superstitious fellow instantly answered, "Yaw, me massera !” then kneeling to the sorcerer for mercy, and the others also intreating me to spare him, I pardoned the credulous thief and his accomplices, who by their candid confession obtained a piece of salt beef for their dinner, and a gourd full of good grog into the bargain.'

Stedman found the Hope had been much neglected, and the troops in great misery; but his indefatigable exertions soon lessened the evils they suffered. Shortly after, Fourgeoud intending to scour the woods again, all the men fit for service were dispatched from the Hope to head-quarters, and only 12 crippled soldiers were left at this post. At this time a severe rencounter took place between the rebels and the rangers, during which, the following surprizing instance of presence of mind in a rebel negro is related:

A ranger having levelled his piece was just going to fire at him, when the man called out, holding up his hand, "What, sir, do you mean to kill one of your own party?" Which the ranger believing him to be, replied, "God forbid!" and dropping the muzzle of his piece, instantly received a ball through the body from his adversary, which killed him; and who, having thus saved himself, disappeared like a flash of lightning. One of the captive negroes related, that the evening before they were taken, a rebel, who had formerly deserted from Fauconberg was cut to pieces with sabres, by Bonny's command, as two others had been before Gado-Saby was taken.

'On the 8th of May,' says our author, Joanna, with her boy, arriving at this place, I promised myself a scene of happiness equal to that I experienced in 1774; especially as my family, my sheep, and my poultry, were now doubled; besides, I had at this time a beautiful garden, and if I could not with propriety be called a planter, I might at least claim, with some degree of justice, the name of a little farmer.

The slaves of the Hope and Fauconberg also testified their respects for Joanna and her boy, by bringing in presents of fowls, fruit, eggs, venison, and fish. Thus every thing seemed to contribute to our felicity, which was however considerably allayed by the disagreeable news we received on the 18th,

informing me of the death of my dear friend, Mr. Walter Kennedy, shortly after his arrival in Holland; it was now also confirmed that the Dutch had refused the Scots Brigade to his Britannic majesty; which greatly surprized me, as I considered it as a claim not only from affinity, but also by treaty.

To amuse my mind from these unpleasing subjects, I now paid a short visit to my French acquaintance Monsieur Cachelieu, at his plantation Egmond. Here, amongst other company, I met with an Italian, a planter, called D'O-s, who had but one arm; with which, however, he took up a knife at table, and without the smallest provocation, as I sat next him, made a back thrust at me, to the astonishment of all who were present. Having fortunately parried the blow by beating up his elbow, which occasioned the point of his knife to pass over my shoulder, I started up, and was going to put him instantly to death; but this being prevented, I offered to fight him with one hand tied behind me, and with any instrument he chose, fist, bludgeon, sword, pistol, or even knife; this the cowardly assassin having refused, was kicked out of company, and sent home to his plantation called Hazard.

So violent was this unhappy man's disposition, that some little time before, he ordered a poor negro woman, who was advanced eight months in her pregnancy, to be flogged, until her intestines appeared, and that only for breaking a tumbler. One of his male slaves, trying to evade his severity, was shot dead on the spot; and there was not a slave belonging to his estate but was cut by the lash of his whip from the neck to the heel.

• Colonel Fourgeoud now sending a proper supply of men, with a surgeon and medicines, the Hope wore a more pleasing aspect, and health and content began to be visible in every countenance. It was now truly a charming habitation, being perfectly dry even in spring-tides, and washed by pleasing canals that let in the fresh-water every tide; while the hedges surrounding the fields and gardens were neatly cut, and produced fruit and vegetables of many species for our use. The houses and bridges were also all repaired, while the strictest adherence to cleanliness was recommended and enforced among 3 A

VOL. I.

the men by these means not one sick person out of fifty was now to be found, where sloth, stench, and disease had so lately spread their destructive influence, and to which the land and sea-scurvy had given the most fatal assistance.

But we soon experienced that no scene of perfect felicity can be lasting, for the dry season now suddenly setting in, disease and mortality once more began to rage among us, 10 or 12 men dying daily at the Java creek and Magdenberg, while those under my command at the Hope diminished hourly.

'On the 4th of June, the spring-flood broke down my dams while we were drinking the king's health, and laid the whole post under water, which created vast confusion; and in this distress the overseer Blenderman refused to lend me any assistance, which occasioned so violent a quarrel, that he was glad to take to his heels, and make his escape from the plantation. I shall never have done mentioning the insolence of these savage brutes, who mostly are the refuse of the earth, brought up in Germany, or elsewhere, under the cane of a corporal. "Well,” said one of these miscreants ironically to an old free negro, "don't you believe that the monkies are a race of damn'd Christians, who have been thus transformed for shewing so much lenity to such as you?"" No, sir," replied the black man, 66 we do not think that the monkies are damn'd Christians; but I, and all of us, believe that many who call themselves Christians are a pack of damn'd monkies."--- Which pointed repartee afforded me infinite satisfaction.

'On the 16th I was visited by a neighbouring gentleman, whom I conducted up my ladder; but he had no sooner entered my aerial dwelling, than he leapt down from the top to the ground, roaring like a madman with agony and pain, after which he instantly plunged his head into the river; but looking up, I soon discovered the cause of his distress to be an enormous nest of wild bees or wassee-wassee, in the thatch, directly above my head, as I stood within my door; when I immediately took to my heels as he had done, and ordered them to be demolished by my slaves without delay. A tar mop was now brought, and the devastation just going to commence, when an old negro stepped up, and offered to receive

any punishment I should decree if ever one of these bees should sting me in person. "Massera," said he, "they would have stung you long ere now had you been a stranger to them; but they being your tenants, that is gradually allowed to build upon your premises, they assuredly know both you and your's, and will never hurt either you or them." I instantly assented to the proposition, and tying the old black man to a tree, ordered my boy Quaco to ascend the ladder quite naked, which he did, and was not stung; I then ventured to follow, and I declare upon my honour, that even after shaking the nest, which made its inhabitants buz about my ears, not a single bee attempted to sting me. I next released the old negro, and rewarded him with a gallon of rum and five shillings for the discovery. This swarm of bees I since kept unhurt, as my body-guards, and they have made many overseers take a desperate leap for my amusement, as I generally sent them up my ladder upon some frivolous message, when I wished to punish them for injustice and cruelty, which was not seldom.

On the 23d, I received positive orders to prepare and be ready on the 15th of July, to break up, with all the troops under my command, leave the river Comewina, and row down to Paramaribo, where the transport ships were put in commission to convey us back to Holland. This order I instantly read before the front to all my men, who received it with unbounded joy and three cheers---but I alone sighed bitterly.-Oh my Joanna! Oh my boy! who were at this time both dangerously ill, the one with a fever, the other with convulsions, so that neither were expected to survive. Add to this, that I ran a nail quite through my foot-thus was completely miserable.

On the 14th, I removed my flag from the Hope to the barges; and in the evening took my last farewell of Joanna's relations on the Fauconberg estate; who, crowding round me, expressed their sorrow aloud at my departure, and with tears invoked the protection of Heaven for my safe and prosperous voyage.

On the 15th, we finally left the Hope; and, on the 18th, the whole fleet, consisting of my own barges, together with

three from Magdenberg, and those from the river Cottica, arrived safe at anchor in the roads of Paramaribo, where three transports lay ready to receive us, on board of which vessels I immediately embarked all the troops that had come down under my command.'

Joanna and her boy having come down to Paramaribo, captain Stedman took his leave of this interesting woman and his boy, and the whole fleet, with the poor remains of Fourgeoud's regiment, prepared to sail. Just at this moment a ship entered the river with dispatches, inclosing an order for the troops immediately to re-enter the woods. On reading this order from the quarter-deck of each vessel, I never,' says our author, saw such dejection, disappointment, and despair, so strongly marked: while at this moment I, who but just before had been completely miserable, was now in turn the only one who was not depressed with sorrow.

In the midst of this gloomy scene, the men were ordered to give three cheers, which the marines on board one of the vessels absolutely refused to comply with: colonel Seyburgh, and unluckily myself, were in consequence ordered to compel them; which he undertook, with a cane in one hand, and a loaded pistol cocked in the other. Knowing his temper to be fiery and irascible, what did I not feel at this moment? I suddenly leapt into the boat that lay along-side, where, after haranguing those few that leaned over the gunwale, I promised the ship's crew 20 gallons of Holland's gin if they would only begin the melancholy chorus. Then mounting again the quarter-deck, I acquainted the colonel that all were now ready and willing to obey his commands; we then re-entered the boat, and in shoving off had the satisfaction to receive three hearty cheers from the sailors, in which joined a few marines, but with such languid looks and heavy hearts as cannot be described."

The disembarkation of the wretched troops afforded great joy to the inhabitants, who viewed their departure with considerable regret and alarm. However, 9 officers, and above 160 privates, all sick and incurable, were embarked for Holland on the 1st of August. Stedman being ill of an ague had his