[Contents]CHAP.XXII.Alarm in the Pirica River—A Detachment marches to its Relief—Ambuscade—Wonderful Effect from the Biting of a Bat—Scene in a Quagmire—Sketch of the Inquisition and Return of the Troops to Cormoetibo Creek.On the morning of the 19th of September 1775, just before sun-rise, Colonel Seyburg marched with one hundred marines and forty rangers, who did me the honour to fix upon me as one of the party, and was upon the whole so polite, and his behaviour so contrary to what it had lately been, that I knew not at all in what manner to account for it.Having crossed the Cormoetibo Creek, we kept course S. W. and by S. till we approached the river Cottica, where we encamped, having met with nothing on our first day’s march worth describing, except a species ofants, which were no less than one inch in length, and perfectly black. These insects pillage a tree of all its leaves in a short time, which they cut in small pieces the size of a six-pence, and carry under-ground. It was indeed entertaining to see a whole army of these creatures crawling perpetually the same way, each with his green-leaf in a perpendicular direction. So general is the propensity to the marvellous, that some have imagined that[138]this devastation was to feed a blind serpent under ground: but the truth is, that it serves for nourishment to their young brood, who cannot help themselves, and are sometimes lodged to the depth of eight feet in the earth. Madam Merian says, they form themselves in chains from one branch to another, while all the others pass over these temporary bridges; and that once a year these formidable armies travel from house to house, killing all the vermin, &c. that comes in their way; neither of which facts ever came within the limits of my observation: but that they can bite confoundedly I have found by experience, though their attack is not nearly so painful as the bite of that diminutive insect the fire-ant already described.The following day we proceeded along the banks of the river Cottica, till we came near the Claas Creek, (where I formerly swam across with my sabre in my teeth) and early slung our hammocks; from whence I was detached, with a few rangers, to lay in ambuscade in the mouth of the creek till it was dark. Here, however, I discovered nothing, except that the rangers were possessed of the same superstition as the rebels, with regard to their amulets orobiasmaking them invulnerable. They told me that the latter mentioned procured them from their priest, and that they themselves bought theirs fromGraman Qwacy, a celebrated and cunning old negro, whom I shall in a proper place circumstantially describe.—When I asked them, “How came any of you, or of your invulnerable[139]adversaries, to be shot?” I was answered, “Because, like you, Massera, they had no faith in the amulet orobia.” This piece of policy in Mr. Qwacy, however, had the effect of making all his free countrymen so undauntedly brave, that I must confess their valour had often surprized me. However, this imposition, as shall be shewn hereafter, besides respect and veneration, procured this dealer in magic considerable both ease and wealth, which for a black man in Surinam was indeed not very common.In the mouth of this creek I again saw a quantity of nuts floating on the surface of the water, such as I have before mentioned, when I was informed that they were the realacajoworcashewnuts, which I have partly described: to which I shall now add, that they grow on the edge of a pulpy substance like a very large pear, which is produced on a middle-sized tree, with a grey bark and large thick leaves. This excellent nut will bear to be transported to any part of the globe, and keep good for a considerable time; it is by some called theAnacardium Occidentalis. From the tree exudes a transparent gum, which when dissolved in water has the consistency of glue.I also tasted here theeta-tree apple, of which the negroes seemed extremely fond. This tree is of the palm kind, with large leaves, but is less in size than the maurecee or the mountain cabbage-tree. The fruit or apples are round, and grow in large clusters resembling grape-shot. In the middle of each apple is a hard nut, in[140]which is a kernel, and this is covered near half an inch thick with an orange-coloured pulp, that has a most agreeable acid taste. They are seldom used till the apples by ripeness drop from the tree, when the Indians steep them in water, and by maceration convert them into a most healthy and agreeable beverage.An express on the 21st arriving by water from Colonel Fourgeoud, informing us that the alarm-guns1had been fired in the river Pirica, we instantly crossed to the opposite or west shore of the river Cottica, where the rangers, with a party of marines, were again ordered to lie in ambuscade or under cover, in hopes of cutting off the rebels on their retreat, when they returned to cross the Cottica river with their booty. And this very afternoon a rebel negro was seen with a green hamper, who, startled by the smell of tobacco (for some of the rangers were smoking) stopt short of his own accord. He was instantly fired at by me and one ranger: when the warimbo or hamper dropped to the ground, but he himself escaped. This bundle we found stuffed with a dozen of the finest table linen, a cocked gold-laced hat, and a couple of superb India chintz petticoats, &c. the bulk of which I gave to my black companion, reserving only the chintzes for another friend at Paramaribo.The free negroes now rushing forwards with unrestrained[141]valour, I asked Colonel Seyburg liberty to follow them; and calling for volunteers, a great number presented themselves, which, however, the Colonel thought proper to reduce tofour only, with whom he sent me off; and having scrambled through thorns and briars woven together like a net or a mat, which tore one of myfeetin a terrible manner, I overtook them at one mile’s distance from the camp: shortly after we discovered thirteen fresh huts, where the rebels, we conjectured, had slept but a few nights before. In consequence of this, I now dispatched a ranger back to Colonel Seyburg to give him intelligence, and ask permission for the rangers and myself to march forward to Pirica without delay, in hopes to meet the enemy: but the answer was a peremptory order instantly to rejoin him with all hands. We now returned disgusted back to the camp; my sable companions in particular extremely discontented, and making manyshrewdandsarcasticremarks.Here we found a reinforcement just arrived from Jerusalem, consisting of sixty men, black and white, with positive orders for us to break up and march early thenextmorning forPiricaRiver, while this whole night a strong party lay once more in ambush.Accordingly at six o’clock, with the rising-sun, all was in readiness, but by some unaccountable delay it was very late before we left the camp; during which time we were informed that a canoe was seen crossing the river with one single negro in it, who was no doubt the poor[142]fellow at whom the ranger and I had fired the preceding day.I cannot here forbear relating a singular circumstance respecting myself,viz.that on waking about four o’clock this morning in my hammock, I was extremely alarmed at finding myself weltering in congealed blood, and without feeling any pain whatever. Having started up, and run for the surgeon, with a fire-brand in one hand, and all over besmeared with gore; to which if added my pale face, short hair, and tattered apparel, he might well ask the question,“Be thou a Spirit of health or goblin damn’d,Bring with thee airs of Heav’n or blasts from Hell!”The mystery however was, that I had been bitten by thevampireorspectreof Guiana, which is also called theflying-dogof New Spain, and by the Spaniardsperro-volador; this is no other than a bat of a monstrous size, that sucks the blood from men and cattle when they are fast asleep, even sometimes till they die; and as the manner in which they proceed is truly wonderful, I shall endeavour to give a distinct account of it.—Knowing by instinct that the person they intend to attack is in a sound slumber, they generally alight near the feet, where while the creature continues fanning with his enormous wings, which keeps one cool, he bites a piece out of the tip of the great toe, so very small indeed that the head of a pin could scarcely be received into the wound, which is consequently[143]not painful; yet through this orifice he continues to suck the blood, until he is obliged to disgorge. He then begins again, and thus continues sucking and disgorging till he is scarcely able to fly, and the sufferer has often been known to sleep from time into eternity. Cattle they generally bite in the ear, but always in such places where the blood flows spontaneously, perhaps in an artery—but this is entering rather on the province of the medical faculty. Having applied tobacco-ashes as the best remedy, and washed the gore from myself and from my hammock, I observed several small heaps of congealed blood all round the place where I had lain, upon the ground: upon examining which, the surgeon judged that I had lost at least twelve or fourteen ounces during the night.The Murine Oppossum of Terra-Firma.A. Smith Sculpt.The Murine Oppossum of Terra-Firma.The Vampire or Spectre of Guiana.London, Published Decr. 1st, 1791, by J. Johnson, St. Paul’s Church Yard.As I have since had an opportunity of killing one of these bats, I cut off his head, which I here present to the reader in its natural size, and as a great curiosity, with the whole figure flying above it on a smaller scale. Having measured this creature, I found it to be between the tips of the wings thirty-two inches and a half; it is said that some are above three feet, though nothing like in size to the bats of Madagascar. The colour was a dark brown, nearly black, but lighter under the belly. Its aspect was truly hideous upon the whole, but particularly the head, which has an erect shining membrane above the nose, terminating in a shrivelled point: the ears are long, rounded, and transparent: the cutting teeth were four above and six below. I saw no tail, but a skin, in[144]the middle of which was a tendon. It had four toes on each wing, with sharp nails divided like the web-foot of a duck2; and on the extremity of each pinion, where the toes are joined, was a nail or claw to assist it in crawling, like those of its hinder feet, by which it hangs suspended when asleep to trees, rocks, roofs, &c.One of the marines having this morning taken amurineormouse oppossum, I shall also take the opportunity of describing it, and present it to the reader as I designed it from the life. This animal differs widely in some particulars from the description of the Countde Buffon:—For instance, it was much swifter than any of the oppossums that he speaks of, and had the whole tail covered over with hair instead of scales, to the best of my remembrance; if, however, my sight deceived me, I am not the only erroneous writer on the subject of this animal.Linnæus,Seba, and Mr.Vormeer, with the last of whom I am acquainted, consider it as common to both the old and new continent; whereas all its species are most assuredly inhabitants of America only. Linnæus is also mistaken when he asserts, that all bats have four cutting teeth in each jaw.—(See Buffon, Vol.V.page282.)This murine oppossum was not more than the size of a very large mouse. It was perfectly black, except the belly, the feet, and the extremity of the tail, which were all buff-coloured, with a buff spot above each eye, which[145]resembled those of a rat: the ears were long, rounded, and transparent: its toes were twenty in number, one on each foot being placed behind, and serving as a thumb. It had ten or twelve paps, to which the young ones stick fast, it is said, as soon as produced, when they are not larger than small beetles; but it wanted that pouch which is common to all other oppossums; in place of this there were two longitudinal folds on the inside of each thigh, equally adapted to preserve its offspring from every injury, which no tortures whatever, not even fire, will make it forsake. I have only to add, that it burrows in the ground, and often climbs trees; but it feeds like a mouse on grain, fruits, and roots. Of the other species I shall defer the description till chance affords me an opportunity.Madam Merion mentions one kind of them, which, in time of danger, carries its young ones upon its back: but this animal, I confess, I never heard of in Surinam, and am persuaded of its non-existence.I have already stated that, from some unaccountable delay, it was very late this morning before we left the camp; we, nevertheless, all started at last; I having the van-guard with the rangers, and the poor marines loaded each man withnine daysprovisions on his back. In this condition we had not proceeded long, when one of the rangers sounding his horn, they spread, and I among them, all instantly falling flat upon the ground, with our firelocks cocked, and ready to engage; but this,[146]however, proving to be a false alarm, by a stag rushing out through the foliage, we soon rose, and after marching the whole day through water and mire, at three in the afternoon encamped on a high ridge, where not a drop of water was to be found till we had dug a hole for that purpose, and this was so very thick and muddy, that we were obliged to strain it through our neckcloths or shirt-sleeves before we could drink it. Here I was once more accosted by the Lieutenant Colonel, who invited me to some supper in his hut, and treated me upon the whole with such very great civility as I could not account for after his former behaviour.On the succeeding day we marched again, keeping course W. and N. W. with very heavy rain, while I had the rear-guard; and once more entered on a quagmire, which cost me three hours time to bring up the rear to the beach, this march being particularly distressing, as the negro slaves, with their burdens, broke through the surface every moment, while the loaded marines had enough to do to mind themselves, and I too weak by my late loss of blood to afford them any assistance whatever. At last, approaching the beach, I perceived the dead bodies of several rebel negroes scattered on the ground, with their heads and right-hands chopped off. These bodies being fresh, induced me to conclude, that they must have been very lately killed, in some engagement with the troops and rangers stationed on the Pirica river.—And here I must again remark, that had I[147]been allowed to pursue, on the 21st, with the rangers, when I was ordered to march back, the enemy would have been between two fires; in which case few could have escaped, and all the plundered spoil must have been re-taken. The reader will probably recollect a similar instance which occurred two years before, when I was stationed at Devil’s Harwar. Had I at that time been provided with men and ammunition to march, I might have rendered the colony a material service. These two capital blunders I am sorry to relate, but a regard to truth and impartiality obliges me to do it. Let not these remarks, however, fix a stigma of cruelty on me in the eyes of the world, since no man could more strongly feel at the sight of such manly youths stretched dead among the surrounding foliage; and finer bodies than two of them were in particular I never beheld in all my life.“So two young mountain lions, nurs’d with blood,In deep recesses of the gloomy wood,Rush fearless to the plains, and uncontroul’dDepopulate the stalls, and waste the fold;Till pierc’d at distance from their native den,O’erpower’d they fall beneath the force of men;Prostrate on earth their beauteous bodies lay,Like mountain firs, as tall and straight as they.”While my mind was engaged by these and similar remarks, many of my loaded slaves still remained entangled and struggling in the quagmire, while the commanding[148]officer, with all the other troops, having got on a dry ridge, were quite out of sight and out of hearing, by which separation the rear-guard not only ran the hazard of losing all the provisions and the baggage, but of being cut to pieces, such was their critical situation.Having not a single European that had sufficient strength remaining to overtake the party which had proceeded, I resigned the command to my lieutenant, a Mr.de Losrios, and ventured forward alone through the forest, till, greatly fatigued, I overtook them; when reporting the situation of the rear-guard to Colonel Seyburg, I requested “he would slacken his pace till they were able to extricate themselves and come up from the bog, without which I could not be accountable for the consequences.” To this the reply was, “That he would form his camp when he met with good water;” and I instantly returned to the rear, where having struggled until it was quite dark in a most distressed and dangerous situation, the last man was dragged out of the mud at seven o’clock at night, when we slowly proceeded on till we entered the camp.My solicitude for the people, powder, and provisions, instead of procuring me commendation from the person under whose command I then happened to be, and who had lately been so very polite, brought me now into such difficulties, and produced a misunderstanding of such a serious nature, and so very distressing to my feelings, that it had nearly terminated my existence. The reader may[149]judge of my mortification, when I inform him, that, instead of receiving the approbation of my commander, as I certainly deserved, I was immediately on my arrival in camp put under an arrest, to be tried by a court-martial for disobedience of orders. Colonel Seyburg and I had never been on amicable terms; and though, during the former part of this march, he had treated me with apparent civility, yet from this step it was evident that he was my mortal enemy. I must not omit, that though a prisoner (strange to tell!) I was ordered to carry my own arms and accoutrements, till further orders.On the 24th, we took our departure very early, and directed our course S. and S. by W. when we passed close by Pinenburg, a forsaken rebel village formerly mentioned—I still a prisoner, in the most dejected spirits.On the following day our course was S. W. through a matakey or trumpeter morass, which was very deep, and which we entered when we were all in a violent sweat by advancing too fast while upon the hard ground: but the health of our men was not made an object during this expedition, though so much wanted to succeed.Having got again upon a ridge, an accident had now nearly befallen me incomparably greater than all my former misfortunes put together; this was no less than, having fallen into a deep reverie, while I followed the rearguard, I imperceptibly wandered away from the troops, till I was entirely lost and by myself in an unbounded wilderness. Quaco no sooner had missed me, than, poor fellow, at[150]every hazard he rushed through the wood to recover his master, and by a miracle saw me as I was sitting under a tree, in the most dejected state of mind that it is possible to conceive, immersed in grief and abandoned to despair. I had this morning thought myself perfectly unhappy, but now would have given the world once more to have been in the same situation. Good God! entirely cut off from society, in a forest, surrounded by relentless savages! while a deluge of rain poured from the heavens, and tigers, famine, with every woe and every danger, stared me in the face. Farewell, for ever Joanna!—Such was the picture of my mind, when on discovering the boy, I started up from the ground, and a new life instantly diffused itself through my whole frame. Having now straggled backwards and forwards together for some time, I called to the lad that I saw a pool through which the troops seemed to have passed, the water being fresh clouded with mud; but to my utter disappointment, he observed, that this puddle was only occasioned by a Tapira3, and shewed me the print of the animal’s foot in the surrounding mire. At this time the boy shed tears, crying, “Massera, we deade, we deade!” In the midst, however, of this distress, recollecting that, by the map, the river Pirica was due west from us, I determined to lose no more time, but to set forwards without delay. Thus having fresh primed my fuzee, I ordered Quaco to[151]follow me; but again to no purpose, my compass being with the troops, and not a glimpse of sunshine, owing to the heavy rain; till the black boy put me in mind that on the south side the bark of the trees was usually most smooth. This in fact was a fortunate hint, and we proceeded through thick and thin, till, overcome by fatigue and hunger, we both sat down, and looked at each other, exactly like two victims doomed to execution. During this last mournful silence, we heard a sound like coughing and the rustling of arms, which, thank Heaven! soon proved to be our own troops, luckily for us resting near an old encampment, where the pursuing party from the river Pirica had lately lodged. At this moment, notwithstanding my present situation, I enjoyed an extraordinary degree of mental happiness; which proves how much all good and evil are only of a relative nature. Having now been heartily welcomed by the other officers, I partook of some cold beef and bread, and a gourd full of grog, as did also my poor boy. After this regale the party rose, and pursuing our march, we once more entered a quagmire, or rather a mud-pool, the surface being too thin to carry us; through which having waded till it was pitch dark, we were obliged to encamp in the very middle of it, the troops by slinging their hammocks in the trees, one above another, and the slaves on temporary rafts made above the surface of the water, on which were also placed the powder, the victuals, &c.On the 26th, the good Colonel having now drank his[152]coffee in his hammock, while he kept the troops standing round it in water above their middle, a whole hour before day-light, we again scrambled forward, keeping our course, first W. and afterwards N. W. when the road was so excessively bad, that many slaves let fall their burdens, breaking, wetting, and spoiling every thing that was in them. At last, having passed through a second deserted camp, we halted on the oldcordon, or path of communication on which I formerly discovered the track of the rebels, when I commanded in Cottica river; and here, having erected slight sheds, we passed the night—I still a prisoner.The Agouti, or Indian Coney.The Agouti, or Indian Coney.The Paca, or Spotted Cavey.London, Published Decr. 1st, 1791, by J. Johnson, St. Paul’s Church Yard.At this time a small quadruped running through the camp with incredible swiftness, it was cut down by one of the rangers with his sabre. This proved to be thePacaorSpotted Cavey, called in Surinam theAquatic Hare. This animal is the size of a sucking pig, and extremely fat. The under jaw is short, the nostrils large, the eyes black, and the ears small and naked. It has five toes on each foot, a tail like the first joint of a man’s thumb, and whiskers like a cat; the colour is an earthen brown, with longitudinal rows of buff-coloured spots; the belly is a dirty white, the hair all over coarse and short. The Paca is an amphibious animal. On land it digs up the earth like a hog in quest of food, and when in danger flies to the water for its safety; notwithstanding this animal is so very plump and heavy, it runs swifter than most other animals of its size in South America, contrary to the account given of it in the supplement to[153]the Count de Buffon’s description4, where it is said “not to be nimble, to run but seldom, and then with a bad a grace;” which may all be the case in a domestic state (for the Paca is capable of being tamed) but he is not sluggish in a state of nature. This I know to be true, having seen him run like a hare. We had this animal dressed for supper, and found him even more delicious than the wood-rat, or even thewarra-bocerra: indeed, nothing can be better eating than the Paca or spotted Cavy.The long-nosedCavy, better known by the name of theAgouti Pacarara, orIndian Coney, is also very common in Surinam: this is the size of a large rabbit, its colour is an orange brown, the belly yellow; the legs black and slender, with four toes on the fore-feet, and three on the hindermost; the ears small, the eyes a bright black, the upper lip divided; it has whiskers, and its tail is like that of the Paca. This animal breeds very fast, and suckles its young, which are three or four in number, in concealed holes of old trees, &c. where it also retires for shelter if pursued; but it does not seek its food in the earth, like the former. The Agouti is easily tamed, and feeds on fruits, roots, nuts, &c. But its flesh, though very good, is not so delicious as that of the Paca.In Surinam I have been told there is still another species of the Agouti, called theIndian Rat-Coney, on account of its having a long tail. This I never saw, unless it is the[154]same animal (which I apprehend it to be) that I have described under the name of the bush-rat.On the 27th we again broke up, and finally arrived in the forenoon, and in a forlorn condition, at the estateSoribo, on the river Pirica, to defend the plantations against Bonny and his rebel negroes.The riverPiricaby its many windings is thought to extend about three-score miles. It is very deep but narrow, and has its banks, like all the others, lined with fine coffee and sugar plantations; its general course is from S. E. to N. W. We were scarcely arrived at this post, than I was accosted by several deputies from Colonel Seyburg, who earnestly intreated that I would only acknowledge myself to have been in fault, assuring me that I should then be set at liberty, and all would be forgotten. As I was conscious, however, of my own innocence, I could not in common justice criminate myself in an instance, where even my alledged crime amounted to no more than an anxious solicitude for the poor men and the provisions who were entrusted to my care. I was, therefore, placed under the guard of a sentinel, for what my commander was pleased to term unpliant stubbornness,and disarmed. In the mean time the marines caused me fresh uneasiness, and of the most poignant kind, by loudly threatening to mutiny in my behalf; nor could any thing have prevented them, but my decisive declaration, that as no cause could justify military disobedience and rebellion, I should be under the necessity myself (however injurious[155]to my feelings) of taking an active part against them, and seeing the ringleaders brought to condign punishment. I felt that at this time I could war with all the world, and nearly with myself—my heart was breaking apace—my life became a burden:“Dependants, friends, relations, love himself,Savag’d by woe, forget the tender tie,The sweet engagements of the feeling heart.”The day after our arrival in this station, we received the particulars of the Pirica news, which were, that on the 20th the estatesSchoonhoveandAltonahad been pillaged by the rebels whom we had routed at Gado-Saby, but that at the plantationPoelwykthey had been beaten back by the slaves: that the rangers stationed at an estate calledHagenboshad pursued them on the 21st, overtaken them on the 23d, killed several, and brought back most of the booty: that on the same day another party of the rebels had made an attempt to seize the powder magazine at Hagenbos (which was no bad plan) but that (while the rangers were in pursuit of their associates) they had been repulsed by the manly behaviour of a few armed slaves, one of whom, belonging to the estateTimotibo, took an armed rebel himself, and next discovered their camp at the back of his master’s plantations; for which he was handsomely rewarded. From all which intelligence, there was now no doubt remaining that if Seyburg’s detached party on the 16th had marched[156]forwards instead of backwards, by his orders, the above mischief might have been prevented, and the enterprize of the rebels entirely frustrated. It was also evident from this narrative, that the man whom we fired at on the 21st was certainly one of the plunderers on the 20th, and that the bodies found dead on the 23d had been shot the very same day.On the 29th, among other fruits, some dates were sent to me by a Society officer. This tree is also of the Palmeto species, but not extremely high; its leaves diverge from its summit, very thick, hanging down in the form of an umbrella. The dates appear in large clusters, being an oblong thin fruit like a man’s thumb, of a yellow colour, and the pulp, which is fat, firm, and sweet, adheres to a hard greyish-coloured stone, with longitudinal furrows.—I ought not to omit mentioning, that this day sixty rangers going to reconnoitre, discovered the old rebel camp at the back of Timotibo, which seemed to have contained about sixty armed men.On the morning of the 30th of September, having nothing more to do in the neighbourhood of the Pirica River, we left it, and on the 1st of October came to Devil’s Harwar much fatigued, nothing remarkable having happened on our march. I had written on the preceding day to Colonel Fourgeoud, informing him, that I was weary of existence in my present state, and requesting that a court-martial might beimmediatelycalled; and this letter I had sent by a slave to the commander in chief.[157]On our arrival at this station, I indeed found every hard means employed to bring me to terms; and such was the severe usage I experienced, that one of the rangers, calledCaptain Quaci, exclaimed, “If in this manner these Europeans treat one another, is it to be wondered at that they should take a pleasure in torturing us poor Africans?”At Devil’s Harwar, however, my stormy voyage drew to a conclusion. Colonel Seyburg was evidently convinced that he was wrong, and knowing what must follow, now only wished for a handsome opportunity of extricating himself from the effects of his unmanly passion. On the 2d of October, therefore, he asked me with a smile, “If I had a heart to forget and forgive?” To which I sternly answered, “No!”—He repeated the question.—I then said, “I venerated truth, and would never confess myself in an error, unless my heart coincided in the acknowledgment—that this was a concession I would make to no man living, and least of all to him.”—He here grasped my hand, begged me to be pacified, and declared, “That he would make peace on any terms;”—but I again drew back with contempt, and decidedly avowed, “That I could not agree to any compromise, unless he ownedhis faultin the presence of all the officers, with his own hands tearing from his journal every sentence that could reflect upon my character.” The journals were immediately produced, my arms were returned me, and my triumph was attended with every[158]circumstance that could add to myfull satisfaction. I then, frankly and sincerely gave my hand to Colonel Seyburg, who gave a feast in honour of our reconciliation; and after dinner, to my utter surprize, produced theletterwhich I had written to Colonel Fourgeoud, which he acknowledged he had intercepted to prevent the affair proceeding to extremities: at the same time he acquainted me, that Fourgeoud was encamped at the Wana Creek, instead of Lieutenant Colonel de Borgnes, who had fallen sick, and was gone to Paramaribo. A perfect reconciliation having taken place, and every thing being now adjusted, while the troops having had some rest, we set out once more on the 4th for the head quarters at Jerusalem; but I was obliged to leave poor Quaco, who was very ill, at Devil’s Harwar, under care of the surgeon; and that evening we encamped opposite the mouth of the Cormoetibo Creek.On the following morning early, having crossed the River Cottica, the troops marched back to Jerusalem; where I now had leisure to reflect on the various evils which befal poor mortals, as well those who are innocent of the difficulties they are brought into, as those (which are the greater part) who have brought themselves into distress and even despair by their own indiscretions. These reflections arose from finding here, among others, a newly-arrived acquaintance, a Mr. P—t—r, who having squandered away in Europe abovethirty thousandpounds, and lost a beautiful wife by elopement, was now[159]reduced to the income of an ensign in the Society troops. This gentleman having formerly possessed considerable property in this very colony, his present situation could not but be assuredly the more galling on that account.—Alas! unhappy young fellow: well might you exclaim—“Privé de tout mes biens,Dans un climat funeste,Je t’adore & te perds,Le poignard seul me reste.Mais, Oh! je suis P—t—r,Reservé pour souffrir;Je sçaurois vivre encore,Et faire plus que mourir.”These are the words which he spouted with a sigh, throwing the last silver he had left among the slaves; and indeed nothing could be more applicable to himself than the lines he quoted, or more lamentable than this poor devil’s forlorn condition; which, however, created in me, during my present humour, no other effect—than a loud and immoderate fit of laughter.[160]1By this is meant minute-guns, which are fired on the estates when in danger. These, being regularly answered by the neighbouring plantations, soon alarm the whole river, and bring assistance from every quarter.↑2In Vol. IV. plate the 83d, by the Count de Buffon, a bat is represented with only three toes on each wing.↑3By some called the Hippopotamus of South America, which I will describe in a proper place.↑4See Buffon’s Natural History, Vol. V. page 39.↑
[Contents]CHAP.XXII.Alarm in the Pirica River—A Detachment marches to its Relief—Ambuscade—Wonderful Effect from the Biting of a Bat—Scene in a Quagmire—Sketch of the Inquisition and Return of the Troops to Cormoetibo Creek.On the morning of the 19th of September 1775, just before sun-rise, Colonel Seyburg marched with one hundred marines and forty rangers, who did me the honour to fix upon me as one of the party, and was upon the whole so polite, and his behaviour so contrary to what it had lately been, that I knew not at all in what manner to account for it.Having crossed the Cormoetibo Creek, we kept course S. W. and by S. till we approached the river Cottica, where we encamped, having met with nothing on our first day’s march worth describing, except a species ofants, which were no less than one inch in length, and perfectly black. These insects pillage a tree of all its leaves in a short time, which they cut in small pieces the size of a six-pence, and carry under-ground. It was indeed entertaining to see a whole army of these creatures crawling perpetually the same way, each with his green-leaf in a perpendicular direction. So general is the propensity to the marvellous, that some have imagined that[138]this devastation was to feed a blind serpent under ground: but the truth is, that it serves for nourishment to their young brood, who cannot help themselves, and are sometimes lodged to the depth of eight feet in the earth. Madam Merian says, they form themselves in chains from one branch to another, while all the others pass over these temporary bridges; and that once a year these formidable armies travel from house to house, killing all the vermin, &c. that comes in their way; neither of which facts ever came within the limits of my observation: but that they can bite confoundedly I have found by experience, though their attack is not nearly so painful as the bite of that diminutive insect the fire-ant already described.The following day we proceeded along the banks of the river Cottica, till we came near the Claas Creek, (where I formerly swam across with my sabre in my teeth) and early slung our hammocks; from whence I was detached, with a few rangers, to lay in ambuscade in the mouth of the creek till it was dark. Here, however, I discovered nothing, except that the rangers were possessed of the same superstition as the rebels, with regard to their amulets orobiasmaking them invulnerable. They told me that the latter mentioned procured them from their priest, and that they themselves bought theirs fromGraman Qwacy, a celebrated and cunning old negro, whom I shall in a proper place circumstantially describe.—When I asked them, “How came any of you, or of your invulnerable[139]adversaries, to be shot?” I was answered, “Because, like you, Massera, they had no faith in the amulet orobia.” This piece of policy in Mr. Qwacy, however, had the effect of making all his free countrymen so undauntedly brave, that I must confess their valour had often surprized me. However, this imposition, as shall be shewn hereafter, besides respect and veneration, procured this dealer in magic considerable both ease and wealth, which for a black man in Surinam was indeed not very common.In the mouth of this creek I again saw a quantity of nuts floating on the surface of the water, such as I have before mentioned, when I was informed that they were the realacajoworcashewnuts, which I have partly described: to which I shall now add, that they grow on the edge of a pulpy substance like a very large pear, which is produced on a middle-sized tree, with a grey bark and large thick leaves. This excellent nut will bear to be transported to any part of the globe, and keep good for a considerable time; it is by some called theAnacardium Occidentalis. From the tree exudes a transparent gum, which when dissolved in water has the consistency of glue.I also tasted here theeta-tree apple, of which the negroes seemed extremely fond. This tree is of the palm kind, with large leaves, but is less in size than the maurecee or the mountain cabbage-tree. The fruit or apples are round, and grow in large clusters resembling grape-shot. In the middle of each apple is a hard nut, in[140]which is a kernel, and this is covered near half an inch thick with an orange-coloured pulp, that has a most agreeable acid taste. They are seldom used till the apples by ripeness drop from the tree, when the Indians steep them in water, and by maceration convert them into a most healthy and agreeable beverage.An express on the 21st arriving by water from Colonel Fourgeoud, informing us that the alarm-guns1had been fired in the river Pirica, we instantly crossed to the opposite or west shore of the river Cottica, where the rangers, with a party of marines, were again ordered to lie in ambuscade or under cover, in hopes of cutting off the rebels on their retreat, when they returned to cross the Cottica river with their booty. And this very afternoon a rebel negro was seen with a green hamper, who, startled by the smell of tobacco (for some of the rangers were smoking) stopt short of his own accord. He was instantly fired at by me and one ranger: when the warimbo or hamper dropped to the ground, but he himself escaped. This bundle we found stuffed with a dozen of the finest table linen, a cocked gold-laced hat, and a couple of superb India chintz petticoats, &c. the bulk of which I gave to my black companion, reserving only the chintzes for another friend at Paramaribo.The free negroes now rushing forwards with unrestrained[141]valour, I asked Colonel Seyburg liberty to follow them; and calling for volunteers, a great number presented themselves, which, however, the Colonel thought proper to reduce tofour only, with whom he sent me off; and having scrambled through thorns and briars woven together like a net or a mat, which tore one of myfeetin a terrible manner, I overtook them at one mile’s distance from the camp: shortly after we discovered thirteen fresh huts, where the rebels, we conjectured, had slept but a few nights before. In consequence of this, I now dispatched a ranger back to Colonel Seyburg to give him intelligence, and ask permission for the rangers and myself to march forward to Pirica without delay, in hopes to meet the enemy: but the answer was a peremptory order instantly to rejoin him with all hands. We now returned disgusted back to the camp; my sable companions in particular extremely discontented, and making manyshrewdandsarcasticremarks.Here we found a reinforcement just arrived from Jerusalem, consisting of sixty men, black and white, with positive orders for us to break up and march early thenextmorning forPiricaRiver, while this whole night a strong party lay once more in ambush.Accordingly at six o’clock, with the rising-sun, all was in readiness, but by some unaccountable delay it was very late before we left the camp; during which time we were informed that a canoe was seen crossing the river with one single negro in it, who was no doubt the poor[142]fellow at whom the ranger and I had fired the preceding day.I cannot here forbear relating a singular circumstance respecting myself,viz.that on waking about four o’clock this morning in my hammock, I was extremely alarmed at finding myself weltering in congealed blood, and without feeling any pain whatever. Having started up, and run for the surgeon, with a fire-brand in one hand, and all over besmeared with gore; to which if added my pale face, short hair, and tattered apparel, he might well ask the question,“Be thou a Spirit of health or goblin damn’d,Bring with thee airs of Heav’n or blasts from Hell!”The mystery however was, that I had been bitten by thevampireorspectreof Guiana, which is also called theflying-dogof New Spain, and by the Spaniardsperro-volador; this is no other than a bat of a monstrous size, that sucks the blood from men and cattle when they are fast asleep, even sometimes till they die; and as the manner in which they proceed is truly wonderful, I shall endeavour to give a distinct account of it.—Knowing by instinct that the person they intend to attack is in a sound slumber, they generally alight near the feet, where while the creature continues fanning with his enormous wings, which keeps one cool, he bites a piece out of the tip of the great toe, so very small indeed that the head of a pin could scarcely be received into the wound, which is consequently[143]not painful; yet through this orifice he continues to suck the blood, until he is obliged to disgorge. He then begins again, and thus continues sucking and disgorging till he is scarcely able to fly, and the sufferer has often been known to sleep from time into eternity. Cattle they generally bite in the ear, but always in such places where the blood flows spontaneously, perhaps in an artery—but this is entering rather on the province of the medical faculty. Having applied tobacco-ashes as the best remedy, and washed the gore from myself and from my hammock, I observed several small heaps of congealed blood all round the place where I had lain, upon the ground: upon examining which, the surgeon judged that I had lost at least twelve or fourteen ounces during the night.The Murine Oppossum of Terra-Firma.A. Smith Sculpt.The Murine Oppossum of Terra-Firma.The Vampire or Spectre of Guiana.London, Published Decr. 1st, 1791, by J. Johnson, St. Paul’s Church Yard.As I have since had an opportunity of killing one of these bats, I cut off his head, which I here present to the reader in its natural size, and as a great curiosity, with the whole figure flying above it on a smaller scale. Having measured this creature, I found it to be between the tips of the wings thirty-two inches and a half; it is said that some are above three feet, though nothing like in size to the bats of Madagascar. The colour was a dark brown, nearly black, but lighter under the belly. Its aspect was truly hideous upon the whole, but particularly the head, which has an erect shining membrane above the nose, terminating in a shrivelled point: the ears are long, rounded, and transparent: the cutting teeth were four above and six below. I saw no tail, but a skin, in[144]the middle of which was a tendon. It had four toes on each wing, with sharp nails divided like the web-foot of a duck2; and on the extremity of each pinion, where the toes are joined, was a nail or claw to assist it in crawling, like those of its hinder feet, by which it hangs suspended when asleep to trees, rocks, roofs, &c.One of the marines having this morning taken amurineormouse oppossum, I shall also take the opportunity of describing it, and present it to the reader as I designed it from the life. This animal differs widely in some particulars from the description of the Countde Buffon:—For instance, it was much swifter than any of the oppossums that he speaks of, and had the whole tail covered over with hair instead of scales, to the best of my remembrance; if, however, my sight deceived me, I am not the only erroneous writer on the subject of this animal.Linnæus,Seba, and Mr.Vormeer, with the last of whom I am acquainted, consider it as common to both the old and new continent; whereas all its species are most assuredly inhabitants of America only. Linnæus is also mistaken when he asserts, that all bats have four cutting teeth in each jaw.—(See Buffon, Vol.V.page282.)This murine oppossum was not more than the size of a very large mouse. It was perfectly black, except the belly, the feet, and the extremity of the tail, which were all buff-coloured, with a buff spot above each eye, which[145]resembled those of a rat: the ears were long, rounded, and transparent: its toes were twenty in number, one on each foot being placed behind, and serving as a thumb. It had ten or twelve paps, to which the young ones stick fast, it is said, as soon as produced, when they are not larger than small beetles; but it wanted that pouch which is common to all other oppossums; in place of this there were two longitudinal folds on the inside of each thigh, equally adapted to preserve its offspring from every injury, which no tortures whatever, not even fire, will make it forsake. I have only to add, that it burrows in the ground, and often climbs trees; but it feeds like a mouse on grain, fruits, and roots. Of the other species I shall defer the description till chance affords me an opportunity.Madam Merion mentions one kind of them, which, in time of danger, carries its young ones upon its back: but this animal, I confess, I never heard of in Surinam, and am persuaded of its non-existence.I have already stated that, from some unaccountable delay, it was very late this morning before we left the camp; we, nevertheless, all started at last; I having the van-guard with the rangers, and the poor marines loaded each man withnine daysprovisions on his back. In this condition we had not proceeded long, when one of the rangers sounding his horn, they spread, and I among them, all instantly falling flat upon the ground, with our firelocks cocked, and ready to engage; but this,[146]however, proving to be a false alarm, by a stag rushing out through the foliage, we soon rose, and after marching the whole day through water and mire, at three in the afternoon encamped on a high ridge, where not a drop of water was to be found till we had dug a hole for that purpose, and this was so very thick and muddy, that we were obliged to strain it through our neckcloths or shirt-sleeves before we could drink it. Here I was once more accosted by the Lieutenant Colonel, who invited me to some supper in his hut, and treated me upon the whole with such very great civility as I could not account for after his former behaviour.On the succeeding day we marched again, keeping course W. and N. W. with very heavy rain, while I had the rear-guard; and once more entered on a quagmire, which cost me three hours time to bring up the rear to the beach, this march being particularly distressing, as the negro slaves, with their burdens, broke through the surface every moment, while the loaded marines had enough to do to mind themselves, and I too weak by my late loss of blood to afford them any assistance whatever. At last, approaching the beach, I perceived the dead bodies of several rebel negroes scattered on the ground, with their heads and right-hands chopped off. These bodies being fresh, induced me to conclude, that they must have been very lately killed, in some engagement with the troops and rangers stationed on the Pirica river.—And here I must again remark, that had I[147]been allowed to pursue, on the 21st, with the rangers, when I was ordered to march back, the enemy would have been between two fires; in which case few could have escaped, and all the plundered spoil must have been re-taken. The reader will probably recollect a similar instance which occurred two years before, when I was stationed at Devil’s Harwar. Had I at that time been provided with men and ammunition to march, I might have rendered the colony a material service. These two capital blunders I am sorry to relate, but a regard to truth and impartiality obliges me to do it. Let not these remarks, however, fix a stigma of cruelty on me in the eyes of the world, since no man could more strongly feel at the sight of such manly youths stretched dead among the surrounding foliage; and finer bodies than two of them were in particular I never beheld in all my life.“So two young mountain lions, nurs’d with blood,In deep recesses of the gloomy wood,Rush fearless to the plains, and uncontroul’dDepopulate the stalls, and waste the fold;Till pierc’d at distance from their native den,O’erpower’d they fall beneath the force of men;Prostrate on earth their beauteous bodies lay,Like mountain firs, as tall and straight as they.”While my mind was engaged by these and similar remarks, many of my loaded slaves still remained entangled and struggling in the quagmire, while the commanding[148]officer, with all the other troops, having got on a dry ridge, were quite out of sight and out of hearing, by which separation the rear-guard not only ran the hazard of losing all the provisions and the baggage, but of being cut to pieces, such was their critical situation.Having not a single European that had sufficient strength remaining to overtake the party which had proceeded, I resigned the command to my lieutenant, a Mr.de Losrios, and ventured forward alone through the forest, till, greatly fatigued, I overtook them; when reporting the situation of the rear-guard to Colonel Seyburg, I requested “he would slacken his pace till they were able to extricate themselves and come up from the bog, without which I could not be accountable for the consequences.” To this the reply was, “That he would form his camp when he met with good water;” and I instantly returned to the rear, where having struggled until it was quite dark in a most distressed and dangerous situation, the last man was dragged out of the mud at seven o’clock at night, when we slowly proceeded on till we entered the camp.My solicitude for the people, powder, and provisions, instead of procuring me commendation from the person under whose command I then happened to be, and who had lately been so very polite, brought me now into such difficulties, and produced a misunderstanding of such a serious nature, and so very distressing to my feelings, that it had nearly terminated my existence. The reader may[149]judge of my mortification, when I inform him, that, instead of receiving the approbation of my commander, as I certainly deserved, I was immediately on my arrival in camp put under an arrest, to be tried by a court-martial for disobedience of orders. Colonel Seyburg and I had never been on amicable terms; and though, during the former part of this march, he had treated me with apparent civility, yet from this step it was evident that he was my mortal enemy. I must not omit, that though a prisoner (strange to tell!) I was ordered to carry my own arms and accoutrements, till further orders.On the 24th, we took our departure very early, and directed our course S. and S. by W. when we passed close by Pinenburg, a forsaken rebel village formerly mentioned—I still a prisoner, in the most dejected spirits.On the following day our course was S. W. through a matakey or trumpeter morass, which was very deep, and which we entered when we were all in a violent sweat by advancing too fast while upon the hard ground: but the health of our men was not made an object during this expedition, though so much wanted to succeed.Having got again upon a ridge, an accident had now nearly befallen me incomparably greater than all my former misfortunes put together; this was no less than, having fallen into a deep reverie, while I followed the rearguard, I imperceptibly wandered away from the troops, till I was entirely lost and by myself in an unbounded wilderness. Quaco no sooner had missed me, than, poor fellow, at[150]every hazard he rushed through the wood to recover his master, and by a miracle saw me as I was sitting under a tree, in the most dejected state of mind that it is possible to conceive, immersed in grief and abandoned to despair. I had this morning thought myself perfectly unhappy, but now would have given the world once more to have been in the same situation. Good God! entirely cut off from society, in a forest, surrounded by relentless savages! while a deluge of rain poured from the heavens, and tigers, famine, with every woe and every danger, stared me in the face. Farewell, for ever Joanna!—Such was the picture of my mind, when on discovering the boy, I started up from the ground, and a new life instantly diffused itself through my whole frame. Having now straggled backwards and forwards together for some time, I called to the lad that I saw a pool through which the troops seemed to have passed, the water being fresh clouded with mud; but to my utter disappointment, he observed, that this puddle was only occasioned by a Tapira3, and shewed me the print of the animal’s foot in the surrounding mire. At this time the boy shed tears, crying, “Massera, we deade, we deade!” In the midst, however, of this distress, recollecting that, by the map, the river Pirica was due west from us, I determined to lose no more time, but to set forwards without delay. Thus having fresh primed my fuzee, I ordered Quaco to[151]follow me; but again to no purpose, my compass being with the troops, and not a glimpse of sunshine, owing to the heavy rain; till the black boy put me in mind that on the south side the bark of the trees was usually most smooth. This in fact was a fortunate hint, and we proceeded through thick and thin, till, overcome by fatigue and hunger, we both sat down, and looked at each other, exactly like two victims doomed to execution. During this last mournful silence, we heard a sound like coughing and the rustling of arms, which, thank Heaven! soon proved to be our own troops, luckily for us resting near an old encampment, where the pursuing party from the river Pirica had lately lodged. At this moment, notwithstanding my present situation, I enjoyed an extraordinary degree of mental happiness; which proves how much all good and evil are only of a relative nature. Having now been heartily welcomed by the other officers, I partook of some cold beef and bread, and a gourd full of grog, as did also my poor boy. After this regale the party rose, and pursuing our march, we once more entered a quagmire, or rather a mud-pool, the surface being too thin to carry us; through which having waded till it was pitch dark, we were obliged to encamp in the very middle of it, the troops by slinging their hammocks in the trees, one above another, and the slaves on temporary rafts made above the surface of the water, on which were also placed the powder, the victuals, &c.On the 26th, the good Colonel having now drank his[152]coffee in his hammock, while he kept the troops standing round it in water above their middle, a whole hour before day-light, we again scrambled forward, keeping our course, first W. and afterwards N. W. when the road was so excessively bad, that many slaves let fall their burdens, breaking, wetting, and spoiling every thing that was in them. At last, having passed through a second deserted camp, we halted on the oldcordon, or path of communication on which I formerly discovered the track of the rebels, when I commanded in Cottica river; and here, having erected slight sheds, we passed the night—I still a prisoner.The Agouti, or Indian Coney.The Agouti, or Indian Coney.The Paca, or Spotted Cavey.London, Published Decr. 1st, 1791, by J. Johnson, St. Paul’s Church Yard.At this time a small quadruped running through the camp with incredible swiftness, it was cut down by one of the rangers with his sabre. This proved to be thePacaorSpotted Cavey, called in Surinam theAquatic Hare. This animal is the size of a sucking pig, and extremely fat. The under jaw is short, the nostrils large, the eyes black, and the ears small and naked. It has five toes on each foot, a tail like the first joint of a man’s thumb, and whiskers like a cat; the colour is an earthen brown, with longitudinal rows of buff-coloured spots; the belly is a dirty white, the hair all over coarse and short. The Paca is an amphibious animal. On land it digs up the earth like a hog in quest of food, and when in danger flies to the water for its safety; notwithstanding this animal is so very plump and heavy, it runs swifter than most other animals of its size in South America, contrary to the account given of it in the supplement to[153]the Count de Buffon’s description4, where it is said “not to be nimble, to run but seldom, and then with a bad a grace;” which may all be the case in a domestic state (for the Paca is capable of being tamed) but he is not sluggish in a state of nature. This I know to be true, having seen him run like a hare. We had this animal dressed for supper, and found him even more delicious than the wood-rat, or even thewarra-bocerra: indeed, nothing can be better eating than the Paca or spotted Cavy.The long-nosedCavy, better known by the name of theAgouti Pacarara, orIndian Coney, is also very common in Surinam: this is the size of a large rabbit, its colour is an orange brown, the belly yellow; the legs black and slender, with four toes on the fore-feet, and three on the hindermost; the ears small, the eyes a bright black, the upper lip divided; it has whiskers, and its tail is like that of the Paca. This animal breeds very fast, and suckles its young, which are three or four in number, in concealed holes of old trees, &c. where it also retires for shelter if pursued; but it does not seek its food in the earth, like the former. The Agouti is easily tamed, and feeds on fruits, roots, nuts, &c. But its flesh, though very good, is not so delicious as that of the Paca.In Surinam I have been told there is still another species of the Agouti, called theIndian Rat-Coney, on account of its having a long tail. This I never saw, unless it is the[154]same animal (which I apprehend it to be) that I have described under the name of the bush-rat.On the 27th we again broke up, and finally arrived in the forenoon, and in a forlorn condition, at the estateSoribo, on the river Pirica, to defend the plantations against Bonny and his rebel negroes.The riverPiricaby its many windings is thought to extend about three-score miles. It is very deep but narrow, and has its banks, like all the others, lined with fine coffee and sugar plantations; its general course is from S. E. to N. W. We were scarcely arrived at this post, than I was accosted by several deputies from Colonel Seyburg, who earnestly intreated that I would only acknowledge myself to have been in fault, assuring me that I should then be set at liberty, and all would be forgotten. As I was conscious, however, of my own innocence, I could not in common justice criminate myself in an instance, where even my alledged crime amounted to no more than an anxious solicitude for the poor men and the provisions who were entrusted to my care. I was, therefore, placed under the guard of a sentinel, for what my commander was pleased to term unpliant stubbornness,and disarmed. In the mean time the marines caused me fresh uneasiness, and of the most poignant kind, by loudly threatening to mutiny in my behalf; nor could any thing have prevented them, but my decisive declaration, that as no cause could justify military disobedience and rebellion, I should be under the necessity myself (however injurious[155]to my feelings) of taking an active part against them, and seeing the ringleaders brought to condign punishment. I felt that at this time I could war with all the world, and nearly with myself—my heart was breaking apace—my life became a burden:“Dependants, friends, relations, love himself,Savag’d by woe, forget the tender tie,The sweet engagements of the feeling heart.”The day after our arrival in this station, we received the particulars of the Pirica news, which were, that on the 20th the estatesSchoonhoveandAltonahad been pillaged by the rebels whom we had routed at Gado-Saby, but that at the plantationPoelwykthey had been beaten back by the slaves: that the rangers stationed at an estate calledHagenboshad pursued them on the 21st, overtaken them on the 23d, killed several, and brought back most of the booty: that on the same day another party of the rebels had made an attempt to seize the powder magazine at Hagenbos (which was no bad plan) but that (while the rangers were in pursuit of their associates) they had been repulsed by the manly behaviour of a few armed slaves, one of whom, belonging to the estateTimotibo, took an armed rebel himself, and next discovered their camp at the back of his master’s plantations; for which he was handsomely rewarded. From all which intelligence, there was now no doubt remaining that if Seyburg’s detached party on the 16th had marched[156]forwards instead of backwards, by his orders, the above mischief might have been prevented, and the enterprize of the rebels entirely frustrated. It was also evident from this narrative, that the man whom we fired at on the 21st was certainly one of the plunderers on the 20th, and that the bodies found dead on the 23d had been shot the very same day.On the 29th, among other fruits, some dates were sent to me by a Society officer. This tree is also of the Palmeto species, but not extremely high; its leaves diverge from its summit, very thick, hanging down in the form of an umbrella. The dates appear in large clusters, being an oblong thin fruit like a man’s thumb, of a yellow colour, and the pulp, which is fat, firm, and sweet, adheres to a hard greyish-coloured stone, with longitudinal furrows.—I ought not to omit mentioning, that this day sixty rangers going to reconnoitre, discovered the old rebel camp at the back of Timotibo, which seemed to have contained about sixty armed men.On the morning of the 30th of September, having nothing more to do in the neighbourhood of the Pirica River, we left it, and on the 1st of October came to Devil’s Harwar much fatigued, nothing remarkable having happened on our march. I had written on the preceding day to Colonel Fourgeoud, informing him, that I was weary of existence in my present state, and requesting that a court-martial might beimmediatelycalled; and this letter I had sent by a slave to the commander in chief.[157]On our arrival at this station, I indeed found every hard means employed to bring me to terms; and such was the severe usage I experienced, that one of the rangers, calledCaptain Quaci, exclaimed, “If in this manner these Europeans treat one another, is it to be wondered at that they should take a pleasure in torturing us poor Africans?”At Devil’s Harwar, however, my stormy voyage drew to a conclusion. Colonel Seyburg was evidently convinced that he was wrong, and knowing what must follow, now only wished for a handsome opportunity of extricating himself from the effects of his unmanly passion. On the 2d of October, therefore, he asked me with a smile, “If I had a heart to forget and forgive?” To which I sternly answered, “No!”—He repeated the question.—I then said, “I venerated truth, and would never confess myself in an error, unless my heart coincided in the acknowledgment—that this was a concession I would make to no man living, and least of all to him.”—He here grasped my hand, begged me to be pacified, and declared, “That he would make peace on any terms;”—but I again drew back with contempt, and decidedly avowed, “That I could not agree to any compromise, unless he ownedhis faultin the presence of all the officers, with his own hands tearing from his journal every sentence that could reflect upon my character.” The journals were immediately produced, my arms were returned me, and my triumph was attended with every[158]circumstance that could add to myfull satisfaction. I then, frankly and sincerely gave my hand to Colonel Seyburg, who gave a feast in honour of our reconciliation; and after dinner, to my utter surprize, produced theletterwhich I had written to Colonel Fourgeoud, which he acknowledged he had intercepted to prevent the affair proceeding to extremities: at the same time he acquainted me, that Fourgeoud was encamped at the Wana Creek, instead of Lieutenant Colonel de Borgnes, who had fallen sick, and was gone to Paramaribo. A perfect reconciliation having taken place, and every thing being now adjusted, while the troops having had some rest, we set out once more on the 4th for the head quarters at Jerusalem; but I was obliged to leave poor Quaco, who was very ill, at Devil’s Harwar, under care of the surgeon; and that evening we encamped opposite the mouth of the Cormoetibo Creek.On the following morning early, having crossed the River Cottica, the troops marched back to Jerusalem; where I now had leisure to reflect on the various evils which befal poor mortals, as well those who are innocent of the difficulties they are brought into, as those (which are the greater part) who have brought themselves into distress and even despair by their own indiscretions. These reflections arose from finding here, among others, a newly-arrived acquaintance, a Mr. P—t—r, who having squandered away in Europe abovethirty thousandpounds, and lost a beautiful wife by elopement, was now[159]reduced to the income of an ensign in the Society troops. This gentleman having formerly possessed considerable property in this very colony, his present situation could not but be assuredly the more galling on that account.—Alas! unhappy young fellow: well might you exclaim—“Privé de tout mes biens,Dans un climat funeste,Je t’adore & te perds,Le poignard seul me reste.Mais, Oh! je suis P—t—r,Reservé pour souffrir;Je sçaurois vivre encore,Et faire plus que mourir.”These are the words which he spouted with a sigh, throwing the last silver he had left among the slaves; and indeed nothing could be more applicable to himself than the lines he quoted, or more lamentable than this poor devil’s forlorn condition; which, however, created in me, during my present humour, no other effect—than a loud and immoderate fit of laughter.[160]1By this is meant minute-guns, which are fired on the estates when in danger. These, being regularly answered by the neighbouring plantations, soon alarm the whole river, and bring assistance from every quarter.↑2In Vol. IV. plate the 83d, by the Count de Buffon, a bat is represented with only three toes on each wing.↑3By some called the Hippopotamus of South America, which I will describe in a proper place.↑4See Buffon’s Natural History, Vol. V. page 39.↑
CHAP.XXII.Alarm in the Pirica River—A Detachment marches to its Relief—Ambuscade—Wonderful Effect from the Biting of a Bat—Scene in a Quagmire—Sketch of the Inquisition and Return of the Troops to Cormoetibo Creek.
Alarm in the Pirica River—A Detachment marches to its Relief—Ambuscade—Wonderful Effect from the Biting of a Bat—Scene in a Quagmire—Sketch of the Inquisition and Return of the Troops to Cormoetibo Creek.
Alarm in the Pirica River—A Detachment marches to its Relief—Ambuscade—Wonderful Effect from the Biting of a Bat—Scene in a Quagmire—Sketch of the Inquisition and Return of the Troops to Cormoetibo Creek.
On the morning of the 19th of September 1775, just before sun-rise, Colonel Seyburg marched with one hundred marines and forty rangers, who did me the honour to fix upon me as one of the party, and was upon the whole so polite, and his behaviour so contrary to what it had lately been, that I knew not at all in what manner to account for it.Having crossed the Cormoetibo Creek, we kept course S. W. and by S. till we approached the river Cottica, where we encamped, having met with nothing on our first day’s march worth describing, except a species ofants, which were no less than one inch in length, and perfectly black. These insects pillage a tree of all its leaves in a short time, which they cut in small pieces the size of a six-pence, and carry under-ground. It was indeed entertaining to see a whole army of these creatures crawling perpetually the same way, each with his green-leaf in a perpendicular direction. So general is the propensity to the marvellous, that some have imagined that[138]this devastation was to feed a blind serpent under ground: but the truth is, that it serves for nourishment to their young brood, who cannot help themselves, and are sometimes lodged to the depth of eight feet in the earth. Madam Merian says, they form themselves in chains from one branch to another, while all the others pass over these temporary bridges; and that once a year these formidable armies travel from house to house, killing all the vermin, &c. that comes in their way; neither of which facts ever came within the limits of my observation: but that they can bite confoundedly I have found by experience, though their attack is not nearly so painful as the bite of that diminutive insect the fire-ant already described.The following day we proceeded along the banks of the river Cottica, till we came near the Claas Creek, (where I formerly swam across with my sabre in my teeth) and early slung our hammocks; from whence I was detached, with a few rangers, to lay in ambuscade in the mouth of the creek till it was dark. Here, however, I discovered nothing, except that the rangers were possessed of the same superstition as the rebels, with regard to their amulets orobiasmaking them invulnerable. They told me that the latter mentioned procured them from their priest, and that they themselves bought theirs fromGraman Qwacy, a celebrated and cunning old negro, whom I shall in a proper place circumstantially describe.—When I asked them, “How came any of you, or of your invulnerable[139]adversaries, to be shot?” I was answered, “Because, like you, Massera, they had no faith in the amulet orobia.” This piece of policy in Mr. Qwacy, however, had the effect of making all his free countrymen so undauntedly brave, that I must confess their valour had often surprized me. However, this imposition, as shall be shewn hereafter, besides respect and veneration, procured this dealer in magic considerable both ease and wealth, which for a black man in Surinam was indeed not very common.In the mouth of this creek I again saw a quantity of nuts floating on the surface of the water, such as I have before mentioned, when I was informed that they were the realacajoworcashewnuts, which I have partly described: to which I shall now add, that they grow on the edge of a pulpy substance like a very large pear, which is produced on a middle-sized tree, with a grey bark and large thick leaves. This excellent nut will bear to be transported to any part of the globe, and keep good for a considerable time; it is by some called theAnacardium Occidentalis. From the tree exudes a transparent gum, which when dissolved in water has the consistency of glue.I also tasted here theeta-tree apple, of which the negroes seemed extremely fond. This tree is of the palm kind, with large leaves, but is less in size than the maurecee or the mountain cabbage-tree. The fruit or apples are round, and grow in large clusters resembling grape-shot. In the middle of each apple is a hard nut, in[140]which is a kernel, and this is covered near half an inch thick with an orange-coloured pulp, that has a most agreeable acid taste. They are seldom used till the apples by ripeness drop from the tree, when the Indians steep them in water, and by maceration convert them into a most healthy and agreeable beverage.An express on the 21st arriving by water from Colonel Fourgeoud, informing us that the alarm-guns1had been fired in the river Pirica, we instantly crossed to the opposite or west shore of the river Cottica, where the rangers, with a party of marines, were again ordered to lie in ambuscade or under cover, in hopes of cutting off the rebels on their retreat, when they returned to cross the Cottica river with their booty. And this very afternoon a rebel negro was seen with a green hamper, who, startled by the smell of tobacco (for some of the rangers were smoking) stopt short of his own accord. He was instantly fired at by me and one ranger: when the warimbo or hamper dropped to the ground, but he himself escaped. This bundle we found stuffed with a dozen of the finest table linen, a cocked gold-laced hat, and a couple of superb India chintz petticoats, &c. the bulk of which I gave to my black companion, reserving only the chintzes for another friend at Paramaribo.The free negroes now rushing forwards with unrestrained[141]valour, I asked Colonel Seyburg liberty to follow them; and calling for volunteers, a great number presented themselves, which, however, the Colonel thought proper to reduce tofour only, with whom he sent me off; and having scrambled through thorns and briars woven together like a net or a mat, which tore one of myfeetin a terrible manner, I overtook them at one mile’s distance from the camp: shortly after we discovered thirteen fresh huts, where the rebels, we conjectured, had slept but a few nights before. In consequence of this, I now dispatched a ranger back to Colonel Seyburg to give him intelligence, and ask permission for the rangers and myself to march forward to Pirica without delay, in hopes to meet the enemy: but the answer was a peremptory order instantly to rejoin him with all hands. We now returned disgusted back to the camp; my sable companions in particular extremely discontented, and making manyshrewdandsarcasticremarks.Here we found a reinforcement just arrived from Jerusalem, consisting of sixty men, black and white, with positive orders for us to break up and march early thenextmorning forPiricaRiver, while this whole night a strong party lay once more in ambush.Accordingly at six o’clock, with the rising-sun, all was in readiness, but by some unaccountable delay it was very late before we left the camp; during which time we were informed that a canoe was seen crossing the river with one single negro in it, who was no doubt the poor[142]fellow at whom the ranger and I had fired the preceding day.I cannot here forbear relating a singular circumstance respecting myself,viz.that on waking about four o’clock this morning in my hammock, I was extremely alarmed at finding myself weltering in congealed blood, and without feeling any pain whatever. Having started up, and run for the surgeon, with a fire-brand in one hand, and all over besmeared with gore; to which if added my pale face, short hair, and tattered apparel, he might well ask the question,“Be thou a Spirit of health or goblin damn’d,Bring with thee airs of Heav’n or blasts from Hell!”The mystery however was, that I had been bitten by thevampireorspectreof Guiana, which is also called theflying-dogof New Spain, and by the Spaniardsperro-volador; this is no other than a bat of a monstrous size, that sucks the blood from men and cattle when they are fast asleep, even sometimes till they die; and as the manner in which they proceed is truly wonderful, I shall endeavour to give a distinct account of it.—Knowing by instinct that the person they intend to attack is in a sound slumber, they generally alight near the feet, where while the creature continues fanning with his enormous wings, which keeps one cool, he bites a piece out of the tip of the great toe, so very small indeed that the head of a pin could scarcely be received into the wound, which is consequently[143]not painful; yet through this orifice he continues to suck the blood, until he is obliged to disgorge. He then begins again, and thus continues sucking and disgorging till he is scarcely able to fly, and the sufferer has often been known to sleep from time into eternity. Cattle they generally bite in the ear, but always in such places where the blood flows spontaneously, perhaps in an artery—but this is entering rather on the province of the medical faculty. Having applied tobacco-ashes as the best remedy, and washed the gore from myself and from my hammock, I observed several small heaps of congealed blood all round the place where I had lain, upon the ground: upon examining which, the surgeon judged that I had lost at least twelve or fourteen ounces during the night.The Murine Oppossum of Terra-Firma.A. Smith Sculpt.The Murine Oppossum of Terra-Firma.The Vampire or Spectre of Guiana.London, Published Decr. 1st, 1791, by J. Johnson, St. Paul’s Church Yard.As I have since had an opportunity of killing one of these bats, I cut off his head, which I here present to the reader in its natural size, and as a great curiosity, with the whole figure flying above it on a smaller scale. Having measured this creature, I found it to be between the tips of the wings thirty-two inches and a half; it is said that some are above three feet, though nothing like in size to the bats of Madagascar. The colour was a dark brown, nearly black, but lighter under the belly. Its aspect was truly hideous upon the whole, but particularly the head, which has an erect shining membrane above the nose, terminating in a shrivelled point: the ears are long, rounded, and transparent: the cutting teeth were four above and six below. I saw no tail, but a skin, in[144]the middle of which was a tendon. It had four toes on each wing, with sharp nails divided like the web-foot of a duck2; and on the extremity of each pinion, where the toes are joined, was a nail or claw to assist it in crawling, like those of its hinder feet, by which it hangs suspended when asleep to trees, rocks, roofs, &c.One of the marines having this morning taken amurineormouse oppossum, I shall also take the opportunity of describing it, and present it to the reader as I designed it from the life. This animal differs widely in some particulars from the description of the Countde Buffon:—For instance, it was much swifter than any of the oppossums that he speaks of, and had the whole tail covered over with hair instead of scales, to the best of my remembrance; if, however, my sight deceived me, I am not the only erroneous writer on the subject of this animal.Linnæus,Seba, and Mr.Vormeer, with the last of whom I am acquainted, consider it as common to both the old and new continent; whereas all its species are most assuredly inhabitants of America only. Linnæus is also mistaken when he asserts, that all bats have four cutting teeth in each jaw.—(See Buffon, Vol.V.page282.)This murine oppossum was not more than the size of a very large mouse. It was perfectly black, except the belly, the feet, and the extremity of the tail, which were all buff-coloured, with a buff spot above each eye, which[145]resembled those of a rat: the ears were long, rounded, and transparent: its toes were twenty in number, one on each foot being placed behind, and serving as a thumb. It had ten or twelve paps, to which the young ones stick fast, it is said, as soon as produced, when they are not larger than small beetles; but it wanted that pouch which is common to all other oppossums; in place of this there were two longitudinal folds on the inside of each thigh, equally adapted to preserve its offspring from every injury, which no tortures whatever, not even fire, will make it forsake. I have only to add, that it burrows in the ground, and often climbs trees; but it feeds like a mouse on grain, fruits, and roots. Of the other species I shall defer the description till chance affords me an opportunity.Madam Merion mentions one kind of them, which, in time of danger, carries its young ones upon its back: but this animal, I confess, I never heard of in Surinam, and am persuaded of its non-existence.I have already stated that, from some unaccountable delay, it was very late this morning before we left the camp; we, nevertheless, all started at last; I having the van-guard with the rangers, and the poor marines loaded each man withnine daysprovisions on his back. In this condition we had not proceeded long, when one of the rangers sounding his horn, they spread, and I among them, all instantly falling flat upon the ground, with our firelocks cocked, and ready to engage; but this,[146]however, proving to be a false alarm, by a stag rushing out through the foliage, we soon rose, and after marching the whole day through water and mire, at three in the afternoon encamped on a high ridge, where not a drop of water was to be found till we had dug a hole for that purpose, and this was so very thick and muddy, that we were obliged to strain it through our neckcloths or shirt-sleeves before we could drink it. Here I was once more accosted by the Lieutenant Colonel, who invited me to some supper in his hut, and treated me upon the whole with such very great civility as I could not account for after his former behaviour.On the succeeding day we marched again, keeping course W. and N. W. with very heavy rain, while I had the rear-guard; and once more entered on a quagmire, which cost me three hours time to bring up the rear to the beach, this march being particularly distressing, as the negro slaves, with their burdens, broke through the surface every moment, while the loaded marines had enough to do to mind themselves, and I too weak by my late loss of blood to afford them any assistance whatever. At last, approaching the beach, I perceived the dead bodies of several rebel negroes scattered on the ground, with their heads and right-hands chopped off. These bodies being fresh, induced me to conclude, that they must have been very lately killed, in some engagement with the troops and rangers stationed on the Pirica river.—And here I must again remark, that had I[147]been allowed to pursue, on the 21st, with the rangers, when I was ordered to march back, the enemy would have been between two fires; in which case few could have escaped, and all the plundered spoil must have been re-taken. The reader will probably recollect a similar instance which occurred two years before, when I was stationed at Devil’s Harwar. Had I at that time been provided with men and ammunition to march, I might have rendered the colony a material service. These two capital blunders I am sorry to relate, but a regard to truth and impartiality obliges me to do it. Let not these remarks, however, fix a stigma of cruelty on me in the eyes of the world, since no man could more strongly feel at the sight of such manly youths stretched dead among the surrounding foliage; and finer bodies than two of them were in particular I never beheld in all my life.“So two young mountain lions, nurs’d with blood,In deep recesses of the gloomy wood,Rush fearless to the plains, and uncontroul’dDepopulate the stalls, and waste the fold;Till pierc’d at distance from their native den,O’erpower’d they fall beneath the force of men;Prostrate on earth their beauteous bodies lay,Like mountain firs, as tall and straight as they.”While my mind was engaged by these and similar remarks, many of my loaded slaves still remained entangled and struggling in the quagmire, while the commanding[148]officer, with all the other troops, having got on a dry ridge, were quite out of sight and out of hearing, by which separation the rear-guard not only ran the hazard of losing all the provisions and the baggage, but of being cut to pieces, such was their critical situation.Having not a single European that had sufficient strength remaining to overtake the party which had proceeded, I resigned the command to my lieutenant, a Mr.de Losrios, and ventured forward alone through the forest, till, greatly fatigued, I overtook them; when reporting the situation of the rear-guard to Colonel Seyburg, I requested “he would slacken his pace till they were able to extricate themselves and come up from the bog, without which I could not be accountable for the consequences.” To this the reply was, “That he would form his camp when he met with good water;” and I instantly returned to the rear, where having struggled until it was quite dark in a most distressed and dangerous situation, the last man was dragged out of the mud at seven o’clock at night, when we slowly proceeded on till we entered the camp.My solicitude for the people, powder, and provisions, instead of procuring me commendation from the person under whose command I then happened to be, and who had lately been so very polite, brought me now into such difficulties, and produced a misunderstanding of such a serious nature, and so very distressing to my feelings, that it had nearly terminated my existence. The reader may[149]judge of my mortification, when I inform him, that, instead of receiving the approbation of my commander, as I certainly deserved, I was immediately on my arrival in camp put under an arrest, to be tried by a court-martial for disobedience of orders. Colonel Seyburg and I had never been on amicable terms; and though, during the former part of this march, he had treated me with apparent civility, yet from this step it was evident that he was my mortal enemy. I must not omit, that though a prisoner (strange to tell!) I was ordered to carry my own arms and accoutrements, till further orders.On the 24th, we took our departure very early, and directed our course S. and S. by W. when we passed close by Pinenburg, a forsaken rebel village formerly mentioned—I still a prisoner, in the most dejected spirits.On the following day our course was S. W. through a matakey or trumpeter morass, which was very deep, and which we entered when we were all in a violent sweat by advancing too fast while upon the hard ground: but the health of our men was not made an object during this expedition, though so much wanted to succeed.Having got again upon a ridge, an accident had now nearly befallen me incomparably greater than all my former misfortunes put together; this was no less than, having fallen into a deep reverie, while I followed the rearguard, I imperceptibly wandered away from the troops, till I was entirely lost and by myself in an unbounded wilderness. Quaco no sooner had missed me, than, poor fellow, at[150]every hazard he rushed through the wood to recover his master, and by a miracle saw me as I was sitting under a tree, in the most dejected state of mind that it is possible to conceive, immersed in grief and abandoned to despair. I had this morning thought myself perfectly unhappy, but now would have given the world once more to have been in the same situation. Good God! entirely cut off from society, in a forest, surrounded by relentless savages! while a deluge of rain poured from the heavens, and tigers, famine, with every woe and every danger, stared me in the face. Farewell, for ever Joanna!—Such was the picture of my mind, when on discovering the boy, I started up from the ground, and a new life instantly diffused itself through my whole frame. Having now straggled backwards and forwards together for some time, I called to the lad that I saw a pool through which the troops seemed to have passed, the water being fresh clouded with mud; but to my utter disappointment, he observed, that this puddle was only occasioned by a Tapira3, and shewed me the print of the animal’s foot in the surrounding mire. At this time the boy shed tears, crying, “Massera, we deade, we deade!” In the midst, however, of this distress, recollecting that, by the map, the river Pirica was due west from us, I determined to lose no more time, but to set forwards without delay. Thus having fresh primed my fuzee, I ordered Quaco to[151]follow me; but again to no purpose, my compass being with the troops, and not a glimpse of sunshine, owing to the heavy rain; till the black boy put me in mind that on the south side the bark of the trees was usually most smooth. This in fact was a fortunate hint, and we proceeded through thick and thin, till, overcome by fatigue and hunger, we both sat down, and looked at each other, exactly like two victims doomed to execution. During this last mournful silence, we heard a sound like coughing and the rustling of arms, which, thank Heaven! soon proved to be our own troops, luckily for us resting near an old encampment, where the pursuing party from the river Pirica had lately lodged. At this moment, notwithstanding my present situation, I enjoyed an extraordinary degree of mental happiness; which proves how much all good and evil are only of a relative nature. Having now been heartily welcomed by the other officers, I partook of some cold beef and bread, and a gourd full of grog, as did also my poor boy. After this regale the party rose, and pursuing our march, we once more entered a quagmire, or rather a mud-pool, the surface being too thin to carry us; through which having waded till it was pitch dark, we were obliged to encamp in the very middle of it, the troops by slinging their hammocks in the trees, one above another, and the slaves on temporary rafts made above the surface of the water, on which were also placed the powder, the victuals, &c.On the 26th, the good Colonel having now drank his[152]coffee in his hammock, while he kept the troops standing round it in water above their middle, a whole hour before day-light, we again scrambled forward, keeping our course, first W. and afterwards N. W. when the road was so excessively bad, that many slaves let fall their burdens, breaking, wetting, and spoiling every thing that was in them. At last, having passed through a second deserted camp, we halted on the oldcordon, or path of communication on which I formerly discovered the track of the rebels, when I commanded in Cottica river; and here, having erected slight sheds, we passed the night—I still a prisoner.The Agouti, or Indian Coney.The Agouti, or Indian Coney.The Paca, or Spotted Cavey.London, Published Decr. 1st, 1791, by J. Johnson, St. Paul’s Church Yard.At this time a small quadruped running through the camp with incredible swiftness, it was cut down by one of the rangers with his sabre. This proved to be thePacaorSpotted Cavey, called in Surinam theAquatic Hare. This animal is the size of a sucking pig, and extremely fat. The under jaw is short, the nostrils large, the eyes black, and the ears small and naked. It has five toes on each foot, a tail like the first joint of a man’s thumb, and whiskers like a cat; the colour is an earthen brown, with longitudinal rows of buff-coloured spots; the belly is a dirty white, the hair all over coarse and short. The Paca is an amphibious animal. On land it digs up the earth like a hog in quest of food, and when in danger flies to the water for its safety; notwithstanding this animal is so very plump and heavy, it runs swifter than most other animals of its size in South America, contrary to the account given of it in the supplement to[153]the Count de Buffon’s description4, where it is said “not to be nimble, to run but seldom, and then with a bad a grace;” which may all be the case in a domestic state (for the Paca is capable of being tamed) but he is not sluggish in a state of nature. This I know to be true, having seen him run like a hare. We had this animal dressed for supper, and found him even more delicious than the wood-rat, or even thewarra-bocerra: indeed, nothing can be better eating than the Paca or spotted Cavy.The long-nosedCavy, better known by the name of theAgouti Pacarara, orIndian Coney, is also very common in Surinam: this is the size of a large rabbit, its colour is an orange brown, the belly yellow; the legs black and slender, with four toes on the fore-feet, and three on the hindermost; the ears small, the eyes a bright black, the upper lip divided; it has whiskers, and its tail is like that of the Paca. This animal breeds very fast, and suckles its young, which are three or four in number, in concealed holes of old trees, &c. where it also retires for shelter if pursued; but it does not seek its food in the earth, like the former. The Agouti is easily tamed, and feeds on fruits, roots, nuts, &c. But its flesh, though very good, is not so delicious as that of the Paca.In Surinam I have been told there is still another species of the Agouti, called theIndian Rat-Coney, on account of its having a long tail. This I never saw, unless it is the[154]same animal (which I apprehend it to be) that I have described under the name of the bush-rat.On the 27th we again broke up, and finally arrived in the forenoon, and in a forlorn condition, at the estateSoribo, on the river Pirica, to defend the plantations against Bonny and his rebel negroes.The riverPiricaby its many windings is thought to extend about three-score miles. It is very deep but narrow, and has its banks, like all the others, lined with fine coffee and sugar plantations; its general course is from S. E. to N. W. We were scarcely arrived at this post, than I was accosted by several deputies from Colonel Seyburg, who earnestly intreated that I would only acknowledge myself to have been in fault, assuring me that I should then be set at liberty, and all would be forgotten. As I was conscious, however, of my own innocence, I could not in common justice criminate myself in an instance, where even my alledged crime amounted to no more than an anxious solicitude for the poor men and the provisions who were entrusted to my care. I was, therefore, placed under the guard of a sentinel, for what my commander was pleased to term unpliant stubbornness,and disarmed. In the mean time the marines caused me fresh uneasiness, and of the most poignant kind, by loudly threatening to mutiny in my behalf; nor could any thing have prevented them, but my decisive declaration, that as no cause could justify military disobedience and rebellion, I should be under the necessity myself (however injurious[155]to my feelings) of taking an active part against them, and seeing the ringleaders brought to condign punishment. I felt that at this time I could war with all the world, and nearly with myself—my heart was breaking apace—my life became a burden:“Dependants, friends, relations, love himself,Savag’d by woe, forget the tender tie,The sweet engagements of the feeling heart.”The day after our arrival in this station, we received the particulars of the Pirica news, which were, that on the 20th the estatesSchoonhoveandAltonahad been pillaged by the rebels whom we had routed at Gado-Saby, but that at the plantationPoelwykthey had been beaten back by the slaves: that the rangers stationed at an estate calledHagenboshad pursued them on the 21st, overtaken them on the 23d, killed several, and brought back most of the booty: that on the same day another party of the rebels had made an attempt to seize the powder magazine at Hagenbos (which was no bad plan) but that (while the rangers were in pursuit of their associates) they had been repulsed by the manly behaviour of a few armed slaves, one of whom, belonging to the estateTimotibo, took an armed rebel himself, and next discovered their camp at the back of his master’s plantations; for which he was handsomely rewarded. From all which intelligence, there was now no doubt remaining that if Seyburg’s detached party on the 16th had marched[156]forwards instead of backwards, by his orders, the above mischief might have been prevented, and the enterprize of the rebels entirely frustrated. It was also evident from this narrative, that the man whom we fired at on the 21st was certainly one of the plunderers on the 20th, and that the bodies found dead on the 23d had been shot the very same day.On the 29th, among other fruits, some dates were sent to me by a Society officer. This tree is also of the Palmeto species, but not extremely high; its leaves diverge from its summit, very thick, hanging down in the form of an umbrella. The dates appear in large clusters, being an oblong thin fruit like a man’s thumb, of a yellow colour, and the pulp, which is fat, firm, and sweet, adheres to a hard greyish-coloured stone, with longitudinal furrows.—I ought not to omit mentioning, that this day sixty rangers going to reconnoitre, discovered the old rebel camp at the back of Timotibo, which seemed to have contained about sixty armed men.On the morning of the 30th of September, having nothing more to do in the neighbourhood of the Pirica River, we left it, and on the 1st of October came to Devil’s Harwar much fatigued, nothing remarkable having happened on our march. I had written on the preceding day to Colonel Fourgeoud, informing him, that I was weary of existence in my present state, and requesting that a court-martial might beimmediatelycalled; and this letter I had sent by a slave to the commander in chief.[157]On our arrival at this station, I indeed found every hard means employed to bring me to terms; and such was the severe usage I experienced, that one of the rangers, calledCaptain Quaci, exclaimed, “If in this manner these Europeans treat one another, is it to be wondered at that they should take a pleasure in torturing us poor Africans?”At Devil’s Harwar, however, my stormy voyage drew to a conclusion. Colonel Seyburg was evidently convinced that he was wrong, and knowing what must follow, now only wished for a handsome opportunity of extricating himself from the effects of his unmanly passion. On the 2d of October, therefore, he asked me with a smile, “If I had a heart to forget and forgive?” To which I sternly answered, “No!”—He repeated the question.—I then said, “I venerated truth, and would never confess myself in an error, unless my heart coincided in the acknowledgment—that this was a concession I would make to no man living, and least of all to him.”—He here grasped my hand, begged me to be pacified, and declared, “That he would make peace on any terms;”—but I again drew back with contempt, and decidedly avowed, “That I could not agree to any compromise, unless he ownedhis faultin the presence of all the officers, with his own hands tearing from his journal every sentence that could reflect upon my character.” The journals were immediately produced, my arms were returned me, and my triumph was attended with every[158]circumstance that could add to myfull satisfaction. I then, frankly and sincerely gave my hand to Colonel Seyburg, who gave a feast in honour of our reconciliation; and after dinner, to my utter surprize, produced theletterwhich I had written to Colonel Fourgeoud, which he acknowledged he had intercepted to prevent the affair proceeding to extremities: at the same time he acquainted me, that Fourgeoud was encamped at the Wana Creek, instead of Lieutenant Colonel de Borgnes, who had fallen sick, and was gone to Paramaribo. A perfect reconciliation having taken place, and every thing being now adjusted, while the troops having had some rest, we set out once more on the 4th for the head quarters at Jerusalem; but I was obliged to leave poor Quaco, who was very ill, at Devil’s Harwar, under care of the surgeon; and that evening we encamped opposite the mouth of the Cormoetibo Creek.On the following morning early, having crossed the River Cottica, the troops marched back to Jerusalem; where I now had leisure to reflect on the various evils which befal poor mortals, as well those who are innocent of the difficulties they are brought into, as those (which are the greater part) who have brought themselves into distress and even despair by their own indiscretions. These reflections arose from finding here, among others, a newly-arrived acquaintance, a Mr. P—t—r, who having squandered away in Europe abovethirty thousandpounds, and lost a beautiful wife by elopement, was now[159]reduced to the income of an ensign in the Society troops. This gentleman having formerly possessed considerable property in this very colony, his present situation could not but be assuredly the more galling on that account.—Alas! unhappy young fellow: well might you exclaim—“Privé de tout mes biens,Dans un climat funeste,Je t’adore & te perds,Le poignard seul me reste.Mais, Oh! je suis P—t—r,Reservé pour souffrir;Je sçaurois vivre encore,Et faire plus que mourir.”These are the words which he spouted with a sigh, throwing the last silver he had left among the slaves; and indeed nothing could be more applicable to himself than the lines he quoted, or more lamentable than this poor devil’s forlorn condition; which, however, created in me, during my present humour, no other effect—than a loud and immoderate fit of laughter.[160]
On the morning of the 19th of September 1775, just before sun-rise, Colonel Seyburg marched with one hundred marines and forty rangers, who did me the honour to fix upon me as one of the party, and was upon the whole so polite, and his behaviour so contrary to what it had lately been, that I knew not at all in what manner to account for it.
Having crossed the Cormoetibo Creek, we kept course S. W. and by S. till we approached the river Cottica, where we encamped, having met with nothing on our first day’s march worth describing, except a species ofants, which were no less than one inch in length, and perfectly black. These insects pillage a tree of all its leaves in a short time, which they cut in small pieces the size of a six-pence, and carry under-ground. It was indeed entertaining to see a whole army of these creatures crawling perpetually the same way, each with his green-leaf in a perpendicular direction. So general is the propensity to the marvellous, that some have imagined that[138]this devastation was to feed a blind serpent under ground: but the truth is, that it serves for nourishment to their young brood, who cannot help themselves, and are sometimes lodged to the depth of eight feet in the earth. Madam Merian says, they form themselves in chains from one branch to another, while all the others pass over these temporary bridges; and that once a year these formidable armies travel from house to house, killing all the vermin, &c. that comes in their way; neither of which facts ever came within the limits of my observation: but that they can bite confoundedly I have found by experience, though their attack is not nearly so painful as the bite of that diminutive insect the fire-ant already described.
The following day we proceeded along the banks of the river Cottica, till we came near the Claas Creek, (where I formerly swam across with my sabre in my teeth) and early slung our hammocks; from whence I was detached, with a few rangers, to lay in ambuscade in the mouth of the creek till it was dark. Here, however, I discovered nothing, except that the rangers were possessed of the same superstition as the rebels, with regard to their amulets orobiasmaking them invulnerable. They told me that the latter mentioned procured them from their priest, and that they themselves bought theirs fromGraman Qwacy, a celebrated and cunning old negro, whom I shall in a proper place circumstantially describe.—When I asked them, “How came any of you, or of your invulnerable[139]adversaries, to be shot?” I was answered, “Because, like you, Massera, they had no faith in the amulet orobia.” This piece of policy in Mr. Qwacy, however, had the effect of making all his free countrymen so undauntedly brave, that I must confess their valour had often surprized me. However, this imposition, as shall be shewn hereafter, besides respect and veneration, procured this dealer in magic considerable both ease and wealth, which for a black man in Surinam was indeed not very common.
In the mouth of this creek I again saw a quantity of nuts floating on the surface of the water, such as I have before mentioned, when I was informed that they were the realacajoworcashewnuts, which I have partly described: to which I shall now add, that they grow on the edge of a pulpy substance like a very large pear, which is produced on a middle-sized tree, with a grey bark and large thick leaves. This excellent nut will bear to be transported to any part of the globe, and keep good for a considerable time; it is by some called theAnacardium Occidentalis. From the tree exudes a transparent gum, which when dissolved in water has the consistency of glue.
I also tasted here theeta-tree apple, of which the negroes seemed extremely fond. This tree is of the palm kind, with large leaves, but is less in size than the maurecee or the mountain cabbage-tree. The fruit or apples are round, and grow in large clusters resembling grape-shot. In the middle of each apple is a hard nut, in[140]which is a kernel, and this is covered near half an inch thick with an orange-coloured pulp, that has a most agreeable acid taste. They are seldom used till the apples by ripeness drop from the tree, when the Indians steep them in water, and by maceration convert them into a most healthy and agreeable beverage.
An express on the 21st arriving by water from Colonel Fourgeoud, informing us that the alarm-guns1had been fired in the river Pirica, we instantly crossed to the opposite or west shore of the river Cottica, where the rangers, with a party of marines, were again ordered to lie in ambuscade or under cover, in hopes of cutting off the rebels on their retreat, when they returned to cross the Cottica river with their booty. And this very afternoon a rebel negro was seen with a green hamper, who, startled by the smell of tobacco (for some of the rangers were smoking) stopt short of his own accord. He was instantly fired at by me and one ranger: when the warimbo or hamper dropped to the ground, but he himself escaped. This bundle we found stuffed with a dozen of the finest table linen, a cocked gold-laced hat, and a couple of superb India chintz petticoats, &c. the bulk of which I gave to my black companion, reserving only the chintzes for another friend at Paramaribo.
The free negroes now rushing forwards with unrestrained[141]valour, I asked Colonel Seyburg liberty to follow them; and calling for volunteers, a great number presented themselves, which, however, the Colonel thought proper to reduce tofour only, with whom he sent me off; and having scrambled through thorns and briars woven together like a net or a mat, which tore one of myfeetin a terrible manner, I overtook them at one mile’s distance from the camp: shortly after we discovered thirteen fresh huts, where the rebels, we conjectured, had slept but a few nights before. In consequence of this, I now dispatched a ranger back to Colonel Seyburg to give him intelligence, and ask permission for the rangers and myself to march forward to Pirica without delay, in hopes to meet the enemy: but the answer was a peremptory order instantly to rejoin him with all hands. We now returned disgusted back to the camp; my sable companions in particular extremely discontented, and making manyshrewdandsarcasticremarks.
Here we found a reinforcement just arrived from Jerusalem, consisting of sixty men, black and white, with positive orders for us to break up and march early thenextmorning forPiricaRiver, while this whole night a strong party lay once more in ambush.
Accordingly at six o’clock, with the rising-sun, all was in readiness, but by some unaccountable delay it was very late before we left the camp; during which time we were informed that a canoe was seen crossing the river with one single negro in it, who was no doubt the poor[142]fellow at whom the ranger and I had fired the preceding day.
I cannot here forbear relating a singular circumstance respecting myself,viz.that on waking about four o’clock this morning in my hammock, I was extremely alarmed at finding myself weltering in congealed blood, and without feeling any pain whatever. Having started up, and run for the surgeon, with a fire-brand in one hand, and all over besmeared with gore; to which if added my pale face, short hair, and tattered apparel, he might well ask the question,
“Be thou a Spirit of health or goblin damn’d,Bring with thee airs of Heav’n or blasts from Hell!”
“Be thou a Spirit of health or goblin damn’d,
Bring with thee airs of Heav’n or blasts from Hell!”
The mystery however was, that I had been bitten by thevampireorspectreof Guiana, which is also called theflying-dogof New Spain, and by the Spaniardsperro-volador; this is no other than a bat of a monstrous size, that sucks the blood from men and cattle when they are fast asleep, even sometimes till they die; and as the manner in which they proceed is truly wonderful, I shall endeavour to give a distinct account of it.—Knowing by instinct that the person they intend to attack is in a sound slumber, they generally alight near the feet, where while the creature continues fanning with his enormous wings, which keeps one cool, he bites a piece out of the tip of the great toe, so very small indeed that the head of a pin could scarcely be received into the wound, which is consequently[143]not painful; yet through this orifice he continues to suck the blood, until he is obliged to disgorge. He then begins again, and thus continues sucking and disgorging till he is scarcely able to fly, and the sufferer has often been known to sleep from time into eternity. Cattle they generally bite in the ear, but always in such places where the blood flows spontaneously, perhaps in an artery—but this is entering rather on the province of the medical faculty. Having applied tobacco-ashes as the best remedy, and washed the gore from myself and from my hammock, I observed several small heaps of congealed blood all round the place where I had lain, upon the ground: upon examining which, the surgeon judged that I had lost at least twelve or fourteen ounces during the night.
The Murine Oppossum of Terra-Firma.A. Smith Sculpt.The Murine Oppossum of Terra-Firma.The Vampire or Spectre of Guiana.London, Published Decr. 1st, 1791, by J. Johnson, St. Paul’s Church Yard.
A. Smith Sculpt.
The Murine Oppossum of Terra-Firma.
The Vampire or Spectre of Guiana.
London, Published Decr. 1st, 1791, by J. Johnson, St. Paul’s Church Yard.
As I have since had an opportunity of killing one of these bats, I cut off his head, which I here present to the reader in its natural size, and as a great curiosity, with the whole figure flying above it on a smaller scale. Having measured this creature, I found it to be between the tips of the wings thirty-two inches and a half; it is said that some are above three feet, though nothing like in size to the bats of Madagascar. The colour was a dark brown, nearly black, but lighter under the belly. Its aspect was truly hideous upon the whole, but particularly the head, which has an erect shining membrane above the nose, terminating in a shrivelled point: the ears are long, rounded, and transparent: the cutting teeth were four above and six below. I saw no tail, but a skin, in[144]the middle of which was a tendon. It had four toes on each wing, with sharp nails divided like the web-foot of a duck2; and on the extremity of each pinion, where the toes are joined, was a nail or claw to assist it in crawling, like those of its hinder feet, by which it hangs suspended when asleep to trees, rocks, roofs, &c.
One of the marines having this morning taken amurineormouse oppossum, I shall also take the opportunity of describing it, and present it to the reader as I designed it from the life. This animal differs widely in some particulars from the description of the Countde Buffon:—For instance, it was much swifter than any of the oppossums that he speaks of, and had the whole tail covered over with hair instead of scales, to the best of my remembrance; if, however, my sight deceived me, I am not the only erroneous writer on the subject of this animal.Linnæus,Seba, and Mr.Vormeer, with the last of whom I am acquainted, consider it as common to both the old and new continent; whereas all its species are most assuredly inhabitants of America only. Linnæus is also mistaken when he asserts, that all bats have four cutting teeth in each jaw.—(See Buffon, Vol.V.page282.)
This murine oppossum was not more than the size of a very large mouse. It was perfectly black, except the belly, the feet, and the extremity of the tail, which were all buff-coloured, with a buff spot above each eye, which[145]resembled those of a rat: the ears were long, rounded, and transparent: its toes were twenty in number, one on each foot being placed behind, and serving as a thumb. It had ten or twelve paps, to which the young ones stick fast, it is said, as soon as produced, when they are not larger than small beetles; but it wanted that pouch which is common to all other oppossums; in place of this there were two longitudinal folds on the inside of each thigh, equally adapted to preserve its offspring from every injury, which no tortures whatever, not even fire, will make it forsake. I have only to add, that it burrows in the ground, and often climbs trees; but it feeds like a mouse on grain, fruits, and roots. Of the other species I shall defer the description till chance affords me an opportunity.
Madam Merion mentions one kind of them, which, in time of danger, carries its young ones upon its back: but this animal, I confess, I never heard of in Surinam, and am persuaded of its non-existence.
I have already stated that, from some unaccountable delay, it was very late this morning before we left the camp; we, nevertheless, all started at last; I having the van-guard with the rangers, and the poor marines loaded each man withnine daysprovisions on his back. In this condition we had not proceeded long, when one of the rangers sounding his horn, they spread, and I among them, all instantly falling flat upon the ground, with our firelocks cocked, and ready to engage; but this,[146]however, proving to be a false alarm, by a stag rushing out through the foliage, we soon rose, and after marching the whole day through water and mire, at three in the afternoon encamped on a high ridge, where not a drop of water was to be found till we had dug a hole for that purpose, and this was so very thick and muddy, that we were obliged to strain it through our neckcloths or shirt-sleeves before we could drink it. Here I was once more accosted by the Lieutenant Colonel, who invited me to some supper in his hut, and treated me upon the whole with such very great civility as I could not account for after his former behaviour.
On the succeeding day we marched again, keeping course W. and N. W. with very heavy rain, while I had the rear-guard; and once more entered on a quagmire, which cost me three hours time to bring up the rear to the beach, this march being particularly distressing, as the negro slaves, with their burdens, broke through the surface every moment, while the loaded marines had enough to do to mind themselves, and I too weak by my late loss of blood to afford them any assistance whatever. At last, approaching the beach, I perceived the dead bodies of several rebel negroes scattered on the ground, with their heads and right-hands chopped off. These bodies being fresh, induced me to conclude, that they must have been very lately killed, in some engagement with the troops and rangers stationed on the Pirica river.—And here I must again remark, that had I[147]been allowed to pursue, on the 21st, with the rangers, when I was ordered to march back, the enemy would have been between two fires; in which case few could have escaped, and all the plundered spoil must have been re-taken. The reader will probably recollect a similar instance which occurred two years before, when I was stationed at Devil’s Harwar. Had I at that time been provided with men and ammunition to march, I might have rendered the colony a material service. These two capital blunders I am sorry to relate, but a regard to truth and impartiality obliges me to do it. Let not these remarks, however, fix a stigma of cruelty on me in the eyes of the world, since no man could more strongly feel at the sight of such manly youths stretched dead among the surrounding foliage; and finer bodies than two of them were in particular I never beheld in all my life.
“So two young mountain lions, nurs’d with blood,In deep recesses of the gloomy wood,Rush fearless to the plains, and uncontroul’dDepopulate the stalls, and waste the fold;Till pierc’d at distance from their native den,O’erpower’d they fall beneath the force of men;Prostrate on earth their beauteous bodies lay,Like mountain firs, as tall and straight as they.”
“So two young mountain lions, nurs’d with blood,
In deep recesses of the gloomy wood,
Rush fearless to the plains, and uncontroul’d
Depopulate the stalls, and waste the fold;
Till pierc’d at distance from their native den,
O’erpower’d they fall beneath the force of men;
Prostrate on earth their beauteous bodies lay,
Like mountain firs, as tall and straight as they.”
While my mind was engaged by these and similar remarks, many of my loaded slaves still remained entangled and struggling in the quagmire, while the commanding[148]officer, with all the other troops, having got on a dry ridge, were quite out of sight and out of hearing, by which separation the rear-guard not only ran the hazard of losing all the provisions and the baggage, but of being cut to pieces, such was their critical situation.
Having not a single European that had sufficient strength remaining to overtake the party which had proceeded, I resigned the command to my lieutenant, a Mr.de Losrios, and ventured forward alone through the forest, till, greatly fatigued, I overtook them; when reporting the situation of the rear-guard to Colonel Seyburg, I requested “he would slacken his pace till they were able to extricate themselves and come up from the bog, without which I could not be accountable for the consequences.” To this the reply was, “That he would form his camp when he met with good water;” and I instantly returned to the rear, where having struggled until it was quite dark in a most distressed and dangerous situation, the last man was dragged out of the mud at seven o’clock at night, when we slowly proceeded on till we entered the camp.
My solicitude for the people, powder, and provisions, instead of procuring me commendation from the person under whose command I then happened to be, and who had lately been so very polite, brought me now into such difficulties, and produced a misunderstanding of such a serious nature, and so very distressing to my feelings, that it had nearly terminated my existence. The reader may[149]judge of my mortification, when I inform him, that, instead of receiving the approbation of my commander, as I certainly deserved, I was immediately on my arrival in camp put under an arrest, to be tried by a court-martial for disobedience of orders. Colonel Seyburg and I had never been on amicable terms; and though, during the former part of this march, he had treated me with apparent civility, yet from this step it was evident that he was my mortal enemy. I must not omit, that though a prisoner (strange to tell!) I was ordered to carry my own arms and accoutrements, till further orders.
On the 24th, we took our departure very early, and directed our course S. and S. by W. when we passed close by Pinenburg, a forsaken rebel village formerly mentioned—I still a prisoner, in the most dejected spirits.
On the following day our course was S. W. through a matakey or trumpeter morass, which was very deep, and which we entered when we were all in a violent sweat by advancing too fast while upon the hard ground: but the health of our men was not made an object during this expedition, though so much wanted to succeed.
Having got again upon a ridge, an accident had now nearly befallen me incomparably greater than all my former misfortunes put together; this was no less than, having fallen into a deep reverie, while I followed the rearguard, I imperceptibly wandered away from the troops, till I was entirely lost and by myself in an unbounded wilderness. Quaco no sooner had missed me, than, poor fellow, at[150]every hazard he rushed through the wood to recover his master, and by a miracle saw me as I was sitting under a tree, in the most dejected state of mind that it is possible to conceive, immersed in grief and abandoned to despair. I had this morning thought myself perfectly unhappy, but now would have given the world once more to have been in the same situation. Good God! entirely cut off from society, in a forest, surrounded by relentless savages! while a deluge of rain poured from the heavens, and tigers, famine, with every woe and every danger, stared me in the face. Farewell, for ever Joanna!—Such was the picture of my mind, when on discovering the boy, I started up from the ground, and a new life instantly diffused itself through my whole frame. Having now straggled backwards and forwards together for some time, I called to the lad that I saw a pool through which the troops seemed to have passed, the water being fresh clouded with mud; but to my utter disappointment, he observed, that this puddle was only occasioned by a Tapira3, and shewed me the print of the animal’s foot in the surrounding mire. At this time the boy shed tears, crying, “Massera, we deade, we deade!” In the midst, however, of this distress, recollecting that, by the map, the river Pirica was due west from us, I determined to lose no more time, but to set forwards without delay. Thus having fresh primed my fuzee, I ordered Quaco to[151]follow me; but again to no purpose, my compass being with the troops, and not a glimpse of sunshine, owing to the heavy rain; till the black boy put me in mind that on the south side the bark of the trees was usually most smooth. This in fact was a fortunate hint, and we proceeded through thick and thin, till, overcome by fatigue and hunger, we both sat down, and looked at each other, exactly like two victims doomed to execution. During this last mournful silence, we heard a sound like coughing and the rustling of arms, which, thank Heaven! soon proved to be our own troops, luckily for us resting near an old encampment, where the pursuing party from the river Pirica had lately lodged. At this moment, notwithstanding my present situation, I enjoyed an extraordinary degree of mental happiness; which proves how much all good and evil are only of a relative nature. Having now been heartily welcomed by the other officers, I partook of some cold beef and bread, and a gourd full of grog, as did also my poor boy. After this regale the party rose, and pursuing our march, we once more entered a quagmire, or rather a mud-pool, the surface being too thin to carry us; through which having waded till it was pitch dark, we were obliged to encamp in the very middle of it, the troops by slinging their hammocks in the trees, one above another, and the slaves on temporary rafts made above the surface of the water, on which were also placed the powder, the victuals, &c.
On the 26th, the good Colonel having now drank his[152]coffee in his hammock, while he kept the troops standing round it in water above their middle, a whole hour before day-light, we again scrambled forward, keeping our course, first W. and afterwards N. W. when the road was so excessively bad, that many slaves let fall their burdens, breaking, wetting, and spoiling every thing that was in them. At last, having passed through a second deserted camp, we halted on the oldcordon, or path of communication on which I formerly discovered the track of the rebels, when I commanded in Cottica river; and here, having erected slight sheds, we passed the night—I still a prisoner.
The Agouti, or Indian Coney.The Agouti, or Indian Coney.The Paca, or Spotted Cavey.London, Published Decr. 1st, 1791, by J. Johnson, St. Paul’s Church Yard.
The Agouti, or Indian Coney.
The Paca, or Spotted Cavey.
London, Published Decr. 1st, 1791, by J. Johnson, St. Paul’s Church Yard.
At this time a small quadruped running through the camp with incredible swiftness, it was cut down by one of the rangers with his sabre. This proved to be thePacaorSpotted Cavey, called in Surinam theAquatic Hare. This animal is the size of a sucking pig, and extremely fat. The under jaw is short, the nostrils large, the eyes black, and the ears small and naked. It has five toes on each foot, a tail like the first joint of a man’s thumb, and whiskers like a cat; the colour is an earthen brown, with longitudinal rows of buff-coloured spots; the belly is a dirty white, the hair all over coarse and short. The Paca is an amphibious animal. On land it digs up the earth like a hog in quest of food, and when in danger flies to the water for its safety; notwithstanding this animal is so very plump and heavy, it runs swifter than most other animals of its size in South America, contrary to the account given of it in the supplement to[153]the Count de Buffon’s description4, where it is said “not to be nimble, to run but seldom, and then with a bad a grace;” which may all be the case in a domestic state (for the Paca is capable of being tamed) but he is not sluggish in a state of nature. This I know to be true, having seen him run like a hare. We had this animal dressed for supper, and found him even more delicious than the wood-rat, or even thewarra-bocerra: indeed, nothing can be better eating than the Paca or spotted Cavy.
The long-nosedCavy, better known by the name of theAgouti Pacarara, orIndian Coney, is also very common in Surinam: this is the size of a large rabbit, its colour is an orange brown, the belly yellow; the legs black and slender, with four toes on the fore-feet, and three on the hindermost; the ears small, the eyes a bright black, the upper lip divided; it has whiskers, and its tail is like that of the Paca. This animal breeds very fast, and suckles its young, which are three or four in number, in concealed holes of old trees, &c. where it also retires for shelter if pursued; but it does not seek its food in the earth, like the former. The Agouti is easily tamed, and feeds on fruits, roots, nuts, &c. But its flesh, though very good, is not so delicious as that of the Paca.
In Surinam I have been told there is still another species of the Agouti, called theIndian Rat-Coney, on account of its having a long tail. This I never saw, unless it is the[154]same animal (which I apprehend it to be) that I have described under the name of the bush-rat.
On the 27th we again broke up, and finally arrived in the forenoon, and in a forlorn condition, at the estateSoribo, on the river Pirica, to defend the plantations against Bonny and his rebel negroes.
The riverPiricaby its many windings is thought to extend about three-score miles. It is very deep but narrow, and has its banks, like all the others, lined with fine coffee and sugar plantations; its general course is from S. E. to N. W. We were scarcely arrived at this post, than I was accosted by several deputies from Colonel Seyburg, who earnestly intreated that I would only acknowledge myself to have been in fault, assuring me that I should then be set at liberty, and all would be forgotten. As I was conscious, however, of my own innocence, I could not in common justice criminate myself in an instance, where even my alledged crime amounted to no more than an anxious solicitude for the poor men and the provisions who were entrusted to my care. I was, therefore, placed under the guard of a sentinel, for what my commander was pleased to term unpliant stubbornness,and disarmed. In the mean time the marines caused me fresh uneasiness, and of the most poignant kind, by loudly threatening to mutiny in my behalf; nor could any thing have prevented them, but my decisive declaration, that as no cause could justify military disobedience and rebellion, I should be under the necessity myself (however injurious[155]to my feelings) of taking an active part against them, and seeing the ringleaders brought to condign punishment. I felt that at this time I could war with all the world, and nearly with myself—my heart was breaking apace—my life became a burden:
“Dependants, friends, relations, love himself,Savag’d by woe, forget the tender tie,The sweet engagements of the feeling heart.”
“Dependants, friends, relations, love himself,
Savag’d by woe, forget the tender tie,
The sweet engagements of the feeling heart.”
The day after our arrival in this station, we received the particulars of the Pirica news, which were, that on the 20th the estatesSchoonhoveandAltonahad been pillaged by the rebels whom we had routed at Gado-Saby, but that at the plantationPoelwykthey had been beaten back by the slaves: that the rangers stationed at an estate calledHagenboshad pursued them on the 21st, overtaken them on the 23d, killed several, and brought back most of the booty: that on the same day another party of the rebels had made an attempt to seize the powder magazine at Hagenbos (which was no bad plan) but that (while the rangers were in pursuit of their associates) they had been repulsed by the manly behaviour of a few armed slaves, one of whom, belonging to the estateTimotibo, took an armed rebel himself, and next discovered their camp at the back of his master’s plantations; for which he was handsomely rewarded. From all which intelligence, there was now no doubt remaining that if Seyburg’s detached party on the 16th had marched[156]forwards instead of backwards, by his orders, the above mischief might have been prevented, and the enterprize of the rebels entirely frustrated. It was also evident from this narrative, that the man whom we fired at on the 21st was certainly one of the plunderers on the 20th, and that the bodies found dead on the 23d had been shot the very same day.
On the 29th, among other fruits, some dates were sent to me by a Society officer. This tree is also of the Palmeto species, but not extremely high; its leaves diverge from its summit, very thick, hanging down in the form of an umbrella. The dates appear in large clusters, being an oblong thin fruit like a man’s thumb, of a yellow colour, and the pulp, which is fat, firm, and sweet, adheres to a hard greyish-coloured stone, with longitudinal furrows.—I ought not to omit mentioning, that this day sixty rangers going to reconnoitre, discovered the old rebel camp at the back of Timotibo, which seemed to have contained about sixty armed men.
On the morning of the 30th of September, having nothing more to do in the neighbourhood of the Pirica River, we left it, and on the 1st of October came to Devil’s Harwar much fatigued, nothing remarkable having happened on our march. I had written on the preceding day to Colonel Fourgeoud, informing him, that I was weary of existence in my present state, and requesting that a court-martial might beimmediatelycalled; and this letter I had sent by a slave to the commander in chief.[157]On our arrival at this station, I indeed found every hard means employed to bring me to terms; and such was the severe usage I experienced, that one of the rangers, calledCaptain Quaci, exclaimed, “If in this manner these Europeans treat one another, is it to be wondered at that they should take a pleasure in torturing us poor Africans?”
At Devil’s Harwar, however, my stormy voyage drew to a conclusion. Colonel Seyburg was evidently convinced that he was wrong, and knowing what must follow, now only wished for a handsome opportunity of extricating himself from the effects of his unmanly passion. On the 2d of October, therefore, he asked me with a smile, “If I had a heart to forget and forgive?” To which I sternly answered, “No!”—He repeated the question.—I then said, “I venerated truth, and would never confess myself in an error, unless my heart coincided in the acknowledgment—that this was a concession I would make to no man living, and least of all to him.”—He here grasped my hand, begged me to be pacified, and declared, “That he would make peace on any terms;”—but I again drew back with contempt, and decidedly avowed, “That I could not agree to any compromise, unless he ownedhis faultin the presence of all the officers, with his own hands tearing from his journal every sentence that could reflect upon my character.” The journals were immediately produced, my arms were returned me, and my triumph was attended with every[158]circumstance that could add to myfull satisfaction. I then, frankly and sincerely gave my hand to Colonel Seyburg, who gave a feast in honour of our reconciliation; and after dinner, to my utter surprize, produced theletterwhich I had written to Colonel Fourgeoud, which he acknowledged he had intercepted to prevent the affair proceeding to extremities: at the same time he acquainted me, that Fourgeoud was encamped at the Wana Creek, instead of Lieutenant Colonel de Borgnes, who had fallen sick, and was gone to Paramaribo. A perfect reconciliation having taken place, and every thing being now adjusted, while the troops having had some rest, we set out once more on the 4th for the head quarters at Jerusalem; but I was obliged to leave poor Quaco, who was very ill, at Devil’s Harwar, under care of the surgeon; and that evening we encamped opposite the mouth of the Cormoetibo Creek.
On the following morning early, having crossed the River Cottica, the troops marched back to Jerusalem; where I now had leisure to reflect on the various evils which befal poor mortals, as well those who are innocent of the difficulties they are brought into, as those (which are the greater part) who have brought themselves into distress and even despair by their own indiscretions. These reflections arose from finding here, among others, a newly-arrived acquaintance, a Mr. P—t—r, who having squandered away in Europe abovethirty thousandpounds, and lost a beautiful wife by elopement, was now[159]reduced to the income of an ensign in the Society troops. This gentleman having formerly possessed considerable property in this very colony, his present situation could not but be assuredly the more galling on that account.—Alas! unhappy young fellow: well might you exclaim—
“Privé de tout mes biens,Dans un climat funeste,Je t’adore & te perds,Le poignard seul me reste.Mais, Oh! je suis P—t—r,Reservé pour souffrir;Je sçaurois vivre encore,Et faire plus que mourir.”
“Privé de tout mes biens,
Dans un climat funeste,
Je t’adore & te perds,
Le poignard seul me reste.
Mais, Oh! je suis P—t—r,
Reservé pour souffrir;
Je sçaurois vivre encore,
Et faire plus que mourir.”
These are the words which he spouted with a sigh, throwing the last silver he had left among the slaves; and indeed nothing could be more applicable to himself than the lines he quoted, or more lamentable than this poor devil’s forlorn condition; which, however, created in me, during my present humour, no other effect—than a loud and immoderate fit of laughter.[160]
1By this is meant minute-guns, which are fired on the estates when in danger. These, being regularly answered by the neighbouring plantations, soon alarm the whole river, and bring assistance from every quarter.↑2In Vol. IV. plate the 83d, by the Count de Buffon, a bat is represented with only three toes on each wing.↑3By some called the Hippopotamus of South America, which I will describe in a proper place.↑4See Buffon’s Natural History, Vol. V. page 39.↑
1By this is meant minute-guns, which are fired on the estates when in danger. These, being regularly answered by the neighbouring plantations, soon alarm the whole river, and bring assistance from every quarter.↑2In Vol. IV. plate the 83d, by the Count de Buffon, a bat is represented with only three toes on each wing.↑3By some called the Hippopotamus of South America, which I will describe in a proper place.↑4See Buffon’s Natural History, Vol. V. page 39.↑
1By this is meant minute-guns, which are fired on the estates when in danger. These, being regularly answered by the neighbouring plantations, soon alarm the whole river, and bring assistance from every quarter.↑
1By this is meant minute-guns, which are fired on the estates when in danger. These, being regularly answered by the neighbouring plantations, soon alarm the whole river, and bring assistance from every quarter.↑
2In Vol. IV. plate the 83d, by the Count de Buffon, a bat is represented with only three toes on each wing.↑
2In Vol. IV. plate the 83d, by the Count de Buffon, a bat is represented with only three toes on each wing.↑
3By some called the Hippopotamus of South America, which I will describe in a proper place.↑
3By some called the Hippopotamus of South America, which I will describe in a proper place.↑
4See Buffon’s Natural History, Vol. V. page 39.↑
4See Buffon’s Natural History, Vol. V. page 39.↑