green gauze doors to their beds or pavilions; but the generality of the people in Surinam sleep in roomy cotton haminocks, which are covered with a very large thin sheet, suspended from a tight line immediately over them, something like the awning of a ship, which serves in some measure to keep off these troublesome insects, and the want of which had exposed me to be thus stung all over.

There are also in Surinam a still larger species of gnats or musquitoes, called mawkers, the stings of which are extremely painful indeed; but as they are much less numerous than the former, they are not nearly so troublesome to the inhabitants, and are consequently less remarked.But to proceed:

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On the morning of the 22d, an elderly negro-woman, with a black girl about fourteen, entering into my apartment, it would be difficult to express my astonishment, when she gravely presented me her daughter, to become what she was pleased to term my wife. I had so little gallantry, however, as to reject the offer with a loud laugh; but at the same time accompanied the refusal with a small but welcome present, with which they appeared perfectly satisfied, and departed with every possible demonstration of gratitude and respect. The girls here, who voluntarily enter into these connections, are sometimes mulattoes, sometimes Indians, and often negroes. They all exult in the circumstance of living with an European, whom in general they serve with the utmost tenderness and fidelity, and tacitly reprove those numerous fairones who break through ties more sacred and solemn. Young women of this description cannot indeed be married, or connected in any other way, as most of them are born or trained up in a state of slavery; and so little is the practice condemned, that while they continue faithful and constant to the partner by whom they are chosen, they are countenanced and encouraged by their nearest relations and friends, who call this a lawful marriage, nay even the clergy avail themselves of this custom. Many of the sable-coloured beauties will however follow their own penchant without any restraint whatever, refusing with contempt the golden bribes of some, while

on others they bestow their favours for a dram or a broken tobacco-pipe, if not for nothing.

The hospitality I had experienced on our first arrival in the colony was not confined to that time only: I had a general invitation to visit, besides his excellency the governor, and colonel Texier, the commandant, in more than twenty respectable families, whenever it suited my convenience; so that, though the officers of our corps had formed a regimental mess, I had seldom the honour of their company. One gentleman, a Mr. Kennedy, in particular, carried his politeness so far, as not only to offer me the use of his carriage, saddle-horses, and table, but even to present me with a fine negro boy, named Quaco, to carry my umbrella as long as I remained in Surinam. The other gentlemen of the regiment also met with great civilities, and the whole colony seemed anxious to testify their respect, by vying with each other in a constant round of festivity. Balls, concerts, card-assemblies, and every species of amusement in their power, were constantly contrived for our entertainment. The spirit of conviviality next reached on board the men-of-war, where we entertained the ladies with cold suppers and dancing upon the quarter-deck, under an awning, till six in the morning, generally concluding the frolic by a cavalcade, or an airing in their carriages. This constant routine of dissipation, which was rendered still more pernicious by the enervating effects of an intensely hot climate, where one is in a perpetual state of perspiration, already threatened to become fatal to two or three of our officers. Warned by their example, I retired from all public companies, sensible that by such means I could alone preserve my health, in a country which has such a tendency to debilitate the human frame, that an European, however cautious to avoid excesses, has always reason to apprehend its dreadful effects.

Dissipation and luxury appear to be congenial to the inhabitants of this climate, and great numbers must annually fall victims to their very destructive influence. Their fatal consequences are indeed too visible in the men, who have indulged themselves in intemperance and other sensual gratifications,

and who appear withered and enervated in the extreme; nor do the generality of the Creole females exhibit a more alluring appearance; they are languid, their complexions are sallow, and the skin even of the young ladies is frequently shrivelled. This is however not the case with all; and I have been acquainted with some who, preserving a glow of health and freshness in their lovely countenance, were entitled to contend for the prize of beauty with the fairest European. But, alas! the numbers of this last description are so small, that the colonists in their amours most usually prefer the Indian negro and mulatto girls, particularly on account of their, remarkable cleanliness, health, and vivacity. For the excesses of the husbands in this respect, and the marked neglect which they meet from them, the Creole ladies most commonly, at a very early period, appear in mourning weeds, with the agreeable privilege however of making another choice, in the hopes of a better partner; nor are they long without another mate. Such indeed is the superior longevity of the females of Surinam, compared to that of the males (owing chiefly, as I said, to their excesses of all sorts) that I have frequently known wives who have buried four husbands, but never a man in this country who had survived two wives.

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The ladies do not, however, always bear with the most becoming patience the slights and insults they thus meet with, in the expectation of a sudden release, but mostly persecute their successful sable rivals (even to suspicion) with implacable hatred and the most unrelenting barbarity; while they chastise their partners not only with a shew of ineffable contempt, but with giving in public the most unequivocal marks of preference towards those gentlemen who newly arrive from Europe; which occasioned the trite proverb and observation in the colony, that the tropical ladies and the musquitoes have an instinctive preference for a newly-landed European: this partiality is indeed so very extreme, and the proofs of it so very apparent and nauseous, that some command of temper is necessary to prevent the disgust which such behaviour must naturally excite, particularly where the object is not very inviting; nay, it was even publicly reported at Paramaribo, that two of VOL. I.-(11) 2 H

these tropical Amazons had fought a duel for the sake of one of our officers.'

Considerable animosity seems to have subsisted between the governor and colonel Fourgeoud; and, after some time, the former requested the latter to quit the colony with his marines, as the rebel negroes appeared very tranquil. The inhabitants, however, remonstrated against this order; in consequence of which the departure of the troops was delayed. This circumstance determined captain Stedman to write some account of this wonderful country, and which he has executed in a style equally amusing and instructing.

GUIANA, by some called the Wild Coast, was discovered by the Spaniards, in 1504. It is situated under the torrid zone, in the N. E. part of South America, and is above 1,420 miles of length, and 790 in breadth. The heat is tempered by the cooling breezes from the sea; and the seasons, as in other hot countries, are divided into wet and dry. The uncultivated parts are covered with immense forests, rocks, and mountains; but, Surinam being peculiarly low and marshy, the rains and warmth impart to vegetation a most wonderful strength and richness. The Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch were the only nations which possessed settlements in this part of Terra Firma, excepting the small colony of Cayenne belonging to the French; but the Dutch settlements, reaching from cape Nassau to the river Marawina, and including Essequibo, Demerary, Berbice, and Surinam, are now united to the British empire.

Guiana, after being seen by some of the early Spanish navigators, was, in 1595, visited by Sir Walter Raleigh, who sailed up the river Oronoque above 600 miles, in hopes of discovering the gold-mines of the supposed El Dorado. In 1634, a captain Marshall with above 60 English, were discovered in Surinam employed in planting tobacco. These were succeeded by the French, who being destroyed by the Caribbeans, Francis, lord Willoughby, by king Charles II. permission, re-occupied the colony, and under whose auspices it was successfully cultivated. When the Dutch were driven from the Brazils by the Portuguese, they took this colony