopy, were all that met the eye. We
were two hours and a half in the boat, and arrived at M. Heynemann’s
just as it was growing dark; having completed our expedition from the
sugar plantation of Mr. Blair, in three days; although we had been told
at the town that we could not perform it in less than ten. Moreover we
had effected it with the greatest ease, notwithstanding our having been
assured, by several persons, that such a journey could not be executed,
especially in the wet season, without infinite difficulty and fatigue,
if at all. We felt it singularly fortunate that M. Fenner was of our
party to M. Heynemann’s, the latter gentleman not speaking any language
but Dutch, and it being from him, particularly, that we expected to
acquire a great fund of information, as well regarding the customs and
manners of the Indians, as respecting the country and its natural
productions. He had been chosen king, or captain of a band of Indians,
and having resided for many years among them, was better acquainted with
their habits and pursuits than any other person in the colony. To him
they frequently brought presents of whatsoever they esteemed rare or
curious, and it had been intimated to us that he had accumulated an
extensive collection of specimens in natural history; also of Indian
implements and apparatus. We found a number of Indian men and women,
living in the house with this king of the district. He had also a gang
of negro slaves; so that the household consisted of a medley of white,
copper-coloured, and black inhabitants, who were assembled in this
remote corner, from three different quarters of the globe, the group
being composed of Europeans, Africans, and native Americans.
The day having been spent in busy occupation, we went to our hammocks
very soon after supper, in order to rest and recruit ourselves for the
morrow’s fatigue.