Berbische, July 22.
Without the opportunity of knowing whether my frequent notes have
already provoked your repentance, my pen continues to direct to you its
offerings.
I have been lately on a visit to the governor at New Amsterdam, and had
there an opportunity of witnessing the Dutch mode of punishing soldiers
for drunkenness; which is by making them run the gauntlet between two
ranks of their comrades, so placed as for each to give the offender a
stripe upon his bare back, every time that he passes. The punishment was
conducted in the following manner: a party of about forty of the
soldiers, with fixed bayonets, were drawn out upon parade, in open rank,
and standing front to front, forming a kind of alley closed at each end.
With-inside, between the ranks, were stationed the drum-major, and the
prisoner, the latter stripped of his coat, waistcoat, and shirt, and
with his hands tied before him. On a signal being given by beat of drum,
its major, dignified with bearing a majestic staff in his hand,
commenced his parade, in slow march, up and down the alley, the prisoner
closely following behind, who received a stripe from each of the
soldiers, with a fresh-gathered twig, every time that he went and
returned. Several drum-boys were placed at the outside of the ranks with
small bundles of sticks, in order to renew the supply, when any one
chanced to break. Non-commissioned officers were also stationed at the
back of the ranks provided with canes, for the purpose of transferring
any stripes to the soldiers which they might neglect to give to the
prisoner, or to place upon their own shoulders any deficiencies which
might arise from their not exerting a due strength of arm.
In this manner was the man marched and flogged, flogged and marched, up
and down, at the heel of the drum-major, until he had received many
hundreds of lashes, and his bruised back exhibited one frightfully black
surface, from his neck down to the waistband of his breeches. No blood
was spilt, nor perhaps was the pain quite so acute as it commonly is
from our cat o’ nine tails; but the sadly beaten skin, swoln with
blackness, was not less distressing to the sight than a more
blood-stained wound, and possibly even more difficult of cure. Several
drums were beat in loud roll during the whole time of the punishment,
which served to drown the cries of the sufferer, while it increased the
military parade of the scene.
It was somewhat remarkable that, at the very moment of this
chastisement, one of our own soldiers came reeling along in drunken
gambols, tumbling against the very ranks employed to inflict the penalty
of his own crime. On seeing what they were doing, he stammered out in
broken accent, “That’s right, _camarades_; give it him; lay it on, boys;
make him smart for it; a drunken _Yaa—well!_ cut close; lay it in deep;
make him remember it, a drunken Dutch dog!” He was not aware how soon it
was likely to be laid much _deeper_ into his own back. The captain of
his company happened to be present, and immediately ordered him into
confinement in the guard-house, preparatory to being led forth, at a
more sober moment, to a severer punishment, perhaps, than that which had
so amused him in his cups.
The Governor has a large electric eel, which he has kept for several
years in a tub, made for that purpose, placed under a small shed near to
the house. This fish possesses strong electrical powers, and often
causes scenes of diversion among the soldiers and sailors, who are
struck with astonishment at its qualities, and believe it to be in
league with some evil spirit. Two sailors, wholly unacquainted with the
properties of the animal, were one day told to fetch an eel, which was
lying in the tub in the yard, and give it the cook to dress for dinner.
It is a strong fish of seven or eight pounds weight, and gives a severe
shock on being touched, particularly if at all irritated or enraged. The
sailors had no sooner reached the shed, than one of them plunged his
hand to the bottom of the tub to seize the eel; when he received a blow
which benumbed his whole arm: without knowing what it was, he started
from the tub shaking his fingers, and holding his elbow with his other
hand, crying out, “Damme, Jack, what a thump he fetched me with his
tail!” His messmate laughing at “such a foolish notion,” next put down
his hand to reach out the eel, but receiving a similar shock, he snapped
his fingers likewise, and ran off crying out, “Damme, he did give you a
thump! He’s a fighting fellow: he has fetched me a broadside too! Let’s
both have a haul at him together, Jack, then we shall board his d——d
slippery carcass, spite of his rudder.” Accordingly they each plunged
their hands into the tub, and seized the fish, by a full grasp round the
body. This was rougher treatment than he commonly experienced, and he
returned it with a most violent shock, which soon caused them to quit
their hold. For a moment they stood aghast, then rubbing their arms,
holding their elbows, and shaking their fingers, they capered about with
pain and amazement, swearing that their arms were broken, and that it
was the devil in the tub in the shape of an eel. They now perceived that
it was not a simple blow of the tail, which they had felt before; nor
could they be prevailed upon to try again to take out the fish, but
stole away rubbing their elbows, and cursing “the trick about the cook
and the eel.”
You have, no doubt, seen drawings of this fish, and have met with
preparations of it in the different museums and collections of the
curious. Its form is not so round as that of the common eel. The head is
flatter, as is likewise the tail, and much broader; the sides are less
convex and deeper; the back is wide, and the body tapers down somewhat
abruptly, terminating at the belly in a thin membrane, forming a kind of
fin. I have preserved the skin of one, which I hope to show you in
England at the end of the war. The shock communicated is sometimes very
powerful, and precisely resembles that from the electrical machine. I
have received it both from contact, and by means of conductors. The fish
at Governor Van Battenburg’s once gave me a severe blow from touching
it, in the water, with the end of a polished ramrod belonging to one of
the soldiers’ firelocks.
We were, yesterday, visited at the fort by a party of the
wildest-looking Indians I have yet seen. Sixteen came down the river in
one canoe, forming an unusually fierce and romantic group. The men had
their skins painted in various odd figures, some with red, others with
black and red; and some had a thin small plate of silver, hung by way of
ornament from the nose. A custom also prevailed among the women of this
party, which we had not before observed. They wore in their ears thick
pieces of wood, of the size and shape of a common wine-bottle cork, not
suspended to the part, nor hanging by a ring, but pushed through a large
hole, cut in the substance of the ear itself.
This party was less cordial with us, than many who had preceded them.
They also made their visit shorter. We procured from them some Indian
baskets, and some bows and arrows. I had likewise an opportunity of
purchasing a small lion-monkey, called _Schacomynghy_, to supply the
place of a most beautiful one which I had brought down the river, from
the Indian village near Savonette, and which had lately died.
The Schacomynghy is a very handsome playful little fellow. He is the
smallest of the monkey tribe, being considerably less than the common
squirrel of England, and in weight not more than five or six ounces. He
perches very commodiously upon a person’s fore-finger; or will run up
the side of a quart bottle and take his seat very conveniently at the
top, amusing himself with putting down his little hand to taste the wine
or water, or whatever may be contained within. His colour is nearly
black, with sometimes a slight mixture of dark grey: the tail is longer
than his body. His neck is covered with thick, long, and bushy hair,
like the full mane of the lion, whence the name of _lion-monkey_, by
which he is commonly known. His face is oval, approaching to circular,
and his features are less disgusting than is usual among the monkey
tribe; the ears are smooth and round, and without hair. He is a very
delicate animal, and extremely susceptible of cold; even in this climate
he will creep into the folds of the bedclothes, or with-inside the bed
for warmth. His kennel is a coco-nut shell, his bed a little cotton, put
within it, which he seems to enjoy, without feeling oppressed by heat or
closeness.
You would not pardon me, if I were to omit noting a fact which occurred
to my observation during my visit at New Amsterdam. In company with some
of the officers I went to make a morning call at the house of one of the
most respectable inhabitants of the town; and whilst we were sitting
with the lady of the family, a fine black child, about a year old,
strayed into the room; where she trotted round, looking and smiling with
innocent playfulness at each of the party. Diverted with the naked
little _Pickaninny_, I took her upon my knee, and danced her about for
some time; then led her out at the door, to give her to a young mulatto
woman, one of the slaves of the house, whom I saw sitting in the hall.
On offering the child to this copper-skinned lady, she darted a
repulsive look and turned from me. Not aware of the cause of this, I
lifted up the infant, to place it upon her knee, when she indignantly
pushed the poor babe away. I still repeated the attempt, endeavouring to
make her comprehend that I wished to have the child taken from me: but
no! she continued to thrust her away with increased indignation.
Surprised at this conduct, and wholly unable to account for it, I led my
little naked female back into the parlour, and mentioning the
circumstance to Madame S——, begged of her to tell me whether it was the
black face of the infant, or my pallid visage, that was the object of
dislike to this damsel of _golden hue_. A monosyllable conveyed the
explanation! Madame S——, pointing to the child, whispered “_noire!_” Is
it possible? I exclaimed. Can it be credible that this creature who is a
slave herself, and only one remove from the negroes, can have imbibed
such proud ideas of distinction, as to despise a fellow slave, and
helpless infant, merely because she differs a single shade from herself,
in the colour of her skin? “_Il n’y a rien de plus vrai_,” replied
Madame S——, who further remarked, that this very mulatto was herself a
most excellent nurse, and peculiarly fond of children; but, to be worthy
of her attentions, it was indispensable that they should be, at least,
as fair as herself: her sister’s children, the offspring of a mulatto
woman and a white man, she would nurse with the utmost sedulity and
tenderness! On learning this I again went to the mulatto, and
endeavoured to prevail upon her, to take from me the good-humoured and
playful little negress. But I found that no persuasions could induce her
to notice the poor babe, who all the time looked up in her face, and
solicited her attentions with a smile of heavenly innocence. Her skin
was black, and it would demean even a slave, but a single degree whiter
than herself, to treat her as a fellow-being. Such are the distinctions
of colour! and such, alas! the misfortune, which luxury presumes to
impose upon a numerous race, for no better reason than that, in His
infinite wisdom, it has pleased the Common Parent of all, to place upon
His children of Europe, a paler skin, than has been given to His
children of Africa.
I have again been with a party across the river, to visit our princely
neighbour Mr. Blair. It was a birth-day festival, and perhaps a more
choice and sumptuous repast could not have been found, even in the proud
cities of Europe. Amidst a crowded variety of covers we had a large
green turtle, with a great variety of the best European vegetables. The
fruits were endemic, and such as London with all its riches cannot
obtain. At no other house in the colony are such entertainments given: a
circumstance, which, together with the paucity of our ordinary supply,
and indeed the difficulty of procuring any fresh provisions for our
table, makes such a gala day quite an object of notice. To you, who have
daily feasting before you, it can offer nothing remarkable. You will not
be surprised when I tell you that the generous donor experiences the
honorable reward of feeling, in his remotest extremities, the pungency
of his dishes.
The Dutch division of the party returned across the river, at an early
hour, like orderly citizens. The officers remained all night, but a
rational sobriety tempered the mirth of the evening. I rose before my
comrades, in the morning, intending to bathe in the sea; but on going
upon the fine beach before the house, for that purpose, my face, and
legs, and hands were so bitten by myriads of sand-flies, as to deter me
from exposing to them my naked surface.
The weather has been tolerably dry since the commencement of July,
particularly in the day-time. In the night we have frequent showers of
rain. The breeze is usually steady, and hitherto we have not found the
air perceptibly hotter than in the preceding months of May and June. The
thermometer seldom exceeds 84. Almost every night we have mild and
beautiful flashes of lightning, following each other in quick succession
without thunder. Here also the moon appears clad in peculiar brightness.
A few evenings ago we had an opportunity of seeing a very perfect Iris,
formed from its light. A pale-looking cloud interposed itself directly
before the moon, when, as if to show her powers, she calmly separated
her rays, and arched them on the skies, in all the splendour of a
beautiful rainbow.
You have already learned, that on leaving Barbadoes we were hurried away
without our baggage, it being supposed that we should quickly return
thither, in order to proceed to St. Domingo. We now begin to feel the
inconvenience of this disjunction, and particularly in the article of
shoes, which we are obliged to buy from the very wretched stores,
brought by the Americans. Such execrable specimens I had never seen
before. A London dust-woman would scarcely pick them up in the street.
They are commonly mouldy, and of very hard, rough, and coarse leather;
the colour of which is a rusty brown, with red shining through it; and,
withal, they are most miserably, and, I may say, painfully made. The
price of these uneasy coverings for the feet is as high as three
dollars. If we were in the expectation of remaining upon this station, I
should beg of you to send me out a package from Rymer: but it is still
intimated that the branch of the St. Domingo hospital staff, on duty in
these colonies, may be soon removed; and in this uncertainty the
continuing to wear rough American shoes, will not be the greatest
mortification I shall have to support, for it delays the hope of
speedily hearing from my friends in England. I cannot say—write to me,
here! yet I know not when I may go hence; and if I should be ordered to
proceed first to Barbadoes, or Martinique, it may be long before I reach
Hispaniola. Still, amidst all the uncertainties of my situation, my best
hope of hearing from you at all, seems to rest on your letters being
addressed to the Head-quarters of the army of St. Domingo. Continue,
therefore, to send them thither, and, whenever I may arrive, I shall
hail the accumulated feast that will await me, as the best reward of the
long and anxious suspense to which I am doomed.