Chapter XXX: Page 381 (4)

In about half an hour the whole body joined us, when we instantly proceeded by cutting through a small defile of the wood, into which we had no sooner entered, than a heavy fire commenced from every side, the rebels retiring, and we advancing, until we arrived in the most beautiful field, of ripe rice, in the form of an oblong square, from which the rebel town appeared at a distance, in the form of an amphitheatre, sheltered from the sun by the foliage of a few lofty trees, the whole presenting a coup-d’œil romantic and enchanting beyond conception. In this field the firing was kept up, like one continued peal of thunder, for above forty minutes, during which time our black warriors behaved with wonderful intrepidity and skill. The white soldiers were too eager, and fired over one another at random, yet I could perceive a few of them act with the utmost coolness, and imitate the rangers with great effect; amongst these was now the once-daunted Fowler, who being roused from his tremor by the firing at the beginning of the onset, had rushed to the front, and fully re-established his character, by fighting like a brave fellow, by my side, until the muzzle of his musket was split by a shot from the enemy, which rendered it useless; a ball passed through my shirt, and grazed the skin of my shoulder; Mr. Decabanes, my lieutenant, had the sling of his fusee shot away: several others were wounded, some mortally, but I did not, to my surprize, observe one instance of immediate death—for which seeming miracle, however, I shall presently account.

This whole field of rice was surrounded and interspersed by the enemy with the large trunks and roots of heavy trees, in order to make our approach both difficult and dangerous; behind these temporary fortifications the rebels lay lurking, and firing upon us with deliberate aim, whilst their bulwarks certainly protected them in some measure from the effects of our fire, we having vast numbers of these fallen trees to scramble over before we could reach the town: but we still advanced, in defiance of every obstacle, and while I admired the masterly manœuvres of their general, I could not help pitying them for their superstition. One poor fellow, in particular, trusting to his amulet or charm, fancied himself invulnerable; he mounted frequently upon one of the trees that lay near us, discharged his piece, descended to re-load, and then with equal confidence and the greatest deliberation returned to the charge in my full view; till at last a shot from one of my marines, named Valet, broke the bone of his thigh, and he fell crawling for shelter under the very same tree which had supported him just before; but the soldier instantly advancing, and putting the muzzle of his musket to the rebel’s ear, blew out his brains, while several of his countrymen, in spite of their spells and charms, shared the same fate.

Being now about to enter the town, a rebel captain, wearing a tarnished gold-laced hat, and bearing in his hand a torch of flaming straw, seeing their ruin inevitable, had the resolution to stay and set the town on fire in our presence, which, by the dryness of the houses, instantly produced a general conflagration, when the firing from the woods began gradually to cease. This bold and masterly manœuvre not only prevented that carnage to which the common soldiers in the heat of victory are but too prone, but also afforded the enemy an opportunity of retreating with their wives and children, and carrying off their most useful effects; whilst our pursuit, and seizing the spoil, were at once frustrated both by the ascending flames, and the unfathomable marsh, which we soon discovered on all sides to surround us, as in the Maccabees:

“Behold the battle is before us, and behind us, and the water of
Jordan on this side, and that side, and the marsh, and forest, so
that there is no place for us to turn aside.”

I must indeed confess that within this last hour the continued noise of the firing, shouting, swearing, and hallooing of black and white men mixed together; the groans of the wounded and the dying, all weltering in blood and in dust; the shrill sound of the negro horns from every quarter, and the crackling of the burning village; to which if we add the clouds of smoke that every where surrounded us, the ascending flames, &c. &c. formed, on the whole, such an uncommon scene as I cannot describe, and would perhaps not have been unworthy of the pencil of Hogarth: this scene I have, however, faintly endeavoured to represent in the frontispiece—where I may be seen, after the heat of the action, fatigued, and dejectedly looking on the body of an unfortunate rebel negro, who, with his musket in his hand, lies prostrate at my feet.

In short, having washed off the dust, sweat, and blood, and having refreshed ourselves with a dram and a bit of bread till the flames subsided, we next went to inspect the smoking ruins; and found the above town to have consisted of about one hundred houses or huts, some of which were two stories high. Among the glowing ashes we picked up several trifles that had escaped the flames, such as silver spoons and forks, which we supposed, by the marks BW. to have been pillaged from the Brunswick estate in Rio Cottica. We found also some knives, broken china and earthen pots; amongst the latter one filled with rice and palm-tree worms fell to my share: as this wanted no fire to dress the contents, and as my appetite was very keen, I emptied it in a few minutes, and made a very hearty meal. Some were afraid this mess had been left behind with a view to poison us; but this suspicion, proved however, fortunately for me, to be without foundation.

The silver plate I also purchased from the men that picked it up, determined to carry it off as a trophy, and I have used it ever since. Here we likewise found three skulls fixed upon stakes, the mournful relics of some of our own brave people, who had been formerly killed; but what surprized us most, were the heads of two young negroes, which seemed as if fresh cut off, these we since learned had been executed during the night of the 17th, when we heard the hallooing and the firing, for speaking in our favour.

Having buried all these remains promiscuously in one pit, we returned to sling our hammocks, under those beautiful and lofty trees which I have already mentioned; but here I am sorry to add, we found the rangers shockingly employed, in playing at bowls with those very heads they had just chopped off from their enemies; who, deaf to all remonstrance,

“Resistless drove the batter’d skulls before,
And dash’d and mangled all the brains with gore.”

They related that upon reconnoitring the skirts of the surrounding forest, they had found quantities of human blood in different places, which had flowed from the dead and wounded bodies the rebels had carried away during the action.

To reprimand them for this inhuman diversion would have been useless, as they assured us it was “Condre fassee,” the custom of their country; and concluded the horrid sport by kicking and mangling the heads, cutting off the lips, cheeks, ears, and noses; they even took out the jaw-bones, which they smoke-dried, together with the right hands, to carry home, as trophies of their victory, to their wives and relations. That this barbarous custom prevails amongst savages is a well-known fact, which originates from a motive of insatiable revenge. And though Colonel Fourgeoud might have prevented their inhumanity by his authority, in my opinion he wisely declined it; observing, that as he could not do it by persuasion, to do it by power, might break their native spirit, and produce no other effect than alienating them from the service, so necessary were they to us, though so savagely revengeful, and so bloody.

About three o’clock, whilst we were resting from our fatigue, we were once more surprised by an attack from a party of the enemy; but after exchanging a few shots they were repulsed. This unexpected visit, however, put us more upon our guard during the night, so that no fires were allowed to be lighted, and double sentinels were placed around the camp. Thus situated, being overcome by excessive toil and heat, I after sun-set leaped into my hammock, and soon fell fast asleep; but in less than two hours my faithful black boy Quaco roused me, in the midst of pitch darkness, crying, “Massera, massera! boosee negro, boosee negro!”—“Master, master! the enemy, the enemy!” Hearing, at the same moment, a brisk firing, with the balls whistling through the branches, I fully concluded that the rebels were in the very midst of our camp. Surprised, and not perfectly awake, I suddenly started up with my fusee cocked; and (without knowing where I ran) first threw down Quaco, and next fell down myself, over two or three bodies that lay upon the ground, and which I imagined to be killed. When one of them, “d—ning me for a son of a b—ch, told me, if I moved I was a dead man; Colonel Fourgeoud having issued orders for the troops to lie flat on their bellies all the night, and not to fire, as most of their ammunition had been expended the preceding day.” I took his advice, and soon discovered him by his voice to be one of our own grenadiers, named Thomson. In this situation we lay prostrate on our arms until sun-rise, during which time a most abusive dialogue was carried on indeed between the rebels and the rangers, each party cursing and menacing the other at a very terrible rate; the former “reproaching the rangers as poltroons and traitors to their countrymen, and challenging them next day to single combat; swearing they only wished to lave their hands in the blood of such scoundrels, who had been the principal agents in destroying their flourishing settlement.” The rangers “d—n’d the rebels for a parcel of pitiful skulking rascals, whom they would fight one to two in the open field, if they dared but to shew their ugly faces; swearing they had only deserted their masters because they were too lazy to work.” After this they insulted each other by a kind of war-whoop, sung victorious songs on both sides, and sounded their horns as signals of defiance; when the firing commenced once more from the rebel negroes, and continued during the night, accompanied by their martial voices, at intermissions resounding through the woods, which echo seemed to answer with redoubled force.

At length poor Fourgeoud took a part in the conversation, myself and Serjeant Fowler acting as his interpreters, by hallooing, which created more mirth than I had been witness to for some time: he promised them life, liberty, victuals, drink, and all they wanted. They replied, with a loud laugh, that they wanted nothing from him; characterized him as a half-starved Frenchman, who had run away from his own country; and assured him that if he would venture to pay them a visit, he should return unhurt, and not with an empty belly. They told us, that we were to be pitied more than they; that we were white slaves, hired to be shot at and starved for four-pence a day; that they scorned to expend much more of their powder upon such scarecrows; but should the planters or overseers dare to enter the woods, not a soul of them should ever return, any more than the perfidious rangers, some of whom might depend upon being massacred that day, or the next; and concluded by declaring that Bonny should soon be the governor of the colony.

After this they tinkled their bill-hooks, fired a volley, and gave three cheers; which being answered by the rangers, the clamour ended, and the rebels dispersed with the rising sun.

Our fatigue was great; yet, notwithstanding the length of the contest, our loss by the enemies fire was very inconsiderable, for which I promised to account; and this mystery was now explained, when the surgeons, dressing the wounded, extracted very few leaden bullets, but many pebbles, coat-buttons, and pieces of silver coin, which could do us little mischief, by penetrating scarcely more than skin deep. We also observed, that several of the poor rebel negroes who were shot, had only the shards of Spa-water cans, instead of flints, which could seldom do execution; and it was certainly owing to these circumstances that we came off so well, as I have mentioned before; yet we were nevertheless not without a number of very dangerous scars and contusions.

Inconceivable are the many expedients which these people employ in the woods, where in a state of tranquillity they seemed, as they boasted, to want for nothing, being plump and fat, at least such as we had an opportunity of observing. It should be noticed, that game and fish they catch in great abundance, by artificial traps and springs, and preserve them by barbacuing; while their fields are even overstocked with rice, cassava, yams, plantains, &c. They make salt from the palm-tree ashes, as the Gentoos do in the East Indies, or frequently supply the want of it with red pepper.

We here found concealed near the trunk of an old tree a case-bottle filled with excellent butter, which the rangers told me they made by melting and clarifying the fat of the palm-tree worms: this fully answers all the purposes of European butter, and I found it in fact even more delicious to my taste. The pistachio or pinda nuts they also convert into butter, by their oily substance, and frequently use them in their broths. The palm-tree wine they have always in plenty; they procure it by making deep incisions of a foot square in the fallen trunk, where the juice being collected, it soon ferments by the heat of the sun; it is not only a cool and agreeable beverage, but sufficiently strong to intoxicate. The manicole or pine-tree affords them materials for building; they fabricate pots from clay found near their dwellings; the gourd or callebasse tree procures them cups; the silk grass plant and maurecee-tree supplies materials for their hammocks, and even a kind of cap grows naturally upon the palm-trees, as well as brooms; the various kinds of nebee supply the want of ropes; fuel they have for cutting; and a wood called bee-bee serves for tinder, by rubbing two pieces on each other; it is also elastic, and makes excellent corks; candles they can make, having plenty of fat and oil; and the wild bees afford them wax, as well as excellent honey.

Cloaths they scorn to wear, preferring to go naked in a climate where the warmth of the weather renders every kind of covering an useless incumbrance.

They might breed hogs and poultry, and keep dogs for hunting and watching them, but this they decline, from the apprehension of being discovered by their noise, as even the crowing of a cock may be heard in the forest at a considerable distance.———I shall now once more proceed.

The rebels of this settlement being apparently subdued and dispersed, Colonel Fourgeoud made it his next business to destroy the surrounding harvest; and I received orders to begin the devastation, with eighty marines and twenty rangers. Thus I cut down all the rice that was growing plentifully in the two above-mentioned fields; this being done, I discovered a third field south of the first, which I also demolished, and made my report to Fourgeoud, with which he appeared highly satisfied. In the afternoon Captain Hamel was detached, with fifty, marines and thirty rangers, to reconnoitre behind the village, and to discover, if possible, how the rebels could pass to and fro through an unfathomable marsh, whilst we were unable to pursue them. This officer at length perceived a kind of floating bridge amongst the reeds, made of maurecee-trees, but so constructed, that only one man abreast could pass it. On this were seated astride a few rebels to defend the communication, who instantly fired upon the party, but were soon repulsed by the rangers, who shot one of them dead, but he was carried away by his companions.

On the morning of the 22d, our commander ordered a detachment to cross the bridge and go on discovery, at all hazards. Of this party I led the van. We now took the pass without opposition; and having all marched, or rather scrambled over this defile of floating trees, we found ourselves in a large oblong field of cassava and yams, in which were about thirty houses, now deserted, being the remains of the old settlement called Cofaay. In this field we separated into three divisions, the better to reconnoitre, one marching north, one north-west, and the third west. And here, to our astonishment, we discovered that the reason of the rebels shouting, singing, and firing, on the night of the 20th, was not only to cover the retreat of their friends, by cutting off the pass, but by their unremitting noise to prevent us from discovering that they were employed, men, women, and children, in preparing warimboes or hampers filled with the finest rice, yams, and cassava, for subsistence during their escape, of which they had only left the chaff and refuse for our contemplation.

This was certainly such a masterly trait of generalship in a savage people, whom we affected to despise, as would have done honour to any European commander, and has perhaps been seldom equalled by more civilized nations.

CHAP. XXI.

Spirited Conduct of the Rangers and Rebels—A Skirmish—Scene of
Brotherly Affection—The Troops return to Barbacoeba—Plan of the
Field of Action—A Slave killed by the Oroocookoo Snake.

Colonel Fourgeoud, on finding himself thus foiled by a naked negro, was unable any longer to restrain his resentment, and swore aloud he would pursue Bonny to the world’s end. His ammunition and provisions were however expended, and if they had not, it would have been in vain now to think of overtaking the enemy.—To the surprize of most persons, our hero however persevered in this impracticable project, and dispatched Captain Bolts, with one hundred men and thirty rangers, besides a number of slaves, to transport a quantity of shot, and a week’s provisions from Barbacoeba, and at the same time issued orders for the troops to subsist upon half allowance, desiring the men to supply the deficiency by picking rice, peas, and cassava, and prepare them in the best way they could for their subsistence, and this was also my lot, as well as most of the officers; while it was no bad scene to see ten or twenty of us with heavy wooden pestles, like so many apothecaries, beating the rice in a species of mortars, cut all along in the hard trunk of a levelled purper-heart-tree by the rebel negroes (being the only contrivance used by them to separate the rice from the husk) this was however for us a most laborious business, the sweat running down our bodies as if we had been bathing, while water was at this time the only beverage in the camp.

Among other vegetables we had the good fortune to find here great quantities of wild purslane, which only differs from the common, by growing nearer the ground, the leaves being less, and more of a blackish green; this vegetable grows wild in the woods of Guiana, and may be either eaten as a sallad, or stewed, without reserve, being not only a cooling and agreeable food, but reckoned an excellent antidote against the scurvy.

Here were also great quantities of gourd or calebasse trees, which are very useful to the natives of the country. This tree grows to the height of a common apple-tree, with large thick pointed leaves: the gourds it produces are of different forms and dimensions, some being oval, some conical, and some round, growing often to the size of ten or twelve inches in diameter; the shell is hard and very smooth, covered over with a shining skin or epidermis, which becomes brown when the gourd is dry and fit for use: the heart or pulp is a pithy substance, which is easily extricated by the help of a crooked knife. The uses are various to which these gourds are applied, they furnish bottles, powder-flasks, cups, basons, and dishes: I seldom travelled without one, which served me as a bason, plate, &c. in the forest. The negroes generally adorn them by carving on the outer skin many fantastical figures, and filling up the vacancies with chalk-dust, which sometimes has a very pretty effect.

The rangers having been out to reconnoitre, returned on the afternoon of the 23d, and reported that they had discovered and destroyed another field of rice to the N. E. This pleased Colonel Fourgeoud very well; but when in the dusk of the evening I observed to him, that I saw several armed negroes advancing at a distance, he turned pale, exclaiming, “Nous sommes perdus!” and ordered the whole camp immediately under arms. In a few seconds these negroes were near enough to be discerned, and we now saw that several of them were carried upon poles, in hammocks. Fourgeoud then said, “We still are ruined, though not the enemy: ’tis Captain Bolts, beaten back, with all his party;” and this proved literally to be the fact, when that unfortunate officer (having delivered the wounded to the surgeons) made his report, that having entered the fatal swamp where Captain Meyland had been defeated, he was attacked by the enemy from the opposite shore, who, without hurting a single European, had made a dreadful havock amongst his rangers; that Captain Valentine, a brave young fellow, belonging to that corps, whilst sounding his horn to animate his countrymen, had it shot away, with his pouch also, and was himself most desperately wounded in five different parts of the body. In this situation he was met by his brother, named Captain Avantage, who, upon seeing his mortal condition, a scene of such real fraternal affection ensued as is seldom to be observed in a civilized country:—kneeling at his side, and bending over the mangled Valentine, he sucked the blood and gore from his shattered breast and sides; then cherished him with the manly promise to revenge his death upon his foes, and the hopes that when he himself was killed he should meet him again in a better place.

Colonel Fourgeoud now found that the rebels had kept their promise of massacring the rangers; while Captain Bolts reported that some had fired upon his party from the tops of the palm-trees, and then sliding down with surprising agility, disappeared, whilst the rangers were foaming for revenge on their active adversaries, and could hardly be restrained from an immediate pursuit through the verdure.

Our mighty leader now found his absurd scheme of pursuing the enemy compleatly frustrated, and himself in danger of total destruction; being cut off from every supply, and having neither ammunition nor provisions left in his camp, with very few men, except the sick and wounded, to defend it. Thus he at last began most seriously to consider how to secure a safe retreat; to which he was urged likewise by the general and incessant murmurings of the troops, who were not only almost starved, but indeed dreadfully harassed by daily fatigues and nightly watchings:

“They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way, they found no
city to dwell in.

“Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.”

On the 24th, a detachment of one hundred and forty men, commanded by two field officers, were still ordered to destroy the fields, and the old settlement called Cofaay; of this party I had the honour again to be one. We soon performed the service we were sent upon, and also picked up, out of the marsh, several utensils, such as tea-kettles, iron pots and pans, &c. that the rebels had formerly pillaged from the estates, and had thrown into the water to conceal them from us, with an intention, no doubt, of returning to fish them up, as soon as we were gone from Gado-Saby.

Upon the return of the detachment in the afternoon, we immediately decamped, and began to retreat for Barbacoeba. Here I must remark in Colonel Fourgeoud an instance of bad policy, at least, though many have not hesitated to bestow upon it a harsher epithet. This evening, upon our return, when we entered the ominous swamp, he suddenly caught up one of the empty bread-boxes, and having stuffed a hammock into it, he carried it before him as a shield, crying aloud to his men, “Sauve qui peut!” At this moment a Walloon named Mattow stepped up to him, and said, “Mon Colonel, but few can, and I hope fewer still will, follow your example. Drop your shield, and do not intimidate your soldiers: one brave man creates others, then follow thy Mattow, and fear for nothing.” Upon which he instantly threw open his bosom, and charging his bayonet was the first that mounted the opposite beach: this intrepidity inspired the rest, and they passed the marshy swamp without opposition; for which act of heroism this private marine was since made a serjeant. I should think myself deficient if I did not observe, that the Walloons in general behaved with great spirit, and were in every respect excellent soldiers. This evening we encamped upon the same ground where we had passed the night before the engagement, with excessive bad weather and very heavy rain.

Early on the morning of the 25th, we again marched, and proceeded on our return, having now a beaten path before us. It will suffice to say, that we reached our place of general rendezvous, Barbacoeba, on the afternoon of the following day, but in a most shocking condition; the whole of the detachment being mostly spent and wore out with fatigue, some nearly starved, others mortally wounded; whilst all the slaves were employed in carrying the sick and lame in their hammocks, on long poles, though these poor wretches were scarcely able to support themselves.—Such was the concluding scene of the taking of Gado-Saby. However, if during this expedition we neither captured any of the rebels, nor gained booty, we nevertheless rendered the colony a very essential service, by rooting out this concealed nest of enemies, who being thus discovered and driven away from their capital settlements, never think (as I have already observed) of returning to live near the same spot. I might, indeed, pronounce our victory almost decisive; I say almost, for if we except the demolishing a few plantations for immediate subsistence, and from a spirit of revenge, the rebels were, by being driven from this settlement, so disconcerted and panic-struck, that from the present period their depredations were certainly less, as they soon afterwards retired to an inaccessible depth in the forest, where they neither could do any material injury, nor be joined by negro deserters.

To shew the masterly manœuvres of our sable foes to more advantage, I here present the reader with a plan of this extraordinary settlement, together with our different stages, after leaving our encampment on the borders of the Cottica River, viz.

Nos 1, 2, and 3, are supposed to be the general rendezvous at Barbacoeba, and the two succeeding nights encampment.

No 4. The spot where we heard the firing and shouting of the rebels, on the night of the 17th.

No 5. The latitude where the troops were joined by the black corps or rangers.

No 6. The night’s encampment previous to the engagement.

No 7. The beach on the opposite side of the marsh, where Captain Meyland with his troops had been defeated.

No 8. The advanced post of the rebels, whence the first shot was fired at the troops.

No 9. The field with rice and Indian corn, entered without opposition.

No 10. The pass or defile in which the firing commenced.

No 11. The beautiful rice-field in which the action continued above forty minutes.

No 12. The town of Gado-Saby in flames at a distance.

No 13. The spot whence the rebels fired on the camp, and held the conversation, on the night of the 20th.

No 14. The ground of the old settlement Cofaay, with the floating bridge that covered the retreat of the rebels.

No 15. The fields with cassava, yams, and plantains, that were at different times destroyed.

No 16. The field of rice discovered and demolished by Captain Stedman on the 21st.

No 17. A field demolished by the rangers on the 23d.

No 18. The swamp or marsh which surrounded the settlement.

No 19. The quag-mire, or biree-biree, adjoining it.

No 20. The forest.

Having formerly described the manner in which we erected our huts, I shall here also add a small plan of the mode of arranging them during our encampment in the woods of Guiana, which camps were generally of a triangular form, as being most secure in case of a surprize, and the easiest to defend our provisions and ammunition; but the situation of the ground would not always permit this, and then we encamped in any form, square, oblong, or circular, &c.—In the annexed plan,

No 1. Is the hut or shed of Colonel Fourgeoud, or the commanding officer, in the centre, with a sentinel.

No 2. The huts of all the other officers, in a small triangle, surrounding that of the commander in chief.

No 3. The angles of the outer triangle formed by the huts of the privates in three divisions, viz. the main body, the van, and the rear guards, with sentinels at proper distances, to cover the front of each.

No 4. Powder-chests, provisions, and medicines, with a sentinel.

No 5. The fires in the rear of each division to dress the victuals, and round which the negro slaves are lodged upon the ground.

No 6. A coppice of manicole-trees to erect the huts or sheds.

No 7. A rivulet or creek to provide the troops with fresh water. And,

No 8. The surrounding forest.

I must now return once more to my narrative, and observe, that Barbacoeba, instead of being in a state of sending provisions to Gado-Saby, as our chief had expected, it could scarcely afford daily subsistence to his emaciated troops on their arrival; who having for many days lived on rice, yams, peas, and Indian corn, were now most violently attacked by the flux; for although that kind of nourishment will keep the Indians and negroes strong as horses, the Europeans cannot long subsist without animal food; which was at this time so very scarce, that even the Jew soldiers of the Society troops devoured salt pork as fast as they could catch it.

I nevertheless continued among the few that still were healthy; which was almost a miracle, as I had fared very hard indeed for want of my private stores, and which I had left at the neighbouring estate Mocha: however, expecting leave now to bring them in person from that plantation, I was in good spirits also. But here I was disappointed, by Colonel Fourgeoud’s declaring he could not spare me one moment, while I was able to stand upon my feet. I therefore waited patiently for an opportunity of sending for them; in the mean time sharing with my black boy the scanty allowance of a private soldier, with the casual addition of some mountain-cabbage, or palm-tree worms, and perhaps a few warrappa fish.

As for the miserable slaves, they were so starved, that having killed a Coata monkey, they broiled it, with skin, hair, intestines and all, then tore it to pieces with their teeth, and devoured it like so many cannibals, before it was even half dressed. Of this animal they offered me a limb; but, hungry as I was, my stomach could not relish this kind of venison.

A good constitution, sterling health and spirits, now supported me, or I must have sunk under the load of misery and hardships, which were at this time become so intolerable, that the rangers again forsook the camp; and Mr. Vinsack, their conductor, as brave and active a man as ever entered the wood, threw up his commission, as Mr. Mongol had done before, during Colonel Fourgeoud’s first campaign at the Wana.

In the beginning of September, the bloody flux raged in the camp to such a degree, that the colonel saw himself obliged to send off all the sick officers and privates, without exception, not to Paramaribo for recovery in the grand hospital that is there, but to linger and die on the banks of the rivers, where they relieved others to be encamped, and undergo a similar wretchedness; the sick of his own regiment being dispatched to Magdenburg in the Tempatee Creek, and those of the Society troops to Vreedenberg in Cottica.

Colonel Fourgeoud’s inhumanity to the officers was now actually become such, that he would not even permit those who were past recovery a marine to attend them, whatever price they offered; some of whom I have seen expanded between two trees, while the very filth, for want of assistance, was dropping through their hammocks. Of this number was Ensign Strows, who, in this dreadful situation, was ordered to be transported in an open boat to Devil’s Harwar, where he died. At length Colonel Fourgeoud himself was seized with this dreadful malady, and his beloved ptisan proved to be of no more avail; yet he soon recovered, by the plentiful use of claret and spices, which he seldom wanted, and which his colleague Seyburg also employed as a preservative of his health, though by swallowing too copious doses he frequently lost the use of his reason. In such a situation, and in such a despicable encampment, our commander in chief had the vanity to expect a deputation from the court at Paramaribo, with congratulations on his victory: in consequence of which he had built an elegant shed, and sent for sheep and hogs to entertain them—but the expected deputies never yet arrived.

On the 5th, therefore, the hogs and sheep were slaughtered, and, for the first time in his life, he ordered one pound per man, bones and all, to be distributed among the poor emaciated soldiers: indeed the number able to partake of this bounty was at present very small.

On the following day a reinforcement of one hundred men arrived from Magdenburg, in Comewina; and from the Society post Vreedenburg, in Cottica, nearly as many. These confirmed the death of Ensign Strows, besides of a great number of privates, who had assisted at the taking of Gado-Saby, and who had expired in the boats during their removal from Barbacoeba.

Intelligence arrived at the same time that the defeated rebels had actually crossed the river Cottica below Pattamaca, intent on immediate mischief, and that they were marching to the westward. In consequence of this information, a captain and fifty men were immediately detached, by water, to reconnoitre the banks near the Pinenburg Creek. This party returned upon the 8th, and confirmed the intelligence. Our indefatigable chief now again determined to pursue them; but the slaves who were to carry the ammunition and provisions had been sent home to their masters, nothing but skin and bones, to be exchanged for others, not yet arrived, and to be starved in their turn. I shall therefore relate what happened the two following days, until the arrival of these unfortunate beasts of burden; for so they might with propriety be called.

On the 9th were sold upon credit, and to the highest bidder, the effects of the deceased Ensign Strows, when the poor soldiers, regardless of price, and only wishing to obtain some cloaths and refreshments to keep (in the vulgar phrase) soul and body together, actually paid at the rate of 700 per cent. and this infamous debt was accordingly stated in their accounts. I have seen, for instance, a private marine pay five shillings for a pound of mouldered tobacco, that might be worth six-pence, and double the prime value for a pair of old stockings or shoes. A sick man paid one guinea for a couple of meagre chickens; and for a broken bottle-case to hold his lumber, another paid a similar sum. Thus were these poor dying half-starved wretches deprived of the little property they had earned at the expence of their blood and sweat, while this miserable necessity might have been easily prevented by only supplying them with what was their due. A private marine, of the name of Sem, at this time, swore, in the heat of his resentment, that he would certainly shoot Fourgeoud, whenever he had an opportunity; which being overheard, upon condition of repentance, I bribed the evidence not to inform against him, and so literally saved this poor rash fellow from dying on the gallows.

Fortunately, all the world did not possess this chieftain’s insensibility, for this day the good Mrs. Godefroy once more sent up a flat-bottomed barge, with a fat ox, oranges, and plantains for the private soldiers, which was accordingly distributed amongst them. The same evening a small supply of provisions also arrived for me, from Joanna, with a few bottles of port wine; and though part was stolen, and part was damaged by the way, it made me very happy, and I gave nothing to Fourgeoud.

When we speak of provisions in the woods, we only mean sugar, tea, coffee, Boston biscuit, cheese, rum, ham, or a keg of sausages, since little else can be carried through the forest by a single slave, and we were now allowed no more. Shirts, shoes, and stockings were also usually accounted among the necessaries, but the last two articles I did not use, being accustomed to walk barefooted, which I had now practised for more than two years, and with great advantage to my limbs, when I compared them with the diseased and ulcerated shanks of my ghastly-looking companions.

On the 12th, the fresh supply of slaves being arrived, the necessary preparations were made to pursue the rebels the next day, directing our first course towards the spot formerly called Jerusalem, mentioned in 1773, when I commanded the fatal expedition in Upper Cottica; and on the 13th, the baggage and provisions being sent before us by water to Jerusalem, escorted by the sick officers and privates, we at last decamped to follow them, and bidding a final farewell to Barbacoeba, re-entered the woods, marching S. and S. E. the whole day, then passed the night on the opposite bank of the Cassiporee Creek, where we encamped.

Nothing could be more diabolically cruel, than the persecution of the new slaves during this march; not only overloaded and starved, but beat like mules or asses by every ill-tempered individual—for instance, I saw Fourgeoud’s black favourite, Gousary, knock down a poor negro slave for not taking up his load—and the chief himself knock him down for taking it up too soon; when the wretch, not knowing what to do, exclaimed, in hopes of pity, “O massera Jesus Christus!” and was actually knocked down a third time by an enthusiast, for daring to utter a name with which he was so little acquainted.

During the last day’s march, a large drove of Warre hogs or wild boars broke through our line; several of them were cut down by our sabres, and stabbed with the bayonets, the men having orders from the commander in chief not to fire at any game whatever. The animals that were killed were cut in pieces, and distributed among the troops, which proved, though small, a very seasonable dainty. It is certainly very remarkable, that if the first wild boar or leader passes through any danger, all the others stupidly follow, in hopes of a similar escape, which on the contrary, as I have said, frequently proves the cause of their destruction.

On the 14th we marched S. W. till about noon, and arrived at Jerusalem, which the van had reached about an hour before us, all thoroughly soaked with mud and heavy rains, and several men unhappily with ruptures in the groin, by falling over the roots of trees, large stones, &c. Here just arrived, we found again, to my astonishment, the identical Mr. Vinsack, with one hundred fresh rangers: he had heard, it seems, of the rebels passing Upper Cottica, and had been prevailed upon to resume his command by the governor; thus he now once more offered his service to Colonel Fourgeoud, who was very happy indeed to accept it.

Here, our camp being mostly overgrown with long coarse grass, one of the slaves was unfortunately bitten in the foot by a small serpent, called in Surinam the [7]Oroocookoo snake, from its colour, which resembles an owl. In less than a minute the man’s leg began to swell, when he was seized with excruciating pains, and soon fell into convulsions. One of his companions, having killed the snake, made the patient drink its gall, mixed with half a glass of spirits, which I gave him. He seemed now (perhaps from imagination) to bear his misfortune better; but the fits soon returned with increasing violence, and he was instantly sent to his master’s plantation, where he expired. That the gall of adders, externally applied, is efficacious, I have often heard. In the Grand Magazine for April 1758, may be seen a letter, signed J. H. and dated 24th March, which treats systematically of the application of gall. But these investigations I must leave to the learned of the medical profession; and only observe, in general, that the smaller the snake, at least in Guiana, the more fatal the poison; as is justly and beautifully observed by Thomson:

“——But still more direful he
The small, close-lurking minister of fate,
Whose high concocted venom through the veins
A rapid lightning darts, arresting swift
The vital current.”——

In this grassy wilderness one of the rangers also killed a snake, called the whip-snake, from its resemblance to that instrument; it was about five feet long, and not very much thicker than a swan’s quill; the belly white, and the back a lead colour: concerning its bite, I can say nothing. I was informed by the negroes, but I cannot speak from my own observation, that it has the power of giving a very severe stroke with its tail, like the lash of a whip, which it so much resembles.

I must also notice an amphibious animal which some of the negroes killed this evening, called by them the Cabiai; it is a species of water hog, and about the ordinary size of the land animal which goes under that name; it is covered with grey bristles, and armed with a number of very strong teeth; it has no tail; on each foot it has three toes, webbed like those of a duck. This animal, it is said, goes ashore only during the night, where it feeds on young grass, and other vegetables. I have been told it is good food, but never tasted it myself.

On the 16th, having rested one day at this place, Colonel Fourgeoud detached two strong parties to reconnoitre, viz. Lieutenant Colonel de Borgnes, with 100 men, was sent to the Wana Creek in Upper Cormoetibo; and Colonel Seyburg, with an equal number, was ordered to the Creek Pinenburg, in Upper Cottica. The latter returned about midnight with two canoes, which he had found hauled ashore, on the opposite side of the river, a little below the mouth of the Claas Creek. This convinced us that the rebels were gone westward to plunder, and had brought their empty canoes down the Claas Creek, from the rice country, in order to send them back loaded with booty from the estates they intended to pillage. In consequence, therefore, of this information, the proper preparations were immediately made to pursue them with alacrity. Never did the old warrior display more vigour than on this occasion, swearing aloud that he now would be revenged of them all, coute qui coute.

“Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them;
though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down.”

But how far his generalship on this occasion proved to be a match for that of Bonny, I must beg leave to reserve for the succeeding chapter.

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 of ants, 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 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 or obias making them invulnerable. They told me that the latter mentioned procured them from their priest, and that they themselves bought theirs from Graman 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 adversaries, to be shot?” I was answered, “Because, like you, Massera, they had no faith in the amulet or obia.” 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 real acajow or cashew nuts, 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 the Anacardium Occidentalis. From the tree exudes a transparent gum, which when dissolved in water has the consistency of glue.

I also tasted here the eta-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 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-guns [8] had 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 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 to four 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 my feet in 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 many shrewd and sarcastic remarks.

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 the next morning for Pirica River, 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 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!”