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N All EAT I YE,
a/ fraec year./ tYp^fr/frcr/iQ ay// ///a/ /Ac
Revolted 0egroe0 of jiutimm,
am/ Guiana, caty/Ac Wild coast of
SOUTH AM ERIC
from tAe year 1772, to 1777.
N/iiyfra/uny frey afr-y/canp o^ fra/ At aunt/ty' am
the description of its productions, viz.
QuadruyedesRlrds, Fishes, Rcp>tl/es,Trees,S7zrubs, Traits, & Roots,- tulth an account of the Indians of Guiana, & negroes 0/ Guinea.
iSp CAPT 1 J. G. S T E DMAN .
ip/y fres j/afrat /
y /
VOL. I. -
fee
O Quantum, terror quantum C ognoscere Cae/t,
PermUsum est, pelagus quanto s apperlrnas in us us/
Nunc Jorsan grave, reris opts; Sect toeta recur ret Cum ratis et Caram Cum mi/ii reddet solenne /
Quts pudor 7/e// nostros tilt tunc audire lalores ,- Quam rye ram visas tua per Susplrla gentls / "
Valerius Fla ecus .
JTonbmi
PrintedbyJ. Johnson, S* Pauls Church. Yard J. Edwards, Pall Mall, 1796.
T O
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS
GEORGE
PRINCE OF WALES,
V* «. .. ( < , ' t
THIS
ARTLESS NARRATIVE I S,
WITH ALL HUMILITY, INSCRIBED,
BY HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS’s
MOST DEVOTED,
AND MOST OBEDIENT, ' HUMBLE SERVANT,
Tiverton, Devonthire, January i, 1796.
y G, Steelman «,
THE
PREFACE.
This Work being perhaps one of the mod: fingular produ&ions ever offered to the Public, I think it right to give the Reader a fhort fketch of what he is going to perufe. — I have endeavoured to arrange matters in fome degree like a large garden, where one meets with the fweet-fmelling flower and the thorn, the gold-befpangled fly and loathfome rep¬ tile, the richefl glowing plumage and the darkeft (hades ; the whole fo variegated as to afford, I hope, both information and amufement, without racking or depreffing the fpirits, and damping the mind ; not indeed in the modern pomp and brilliancy of ffyle, but in a firnple tale, where truth is the chief or¬ nament.
Here,
a 2
IV
PREFACE.
Here, in the different characters of a Commander — a Rebel Negro — a Planter, and a Slave — not only tyranny are expofed— "but benevolence and humanity are unveiled to the naked eye. Here the Warrior— the Hiftorian — the Merchant — and the Lover of Na¬ tural Philofophy, will meet with fome gratification ; while, for having introduced my private adventures,
I mu ft make fome apology — but none for thofe of the lovely Slave, who makes not the leaft interefting. figure in thefe pages — as female virtue in diftrefs, efpecially when accompanied with youth and beauty,, mu ft ever claim protection.
Upon the whole, perhaps, fome allowance may be made, when the Reader conftders he is perufing no romance compofed of fiction, but a real hiftory, to¬ tally unembellifhed with the marvellous ; — the pro¬ duction of an Officer, whofe pen and pencil have alone been employed — and on the spot, a circum- ftance but very feldom met with.
As to the fhocking cruelties that here are fo fre¬ quently expofed, let it fuffice to fay, that to deter others from fimilar inhuman practices, and teach
them
PREFACE.
them virtue, was my foie and only motive ; while, on the other hand, it muft be obferved that Liberty, nay even too much lenity, when fuddenly granted to illiterate and unprincipled men, muft be to all parties dangerous, if not pernicious. Witnefs the Qwca and Sarameca Negroes in Surinam — the Maroons of Ja¬ maica, the Carribs of St.* Vincent, &c.
/
While the Colony of Surinam however is reeking and dyed with the blood of the African negroes, truth compels me to obferve, that the Dutch there are not the only guilty ; but that to moft other nations, and particularly the Jews, is owing this almoft con- ftant and diabolical barbarity.
Reader, perufe the pages annexed with impartiality and with temper — fort the flowers from the weeds— divide the gold Ikilfully from the drofs — —and perhaps you may not regret the hours you have thus dedicated. A few orthographical errors and inaccuracies have been difcovered, particularly in the Firft Volume, from my having unavoidably been prevented from fuperintending its progrefs while in the prefs : But in a fhort Errata,' and particularly in the Index*
to.
VI
PREFACE.
to which I refer the curious, will be found properly fpelt the names of men and things. — Let it however not be underflood, that I ever laid claim to excellence in writing or drawing.; but if the plain and manly truth, fo orten fpoken ol, and fo feldom found, are of any avail — I prefume to hope, that thefe Vo¬ lumes are not entirely unworthy the attention of a British Public.
LIST
O F
SUBSCRIBERS NAMES.
A.
AUCKLAND (Lord) Britifh Ambaffador at the Hague.
Ackland (Sir Tho. Dyke) Bart. Killerton.
Anderson (Lady) York.
Ashmead (Win.) Efq. London.
B.
Bute (Rt. Hon. Earl of).
Bristol (Rt. Hon. Earl of).
Bamff (Rt. Hon. Lord) 6th Dragoons.
Barrington (Rt. Hon. Lord Vifcount).
Boydell (Rt. Hon. John) Lord Mayor of London.
Baring (Charles) Efq. Exon. — 5 Copies.
Barwell ( - ) Efq. London.
Broadley (R. Carlifle) Efq. York.
Broadley (Ifaac) Efq. Branlingham, Hull.
Barker (Thomas) Efq. Jamaica.
Bain ( - ) Efq. M. D. Bath.
Burk (Geo.) Efq. Waddon Court, Devon.
Batt (J. F.) Efq. Richmond.
Brown (E. H.) Efq. Richmond.
Black (John) Efq. of the Hon. Eaft India Company’s Service. Vol. I. b Besl'
SUBSCRIBERS NAMES.
Besly (Wm.) Efq. Tiverton, Devon.
Bates (Ralph) Efq. 6th Dragoons.
Bastard (John P.) Efq. Kitley, M. P.
Brown (Wm.) Efq. Wivelifcombe.
Bush (Baron de) Commandant at Curacao.
Bolls (And.) Efq. Capt. in the Dutch Navy.
Bloys de Treslon (Cor.) Efq. Capt. in the Dutch Navy.
Brown ( - ) Efq. Briftol.
Bulguin (Mr. - ) BriftoL
Blake (Mr. Wm.) London.
Boudler (Mrs.) Bath.
C.
Canterbury (His Grace the Archbifhop of)
Chichester (Sir John) Bart. Youlfton.
Chichester (Mrs.) Arlington.
Chichester (Mifs)
Chichester (Mifs Mary Macdonald).
Cholwich (John B.) Efq. Farringdon Houfe.
Cambridge (R. O.) Efq. Twickenham.
Cholmley (Nath.) Efq. Howlham.
Cowley (John) Efq. London.
Campbell (Rt. Hon. Hay) Edinburgh.
Cholmondeley (G.) Efq. London.
Croft (John) Efq. York.
Cooksley (J. Sparkes) Efq. Afhburton.
Dover (Rt. Hon. Lord).
Douglas (Gen. Robert) Holland.
Duntz (Sir John) Bart. Rockbere Houfe. Drew (Richard) Efq. Exeter.
Dennys (Nicholas) Efq. Tiverton.
Dowce (Francis) Efq. Richmond.
Danby (Wm.) Efq. Swinton.
Drummond (J.) Efq. M. D. Jamaica, Ducarrell (- — — ) Efq. Exmouth.
4"
Delaval
SUBSCRIBERS NAMES.
Del aval (E. HufTey) Efq. London.
Dickenson (Benj.) Efq. Tiverton.
Dunsford (Mr. Martin) Author of the Memoirs of Riverton. De Graav (Gid. And. D.) Efq. Surinam.
Des Borgnes (Col. Brifeval) Fourgeoud’s Marines.
Erving (George) Efq. London.
Euler ( - ) Efq. for the Library of his Serene Highnefi the
Prince of Orange.
F.
Fitzwilliam (Right Hon. Earl)
Ferrier (Col. Ilay) of His Majefty’s Scots Brigade.
Fredericy ( - ) Efq. Governor of Surinam.
Freeman ( - ) Efq. Chute Lodge.
Freeman (Mrs. Elizabeth).
Fitzgerald (Mifs) Grange, Ireland.
Follet (Rev. Mr. John) Tiverton.
Fattet (Mr. Barth. Francois).
Flower (Mr.) London.
Flower (Mr. Benj.) Cambridge.
G.
Guildford (Right Hon. Earl of).
Gordon (Col. Robert) Deputy Governor at the Cape of Good Hope, Graham (John) Efq. M. D. Jamaica.
Grinstone (Henry) Efq. Wefton.
Grinstone (Thomas) Efq. Kilnwick.
Goodwin (G. R.) Efq. Bath.
Godefrooy (Mrs. Eliz.) Surinam.
Gray (Mifs Jane) Edinburgh.
H
Heathfield (Rt. Hon. Lord).
Harrowby (Rt. Hon. Lord) Sandon, StafFordfhire. Hamilton (Sir Alexander) Bart. Retreat.
Hildyard (Sir Robert D’Arcy) Bart. Wineftead, York,
b 2
Hastings
SUBSCRIBERS NAMES.
Hastings (Warren) Efq. late Governor General of Bengal. Hamell (Colonel) Cape of Good Hope.
Home (Colonel Alexander) His Majefty’s Scotch Brigade.
RIamilton (Robert) Efq. of the Hon. Eaft India Company’s Service.
Hunter ( - ) Efq. M. D. York.
Hamilton (Major) Exon.
Hilton (William) Efq. Jamaica. — i Copies.
Hecke (C. A.) Efq. Demerary.
Harding (Rev. Mr.) Barnftaple.
Heathfield (Thomas) Efq. Nutwell.
Heneman (Gyfbert) Efq. Hague.
Haringman (John) Efq. Admiral in the Dutch Navy.
Hogg (Jof.) Efq. Tiverton.
How (J. M.) Efq. Wifcome Park.
Hartford (Jof.) Efq. Briftol.
Hobroid (Mrs.) Richmond.
I.
Incledon (Robert) Efq. Pilton Houfe.
Incledon (Capt. T.) 3d Regiment of Foot.,
Jermain (Thomas) Efq. Briftol.
Johnson (J. R.) Efq. Jamaica.
K.
Keates (Rev. Richard) Tiverton.
Kincaid (Patrick) Efq. Exon.
Knight (Mr. Charles) Knightlbridge.
Kennedy (H. J.) Efq. Cleves.
Knollaerdt ( - ) Efq. Fourgeoud’s Marines.
L.
Lardner (John) Efq. London.
Lardner (Richard) Efq. Tiverton.
Lardner (James) Efq. Axminfter.
Louis (Mr. Jean) Exon.
M. Macpherson
SUBSCRIBERS NAMES.
M.
Macpherson (Sir John) Bart, late Governor of Calcutta. McQueen (Dundas) Efq. Edinburgh.
Macallester Loup (Duncan) Efq. Hague.
Macauley (Alex.) Efq. London.
Macauley (Angus) Efq. Bath.
Macleod (Colonel) of His Majefty’s Scots Brigade.
Mackay (John) Efq. London.
Mackay (He&or) Efq. War Office.
Maddison (Thomas) Efq. M. P.
Mowbray (Robert) Efq. M. D. Cockayrny.
Moore (John Hartnoll) Efq. Cadeleigh Court.
Marshall (Mr. Robert) Tiverton.
Moens (Mr. Adrian) Rotterdam.
Medlaer (George Crawford) Efq. Fourgeoud’s Marines.
N.
Northcote (Sir Stafford) Bart. Pine’s Houfe.
Nagle (Jofeph) Efq. Calverleigh.
Nagle (David) Efq. Bath.
Nibbs (J. Langford) Efq. Beauchamp.— 2 Copies..
Needham (John) Efq. Gray’s Inn.
Noot (Captain) Fourgeoud’s Marines.
Nichols (Rev. Mr.) Richmond.
Newte (Rev. Mr.) Titcombe, Devon.
Newte (Thomas) Efq. late Captain in the Hon. Eaft India Com¬ pany’s Service.
Newbiggen (Mifs Jane) Edinburgh.
O.
Owens (George) Efq. Tiverton.
P.
Pepperel (Sir William) Bart. London.
Palmer (Thomas) Efq. Berkley Square.
Palmer (William) Efq. London.
Plidell
SUBSCRIBERS NAMES.
Plidell (J. M.) Efq. 6th Dragoons.
Peachey (John) Efq. M. P.
Prince (J. D.) Efq. Holland.
Perret Gen tilly (Major) Fourgeoud’s Marines.
Polson (Hugh) Efq. Exmouth.
Popple (Rev. Mr.) York.
i
R.
Ryder (Right Hon. Dudley) M. P.
Rockby (Right Hon. Lord) Horton, Kent.
Ricketts (Hon. W. H.) Jamaica.
Ricketts (E. Jarvis) Efq. Jamaica.
Rosendaal (Countefs de) Holland.
Rolls (John) Efq. M. P. Tidwell.
Ridsdale (G. W.) Efq. 6th Dragoons.
Rolland (Adam) Efq. Advocate, Edinburgh.
Robinson (William) Efq. Writer to the Signet, Edinburgh. Robinson (Capt. Thomas) of the Hon. Eaft India Company’s Service.
Rigaud (P.) Efq. R. A.
Reynsdorph (Andrew) Efq. Surinam.
Reay (Henry N.) Efq. Blenkwell, Durham.
S.
Spencer (Rt. Hon. Lord Henry)..
Strickland (Sir George) Bart. Bointon Houfe, York.-2 Copies. Strickland (Lady Eliza Letitia).
Strickland (Mifs Charlotte).
Strickland (William) Efq. York.
Strickland (Capt. Geo.) Bth Regiment.
Sykes (Sir Chriftopher) Bart. York.
Small (Major Charles) Ifle of Man.
Small (Peter) Efq. Montreal, Canada.
Stuart (Hon. General John). # n .
Sampson (James) Efq. late His Majefty s Conful General at
Morocco- Suttell
SUBSCRIBERS NAMES.
Suttell (G.) Efq. York.
Sturgeon (T. W.) Efq. Trowbridge
Swale ( - ) Efq. London.
Sheriff (Mr. Robert) Leith.
Stedman (John) Efq. M. D. Edinburgh.
Stedman (Capt. Wm. George).
Stedman (Mifs Catherine) Edinburgh.
Sharrat (Mr. John) Walfall.
Sheldon (Mifs Ann) Exon.
Somerville (Mifs Elizabeth) Edinburgh.
T.
Todd (Mr. John) York.— 2 Copies.
Tozer (Aaron) Efq. of the Hon. Eaft India Company’s Service*
V.
Vance Agnew (Robert) Efq. Edinburgh.
Van Coeverde (Colonel) Fourgeoud’s Marines.
W.
Willoughby de Broke (Rt. Hon. Lord).
Westerloo (General) Holland.
Wemyss (Major) nth Regiment of Foot.
Wierts (Francis) Efq. Captain in the Dutch Navy.
Winsloe (Thomas) Efq. Colliprieft.
Woolery (R. P.) Efq. Jamaica.
Williams (Jof) Efq. Jamaica.
Wyville (Rev. Chriftopher) York.
White (James) Elq. Counfellor, Exeter.
Wray (G. Lewis) Efq. Spence Farm.
Wood (Bevis) Efq. Tiverton.
Worth (John) Efq. Worth Houfe, Devon,
Worth (Mrs. Mary) Tiverton.
Wray (Mrs.) Richmond.
Watt
CONTENTS.
CONTENTS of the FIRST VOLUME .
Chapter I. Page i.
Introduction.- — Revolt among the Negroes in Dutch Guiana — An Expedition Jets out from the Texel — Short Account of the Voyage — The Fleet arrives in the River Surinam — Reception of the Troops in that Colony — Sketch of the Inhabitants , &c.
Chapter II. Page 30 *.
General Defcription of Guiana— -of the Colony of Surinam in particular — Accounts of its earliejl Difcovery — is poffejfed by the Englijh — by the Dutch— Murder of the Governor , Lord Somelfdyk—The Settlement taken by the French , and ranfomed.
Chapter III. Page 53.
Firjl Revolt of the Negroes ; Caufes thereof— Difra&ed State of the Colony — Forced Peace concluded with the Rebels — Mutiny of Sailors , Soldiers , &c.
VOL. I.
c
Chaptee
CONFE NFS OF
Chapter IV. Page 74.
Short Interval of Peace and Plenty — Fhe Colony plunged in new Dijlrefs by a frep InfurreClion , and nearly ruined— Reviezv of the Froops for its Defence — An AClion with the Rebels — Gallant Behaviour of a Black Corps — Fhe Arrival of Colonel Fourgeoud's Marines .
Chapter V. Page 86.
Fhe Scene changes — Some Account of a beautiful Female Slave — Fhe Manner of travelling in Surinam — Fhe Co¬ lonel explores the Situation of the Rivers— Barbarity of a Planter — Wretched Freatment of fome Sailors.
Chapter VI. Page 107.
Account of a dreadful Execution — Fluctuating State of political Affairs— Short Glimpfe of Peace— An Officer pot dead ; his whole Party cut to Pieces , and the general Alarm revived throughout the Colony.
Chapter VII. Page 132.
Armed Barges are fent up to defend the Rivers — Defer iption of the Fortrefs New Amflerdam—A Cruife in the upper Parts of Rio Cot tic a and Patamaca — Great Mortality among the Fr oops— View of the Military Pojl at Devils Harwar .
THE FIRST VOLUME.
Chapter VIII. Page 178.
Three EJlates burnt , and the Inhabitants murdered by the Rebels — Real Pidiure of Mifery and Dijlrefs — Specimen of a March through the Woods of Surinam — Colonel Fourgeoud and the remaining Troops leave Parama¬ ribo.
Chapter IX. Page 194.
Some Difeafes peculiar to the Climate — Groupe of Negroes newly imported going to be fold— Reflexions on the Slave Trade ’-The Voyage from Africa— Manner of felling them in the Colony — Defcription of a Cotton Plantation .
Chapter X. Page 216.
Colonel Fourgeoud marches to the Wana Creek— Harqfles the Enemy — Account of the Manicole Tree , with its va¬ rious Ufes— March to the Mouth of Cormoetibo River- Some Rebels taken — Shocking Treatment of a wounded captive Negro ..
Chapter XI. Page 258.
The Troops march back to the Wana Creek— The Rebels pafs near the Camp—Purfued without Succefs— Great Dijlrefs for Want of Water— Mineral Mountains— The Troops ar¬ rive at La Rochelle , in Patamaca «
xvii
Chapter
CONTENT S.—Vol. I.
Chapter XII. Page 285.
Defer ipt ion of the Town of Paramaribo and Fort Zelandia — . Colonel Fourgeoud^s March to the River Marawina — A Captain wounded— Some Privates Jhot • — Strange Execu¬ tion in the Capital — Account of Fort Somelfdyk—Of the Hope in Rio Comewina.
Chapter XIII. Page 311.
A Sugar Plantation defcribed — Domejlic Happinefs in a Cottage — Further Account of Fourgeoud's Operations — Dreadful Cruelties infliBed by fome Overfeers—Injlance of Refentment in a Rebel Negro Captain.
Chapter XIV. Page 338.
Colonel Fourgeoud at Paramaribo— Example of Ignorance in a Surgeon — of Virtue in a Slave — of Ferocity in a
Commander _ The Troops re-enter the Woods — Account
of Loango Dancing— Uncommon Proof of Fidelity in a
Negro.
Chapter XV. Page 378.
Defer iption of the Indians , Aborigines of Guiana Then f00d — Arms — Ornaments — Employments — Diverfions — Paffio ns — Religion — Marriages — Funerals , & c . — Of the Caribbee Indians in particular— Their Trade with the Europeans.
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«t - -
V
NARRATIVE
OF AN
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
CHAP. I.
Introduction. — Revolt among the Negroes in Dutch Guiana — An Expedition Jets out from the Texel— Short Account of the Voyage — The Fleet arrives in the River Surinam — Reception of the Troops in that Colony —
Sketch of the Inhabitants , &c.
TH E exploring of foreign countries having of late cha p9 years, and particularly fince the recent difcoveries , L of the immortal Captain Cook, fo generally been the objedt of perfons both in private and public fituations i and the hiftories of their labours and purfuits being fo interefting to the curiofity of the public, I have ventured to offer fuch obfervations as I have had an opportunity of making in a very lingular part of the globe, on which few Englilhmen have been thrown, either by accident Vol. I. B
or
or curiofity. The colony of Surinam , in Dutch Guiana , fo far as it is inhabited and cultivated by Europeans near the fea-coaft, has indeed been known for many years paft. But the deep inundations, with the impenetrable thicknefs of the woods, have been fuch con ft ant difcou- ragements and obilrudtions to difcovery, that but very little true information concerning that country has as yet been obtained, except what relates to fuch objects of commerce as are common to moft of the tropical fettle- ments. This publication, therefore, is chiefly intended to particularize fuch circumftances and events as the ne- ceflity of penetrating into the interior parts of the coun¬ try have enabled me to make, and forced on my obfer- vation.
The feeling part of my readers, I muft hope, will re¬ ceive with fome indulgence a work proceeding from an officer, who, from his early youth, was debarred in ac¬ quiring perfection, either as a writer or a painter, by his military and maritime profeffion. I neverthelefs humbly flatter myfelf that whatever may be found wanting in ftyle and elegance, is in fome degree compenfated by that fidelity and corredtnefs, which can alone be the work of a pen and pencil employed on the fpot. With refpedt to a few quaint expreffions, and even oaths, as fpoken by common foldiersy Jailor s> Sec. that fometimes unavoidably occur in the narrative of this wonderful expedition, I muft humbly requeft: the world not to be ftartled at them, not only becaufe the fhades of black and white 7 enliven
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
enliven the picture, but becaufe I am determined to chap. write truth only, and expofe vice and folly in their native , ^
colours. — Come then, my friends —
<c Together let us beat this ample field,
{c Try what the open, what the covert yield ; u The latent tracts, the giddy heights, explore <c Of all who blindly creep, or fightlefs foar :
<c Eye Nature's walks, fhoot Folly as it flies,
“ And catch the manners living as they rife ;
4< Laugh where we muft, be candid where we can j st But vindicate the ways of God to man.”
Pope.
I will now boldly launch out on the difficult talk.—
As the nature, however, of thefe tranfadtions can only be underftood by a reference to the occafion which call¬ ed me thither, I feel myfelf under the neceffity of Rill premiling a few words upon that fubjedt.
Every part of the world, where domejlic Jlavery is eftablifhed, may be occafionally liable to infurredtion and difquiet, more efpecially where the {laves conftitutc the majority of the inhabitants; but the colony oi Su- yinam , in Dutch Guiana, has been peculiarly unfortunate in this refpedt. Whether from the fhelter which is af¬ forded to the fugitives by the immenfe forefts which overfpread the moft confiderable part of this country, or whether the government of this fettlement be radically defedlive, it is a certain fadt, that its European fettlers
R 2 are
NARRATIVE OF AN
are conftantly expofed to the moft violent ravages, and the moft defperate outrage. Of thefe circumftances this is not however the place for a minute detail. Let it fuffice therefore for the prefent, only to obferve, that thefe repeated revolts and infur reBions demanded at length the moft vigorous meafures for'' the reftoration of a general peace; and that the accounts tranfmitted to Holland, in the year 1772, that a confiderable body of armed people of this defcription had affembled in the forefts, and became extremely formidable to the colony, determined their High Mightinejfes the States of the United Provinces to fend out a ffifficient maritime force to oppofe the infurgents, and, if poflible, to quell the in- furre<ftion.
The Britijh navy had ever been my choice and am¬ bition, in which I was well recommended ; but the fmall hopes of preferment I had naturally to expert in time of peace, and my paternal eftate being loft juft after my birth by accidental misfortunes, induced me to relin- quifh the liopes of advancement in the fea fervice, and to accept an enfign’s commiflion, prefented me without purchafe, in one of the Scots brigade regiments in the pay of Holland, where Sir Jofeph York (late Lord Dover) at that period was ambaflador from the Britifh court ; before which nobleman I had the honour to take the ufual oaths of abjuration and allegiance to my King and Country, as regiftered at the Britifh war-office. — This point I have alfo thought it right to premife, as
a duty
5
/
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
a duty owing to myfelf, to fhew the world in general that CHAP, it was neceflity not choice that compelled me to enter t L ^ into a foreign fervice ; though perhaps a more ancient and diftinguiflied corps does not exift than the above brigade has proved to be, both in this ifland and on the continent, for above two hundred years.
At the rime of the above infurre£tion I was Lieutenant in the Honourable General fohn Stuart's regiment; when, imprefled by the hopes of traverfing the fea, my favou¬ rite element, and in fome meafure gratifying my curio- lity, in exploring a part of the world not generally known; ftill more by the profpeft of that preferment which might be conhquent on fo dangerous an expedi¬ tion ; I inftantly folicited admiflion into a corps of volun¬ teers which was preparing to fail for Guiana, and had' the honour, by his Serene Higbnefs William V.
Prince of Orange, to be advanced to the rank of Captain by brevet*, under Colonel Louis Henry Four - geoud, a Swifs gentleman, from the Alpine Mountains,, who was appointed our commander in chief.
Having taken the oaths of fidelity on the 12th of No¬ vember to the new corps, and prepared what was necef- fary for the voyage, I bade farewell to my old regi¬ ment, and immediately failed to the ifland of Fexe/, where feveral of our gentlemen were already aflembled ;
* Each officer was permitted’ to re- a vacancy being there preferved for hin* enter his former regiment, if he furvived during his abfence. the expedition, and returned to Europe,
and
a i
NARRATIVE OF AN
CHAP.
I.
and where, on going alhore, I had nearly perilhed by the
boat’s Ihi.pping a fea, and finking in the furf.
'
The illand of Wier'mgen was however the fpot of general rendezvous : here Colonel Fourgeoud arriving on the 7th of December, the volunteers were all affem- bled, to the number of five hundred fine young men ; and on the morning of the 8th we were formed into feven companies, and embodied as a regiment of marines. Refides the Boreas and Wejiellingwerf men-of-war, com¬ manded by Captains Van de Velde and Crafs> three new frigate-built tranfports were put in commiffion, carrying enfign, jack, and pennant, and armed with from ten to fixteen guns, as Hoops of war ; on board thefe veflels we embarked the fame afternoon under a general falute, then took the command, and did the duty as in the navy.
Our departure was not however immediately confe- queqt on our embarkation. We lay wind-bound in the Texel roads for many days, during which time one of our young officers, a Mr. Hejfeling , was unfortunately feized with the fmall-pox : this gentleman, in ^order to pre¬ vent his infedfing the fhip’s company, was ordered on fhore to a town on the land^s end, called the Helder , where I conducted him in a pinnace, and where we left him behind us but on my return, the furgeon declaring he faw the fymptoms of the fame diforder on myfelf, I was alfo immediately ordered to the illand of Texel. Hav¬ ing palfed a molt anxious quarantine in this place, I had
the
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
the good fortune however to efcape the loathfome ma¬ lady, and to the Doctor’s furprize appeared once more on board perfedtly well,- juft before the fignal gun was fired for the fleet to weigh anchor. This circumftance cannot but induce me to wifh that thofe in particular who are deftined for a military or a naval life would avail themfelves of the art of inoculation, in order to avoid a painful anxiety to themfelves, and a moft dan¬ gerous infection to their fellow-creatures.
On Chriftmas-day our fmall fleet put to fea, at eight o’clock, A. M. with a frefh breeze from E. N. E. in com¬ pany with above one hundred veffels bound for differ¬ ent parts of the globe, and the moft beautiful clear wea¬ ther. Having fafely got without the foundings, and faluted each other with nine guns, we kept our courfe down channel, and foon paffed the North Foreland , the IJle of Wight , and Portland Point ; but here the Weft- ellingwerf, having fprung a leak, was obliged to part company, and run into Plymouth for repair.
The wind now frefhened as we approached the Bay of Bifcay , where the mate of the veffel directed my particular attention to a kind of fea-fwallow, commonly diftinguifhed by the name of the Storm-bird *, from its fuppofed pro¬ perty of foretelling an impending tempeft. The colour of this bird is a very deep blue approaching to black, and enlivened by fome variegated tints ; its fize is about
* The Stormy Petrel of Pennant.
7
CHAP.
I.
1 . ~)> - i i1
that
NARRATIVE OF AN
that of a large martin or fwallow ; it is web-footed ; the hill is very long and lharp, and the wings of an extraor¬ dinary length, which enable it to fly very faft, and for a confiderable time, fkimraing with incredible velocity around the horizon : it fubfifts entirely upon fifh, which is probably the caufe of its being fenflble of the firft in¬ dications of whatever may prevent its ufual fupply of food : it then flies along with extreme fwiftnefs, in order to avoid the ftorm ; but if overtaken by it, drops its wings, and floats upon the furface of the waves.
On the following day, January 2d, 1773? the predic¬ tions of the ftorm-bird were verified : a heavy gale fprung up from N. N. E. by which, off Cape Finifterre , the Boreas and Vigilance were feparated from us. We kept our courfe during the night with double reefed top- fails, and all the hatches laid, which made our men in general very lick. Here I ought not to forget that by •way of experiment we had flung the hammocks athwart lhips, and not as ufual fore and aft ; which method we found however to be both fo roomy and convenient, that it has been fince adopted by feveral other veflels.
On the morning of the 4th we fpied a flout fhip to windward in the offing, bearing flreight down upon us. Conjedturing fhe might be an Algerine pirate from the African coaft, and now but two fhips out of five, we prepared to engage her ; fhe however foon proved to be the Boreas man-of-war, which had parted company on the 2d. From this date the men were daily exercifed at 1 the
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 9
the great guns, and by firing at a target fufpended from CHAP, the yard-arm. L
On the 14th, in the morning-watch, we palled the Tro- pic, when the ufual ceremony of ducking the frefh-water failors was ranfomed by tipping the foremaft men with fome filver. About this time the Boreas moft unluckily loft one of her beft feamen, the boatfwain’s mate, whofe hand flipping by the wet, he pitched from the fore-yard¬ arm into the fea. His prefence of mind in calling to the captain, as he floated alongfide, “ Be not alarmed for “ me, fir? in the confidence of meeting with relief, at¬ tracted peculiar compaflion, and even caufed fome mur¬ muring, as no afiiftance was offered him ; in confequence of which, after fwimming a conliderable time within view, the unfortunate young man went to the bottom.
We now were got in the tract of the trade winds , which blowing continually eaft, and the weather becoming from day to day more temperate, made the voyage exceedingly pleafant ; more fo by the many dolphins or dorados , which beautiful fifti feem to take peculiar delight in fporting around the veflels. The real dolphin, which is of the cetaceous kind, was anciently celebrated in poetic ftory on account of its philanthropy and other fuppofed vir¬ tues . but to the dorado or dolphin of the modems , this character is far from being applicable, this fifti being ex¬ tremely voracious and deftrudive, and is known to fol¬ low the fhips, and exhibit his fports and gambols, not from attachment to mankind, but from the more felfiih Vol. I, C motive
—
10
NARRATIVE OF AN
CHAP, motive of procuring food, particularly on the eve of an , L approaching Itorm, of which he appears perfectly fen- lible. The circumltance which chiefly entitles the do¬ rado to our attention is, the unrivalled and dazzling bril¬ liancy of its colours in the water, the whole of its back being enamelled with fpots between azure blue and a reflecting light fea-green, on a very dark ground, which appears as befpangled all over with jewels, and forms a molt beautiful contrail to the belly, which is of a whitilh call ; the fins and tail are of a golden dye : the length of this animal is from live to fix feet, and its form tapers from the head towards the tail, which is divided, and terminates not unlike the lhape of a crefcent. The head is round, and preceded by a kind of fnout ; the jaws are armed with feveral fharp teeth, and the eyes are remarkably large. The fcales of the dorado are uncom¬ monly fmall, and it is furnilhed with a fin, which runs along its back from the one extremity to the other.
Our progrefs was now daily marked by increafing warm weather, which releafed me from the confinement of a difagreeable cabin crowded with officers, molt of whom had never been to fea, and enabled me to purfue my favourite amufements, whether of reading above deck, or exercife in the rigging. Thus eircumftanced I, on the 17th, had the happinefs of rendering a molt important fervice to one of our young officers, a Mr. du Moulin j who by a fudden roll of the vefiel was actually thrown over the gunwale ; at that moment happening to Hand r, without-
)
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
ir
without-board in the main-chains, I fortunately grafped hold of him in his fall, which faved him, as he could not fwim, from inevitable death.
The entrance into warmer regions gave occafion to an obfervation perhaps not generally known, which (though uncouth) mull be of great importance to fai- lors ; namely, that between the Tropics, while vermin may remain in the head, none can poffibly continue to exift in the bedding, cloaths, linen, &c. Having humbly apologized for the above remark to my delicate readers, I will endeavour to defcribe a curious ani¬ mal with which thefe feas abound, and which appears to fail on the furface of the waves with a fide-wind, while by the failors it is vulgarly called a Portuguefe man-of-war, and is probably either the Nautilus or the Argonauta of Linnaeus. This wonderful creature, when above water, affumes the fhape of an expanded fan, de¬ corated with a beautiful red border, while the lower ex¬ tremity is fixed to a (hell as thin as paper, or rather a kind of boat, which is funk below or raifed above the furface of the fea, and guided in any di red ion, at the pleafure of the animal, by means of fix tentacula or limbs, which it ufes as oars. When thefe creatures are touched by the hand, they occafion, like the fea blubber or jelly
fifli, a painful tinkling fenfation, which continues for- feveral minutes.
The two following days it blew very frefii, and heavy feas wafhed over the vefiTel ; during which, vhile helping to put a reef in the main-top-fail for a little exercife, 1 lou
C 2
CHAP.
I.
1 — ‘
every
12
!i)t
i !
NARRATIVE OF AN
every one of my keys, which dropped from the yard¬ arm into the fea. This trifling accident I fhould never have related, had it not proved a very great inconvenience, by debarring me from coming at my private property, particularly fince the whole fhip’s company, officers in¬ cluded, lived on fait proviffion alone, a pig and a couple of lean fheep excepted, whofe legs had been broken by the rolling and pitching of the veffel. This manner of living on falt-beef, pork, and peas, like common failors, was introduced by our commander in chief, in order to enure us (he faid) to fuck food as we were likely to be alone fupplied with in the woods of Surinam ; and from the generous motive of regaling his American friends with European refrefhments— fuch as live fheep, hogs, fowls, ducks, bacon hams, bullocks tongues, pre¬ ferred vegetables, pickles, fpices, &c. all of which were provided by the town of Amfterdam in profufion. But good intentions do not always meet with their rewards ; lince the worms , without any one’s permiffion, laid hold of the greateft part of the dead flock for themfelves ; who were, for a punifhment, together with their plunder, thrown overboard into the ocean. Let me add, that in- flead of plate, our meals were frequently ferved up in fmall wooden tubs of not the moft cleanly appearance, and only once a day ; which negligence, however, I am willing to impute to Monjieur J^aur ant , the colonel s French valet -de - chambre. In fhort, the fcurvy and other loathfome diforders began to make their appear¬ ance ; dejection and low-fpirits took place throughout the
fhip,
i s
*-
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
fliip, while I complained aloud, , and from that moment date the good-will which Colonel Fourgeoud manifefted towards me in particular, as will be feen throughout the
expedition. It is with pain that I relate this pafTage _
but no confederation fhall prevent me from bringing to light particular foibles, as it will ever give me the greateft pleafure to render virtue confpicuous.
About the 20th of January, we obferved great num- beis of flying fifli, the cxoccotiis 'volitaws of Linnaeus, which is about the fize of a herring. The back of this animal is flat, and of an olive-brown colour; the fides and belly of a refplendent filvery white; the mouth fmall ; the eyes large ; the tail bifurcated ; and the fcales hard, fmooth, and filvery. Upon occafion the pedtoral fins are ufed as wings by this fifh, yet no longer than while they continue wet, for as foon as the moifture is dried, the animal drops back into the fea. The furface of thefe fins is of a golden hue, beautifully variegated near the edges with fpots of azure blue : their length is equal to that of the body of the fifh; and its flight, which is undertaken in order to avoid the purfuit of the do¬ rado, and other large fifli, is always ftraight forward, and of fliort duration, on account of the neceffity of repeatedly wetting its wings*; Thefe animals are fre-
the fifli itfelf cannot endure to be Jong out of its proper element : either of thefefup- pofitions will account for its dropping fo often as it were involuntarily on board fliips, and into the mouth of its enemies, the dolphin, dorado, &c.
1
J>
* I have never feen this neceffity pro¬ perly accounted for : probably the mucus which covers the fins or wings may be¬ come fo confolidated by the heat of the fun, and the action of the air, that it may impede their motion ; or it may be that
CHAP,
I.
V, ■■niMiy wri — J
VOL. I.
c 3
fluently
I
i !j
NARRATIVE OF A N _
quently found on board veffels, and Ricking in the fhrouds, which is probably to be aferibed, not, accord¬ ing to the opinion of fome, to their feeking a refuge there from the attacks of fifh or fea-birds, but limply to their flight being obftruaed by an object, which, as they always fly in a direft line, they have not the power to avoid. The fate of this animal feems peculiarly fevere, at it is the prey both of the fcaly and feathered creation, and frequently meets its doom in that element to which but a moment before it had committed itfelf for protec-
tion. r -
Becoming extremely low-fpirited towards the clofe ot
our voyage, I now had recourfe to daily fea-bathmg, and to a cheating glafs of claret, two ankers of which had been provided for each officer, independantly of his own flock. Thefe means proved efficacious, and I found my- felf in a few days perfectly recovered from my com¬ plaint On the 30th the weather became hazy, when the ffiips brought-to and hove the lead in thirteen fathom foul water. The following day we palfed feveral large black rocks to windward, called the Conjlables, and caft anchor near the E uripice, or Devil's IJlands, off the coaft of South America. The Euripice Iflands are fituated about twenty-four miles from the French fettlement of Cayenne, bearing N. N. W. in north latitude, hve de¬ crees twenty minutes, and confift of a ridge of fmall un¬ inhabited and very dangerous rocks for Ihipping. Here the current runs conffantly from the S. E. to the N. W. at the rate of fixty Englifh miles in twenty-four hours :
consequently
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
confequently every vefiel which happens to pafs the chap. mouth 6f the river Surinam muft make a confiderable I- circuit in order to regain the poflibility of entering that river.
While we remained in this fituation, we obferved the narwhal , or fea-unicorn, and one or two large turtles, floating paft the fhip’s fide. The former of thefe is a large fifii, and very diftinguilhable by a long fpiral ex- crefcence on its nofe, like a tapering twilled rope. The one we faw at this time (though fome are faid to be forty or fifty) appeared but fix or eight feet in length, and its horn about four, which weapon is dreadfully offenfive to many fifties, efpecially to the whale ; and when polilhed (either in hardnefs or whitenefs) is confidered not to be inferior to ivory. The narwhal, which is of the ceta¬ ceous kind, and confequently viviparous, is more fre¬ quently found in cold than warm climates. The female is faid to be unprovided with that protuberance fo re¬ markable in the male. It appears that fome authors have confounded this animal with the fword-fiJJj , to which however it does not prove to have the very fmallell re- femblance.
Another animal, which is called the faw-fijhy carries alfb an offenfive weapon. The projecting bone of this is three or four feet long, flat, and both fides armed with ftrong (harp -pointed fpikes, which give it fomewhat the form of a faw ; this faw, which is covered over with the fame rough, fiitny, darkifh-coloured fkin that covers
C 4 the
NARRATIVE OF AN
the whole animal, begins to fpread itfelf near the eyes, and thus continues fpreading till it forms the head of a flattifh triangular appearance, clofe to which are the two pe&oral fins. Above the eyes are two large holes, which I apprehend to be the organs of hearing, and not, as fome fuppofe, intended by nature for the purpofe of fpouting water. Almoft direaiy under them is the mouth, which is fomething in the form of an half-moon, apparently without teeth, and between that and the under part of the fpiked faw are the noftrils. The body of the faw- fifh is not much larger than the head, with two ftrong dorfal fins, the one near the middle, the other near the tail, which is partly bifurcated, and raifed perpendicular, the largeft part upwards, without rays. The back is co¬ vered over with a dark fhmy fkin 5 the whole forming a very hideous appearance. This fifh fights with the largeft whales, till the fea all around is died with blood, feldom quitting its adverfary till it has vanquifbed and killed it.
I have feen this monfter out of the water, and its whole length meafured about fourteen feet.
The turtles are divided into two fpecies, and are gene¬ rally diftinguifhed in Surinam by the names of ccilcipec or green turtle, and carett. The former of thefe fometimes weighs four hundred pounds, and has a flattifh fhell ; but the carett is inferior both in fize and quality, except with refpeft to its fhell, which is more valuable, and of a more convex form. Roth the calapee and carett depofit
their eggs, which are very excellent food, in the fand,
where
1
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 13*
where they are hatched by the heat of the fun. The CHAP, manner of taking thefe animals is by turning them on tneir backs with a hand-fpike when they are difcovered on fhore, and leaving them in this fituation till a conve¬ nient opportunity occurs for carrying them away ; for fuch is the heavinefs of their ftrudfure, or fo languid are their powers, that they are utterly unable to turn them— felves, and effect their efcape. They are publickly expofed. to fale by the butchers in Surinam, like the foambles meat in the European markets, and are efieemed the moft de¬ licate food between the months of February and May.
On the morning of the ift of February we now once more went under way, and kept courfe in fhore till the- evening, when we came to an anchor off the mouth of the river Mar awina ; this river has oceafioned the lofs of many fhips, by fearnen fatally miftaking it for the river Surinam, to which its entry bears indeed a very great re— femblance. What renders theyfr/? fo dangerous, are the numerous rocks, fmall illands, and quick-fands with which it is crouded ; befides its being fo lhallow at high-water mark (and even with fpring-tides) that all fhips of any confiderable burthen immediately run a-ground, and go. to pieces.
On the 2-d, having got our anchor a-peak by day¬ break, we again fet fail, keeping courfe along the coaft ; when having doubled Praam's Point with a light breeze^ under top and top-gallant fails, we finally entered the beautiful river Surinam ; and at three o’clock, P. M. dropped anchor before the new fortrefs called Amjier -
^0L* ** GS dam 1
N A R R A T I V E OF AN
iam\ and here we were extremely happy to meet with
sur friends in the Vigilance, which veffel (as I have mentioned) had parted company with us in a gale o wm on the ad of January, off Cape Finifterre, and arrived
two days before us in this river-
Our fliips crews now were in the higheff flow of fpi- rits, feeing themfelves furrounded by the moft delightful verdure, while the river feemed alive by the many boats and barges palling and re-paffing to fee us, while groups of naked boys and girls were promifcuoufly playing a flouncing, like fo many tritons and Merma.ds, in the water. The fcene was new to all, and nothing « heard but mufic, finging, and cheering on ec ’ as as in the rigging, from the ideas of happinefs which each individual now promifed himfelf in this luxun flourilhing fpot, while between decks the heat was be¬ come infupportable : but how mrferably thefe poor - lows were miftaken in their reckoning Ihall foon be feen.
1 muff indeed acknowledge that nothing could equal the delicious fenfations with which we feemed intoxi¬ cated by the fragrance of the lemons, limes, oranges, and flowers, wafted over from the adjoining plantations that line the banks of all the rivers in this ever- blooming fettlement, and of which charming fruit, &c. large duffers were fent on board our Ihips y
.r ,k. >»«
being the commandant of Fort Amfterdam, alfo falu
£ «.h nine g»».
i number we mrnrned bim rbe ™pb-
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
IS
ment from the fhips. A long-boat, with one of our captains, was afterwards difpatched to Paramaribo, to an¬ nounce to the governor the arrival of the troops in the colony.
During our ft ay in this place the companies frequently walked on fliore, and I accompanied them in their ex- curfions ; but the pleafure I had flattered myfelf with, from exchanging the confinement of a fhip for the li¬ berty of ranging over a delicious country, was damped by the firft objecft which prefented itfelf after my land¬ ing. This was a young female flave, whofe only co¬ vering was a rag tied round her loins, which, like her . fkin, was lacerated in feveral places by the ftroke of the whip. The crime which had been committed by this miferable victim of tyranny, was the non-performance of a talk to which fhe was apparently unequal, for which flie was fentenced to receive two hundred laffies, and to drag, during fome months, a chain feveral yards in length, one end of which was locked round her ancle, and to the other was affixed a weight of at leaft a hun¬ dred pounds. Strongly affe£led with this fhocking cir- cumftance, I took a draft of the unhappy fufferer, and re¬ tained a dreadful idea of the inhumanity of the planters towards thefe miferable fubjedts to their power.
The grafs in this part of the country was very long and coarfe, and afforded a harbour to two fpecies of very difagreeable infers, termed Pattat and Sorapat lice by the colonifts, which fettled on every part of our perfons.
C 6 The
narrative of an
The former of thefe is fo fmall as to be fcarcely viftble ; the latter is fomething larger, and formed like a crab,, and both agree in adhering elofely to the fkin, and oc~ cafioning an intolerable itching. Thefe infe&s abound moft during the rainy feafon, when the bell means of avoiding their attacks is fuppofed to be by walking bare¬ foot, as they are believed to fallen more eafily, and con- fequently in greater numbers, upon the cloaths, whence however they very fpeedily find their way to the fkin.. We did not get rid of our difagreeable companions till. our return to the fhip, when we walhed the affeded parts with the juice of limes or lemons, which confiderably al¬ leviated our troublefome fenfations.
On the 3d of March we received a vifit from feveral officers of the Society,- or Weft India Company’s troops* accompanied by a number of other gentlemen, to wel¬ come our arrival in the colony. Nor were they fatisfied with paying us merely a compliment in words, but re¬ galed us with a large quantity of excellent fruits and. other refrefhments. They came in very elegant barges or tent-boats, adorned with flags, and attended by fmall bands of mufic. The veflels were rowed by fix or eight negroes, who were entirely without cloaths, except a. fmall ftripe of check or other linen cloth, which was- pafted between their thighs, and faftened before and be¬ hind to a thin cotton firing tied round their loins. As. the colonifts generally make choice of their handfomeft
flaves for this office, and to attend them at table, &c.
the
1
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
17
the rowers, who were healthy, young, and vigorous, look¬ ed extremely well, and their being naked gave us a full opportunity of obferving their fkin, which was fhining, and nearly as black as ebony. This fcene was however contrafted by the arrival of two canoes filled with emaci¬ ated ftarving wretches, who clamoroufly folicited relief from the foldiers, and were ready to fight for the pofief- fion of a bone.
The day following our Commander in Chief was vi- fited by a Mr. Rynfdorp, who introduced to him two black foldiers , manumized Raves, who compofed part of a corps of three hundred which had been lately formed. Thefc men were exhibited by Mx. Rynfdorp as fpecimens of that valiant body, which but a fhort time before had moft gallantly diftinguifhed itfelf by the prote&ion it had afforded to the colony.
Whilfl we Rill remained at anchor before the fortrefs Amfterdam, I received a polite invitation from one Mr. Lolkens , a planter, to whom I had been recommended, to accept the life of his houfe and table oh our arrival at Paramaribo, the capital of the colony.
On the 8th we once more went under way, and after the ufual ceremonies on both fides on leaving the fortrefs, fail d up the river Surinam with drums beating, colours flying, and a guard of marines drawn up on the quarter¬ deck of each veflel. Having at length reached Parama¬ ribo, we finally came to an anchor within piftol-flrot off the fhore, receiving a falute of eleven guns from the cita¬ del Zealandia, which was returned by all the fhips of our fmall fleet.
Vol. I.
CHAP.
I.
\ _ _ _ >
D
After
i8
NARRATIVE OF AN
After being confined nearly the whole of fixty-three days within the limits of a fmall veflel, and upon an ele¬ ment to which few of the troops had been accuftomed, it would not be eafy to defcribe the pleafure we experienced on finding ourfelves once more on land, and furrounded by a thoufand agreeable circumftances.
The town appeared uncommonly neat and pleafing, the (hipping extremely beautiful, the adjacent woods adorned with the moft luxuriant verdure, the air per¬ fumed with the utmoft fragrance, and the whole fcene gilded by the rays of an unclouded fun... We did not however take leave of our wooden habitation at this time, but the next day were formally difembarked with a ge¬ neral appearance of rejoicing ; all the fhips in the roads being in full drefs, and the guns keeping up an incefiant fire till the whole of the troops were landed.
All the inhabitants of Paramaribo were colle&ed to be¬ hold this fplendid, fcene, nor were the expectations they had formed difappointed. The corps confided of nearly five hundred young men ; (for we had been fo fortunate as only to lofe one during the voyage) the aided: of whom was fcarcely more than thirty, and the whole party neatly cloathed in their new uniforms, and in caps ornamented with twigs* of orange-bloflom. We paraded on a large green plain between the town and the citadel, oppo- fite to the Governor’s palace during the courfe of which ceremonies feveral foldiers fainted from the exceffive heat. The troops then marched into quarters prepared for their reception, whilft the officers, were legaled with a dinner by the Governor, which would have derived a
confidexable
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM,
for my place of reft. But here I was again purfued by cha P. my black tormentor, who, in oppofition to all I could fay, L in lifted upon pulling off my Ihoes and ftockings, and in a moment difencumbered me of that part of my apparel.
I was extremely chagrined at her conduct, though this is an office commonly performed by the Haves in Suri¬ nam to. all ranks and fexes without exception. Nor ought any one to conceive that this apparently extraordi¬ nary conduct refulted from any peculiarity of difpofition in the girl ; her behaviour was only fuch as -would have been pra<ftifed by the generality of female negro Haves, > and. what will be found, by all who vilit the Weft India fettlements, to be charafteriftic of the whole dark lifter— hood-
Finding in the morning that my friend the planter was not returned, Ltook leave of his manlion, and very hofpitable fervant and after vifiting.the fold iers in their new abodes, was conducted by the quarter-mafter to a neat habitation appropriated to my ufe. I, found the houfe entirely unfurnilhed, though not deftitute of in¬ habitants; for, leaving my Captain’s com million, which was of parchment, in the window, the firft night, I had- the mortification to find in the morning that it was de¬ voured by the rats..
Having taken. pcfleffion of my habitation, my next wilh was to furnifh it properly ; but all cares of this nature were rendered unneceflary by the generous hofpitality of the inhabitants; the ladies fupplied me with tables, chairs,
glafles.
.
i
glafles, and even, plate and china, in great abundance 5 and the gentlemen loaded me with prefents of Madeira wine, porter, cyder, rum and fugar, betides a quantity -of the moft exquifite fruits. Amongft the latter I was particularly ftruck with the fhaddock and awara; the former of thefe, which is of a very agreeable flavour, between a fweet and an acid, is produced from a tree fuppofed to be tranfplanted from the coaft of Guinea *, by a Captain Shaddock, whofe name it ftill retains throughout the Englifli Weft India iflands, but is called pompelmoofe in Surinam. This fruit appears to be of the orange fpecies, but is as large as the head of a child of eight or ten years old ; the fkin is extremely thick, of a bitterifh tafte, and a pale yellow or citron colour.. There are two fpecies of the fhaddock, of which the pulp of the one is white, and that of the other a beautiful pale red, which may be fafely eaten in confiderable quan¬ tities : indeed it is efteemed by the natives, who are in general remarkably fond of it, as very falubrious.
The awara , or avoira, which is lefs remarkable for the excellence of its flavour than its beautiful appear¬ ance, grows upon a fpecies of palm-tree, and is of an oval form, about the ftze of an Orlean plumb, and of a rich deep orange colour, nearly approaching to red. It is much efteemed by the negroes, who exercife their in-
* . — Exotic of Cerean dye,
Sweet acid offspring of an injur’d fky ;
O Shaddock ! like thy country, captive led.
And doom’d to grace the board her children fpread.
genuity
r9
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
confiderable relifh from its fucceeding the fait provifions, chap. to which we had fo long been confined, had any contrail been neceffary to heighten our opinion of its elegance.
But the choiceft delicacies of America and Europe were united in this repaid, and ferved up in filver. A great variety of the richeft wines were poured out with pro- fufion ; the defert was compofed of the moll delicious fruits, and the company were attended by a confiderable number of extremely handfome negro and mulatto maids, all naked from the wailt upwards, according to the cullom of the country ; but the other parts of their per- fons arrayed in the finell India chintzes, and the whole adorned with golden chains, medals, beads, bracelets, and fweet-fmelling flowers.
After partaking of this fuperb entertainment till about feven o’clock, I fet out in fearch of the houfe of Mr. Lol- kens, the holpitable gentleman who had fo obligingly in¬ vited me to make it my own. I foon difcovered the place, but my reception was fo ludicrous that I cannot forbear re¬ lating the particulars. On knocking at the door, it was open¬ ed by a young female negro, of a mafculine appearance, whofe whole drefs confilled of a fingle petticoat, and who held a lighted tobacco-pipe in one hand, and a burning candle in the other, which fhe brought clofe to my face, in order to reconnoitre me. I enquired if her mailer was at home, to which Ihe replied, but in a language totally unintelligible to me. I then mentioned his name, on which flie burll into an immoderate fit of laughter,
D 2 difplaying
NARRATIVE OF AN
ao
CHAP, difplaying two rows of very beautiful teeth; and at the I* fame time, laying hold of the breaft-buttons of my go at,, fhe made me a fignal to follow her. I Was much at as lofs how to aft, but went in, and was ufhered by the girl into a very neat apartment, whither fhe brought fome excellent fruit, and a bottle of Madeira wine, which fhe placed upon the table. She then, in the beft manner fhe was able, informed me that hei tyl&Jbv with the reft of his family, wras gone to fpend a few days at his plantation, and that (he was left behind to receive am Englifh Captain, whom fhe fuppofed to be me. I figni- fied that I was, and filled her out a tumbler of wine,, which I had the utmoft difficulty to perfuade her to ac¬ cept ; for fuch is the degrading light in which, thefe un¬ happy beings are confidered, that it is accounted a- high degree of prefumption in them to eat or drink in the- prefence of an European, I contrived for fome time to carry on fomething like a eonverfation with this womans but was foon glad to put an end to it by recurring to my
bottle.
Tired with the employments of the day, I longed for- fome reft, and made a fignal to my attendant that X wanted to fleep : hut my motion was ftrangely mifeon- ftrued; fof fhe immediately feized me by the neck, and imprinted: on my lips a raoft ardent kifs. Heartily provoked at this unexpefled, and (from one of her co¬ lour) unwelcome falutation, I difentangled myfelf from her embraces, and angrily flung into the apartment allotted
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
genuity in forming rings out of the ftones, which they decorate with cyphers, initial letters, and other devices, then difpofe of them to the Europeans, who mount them in gold. Thefe ftones are large, extremely hard, and as
black as jet or ebony, but the pulp which furrounds them is very thin.
This day, on examining into the Rate of our remain¬ ing live flock, fuch as hogs, fheep, ducks, geefe, fowls, and turkies, we found them nearly as many in number as when we firft failed from Holland : thefe were all fent to the colonel’s poultry-yard at the head-quarters, while we had the additional mortification of feeing above fixty large kegs with preferved vegetables, &c. and juft as many fine Weftphalia hams (being perfe&ly rotten) thrown into the river Surinam to feed the fharks.
I now obferved, on the fecond morning after our land¬ ing, that my face, my breaft, and hands were entirely fpotted over like the Ikin of a leopard, oceafioned by myriads of gnats or mufquitoes , which flying in clouds, had kept me company during the night, though the fa¬ tigue from my voyage, and the oppreffive heat of the cli¬ mate, had funk me into fo profound a fleep, that I was in fen Able of their flings, till I perceived the effects. Tnefe infects are inconceivably numerous here during the rainy fteafon, and particularly on the banks of creeks or rivers. None are lecured from their attacks, but they peculiarly infeft ftrangers in preference to the na¬ tives ; and wherever they infert their probofcis, and re¬
main
main unmolefted, they fuck the blood till they aie fcarcely able to fly. Every pun&ure they make is fuc- ceeded by a large blotch, or rather tumour, accompanied with an itching, which is almoft intolerable. 1 be pre¬ fence of the mufquitoes is indicated, by their- buzzing noife, which alone is fuffleient to make one fweat, and which is fo very difagreeable to thofe who have buffered from their flings, as to have obtained for them the name of the Devil's trumpeters. They are indeed inconceiv¬ ably troublefome in every refpea:. The candles are no fooner lighted in an evening, than they are fluck full of them; all kinds of food and drink are expofed to their difagreeable vifits, from which even the mouth, and eyes are not exempted.
The beft cure for their flings is an application of the juice of lemons or limes, mixed with water, which is alfo a tolerable prefervative againft their attacks. Im¬ mediately before fhutting the windows, the inhabitants commonly burn tobacco in their apartments, the fmoke of which occafions the infefls to fly about the room, when the negro girls unrefervedly throw off their petti¬ coats, which is the whole of their covering, and running naked about the chamber, chafe the gnats therewith out at the windows, or deftroy them. The more delicate or luxurious amongft the natives ftill employ their flaves in fanning them during the whole night, excepting fuch as have green gauze doors to their beds or pavilions ; but
the generality of the people in Surinam fleep in roomy
cotton
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 2
cotton hammocks, which are covered with a very large cha thin Rieet, fufpended from a tight line immediately over I- them, fomething like the awning of a fhip, which ferves in fome meafure to keep off thefe troublefome infers and the want of which had expofed me to be thus Rung all over.
There are alfo in Surinam a Rill larger fpecies of gnats or mnfquitoes, called mawkers , the Rings of which are extremely painful indeed ; but as they are much lefs numerous than the former, they are not nearly fo trou¬ blefome to the inhabitants, and are confequently lefs remarked. - But to proceed :
On the morning of the 22d, an elderly negro- worn an, with a black girl about fourteen, entering my apartment, it would be difficult to exprefs my aRoniffiment when ffie gravely prefented me her daughter, to become what fhe was pleafed to term my wife. I had fo little gallan¬ try, however., as to rejeft the offer with a loud laugh : but at the fame time accompanied the refufal with a fmall but welcome prefent, with which they appeared perfectly fatisfied, and departed with every poffible de- monfiration of gratitude and refpe&. The girls here, who voluntarily enter into thefe connedions, are fome- times mulattoes, fometimes Indians, and often negroes.
They all exult in the circumRance of living with an European, whom in general they ferve with the utmoR tendernefs and fidelity, and tacitly reprove thofe nu¬ merous fair -ones who break through ties more facred
I
i
i
VOL. I.
a6
NARRATIVE OF AN
chap, and folemn. Young women of this defcription cannot I- i indeed be married, or connected in any other way, as moft of them are born or trained up in a ftate of flaverv; and fo little is the pra&ice condemned, that while they continue faithful and conftant to the part* ner by whom they are chofen, they are countenanced and encouraged by their neareft relations and friends, who call this a lawful marriage, nay, even the clergy avail themfeives of this cuftom without reflrainfe witnefs the Rey. Mr. S— dh— s, Mr. T— 11— t, 8cc. Many of the fable - coloured beauties will however follow their own penchant without any reftraint whatever, refufing with contempt the golden bribes of fome, while on others they beftow their favours for a dram or a broken to*- bacco-pipe, if not for nothing.
The hofpitality I had experienced on our firft arrival in the colony was not confined to that time only : I had a general invitation to vifit, befides his excellency the go* vernoTy and Colonel Sexier, the commandant, in more than twenty refpedtable families, whenever it fuited my convenience ; fo that, though the officers of our corps had formed a regimental mefs, I had feldom the honour of their company. One gentleman, a Mr. Kennedy , in particular, carried his politenefs fo far, as not only to offer me the ufe of his carnage, faddle-horfes, and table, but even to prefent me with a fine negro boy, named QuacOy tO’ carry my umbrella as long as I remained in
Surinam. The other gentlemen of the regiment alfo
met
i
i
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
27
met with great civilities, and the whole colony Teemed CHAP, anxious to teftify their refpeit, by vying with each , other in a conftant round of feftivity. Balls, concerts card-aflemblies, and every Tpecies of amufement in their power, were conftantly contrived for our entertain¬ ment. The fpirit of conviviality next reached on board the men-of-war, where wre entertained the ladies with cold fuppers and dancing upon the quarter-deck, under an awning, till fix in the morning, generally concluding the frolic by a cavalcade, or an airing in their carriages*
This conftant routine of diflipation, which was rendered ftill more pernicious by the enervating effects of an in- tenfely hot climate, w'here one is in a perpetual ftate of perfpiration, already threatened to become fatal to two or three of our officers. Warned by their example,
I retired from all public companies, fenfible that by fuch means I could alone preferve my health, in a coun¬ try which has fuch a tendency to debilitate the human frame, that an European, however cautious to avoid excefles, has always reafon to apprehend its dreadful effects.
Diffipation and luxury appear to be congenial to the inhabitants of this climate, and great numbers muft an¬ nually fall vicftims to their very deftru<5tive influence.
Their fatal confequences are indeed too vifible in the men, who have indulged themfelves in intemperance and other fenfual gratifications, and who appear withered and enervated in the extreme ; nor do the generality of
E 2 the
r
NARRATIVE OF AN
the Creole females exhibit a more alluring appearance they are languid, their complexions are fallow, and the fkin even of the young ladies is frequently fhrivelled. This is however not the cafe with all ; and I have been acquainted with fome who, preferving a glow of health? and frefhnefs in their lovely countenance,, were entitled to; contend for the prize of beauty with the faireft European.- But, alas ! the numbers of this laft defeription are ftp fmall, that the colon ids in their amours moft ufuallv prefer the Indian negro and: mulatto1 girls, particularly on account of their remarkable cleanlinefs, health, and: vivacity. For the exceffes- of the hufbands in this-refpedt,, and the marked neglect which they meet from them,,- the Creole ladies moft commonly,, at a very early period,, appear in mourning weeds, with the agreeable privilege however of making another choice, in the hopes of & better partner ; nor are they long without another mate. Such indeed is the fuperior longevity of the fair females- of Surinam, compared to that of the males (owing; chiefly, as I faid, to their exceffes of all forts) that I have frequently known wives who have buried four hufbands,, but never met a man in this country who had furvived two wives.
The ladies do not,, however, always hear with the' moft becoming patience the flights and infults they thus meet with, in the expectation of a hidden releafe,. but moftly perfecute their fuccefsful fable rivals (even on fufpkion) with implacable hatred and the moft unrelent¬ ing
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 29
rng barbarity ; while they chaftife their partners not CHAP, only with a Shew of ineffable contempt, but with giving , T,_ ,
in public the mod: unequivocal marks of preference towards thofe gentlemen who newly arrive from Eu¬ rope ; which occafioned the trite proverb and obferva- tion in the colony, that the Tropical ladies and the muf- quitoes have an inftindtive preference for a newly-landed European : this partiality is indeed fo very extreme, and the proofs of it fo very apparent and naufeous, that feme command of temper is neceffary to prevent the difguft which fuch behaviour muft naturally excite, particularly where the object is not very inviting ; nay, it was even publicly reported at Paramaribo, that two of thefe Tropical Amazons had fought a duel for the fake of one of our officers.
I muft now mention a word or two of the Governor and Colonel Fourgeoud; when I will endeavour to put an end to this long chapter : for,, notwithstanding the polite reception our whole corps had met with ever lince we firft landed in the colony, it was evident to perceive that mutual coolnefs which fublifted between him and our commander in chief, who indeed gave the firft pub¬ lic caufe of animofity, on the very day of our debarka¬ tion, by drawing up his regiment with their backs to¬ ward the governor’s palace.
It is eafy to conceive that the difguft which fo early and fo reciprocally manifefted itfelf between the above two gentlemen, who were both of them our commanders,
E 3 but
30
CHAP.
I.
NARRATIVE OF AN
but totally independent of each other, could not but make our Ray at Paramaribo extremely difagreeable to all the officers in our regiment, as well as thofe of the Society corps : the confequence of which was, that hav- ng refided but a few weeks in the colony, it was thought >roper by the governor to acquaint Colonel Fourgeoud, that, “ as the rebel negroes feemed no further difpofed “ to diRurb the tranquillity of the fettlement, its own « troops, and the corps of black rangers, were deemed « fufficient for its defence ; in confequence of which, « Colonel Fourgeoud, with his marines, no longer being “ wanted, was at liberty to return to Europe whenever he " thought proper.”
Various were the feelings of pleafure and relu£tance with which our gentlemen received this news : prepara¬ tions were, however, made for our departure; but in a few days thefe were again fufpended by the inhabitants, who clamoroufly infiRed on our Raying; when the wooding and watering the veRels was provifionally Ropped, but the fliips Rill kept in commiffion on fpeculation. It was during this interval of leifure and Uncertainty that I fe- riouRy thought of employing myfelf in writing a ffiort hiRory of the colony, and of drawing fuch objects as I thought moR Ratable to compleat my little plan. In thefe defigns, befides confulting the beR authors on the fubjedt, I had the honour to be materially affiRed by hi? excellency the governor, who not only favoured me with feveral manufcripts, but daily furnhhed me with fuch a
fucceffion
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. *29
fucceffion of animals, fhrubs, 8cc. as I was defirous of CHA P. being acquainted with : — thus, independant of that cool- , L , nefs which was fo evident between thefe two veteran ^officers, I made it my earneft ftudy and endeavour, if poffible, to keep friends with both parties ; and, inde¬ pendant of that duty which I owed Colonel Fourgeoud, as my commander ij\ chief, to treat the governor of the colony with that refpe£t which I thought was due to his dignity, his rank, and his condudt ; and in which motive (though not by all) I was Readily fupported by the moll refpe£table officers in the corps.
J will now endeavour to fulfil the talk I have under¬ taken ; and commence with a general defcription ,pf this wonderful country.*
*E 3
CHAP.
NARRATIVE OF AN
CHAP. II.
General Defcription of Guiana — of the Colony of Surinam in particular — Accounts of its earliefl Difcovery — is p off effect by the Eng/i/h — by the Dutch — Murder of the Governor , Lord Somelfdyk — The Settlement taken by the French , and ranfomed.
1HE difcovery of Guiana, by fome called u the Wild
J- u Coaft,” has been long (though with uncertainty) attributed to the Spanifti commander Vafco Nunes, who, in the year 1504, after difcovering Cuba to be an ifiand, landed on the continent of South America, penetrated as far as between the rivers Oroonoko and Amazon, and comprehended that country in the extenlive traft of land, to which, in contradiction to Cuba and the adjacent iflands, he gave the name of Terra Firm a.
This country, the length of which is about 1220, and the breadth about 680 geographical miles, is fituated between eight degrees twenty minutes north, and three degrees fouth latitude, and between fifty and feventy degrees twenty minutes weft; longitude from the meri¬ dian of London, in the N. E. part of South America. Its boundaries are marked by the rivers Viapary or Oroonoko on the N. W. and by the Maranon or river Amazon on the S. E. — The N. E. is wafhed by the Atlantic Ocean ; and the river Negris, or Black river, terminates its extent on the S. W. which form it into a kind of ifland, and feparate it from New Grenada, Peru, and the Brazils.
Though fituated, like Guinea , under the Torrid Zone,
9
the
trains Point
Vrederibnrg}
f\ Dutch Giuirtl Sahy
l 'resiili Gtu/rd
Red Leyden
Rebel Repro Se/tle/nents
Devil s Marsh
JlcdouJbtr 2" ur mere/ it
Xfbir
sterd/un
’aranitrribo '
’i//Vh’.
it/ warns
its <3 ITaru-i
Iml inn
Contort
she Spare •'inclosed- by ■ the Do tied Line is /hr only th/tivaJrd Ground in Surinam .
'Rebel Renfro Sr/// mu demo l/sf ted. s>* — "'X.
Mi/Hm ]
Rice Country
Tost catlcdr La Roc/ui/e
Cl urn i />rr/:
■ G /JMilUnry [07‘o.rt
Cm wassiht
SeU/einrji/.r A A A ‘the Oucn Rep roes
ypliwy
>4 Camp at Mapdenb e/p It
Old Military
Rrmrlisood
Explanation.
1 MUitary Ports.
. Enaimpnients by CM iFcwpeoud and his troops .
Piirnassus Rtue Mountain a
Seale <yf British S/alu/e J files.
Selttcnuntr
‘C the Sararnci'a JVeprot
Lone/itude y? best from Loudo
London, Published DerSiC'iypi, by J. Joluison , SI Pa/ds thurrfi Yard.
T. Yonder sad/'-'
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
3i
the heats in Guiana are much more fupportable than chap thofe on that part of the African coaft. The fcorching n* rays of the fun are in Guiana daily tempered by cooling breezes from the fea ; while in Guinea the intenfe heat is increafed by the wind blowing continually over the laud, and in its paffage traverfing numerous fandy defarts.
The eafterly or trade winds, which generally blow be¬ tween the Tropics, are extremely refrefhing to the coaft of Guiana, between the hours of eight or ten in the morning, and fix o’clock in the evening, when they ceafe to operate, and a zephyr is fcarcely ever heard to whifper during the night. Thefe winds are fucceeded by thick fogs, and vapours exhaled from the earth, which render the nights in this country not only very chilly, but ex¬ tremely damp and unhealthy. The length of the days and nights in Guiana never varies much more than forty minutes during the courfe of the year, as the fun always rifes about fix in the morning, and fets at the fame hour in the evening.
The rainy and dry feafons which divide the year, as cold and warm weather divide it in Europe, may be termed the winter and fummer of this country. There is however one remarkable difference between the Euro¬ pean feafons and thofe in Guiana, which is, that Guiana has annually two winters and two fummers, which are diftinguifhed from each other by the appellation of the greater and the [mailer, not becaufe the rains are lefs violent in the two latter feafons, or the heat lefs intenfe, but from an opinion which has prevailed, that their pe¬ riod of duration is but about half as long as that of the
Vol. I. E 4 former.
3^
NARRATIVE OF AN
CHAP, former. This diffindtion however appears to be more' L n'_ imaginary than real, as far as refpedts the rainy feafons ;
for as thefe downfalls of water only take place when the fun is vertical, which it is near the line twice a year, and for an equal portion of time, the continuance of the rains will probably be equal in both feafons.
The difference between -the dry feafons indeed may be accounted for from the greater commencing in Surinam at the time when the fun is about to crofs the equator in: its courfe to the tropic of Capricorn , often in Odtober, when a continual drought and fcorching heat begin to’ take place, till its return in March. This is fucceeded by violent uninterrupted rains till June, during which time the fun has travelled to the tropic of Cancer , and a fhort feafon of parching heat again takes place, till about July, which is once more followed by. inceffant rains till Qdlo- ber, and thus the revolution of the different feafons is completed *.
The continuance of the rains during the time when the fun is vertical in this climate, is neceffary to the exiftence of animal and vegetable life, which without thefe feafonable refrelhments muff languifh and expire under the fervid influence of its rays. But though I have mentioned Rated periods for the variations of the
* I cannot but notice in this place a fun is verticals at the tropic of Ca- ftrange error, into which Mr. Guthrie pricorn ; and defcribing it as continuing has inadvertently fallen, in dating the till the fun is again vertical at Cancer, or commencement of the dry feafon at the from the beginning of January to the north tropic, from the time when the latter end of May.
9
feafons
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
33
feafons in Guiana, yet it is neceflary to remark that thefe changes are not uniformly produced at the fame time, but, like the European feafons, occafionally vary. The changes are always accompanied by tremendous claps of thunder, and very vivid flafh.es of lightning, which continue during feveral weeks, and are frequently fatal both to the cattle and inhabitants of this country.
Some parts of Guiana prefent a barren and moun¬ tainous afpecfl, but in general the foil is abundantly fruit¬ ful, the earth during the whole of the year adorned with continual verdure, the trees loaded at the fame time with bloflbms and ripe fruit, and the whole prefenting to the view the delightful union of fpring and fummer. This general appearance of fertility, particularly in Suri¬ nam, may be afcribed not only to the rains and warmth in this climate, but alfo to its low and marfhy fituation, which prevents the intenfe heats from deftroying ve¬ getation, and from the extreme richnefs the foil, par¬ ticularly in thofe parts which are cultivated by European induftry. It muft indeed be confefled, that fuch fitua- tions are far from being favourable to health ; but the fpirit of gain is a very powerful principle, and the cer¬ tainty of prefent profit will generally be confidered as a weighty counterpoife to thofe evils which, if ever encountered, appear at a confiderable diftance ; and as they are fometimes efcaped, may be always efteemed as uncertain.
The uncultivated parts of Ghlana are covered with Vol. I. F immenfe
CHAP.
II.
Vm III — «^—i' i mJ
NARRATIVE OF AN
34
CHAP.
II.
V. ■— y— — ^
immenfe forefts, rocks, and mountains ; fome of the latter enriched with a great variety of mineral fub- ftances ; and the whole country is interfered by very deep marfhes or fwamps, and by extenfive heaths or fa- vannas. The ftream along the coaft Rows continually towards the north-weft; and the whole Ihore is rendered almoft inacceflible from its being covered with danger¬ ous banks, quickfands, bogs, and rocks, with prodigious bullies, and a large quantity of brulhwood, which are fo clofely interwoven as to be impenetrable.
The Spanifh, Portugueze, and Dutch, are the only nations which poflefs fettlements in this part of Terra Firma, excepting the fmall colony of Cayenne, belong¬ ing to the French, which is fituated between the river Marawina and Cape Orange. The dominions in Guiana, fubjedf to Spain, are fituated on the banks of the Oronoque, and thofe of Portugal extend along the Ihores of the river Amazon. The Dutch fettlements, which fpread along the coafts of the Atlantic ocean, and reach from Cape Naifau to the river Marawina, are Eftequibo, Demerary, Rerbice, and Surinam * ; the laft of which is the moft extenlive and valuable, and that portion of the Dutch pofieffions to which the fucceeding account will be chiefly confined. This induftrious nation endeavour¬ ed, in the year 16575 to eftablilh a fmall colony on the banks of the river Poumeron, but in 1666 this fettlement
* See the Map prefixed to this work.
was
X.
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 35
o
was demolifhed by the Englifh. Nor were they more chap. fuccefsful in one which they founded in 1677, on the ri- , IL , ver Wiapoko or Oyapoa, which w'as immediately in¬ vaded and deftroyed by the French.
The Dutch confider the beautiful and once flouriftiing colony of Surinam as extending over the whole of that territory which is encircled on the weft by the river Kanre or Cange, about forty miles from the Corantine, and on the eaft by the river Sinamaree. But thefe li¬ mits are difputed by the French, who confine the boun¬ dary of Surinam to the banks of the Marawina, upon which they ftation a military force.
The principal rivers that belong to this fettlement are the ■ river Surinam, from which the colony takes its name, the Corantine, the Copename, the Seramica, and the Marawina. Of thofe rivers the firft only is navi¬ gable, the reft, not excepting the Marawina, being, though very long and broad, fo fhallow, and fo extremely crouded with rocks and fmall iflands, that they are of little confequence to Europeans, nor are their banks in¬ habited except by fome of the Indians or natives of the country. The river Surinam, whofe mouth is fituated in about fix degrees north latitude, is, at its entrance, nearly the breadth of four Englilh miles, and in depth from fixteen to eighteen feet at low-water mark, the tide rifing and falling above twelve feet ; this breadth and depth is continued from its mouth upwards to the dis¬ tance of eight or ten miles, when it divides itfelf into.
F 2 two
36
CHAP.
II.
_ _ _ _ I
narrative of an
two branches, winding to the S. S. E. for the length of upwards of 120 miles. All this extent is navigable for fmall craft, but beyond this diftance the river pro¬ ceeds diredtly fouth ; fometimes in its courfe furround¬ ing fmall iflands, and fometimes forming fmall catara&s. The fource of this beautiful river has never yet been difcovered by Europeans. All large veffels, after entering the Surinam, ought to keep rather near the eaft fhore ; the oppolite fide being very full of fhoals, as far as the town of Paramaribo, which is about eighteen miles from its mouth. The other branch, into which this large river is divided, is named Comawina, and keeps due eaft for about fixteen miles, with a depth of about three or four fathom at high-water mark ; but as the tide makes a difference of twelve feet, it is not confidered as navi¬ gable for any fhips of burthen, though its breadth may be computed at about two miles. At the diftance of fixteen miles, the river Comawina is again divided into two branches, one of which bears the fame name to the S. E. for a length of above fifty miles, and that of Cottica to the E.S.E. for more than forty miles, when this laft takes a meandring courfe to the S. S. W. for the diftance of twenty-four or thirty miles. Into all thefe rivers, the courfes of which are not ftraight but ferpen- tine, are difcharged a number of very large creeks or rivu¬ lets, the banks of which are inhabited by Europeans, and cultivated with fugar, cocoa, cotton, and indigo planta¬ tions, which form the moft delightful profpedts that
can
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
can be imagined to thofe who travel by water, the uni- chap. verfal mode of journeying in this country, as the foil IL is in general ill adapted for the condru<dion of roads ; and in fome places the woods, 8cc. are abfolutely impe¬ netrable, a fmall path of communication between Para¬ maribo and the river Seramica being the only paffable road that I know of in the fettlement. The rivers whofe banks are uncultivated, fuch as the Corantine, Copename, Seramica, and Marawina, afford but little matter- for defcription : it is therefore only neceffary to remark, that they are generally from two to four miles in breadth, exceedingly fhallow, and crowded with quick- fands, fmall iflands, and rocks, which form a number of beautiful cafcades. In the river Marawina is frequently found a curious done or pebble, which is known by the name of the Marawina diamond, and which being po- lifhed, bears a very near refemblance to that mod valu¬ able gem, and is confequently often fet in rings, &c. &c.
In all the above rivers, without exception, the water rifes and falls for more than fixty miles from the mouth, oc- cafioned by the doppage of the frefhes by the tide ; yet frefh water may generally be met with about twenty- four or thirty miles from the mouths of thefe rivers for watering the fhips. The water of the river Surinam is ac¬ counted the mod excellent, and is brought by the failors from as far as the Jew Savannah, which is above forty miles from the town of Paramaribo. The circumdance » moil
#
3s NARRATIVE OF AN
chap, mofi injurious to fhips in thefe rivers is, that their bot- 11 toms are often affected by a kind of water-worm, the ravages of which are the moft effectually prevented by frequently careening the veffels, in order that they may be properly cleaned, fcraped, caulked, and payed. For that purpofe the coal-tar, invented by the Earl of Dun- donald, (for which a patent of twelve years was granted to him) is greatly preferable to any other material which can be applied for this ufe.
It is high or low water nearly every fix hours and half ; the fpring tides rife regularly twice a month, when the river fwells to a confiderable degree, which, from va¬ rious circumftances, is often of infinite benefit to the planters.
It may be perhaps expe&ed, in this place, that I fhould add a few words concerning the defence of the above ri¬ vers, though that is a fubjeCt which I purpofe to treat more at large on another occafion. On the eaft fide of the mouth of the river Surinam is a fmall promontory, called Braam’s Point, which I think originally had been named Pram’s, or Parham’s Point, after Francis Lord Willoughby of Parham, to whom this fettlement was granted by King Charles the Second in 1662, and which fpot is fuppofed to be the firft on which Lord Wil¬ loughby landed in 1652, ten years before he ob¬ tained the charter from his fovereign. This point is not fortified; but about eight miles upwards are two
redoubts.
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
39
redoubts, one on each fide of the river, called Leyden and Purmerent, and a little higher up is the new fortrefs called Amfterdam, built on the point of land which fe- parates the two rivers, Surinam and Comewina, from each other ; and whofe fire, crofting with that of the two redoubts, protects the entry of both thefe rivers.
Near the town of Paramaribo, and about fix or feven miles from the fortrefs Amfterdam, is the citadel which bears the name of Fort Zelandia, protecting the town and all the fhipping in the roads ; and about fixteen miles from Fort Amfterdam, on Rio Comewina, is a fortrefs called Somelfdyk, which commands the two oppofite fhores, viz. thofe of Rio Comewina and Rio Cottica. Be- fides thefe, there are military pofts on the Corantine, the Seramica, and Marawina. Next to thefe is a ftrong guard at the mouth of the Mott Creek, about thirty miles below the river Surinam, where a fire-beacon or light-houfe is erecfted on the coaft, to warn the fliips bound for the river that they are paft the mouth of the dangerous Ma¬ rawina. This guard alfo fires a few guns, to apprize the colony when fhips are within view and fleering for the coaft. Along the higher parts of the rivers Surinam, Comewina, and Cottica, advanced guards are alfo con¬ tinually kept, to protect the inhabitants from inland in- vafions by the Indians or fugitive negroes. In thefe for¬ tifications confifts the principal defence of this fettle- ment ; befides a fmall armed bark or guarda-cofta, which 9 cruifes
CHAP.
NARRATIVE OF AN
'h
i { if
ip.il
40
CHAP.
II
it
•[;
' :
iIf.
Hi
i
cruifes between the river Marawina and Berbice, to give intelligence in cafe of any threatening danger to the colony.
I had alraoft forgotten to mention, that a path fortified with military pofts had been projected, and was actually begun, from the upper parts of the river Comawina to the river Seramica ; but the plan did not fucceed, and the line, which is called the orange-path, is at prefent in the hate of a wildernefs.
Having thus defcribed the furface of the country in general, with its boundaries, rivers, See. I fhall proceed to an account of the earlieft difeoveries and moft: remark¬ able revolutions of this once flourifhing colony, which efcaped being vifited by the gallant Admiral Rodney in the laft war— That part of Terra Firma, which is called Guiana, or the Wild Coaft, and in which lies the colony of Surinam, is faid by fome to have been firfl found out by the juftly celebrated Chriftopher Columbus, in tlie year 1498, whence he was fent home in chains; though others contend that it was not difeovered till the year 1504, by Vafco Nunes, a Spaniard, as was Rated in the beginning of this Chapter.
In 1595 it was vifited by Sir Walter Raleigh, under Queen Elizabeth, who alfo failed up the river Oronoque above 600 miles, in fearch of the fuppofed El Dorado, and in hopes of difeovering the gold-mines, of which he had the moft lively expectations, from famples of a
marcafite.
V
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
marcafite, which the Spaniards call Madre de Oro *. In 1634, a Captain Marlhall, with about fixty Englilh, were difcovered in Surinam employed in planting tobacco, according to the relation of David Piterfe de Vries, a Dutchman, who converfed with them upon the fpot. In 1640, Surinam was inhabited by the French, who were obliged to leave it foon after, on account of the frequent invalions which they juftly fuffered from the Caribbean Indians, for having, like their neighbours the Spaniards, treated them with the moft barbarous cruelties. In the year 1650, this colony being vacant, Francis Lord Wil¬ loughby of Parham, by King Charles the Second’s per- million, fent thither one veflel, equipped by himfelf, to take polfellion of it in the name of his royal matter ; a little after which he difpatched three veflels more, one of them carrying twenty guns. All thefe were well received by the Indians or inhabitants of the country, with, whom they entered into friendly treaties, and a kind of negociation. Two years after this Lord Willoughby went over himfelf, and leaving feveral good and whole- fome laws and regulations for the government and de¬ fence of the colony, returned to England, whence he continued to fupply the fettlement at his own expence with men and ammunition. On the fecond day of June,
* Of this extraordinary enterprize the •urious reader may fee a full account, written by Sir Walter Raleigh himfelf, as
VOL. I.
it was publifhed by Dr. Birch, in 1751, among the reft of Raleigh's works, printed for Dodfley, in two vols. odtavo,
1662,
41
C H A P. II.
'mi
G
mt
42
NARRATIVE OF AN
M
I
CHAP. 1662, the colony of Surinam was granted by charter of Charles the Second to Francis Lord Willoughby, and at that lord’s defire to be divided with Lawrence Hide, fecond fon of Edward Earl of Clarendon, for them and their defendants for ever : the original record of this charter is to he found in the chapel of the Rolls . In 1664, the Englilh captured the New Netherlands, fince called New- York, from the Dutch.
In the year 1665, Surinam was fuccefs fully cultivated, moftly by planting tobacco. They had alfo raifed above forty fine fugar plantations, and erected a ftrong fortrefs of hewn ftone for their defence. It is proper however to remark, that fome fuppofe thefe improvements were effeaed by the Portuguefe, though at what period is uncertain ; while the French ftrenuoufly difpute the point, and infill that they were the work of Monfieur Ponfert de Bretigny, when France had pofleffion of that country. However this may be, the fortrefs is fituated about fixteen or eighteen miles from the mouth of the river Surinam, and thefe induftrious fettlers found them- felves perfeaiy happy in a fmall town which they had built under the walls. Their felicity was not of long duration ; for in the wars between Charles the Second and the United Provinces, the Dutch having been driven in 1661 from the Brazils by the Portuguefe, took the colony of Surinam from the Englilh in 1667, under the
command of a Captain Abraham Griuvon, who was dif- ^ patched
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
patched for that purpofe by the province of Zealand, with three fhips of war and 300 marines. The Englifli commander, William Biam, loft the fettlement of Suri¬ nam by furprize, when above 600 of the beft men in the colony were at work on the fugar plantations. This neglecft appears from the trifling lofs of the Dutch, who in ftorming the citadel had but one man killed. They immediately planted the Prince of Orange’s flag on the ramparts, and gave now to this fortrefs the name of Zelandia, and that of New Middleburge to the town of Paramaribo, after making the inhabitants, amongft other contributions, pay one hundred thoufand pounds weight of fugar, and fending a number of them to the ifland of Tobago. This event took place in Fe¬ bruary, and in July following the peace was concluded at Breda. But, moft unluckily for the new pofleflors of Surinam, it was concluded unknown to the Englifli com¬ modore, Sir John Harman, who in October that fame year, having firft taken Cayenne from the French, en¬ tered the river with a ftrong fleet of feven fhips of war, two bomb-ketches, & c. and retook the colony from the Dutch, killing on this occafion above fifty of their men, and deftroying nine pieces of cannon in Fort Zelandia. The new inhabitants were now in their turn laid under contribution, and the Dutch garrifon were tranfported as prifoners to the ifland of Barbadoes.
At the difcovery, in Surinam, that the peace had been concluded in Europe between the contending powers,
G 2 before
4$
CHAP.
II.
NARRATIVE OF AN
44.
CHAP, before Commodore Harman retook, the colony from the ^ . Dutch, confiderable tumult and diforder took place
among the inhabitants, who knew not whom they ought to acknowledge as their lawful fovereign. At length, by an order of King Charles, the fettlement was ceded to the Dutch,1 in 1669, when twelve hundred of the old inhabitants, Englilh and negroes together, left it, and went to fettle on the illand of Jamaica. At the clofe of the fucceeding war, it was agreed by the treaty of Weftminfter that Surinam Ihould be the property of the Dutch for ever, in exchange for the province of New- York, which accordingly took place in the year 1674; and after this period the colony of Surinam was never more in the pofteflion of Great Britain. In 1678, a Mr, Heynfius was governor of the colony, and a Captain Lightenburgh commander of the troops.
The Dutch for the firft few years enjoyed little fatisfac- tion in their new poffeffions, as they were daily harralfed by the invafions of the Carribbean Indians, to whom they were much more obnoxious than the Englifn had been : indeed they carried their refentment fo far as to murder feveral of the Dutch fettlers. In addition to this, the pro¬ vince of Zealand, to which the colony properly belonged* being perpetually at variance with the other United Pro¬ vinces concerning the fovereignty. of this fettlement, and not being of themfelves able to fupport the great expence which was requifite for its prefervation and defence, at laftrefolved to fell the whole to the Dutch Weft India.
6 Company;:
\
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM*
Company; which they did in the year 1682, for the fum CHAP, of £.23,636 fterling, including all the warlike ftores, ■_ - A » ammunition, See. amongft which were fifty pieces of cannon. At the fame time they obtained a charter from their high mightineffes the States General, exempting them from duty for ten years. A few months after this, however, the Weft India Company, notwithftanding the above charter of indemnification, finding the other ne- ceflary expences of the fettlement alfo too great for them, again transferred two- thirds of the colony of Su» rinam, the one to the town of Amfterdam, the other to the houfe of Somelfdyk, at the fame price for which they had bought it, and thefe three together formed a. fbciety, to whom (ftill under the fan&ion of their high mightineffes) was fome time afterwards intruded,- by a refolution of the States General, the foie and entire di¬ rection of the affairs of this country.
Such was the fituation of Surinam, and in this manner all matters were finally fettled, when Cornelius Van Aar- fen, lord of Somelfdyk (as being one of the proprietors) went over with three hundred men, with whom he alfo took fome felons fentenced for tranfportation. At his ar¬ rival, in 1684, he took the command as governor general of the colony. He then created a court of policy, to af- fift in the adminiftration of juftice; with the members of which, as well as with the inhabitants, he lived in a ftate of continual diffenfion. The confequence was, that they fent feveral complaints againft him to Europe, not-
withftandimr
46 NARRATIVE OF AN
CHAP, withftanding he had made a favourable peace with the , Caribbee, Warowa, and Arawakka Indians, as well as with a few run-away negroes, who had been fettled at Rio Copename fince the Englifh left the colony.
This unfortunate gentleman's reign, however, lafled but a fhort fpace, viz. till the year 1688, when on the fame day both the governor and deputy governor, Mr. Verboom, were murdered by their own foldiers, owing, as was alledged, to their having not only forced the men to work like negroes in digging canals, &c. but alfo obliged them to fubfift on very bad and fhort allowance, which drove them to this a£t of defperation I am forry to fay this treatment is too frequently the cafe in the fettlements, as I fhall afterwards have occafion to prove. Such indeed was the confidence of thefe affaf- fins, that they offered to give in their defence, and aflign their reafons for committing this a£l of cruelty.
As the particulars of the affaffination are not uninte- refling, I fhall beg leave to trefpafs upon the reader’s patience by a brief recital of the tranfadtion.
The governor was walking under a grove of orange- trees, near his own houfe, with Mr. Verboom, when unexpedtedly ten or twelve armed foldiers (feemingly drunk) accofted them, and immediately infilled on lefs work and better fubfiltence. The governor drawing his
* Somelfdyk had the character of a tyrant ; he was, under the cloak of reli¬ gion, defpotic, paffionate, brutal, and cruel ; he even ordered an Indian chiefs
head to be ftruck off for fome domeftic mifdemeanour, for which he could not produce, efpecially in thofe days, the fmalleft ihadow of authority.
fword
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 47
fvvord to force them back, was inftantaneoufly fhot CHAP, through the body in many places, and died upon the , 1 L . fpot ; his companion, on the other hand, received but one wound, and did not expire till the ninth day after.
This done, the rioters, accompanied by feveral accom¬ pli ces, marched in triumph to Fort Zelandia, which they took without reffftance, and made themfelves matters of the gunpowder and victualling magazines. After this, the garri.fon having joined them, they formed a ring, and chofe out from among them a commander in chief, and feveral other officers to whom they all fwore to be faith¬ ful, as alfo to each other, to the laft drop of their blood.
What is very remarkable, is, that their new chief, the very fame afternoon, ordered the body of the maflacred governor, Somelfdyk, to be interred in Fort Zelandia with decency and military honours ; and even the great guns were fired from the walls, and three rounds with fmall arms by the rebels.
The magiftrates and other inhabitants of Surinam now beheld themfelves in a moft unpleafant fftuation, and were obliged even to enter into a capitulation with the in- furgents in the fort, the principal articles of which were, that the latter ffiould evacuate Fort Zelandia, for which they were to receive a few hundred pounds ; that they were then to be permitted to embark on board the tranfport fliip Salamander, to quit the colony without moleftation, and to fet fail for what part of the world they ffiould prefer : they accordingly, to the amount of above one
hundred,
« *
V
CHAP.
II.
I
hundred, were fent on board; but no fooner did they prepare to weigh anchor for their departure, than the fhip was boarded by feveral fmall veffels, privately arm¬ ed and manned for the purpofe. The rebels were com¬ pelled to furrender at difcretion, and a few days after wrere tried for murder and rebellion; when eleven of the ringleaders were executed, three of them were broke alive upon the rack, and eight were hanged on the gal¬ lows in irons. The reft obtained their pardon ; but be¬ ing no longer to be depended on, were gradually dif- charged from the colonial fervice, when others could be procured to replace them.
In the following year the widow of Somelfdyk offered to transfer her portion in this fettlement to King William the Third, but to no purpofe ; while a Mr. Scherpen- hayzoen was fent over to Surinam from Holland, with a frefli fupply of men and ammunition, to take the com¬ mand in the room of the late Lord of Somelfdyk, as go¬ vernor of the colony. Mr. Scherpenhayzoen,at his arrival, finding every thing in the utmoft confufion, in order to apply the fpeedieft means of redrefs, eftablifhed a court of juftice, which differed from that formed by his prede- ceffor, Governor Somelfdyk, in this particular, that the for¬ mer is invefted with the management of all military and criminal affairs, and the latter with that of all civil pro- ceffes and pecuniary matters. Both of thefe courts ft ill remain, and of both the governor is always prefident.
This gentleman was alfo very diligent in eftablifhing
many
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
49
many good laws and inftitutions ; and had juft begun to put the colony in a proper ftate of defence (of which at this time it flood greatly in need) againft its domeftic and foreign enemies, when war was declared between France and the United Provinces ; and the fame year the fettlement of Surinam was attacked by Admiral Ducaffe with a ftrong fleet, which, however, Governor Scherpenhayzon very courageoufly beat off, after they had begun to cannonade Fort Zelandia.
In 1692 Jeronimus Clifford, an Englifhman, was con¬ demned to be hanged (which fentence was changed to feven years imprifonment in the fortrefs Somelfdyk) on pretence of having infulted a magiftrate who had ar- refted him for debt. On application, however, from the court of Great Britain, he was fet at liberty in 1695, by defire of the King, when he made a demand on the colony of 20,000 guineas, for damages and falfe imprifon¬ ment; which being refufed, his heirs have continued to claim it ftnce 1700 to fo late as 1762, but hitherto without obtaining any fatisfadlion.
During the fucceeding war which happened in 1712, the French Commodore Jaques Caffard, met with the fame reception from Governor De Gooyer, which Ducaffe had experienced from Scherpenhayzon before Zelandia ; but four months after he returned with better fuccefs, and laid the colony under contribution for a fum of about 56,618b fterling. It was on the 10th of Odlober that he
Vol. I. H entered
CHAP.
II.
'iki
tfl.il hi |; I
If I Pill
■II i! i
50
CHAP.
II.
NARRATIVE OF AN
entered the river of Surinam, with fix or eight fliips 01 war, accompanied by a number of fmall veffels, in which fleet were embarked 3000 men. The largeft fhips were Le Neptune of 74, on board which he himfelf commanded Le Temeraire of 60 guns
Le Rubis «* 56
La Veftale - 48
La Parfaite - 48
La Medufe - 36
The nth Caffard fent a long-boat with a white flag, and an officer to treat with the inhabitants for contribu¬ tions, which, if they refufed to pay, he threatened to bombard the town of Paramaribo *. The boat, however, was obliged to return on board without any fatisfa&ory anfwer. The river Surinam, juft before Fort Zelandia, being above a mile in breadth, the Medufe and feveral flat-bottomed veffels with French troops, being favoured by a very dark night, found means to fail up beyond Paramaribo without being obferved by the Dutch, with an intention to plunder the fugar and coffee plantations
* In the year 1667, Captain Abraham Cruifen gave the town the name of new Middleburg ; but it was before and after called nothing but Paramaribo, which- is faid to be the true Indian name, and Ihould fignify The Spot of Flowers. This is the general account. But in my opi¬ nion no,t only Parham’s Point, but the Para Creek, and the town of Paramaribo, of colony, fettlement, &c, nay , even the great water called the
Golden Parima, on Parham Lake, took their names from Francis Lord Wil¬ loughby of Parham who, as I have men¬ tioned, received this fettlement from Charles the Second, and was one of the firfl: poffeiiors of this beautiful country. Surinam is alfo called a province by the Dutch, but moftly known by the name
that
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
that are fituated above that town : but on the 15th, the CHAP, befieged prepared two large flat-bottomed barges filled , with combuftible matters, fuch as old junk, tar-barrels.
See. and anchored them on the other fide of the river, diredlly oppofite to the town, to which fire being applied, both were fet in a blaze, and difeovered the fmalleft boats of the enemy as they tried to get up the river through the darknefs of the night. Thus difeovered, few ef- caped without damage from the guns of the fort, and thofe of the trading veflels that lay in the roads, who funk fome of the flat-bottomed boats, a great part of the crews of which were drowned. This ftratagem, how¬ ever, did not prevent Caflard’s people, who had hailed for¬ ward, from pillaging and fetting on fire the plantations; while hehimfelf, having at laft anchored before the town of Paramaribo, threw above thirty fhells into it, and kept up a clofe cannonade both upon that and Fort Zelandia, till the 20th of Odlober, when he fent a fecond meflage with one of his captains to the Dutch, demanding of them finally, whether they would capitulate and pay contri¬ bution, which, if they now dared to refufe, he threatened fire and deftrudtion to the whole fettlement.
The Dutch finding their ruin inevitable if they per- fifted, demanded three days ceflation of hoftilities to de¬ liberate, which being granted, they at laft complied with commodore Caflard’s demands; and accordingly on the 27th, a treaty of twenty-four articles being fettled be-
H 2 tween
\
NARRATIVE OF AN
5*
CHAP, tween them, they paid the demanded contribution of 56,6181. fterling to the French, principally in fugar,
w-<— ^
negro (laves, Sec. having but little gold or (liver in the colony. This was no fooner accomplilhed, than the commodore weighed anchor, on the 6th of December, 1712, and with his whole fleet left the fettle ment of Surinam.
CHAP,
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
S3
CHAP. III.
Firfi Revolt of the Negroes ; Caufes thereof — Difir affed State of the Colony — Forced Peace concluded with the Rebels— Mutiny of Sailors , Soldiers , &c.
VI O fooner was this unfortunate colony delivered CffA-P:
^ from its external and avowed enemies, than it i _ A j. was attacked by internal foes of a more fierce and def- perate nature.
The Carribbean and other Indians had, indeed, in former times, often difturbed this fettlement ; but, as I have already mentioned, a peace being eftablifhed with them, after the arrival of Governor Somelfdyk in this colony, they have inviolably adhered to it ever fince, living in the greatefi: harmony and friendfhip with the Europeans.
The revolted negro flaves are the enemies of whom l. now propofe to fpeak, who for fome time diffufed a general terror over this fettlement, and threatened its total lofs to the ftates of Holland..
From the earlieft remembrance fome fugitive negroes have taken refuge in the woods of Surinam ; but thefe were of very fmall confideration till about the year 1726, or 1728, when their hoftile numbers were much increafed, and they had acquired lances and firelocks, which they had pillaged from the efiates. By the acceffion of thefe
arms*
54 NARRATIVE OF AN
CHAP, arms, in addition to their ufual weapons, bows and ar* IIL rows, they were enabled to commit continual outrages and depredations upon the coffee and fugar plantations, as well from a fpirit of revenge for the inhuman treat¬ ment which they had formerly received from their mafters, as with a view of carrying away plunder, and principally gunpowder and ball, hatchets, &c. in order to provide for their future fubliftence and defence.
Thefe negroes were in general fettled in the upper parts of the river Copename and Seramica, from the latter of which they take the name of the Seramica rebels, in diftinCtion from the other gangs which have fince revolted.
Several detachments of military and plantation people were fent againft them, but were of very fmall effeCt in reducing them to obedience by promifes, or extir¬ pating them by force of arms.
In 1730, a moft fhocking and barbarous execution of eleven of the unhappy negro' captives was refolved upon, in the expectation that it might terrify their companions, and induce them to fubmit. One man was hanged alive upon a gibbet, by an iron hook ftuck through his ribs ; two others were chained to flakes, and burnt to death by a flow fire. Six women were broken alive upon the rack, and two girls were decapitated. Such was their re- folution under thefe tortures, that they endured them without even uttering a figh.-
t
* Some
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
** Some Afrlc chief will rife, who fcorning chains, fc Racks, tortures, flames, excruciating pains,
Cf Will lead his injur’d friends to bloody fight,
(C And in the flooded carnage take delight j “ Then dear repay us in fome vengeful war,
“ And give us blood for blood, and fear for fear.”
And fo it a&ually was in this indance, for this inhuman maffacre produced an effe6t very contrary to what had been expected. Indeed it fo much enraged the Seramica rebels, that for feveral years they became dreadful to the colonifts ; who no longer being able to fupport the ex- pences and fatigues of fallying out againd them in the woods, in addition to the great Ioffes which they fo fre¬ quently fuftained by their invafions, of which they lived in continual terror, at laft refolved to treat for peace with their fable enemies.
Governor Mauricius, who was at this period at the head of the colony, now fent out a drong detachment to the rebel fettlement at the Seramica river, for the pur- pofe of effecting, if poflible, a peace fo ardently defired. This detachment, after fome fkirmifliing with the drag¬ gling rebel parties, at laft arrived at their head quarters, where they demanded and obtained a parley. A treaty of peace, confiding of ten or twelve articles, was a (dually concluded between the different parties in the year 1749, fimilar to that which had been made by the Englifh in the year 1739, wittl the rebels in the idand of Jamaica.— The chief of the Seramica rebels was a Creole negro,
, • called
' 55
CHAP.
III.
(- —v— — ;
5$
NARRATIVE OF AN
called Captain Adoe, who upon this occafion received from the governor as a prefent, a fine large cane, with a filver pummel, on which were engraven the arms of Surinam, as a mark of their independence, and a prelim minary to the other prefents that were to be fent out the year following as ftipulated by treaty, particularly arms and ammunition, on the performance of which the peace was to be finally concluded. Adoe prefented in return a hanafome bow, with a complete cafe of arrows, which had been manufactured by his own hands, as a token that during that time all enmity fhould ceafe on his fide.
This affair gave great fatisfaction to many and indeed to moffc of the inhabitants of Surinam, who now flatter¬ ed themfelves that their effects were perfectly fecure ; while others regarded this treaty as a very hazardous re- fource, and even as a ftep to the inevitable ruin of the colony.
I mull confefs indeed, that, notwithftanding the good in¬ tentions of Governor Mauricius, nothing appears tobe more dangerous than making a forced friendfhip with people, who by the moil abject flavery and ill ufage are pro¬ voked to break their chains, and fhake off their yoke in purfuit of revenge and liberty, and who by the trufl which is placed in them have it in their power to become from day to day more formidable.
The infurrection having rifen to fuch a height, the co- lonifts ought perhaps to have continued to oppofe it, while they were poffeffed of the power of oppofition, not indeed
from
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
57
from a motive of cruelty, but for the political good of chap. fo fine a fettlement. , m* .
If it appeared that cruelty and ill treatment had driven thefe poor creatures to thefe extremities, policy, not lefs than humanity, ought to have dictated to the colonifts a different condudt in future; but it may be afked, Whether it is poflible to keep the African negroes in habits of obe¬ dience and induftry without the ftri£tefl and often the fevered; difcipline ? — No. But I afk again, Why is it ne- ceffary to infliffc fuch inhuman tortures, according to the humour and caprice of an unfeeling mailer, or a fiill more unprincipled overfeer? Why fhould their reafon- able complaints be never heard by a magiftrate who has it in his power to redrefs them ? Is it becaufe this ma¬ giftrate is a planter, and that he is interefled in the arbi¬ trary government of this unhappy race?— This is too evident. — It would, however, be great injuftice if I were not to bear witnefs that I have not un frequently feen the plantation flaves treated with the utmofl humanity, where the hand of the mafler was feldom lifted, but to earefs them ; and where the eye of the Have fparkled with gratitude and affection.
Let us now proceed, and fee what were the fruits of making peace with the Seramica rebels.
In 1750, which was the year after, the promifed pro- fents were difpatched to Captain Adoe ; but the detach¬ ment that carried them were attacked on their march, and the whole of the corps murdered on the fpot by a Vol> I. I defperate
5»
If
CHAP.
III.
narrative of an
defperate negro, called Zam Zam, who not haying been confulted concerning the treaty of peace* had afterwards put himfelf at the head of a ftrong party, and now car¬ ried off the whole flock of the detachment, confuting of arms, ammunition* checked linens, canvas cloth, hatchets* faws, and other carpenter’s tools ; hefides fait beef, pork,., fpirits, 8ic. and kept them as his own private property. Adoe, on the other hand, not receiving the prefents at the time he expected, too haftily concluding he was only to be amufed with expectation till a reinforcement of troops fhould arrive from Europe to fubdue him, renew¬ ed his incurfions : by this accident therefore the peace was immediately broken ; cruelties and ravages increafedl more than before, and death and deftruCtion once more raged throughout the colony.
In 1751, this fettlement was in the utmoff diftrefs and confufion; when*in compliance with a requeft of the inha¬ bitants* prefented to the States General, Baron Spoke was> fent to Surinam* with fix hundred frefh troops drafted from the different regiments in. the Dutch fervice, and: on their arrival the members of the court were ordered to? fend Governor Mauricius to Europe, to account for his- proceedings;,who never returned to the colony, having in 1753 afked and obtained his difmiflion* after having been honourably acquitted. Baron Spoke* who during the ah- fence of Mauricius was appointed to officiate as governor*, found every thing in the greateft diforder, difunion hav¬ ing even arifen between the inhabitants and. their rulers*.
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
to which it was highly necelfary to apply the fpeedieft means of redrefs. This application was indeed made by the Baron, but he died the year after, and a general dif* tra&ion again took places
In 1757, t*ie afpedt of affairs daily becoming worfe, (during the adminiftration of a Mr. Gromelyn, who now was governor of this colony) a new revolt broke out in the Tempaty Greek amongft the negroes, owing to the treatment which they received from their mailers. This frefh infurre&ion indeed foon became of the moll ferious confequence. The new rebels joined themfelves to lixteen hundred of the old fugitive negroes already fettled in eight different villages near Tempaty Creek* and after repeated battles and fkirmilhes, the enemy be¬ ing moftly well armed, and in their refinance generally fuccefsfui, the colonifts faw themfelves once more re* duced to fue for peace with their own Haves, near Tern* paty Greek, as they had done in the year 1749 with the rebels of Seramica,
During this laft revolt, a Captain Mayer, of the Society Troops, being tried for cowardice by a court martial, and found guilty, was ordered to be Ihot through the head ; he was accordingly led to the place of execution, where, after every preparation for completing the fen- tence, he was pardoned by the Governor, who not only fliewed him every civility, but adtually preferred him to the rank of major.
I 2
To
NARRATIVE OF AN
To evince the abfurdity of that prejudice, which con- fiders human creatures as brutes, merely becaufe they differ from ourfelves in colour, I muff beg leave to men- tion a few of the principal ceremonies that attended the ratification of this peace.
The firft thing propofed by the colonifis was a parley, which was agreed to by the rebels ; when the laft nofc only defined, but abfolutely infifted, that the Dutch fhould fend them yearly, amongft a great variety of other ar¬ ticles, a quantity of good fire-arms and ammunition, as fpecified in a long lift, expreffed in broken Englilh, by a negro whofe name was Bofton, and who was one of their captains.
Governor Cromelyn next fent two eommiflioners,. Mr. Sober and Mr. Abercrombie, who marched through the woods, efcorted by a few military, &c. to carry fome pre- fents to the rebels, previous to the ratification of the peace, for which they now were commifiioned finally to treat.
At the arrival of the above gentlemen in the rebel camp, at the Jocka Creek, about fifteen miles- eaft of the Tempaty Greek, they were introduced to a very hand- fome negro, called Avaby-, who was their chief, and born in the forefts amongft the laft fixteen hundred that I have juft mentioned. He received them very politely, and taking them by the hand, defired they would fit down by his fide upon the green ; at the fame time affuring them they need not be under any apprehenfions of evil, fine®
6i
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
from their coming in fo good a caufe, not one intended, or even dared to hurt them.
When the above-mentioned Captain Bofton, however, perceived that they had brought a parcel of trinkets, fuch as knives, fciflars, combs, and fmall Iboking-glafles, and forgotten the principal articles in queftion, viz. gun¬ powder, fire-arms, and ammunition, he refolutely ap¬ proached the commiflioners, and demanded, in a thun¬ dering voice, whether the Europeans imagined that the negroes could live on combs and looking-glafies; adding, that one of each was quite fufficient to let them all fee their faces, while a fingle gallon of manfancy j viz. gunpowder^ would have been accepted as a proof of their confidence ; but fince that had been omitted, he Ihould never confent to their return to their countrymen, till every article of the lift ihould be difpatched to them, and confequently the treaty fulfilled.
This expoftulation occafioned the interference of a negro captain, called Quacoo, who declared that thefe gentlemen were only the meflengers of their governor and court; and as they could not be anfwerable for their matter’s proceedings, they Ihould certainly return to the fettlement without injury or infult, and no per- fon, not even he, Captain Bofton, Ihould dare to oppofe them.
The chief of the rebels then ordered filence, and de- fired Mr. Abercrombie to make up a lift: himfelf, of fuch articles as he, Araby, ihould fpeqify; which that gentle-
CH AP. III.
man,
<03,
NARRATIVE OF AN
CHAP, man having done, and promifed to deliver, the rebels IIL , not only gave him and his companions leave peaceably to return with it to town, but allowed their governor and court a whole year to deliberate whether they were to chufe peace or war, unanimoufly fwearing that during that interval all animofity fhould ceafe on their fide ; af¬ ter which, having entertained them in the beft manner their fituation in the woods afforded, they wifhed them a happy journey to Paramaribo.
One of the rebel officers, on this occaffon, reprefented to the commiffioners how deplorable it was that the Europeans, who pretended to be a civilized nation, fhould be fo much the occafion of their own ruin by their inhuman cruelties towards their flaves. u We de- i( fire you,” continued the negro, u to tell your governor and your court, that in cafe they want to raife no new gangs of rebels, they ought to take care that the 4C planters keep a more watchful eye over their own pro- ** perty, and not to trull them fo frequently in the hands 46 of drunken managers and overfeers, who by wrong- 46 fully and feverely chaftiffng the negroes, debauch- ing their wives and children, neglecting the fick, &c. 4i are the ruin of the colony, and wilfully drive to the 46 woods fuch numbers of flout active people, who by « their fweat earn your fubfiftence, without whofe hands u your colony muff drop to nothing ; and to whom at i 41 laft, in this difgraceful manner, you are glad to come “ and fue for friendlhip.”
+ Mr,
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
Mr. Abercrombie now begged that he might be ac¬ companied by one or two of their principal officers to Paramaribo, where he promifed they fhould be well treated ; but the chief, Araby, anfwered him with a fmile, that it was time enough a year after, when the peace fhould be thoroughly concluded; that then even his youngeft fbn fhould be at their fervice, to receive his education among them, while for his fubfiftence, and even for that of his dependants, he fhould take the foie care upon himfelf, without ever giving the Chrifiians the imalleft trouble.
After this, the eommiffioners left the rebels, and the whole detachment arrived fafe at Paramaribo.
The year of deliberation being ended, the governor and court fent out two ffefh eommiffioners to the negro camp, to bring the fo much wifhed-for peace to a tho¬ rough cOnclufion; which,, after much debate, and many ceremonies on both fides, was at laffc finally agreed upon, Prefents were promifed to be fent by the Chrifiians, agreeable to the wifhes of the negroes ; while thefe laflP as a proof of their affection to the Europeans, infilled that each of the eommiffioners fhould, during their remain¬ ing flay, in the rebel camp, take for his conftant companion one of their handfomefl young women. — They treated them alfo liberally with game, fifh, fruit, and thechoicefl productions of the forefl, and entertained them, without mtermiffion, with mufic, dancing, and repeated volleys.
At the return of the eommiffioners,, the flipulated pre¬ fents
P. fents were fent to the negroes at the Jocka Creek, and, what is remarkable, under the care of the identical Mr® Mayer, who had formerly not dared to fight againft them, and efcorted by fix hundred men, foldiers and flaves. The pufillanimity of this gentleman, however, appeared again on this occafion, and he had nearly un¬ done the whole bufinefs by departing from his orders, delivering all the prefents to the rebels without receiving the hoftages in return. Fortunately Araby kept his word, and fent down four of his belt officers as pledges to Paramaribo. By this the peace was perfectly accom- plifhed, and a treaty of twelve or fourteen articles was figned by the white commiffioners, and fixteen of Ara- by’s black captains, in 1761 ; which ceremony took place on the plantation Ouca , in the river Surinam, where all the parties met, this being the fpot of rendezvous ap¬ pointed for the purpofe, after four different embaffies had been fent from the Europeans to the negroes.
Sighing this treaty .alone, however, was ftill not con- fidered as fufficient by the rebel chief Araby and his people. They immediately bound themfelves by an oath, and infilled on the commiffioners doing the fame, after the manner which is pra&ifed by themfelves, not trufting entirely, they alledged, to that made ufe of by the Chriftians, which they" had feenthem too frequently violate. It muft indeed be confefled, that the negroes themfelves are uncommonly tenacious of thefe folemn engagements., as I never heard of an inltance, during all
the
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 6$
the time I refided in the colony, of one of them vio- CHAP, lating his oath. .
The folemnity made ufe of on this day, confuted in each party’s letting a few drops of blood with a lancet or penknife from the arm, into a caliibalh or cup of clear fpring water, in which were alfo mixed a few particles of dry earth, and of this all prefent were obliged to drink, without exception, which they call drinking each other’s blood, having firft Ihed a few drops upon the ground by¬ way of libation; when their gadoman or prieft, with up-caft eyes and out-lfretched arms, took heaven and earth to witnefs, and with a moft audible voice and in a moft awful manner, invoked the curfe of the Almighty- on thofe who fhould firft break through this facred treaty made between them, from that moment forward to all eternity. To this folemn imprecation the multi¬ tude anfwered Da Jo ! which fignifies in their language Amen K
“ Then loudly thus, before th’ attentive hands,
« He calls the gods, and lpreads his lifted hands;
« O firft and greateft Power, whom all obey,
« Who high on Ida’s holy mountain fway;
«« Eternal Jove! and yon bright orb, that roll <* From eaft to weft, and view from pole to pole I « Thou mother Earth ! and all ye living Floods !
€t Infernal Furies , and Tartarean gods,
“ Who rule the dead, and horrid woes prepare ** For peijur’d kings, and all who falfely fwear ! u Hear and be witnefs.” — - — -
* This fa£fc is noticed by the Abbe RaynaL Vol. I. K ^ From
<$
NARRATIVE OF AN
u From the fame urn they drink the mingled wine* I
u And add libations to the pow’rs divine. tc While thus their pray’rs united mount the Iky, c* Hear, mighty Jove! and hear, ye gods on high ! u And may their blood, who firft the league confound,
“ Shed like this wine, diftain the thirfty ground 1”
Homer’s Iliads
The folemnity being ended, the chief Araby and each of his captains (to be diftinguiflied from the in¬ ferior negroes, as the Seram ifean chief Adoe had beers before in 1749) was prefented with a fine large cane and filver pummel, on which was alfo engraven the arms of" the colony.
The above-mentioned negroes are called Ouca$r after the name of the plantation where the peace articles were figned ^ and by that name they are ftnce diftin- guifhed from thofe of Seramica, whom I have already defcribed.
At this time the charter was renewed to the Well India Company by their High MightineiTes, for the term of thirty years longer (as it had been before in 1670*. 1700,, and 1730) in confideration of a loan of about five million fterling, at the rate of fix per cent.
This fame year peace was alfo a. fecond time con¬ cluded with the Seramica rebels, who were at that time- commanded by a negro called WHlef_ inftead of their former chief Adoe, who was- dead.. But this fecond. peace was unfortunately broken by a rebel: captain,, called Muzinga, who had received none of the prefents, which
had
CHAP.
III.
v.— — 1 ■/
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
67
had in fact been again intercepted and captured on their way to the chief WiHe9 as they had been formerly on their way to the chief Adoe, by the very fame enter- prifing and rapacious plunderer Zam Zam, with this difference only, that none of the detachment that were fent with them were now murdered, as on the preceding occafion, nor even one (ingle perfon injured.
Upon this fuppofed breach of faith, captain Muzinga fought mod defperately againft the colonids, he gave battle face to face, and beat back, at clofe quarters, above one hundred and fifty of their bed troops, killing num¬ bers, and carrying off all their baggage and ammu¬ nition.
Soon after this, however, when the real caufe of Muzinga’s difcontent was known, means were found and adopted to pacify this gallant warrior, by making him receive and (hare the prefents fent out by the colonids, on an equal footing with his brother heroes, when peace was a third and lad time concluded in 1762, be¬ tween the Seramica rebels and the colony, which has providentally been kept facred and inviolable, as well as that with the Ouca negroes, to this day. By their exer¬ tions in the field they thus obtained their freedom.
CHAP.
III.
“ O Liberty ! thou goddefs heavenly bright, “ Profufe of blifs, and pregnant with delight j lt Eternal plealures in thy prefence reign,
“ And fmiling Plenty leads thy wanton train.
K 2
" Eas’d
narrative of an
« Eas’d of her load, fubje&ion grows more light*
“ And Poverty looks cheerful in thy fight;
« Thou mak’il the gloomy face of nature gay,
« Giv’ft beauty to the fun, and pleafure to the day.”
The hoftages and chief officers of both the above- mentioned negro cohorts, on their arrival at Parama¬ ribo, were entertained at the governor’s own table* having previoufly paraded in Rate through the town*, accompanied by his excellency in his own private carriage.
By their capitulation with the Dutch, the above Ouca and Seramica rebels muft yearly receive, as I have men¬ tioned, a quantity of arms and ammunition from the: colony, for which the Europeans have received in return the negroes’ promifes of being their faithful allies, to deliver up all their deferters, for which they are to receive proper premiums, never to appear armed at Paramaribo above five or fix at a time, and alfo to keep their fettlement at a proper diftance from the town and plantations t the Seramica negroes at the river Seramica, and thofe of the Ouca negroes at the Jocka--
creek, near the river Marawina, where one or two- white men, called poft-holders, were to refide among
them,dn the quality of envoys.
Both thefe tribes were fuppofed, at the period I fpeak of, to amount in all to three thoufand, and but a few years after, by thofe that were fent to vifit their fettlements* fincludinsr wives and children) they were computed to
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
m
be not lefs than fifteen or twenty thoufand. They are C already become overbearing and even infolent, brandifil¬ ing their filver-headed canes in defiance of the inha¬ bitants, and forcing from them liquors, and very often money, and reminding them how cruelly their anceftors had murdered their parents and their hufbands.
From thefe circumftances, and their numbers increaf- ing from day to day, I muft conclude, that fliould the peace be ever broken, thefe new allies will become the moft dreadful foes that ever the colony of Surinam can have to contend with.
In 1763 the town of Paramaribo would have been burnt down to the ground, had it not been prevented ! by the courage and intrepidity of the failors, who, at the hazard of their lives, without other affiftance, pre¬ vented a general conflagration.
About this time a mutiny broke out on board the outward-bound Eaft Indiaman, Neimburgh, commanded by Captain Ketell. The crew, confuting chiefly of French and German deferters, who had been kidnapped in Holland, rofe in arms againfl: their fuperiors, and having murdered moft of the officers and warrant officers, while others were put in chains, carried the veflel to the Brazils, there the ringleaders went on fhore, and being engaged in riot and deputation foon difcovered what they were to the Portuguefe governor, in confequence of which they were all taken into cuf- tody; but their accomplices on board fufpe&ing what
had
70
3*^
41
CHAP.
HI.
£ - KS—J
Nx\RRATlVE OF AN
had happened, immediately flipped their cable, and fet fail for the ifland of Cayenne, where this piracy was put to an end ; for the French feizing ihip and crew, deli¬ vered both to the colony of Surinam, where, in 1764, feven of the molt guilty were executed onboard the fame veffel which they had captured, then at anchor in the roads before the town of Paramaribo. One of thefe un¬ happy wretches was decapitated, and fix hanged to the yard-arm, whofe heads were alfo chopped off and plant¬ ed upon iron fpikes on the beach, in a cage made for the purpofe. The others, who had been taken by the Por- tuguefe, were fent from the Brazils to Amfterdam, after which they were alfo executed in Texel roads on board the Weftelingwerf man of war, which fhip was that fent out with us from Holland : their bodies were after¬ wards gibbeted in iron harnefs, and placed for an example along the coaft.
This fame year alfo, three of the fociety or colony foldiers, who had been guilty of mutiny and defertion, were executed in Surinam ; but as their cafe is the moll peculiar of its kind that ever happened, I muft alfo beg leave to give fome account of the tranfadfion.
During the time of an infurredtion, which happened In the year 1761 among the negro flaves in the colony of Berbice, where they had not been treated fo cruelly as in other colonies, not only a regiment of marines, commanded by Colonel de Salfe, which now belongs to General Douglas, was fent over from Holland to that
fettlement,
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
71
fettlement, but troops alfo from the neighbouring colo¬ nies were difpatched, in order to fubdue the revolt. In this defign they foon fucceeded, lince the woods in that part, being of fmall extent, are eaffiy penetrated, which prevents the rebels from forming fettlements, and fince Irom the fame caufe they will not ferve to conceal them from their purfuers* The confequence was, that after numbers had been fhot dead, and others taken prifoners, the reft were forced to furrender at diferetion, and im¬ plore for mercy, or they mufl have been ftarved to? death for want of fubfiftence.
During thefe troubles, it happened that one officer and about feventy men, fent from the colony of Surinam, had been polled on the banks of the river Gorrantine. This detachment, together with a party of Indians, who are natural enemies to the negroes, but friends to the Eu¬ ropeans, had one day beaten the rebels in a fkirmifh, having killed feveral of them, and retaken about the va^- lue of twenty or thirty pounds fterling in effehs, which the negroes* had pillaged from the neighbouring eftates* The officer who commanded this detachment having, however, unwarrantably diftributed this booty among the Indians alone, without giving a fhare to his foldiers, difg ufted them fo much that they revolted ; and deferr¬ ing their commander, took their march for the river Oronoque through the woods, in hopes of foon falling in with Spanifh. fettlements and being relieved : but how mifcrably were thefe deluded men miftaken, and difap-
pointed
i
NARRATIVE OF AN
pointed in their defperate undertaking, by meeting the rebels or bufh negroes on the fecond or third day of their march 1 Thefe, notwithftanding the folemn proteflations of the foldiers, that they were come without any evil intention towards them, and their intreaties to let them pafs by unmolefted, were fufpefted of being fent out to Ijpy and betray them ; the negroes therefore infilled that they fhould lay down their arms at mercy, which the de- ferters havingcomplied with, the rebels immediately drefled them in one rank. Then having picked out ten or twelve to affifl them in attending the fick and wounded, repairing their arms, and trying to make gunpowder, (in which however they mifcarried) they condemned all the others to death, which was inflantly put in execution, and above fifty of thofe unfortunate men were one by one fhot dead upon the fpot.
It may well be fuppofed, that thofe who were faved alive by the negroes muft have fpun out a very melan¬ choly exiftence among them, and indeed moft of them died within very few months after by ill treatment, hardfhips, and want ; and when the rebels furrendered themfelves to the Europeans at difcretion, the few re¬ maining miferable wretches that were flill found alive, were diredtly loaded with irons, and fent back from the colony of Berbice to Surinam, where three of them were executed in the town of Paramaribo, one being hanged, and two broken alive upon the rack. One of thefe mi¬ ferable wretches was a Frenchman, called Renauld , wbe feemed to have imbibed the fentiments of the negroes
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
by his refidence amongft them. With a truly heroic fpirit he comforted his -accomplice* who was a German, and, tied down by his fide, juft ready to receive the dreadful blows, he exhorted him to preferve his cou¬ rage ; adding, that the voyage of life would foon. be over, while his own bones were breaking, by the execu¬ tioner with an iron bar..
The ring-leading negroes were roafted alive by half dozens in a fhocking manner, being chained to ftakes in the midft of furrounding flames, and expired without uttering a groan or a flgh. The miferable fate of fo many poor wretches excited great commiferation ; and it is impoffible to refledt, without the ftrongeft feelings of indignation, on a punifhment fo fhocking; to huma¬ nity, inflicted upon men, the moft of whom were drove to mifcondudt by tyranny. and opprefliom But at the fame time I fhall ever think it my duty to fupport that the ftrifteft difcipline and fubordination. (when tempered by jujlice) is abfolutely neceflary amongft all large bodies of people, of whatever clafs or defcription, not only for the good of the public in general, but as the fureft means of avoiding feverity on the individual (the ufual confe- quence of too much lenity) and of being painfully ob¬ liged to eftablifh good order at laft by a perpetual round of reluctant rigour and chaftifement.— — We will now leave thele fable fcenes, and point out what happened in the colony of Surinam, during its fhort and flourifliing ft ate.
Vol. I. L CHAP.
73
CHAP.
ill.
!:ii
74 NARRATIVE OF AM
C H A P. IV.
Short Interval of Peace and. Plenty— The Colony plunged in new Di/lrefs by a frejh Infurredlion, and nearly ruined — Review of the Troops for its Defence — An Adiion with the Rebels — Gallant Behaviour of a black Corps — The Arrival of Colonel Fourgeoua’s Marines.
CHAP. IN 1764, gold and filver fpecie being fcarce, cards were 1V- A Ramped, to the amount of 40,0001. value, which paffed as cafli, at a difcount of ten per cent.
In 1765, a confiderable degree of commotion was ex¬ cited in the colony, on account of a free negro woman, called Elizabeth Sampfon , marrying an European ; fhe was worth above 100,000 1, fterling, inherited from her mailer, whofe Have ihe had formerly been : having addreffed herfelf to their High Mightineffes, her re- queft was granted ; and accordingly, lieing chriftened, file entered into the lawful bond* of matrimony with a Mr. Zubli.
In the fucceeding year the colony was vifited by an earthquake, which however did very little damage.
In 1769, the whole co aft was on fire, from Cayenne to Demerary : this happened in the dry feafon, when all the foreft is parched by the heat, and the underwood choked with dried leaves. The flames, which were flip- pofed to have been kindled by the negledt of the In¬ dians or rebels, were fo violent, that they threatened
deftrudlion
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
75
deftrudtion to feveral eftates, and during the night ap- CHAP, peared moft tremendous from the fea ; while the eaft , wind made the fmoke fo thick throughout the day, that one perfon could not fee another at the diftance of fix yards. During this time it is not furprifing that the fmell was almofl infupportable.
This fame year, a quantity of rock cryftal was difco- vered in the inland parts of Dutch Guiana.
In 1770, the houfe of Somelfdyk fold its fhare or por¬ tion of the colony to the town of Amfterdam for the fum of 63,6361. fterling; fo that from that period that city poffelfes two-thirds, and the other third ftill belongs to the Weft India Company, which, as I have already Rated, form together the fociety of Surinam.
The colony now feemed in a profperous and flourifh- ing Rate, fince the concluding of the treaty with the Se- ramica and Ouca negroes, and every thing exhibited an afpedt of peace and good order. The inhabitants believed their perfons and effe<fts in perfect fecurity, fo that no¬ thing was thought of but mirth and diffipation, which was foon extended to lavifhnefs and profufion. Suri¬ nam refembled, indeed, a large and beautiful gar¬ den, ftocked with every thing that nature and art could produce, to make the life of man both comfortable to himfelf, and ufeful to fociety : all the luxuries, as well as the neceftaries of life, abounded ; every fenfe was ap¬ parently intoxicated with enjoyment ; and, to ufe the
L 2 figurative
7*
NARRATIVE OF AN
C h a P. figurative language of a facred book, Surinam was a land that flowed with milk and honey.
But this delufive felicity lafted not long. The planter, too earned: to become immediately opulent, never once confidered the wretch ednefs of the Have ; while drunken- nefs, luxury, and riot, became predominant in the one party, the mifery of the other proportionably increafed; nor did the deflrucftion that fo lately threatened them feem to have the fimalleft influence on their minds ; at the fame time the fuccefsful example of the Seramica and Ouca negroes ferved to ftimulate the other flaves to re¬ volt, and from thefe complicated caufes the colony was again plunged into its former abyfs of difficulties. The moft beautiful eftates in thefettlement, called Plantations, were once more feen, fome blazing in flames, and others laid in afhes ; while the reeking and mangled bodies of their inhabitants were fcattered along the banks of the river Cottica, with their throats cut, and their effects pil¬ laged by their own negroes, who all fled to the woods* men, women, and children, without exception.
Thefe new revolters were now diftinguifhed by the name of the Cottica Rebels, from the fpot on which their hoftilities commenced ; and their numbers augmenting from day to day, they foon became as formidable to the fettlement as the Seramica and Ouca negroes had for¬ merly been, and in 1772 they had nearly given the finifliing blow to Surinam. At that period all was hor¬ ror and confiernation — nothing but a general maflacre
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
77
was expelled by the majority of the inhabitants, who fled from their eftates, and crouded to the town of Para¬ maribo for protection. In this fituation of affairs, the inhabitants were obliged to have recourfe to the dan¬ gerous fefoluticn of forming a regiment of manumitted flaves, to fight againft their own countrymen. When we confider the treatment which was fo generally exer- cifed againft the flaves of this fettlement, it muft fur- prife the reader to be told, that this hazardous refolution had providentially the defired effeCt. Thefe brave men performed wonders above expectation, in conjunction with the Colonial or Society troops, whofe ftrength and numbers alone were no longer thought fufficient to de¬ fend this fettlement. But not to rely abfolutely on fuch precarious afliftance, the fociety of Surinam made ap¬ plication to his ferene highnefs the Prince of Orange for a regular regiment, and our corps was in confequence dif- patched in the manner which has been already related. As, however, the events which preceded our arrival were of the utmoft importance, I fhall endeavour to lay be¬ fore my readers the moft authentic information I was able to obtain.
The regular troops from Europe that belong to the jfo- eiety of Surinam, were intended to be twelve hundred men when complete, divided into two battalions, paid partly by the fociety, and partly by the inhabitants : but they can ne¬ ver produce that number in the field, for many reafons— fuch as their either dying on their paffage, while they
CHAP.
IV.
are-
7s
NARRATIVE OF AN
CHAP.
IV.
i.. "l*" mJ
are feafoning to the climate, or during their dangerous and fatiguing duty in the woods and fwamps. Befides this number, a reinforcement of three hundred more was now fent them from the town of Amfterdam ; but of thefe poor wretches fcarcely fifty were landed fit for fervice; the remainder, owing to the inhumanity of their leader, Mr. N. , having participated in a fate little better than that of the poor African negroes in the veffel of the inhuman Captain C— gw — d, who, in 1787, threw 132 living flaves into the fea to perifh. The unhappy creatures, under the command of Mr. N. were ftarved and tormented by unneceffary feverity ; and his lieute¬ nant, unable to continue a witnefs of the tyrannical pu- nifliments he inflidted, leaped from the cabin window, and terminated his exigence.
The military in Surinam are compofed of feveral very good and experienced officers, and well inured to the fervice, but for their private men I cannot fay much ; they are, in fadt, little better than the outcasts of all na¬ tions : they are of all ages, ffiapes, and Ozes, and feem by chance wafted together from all the different corners of the globe. Notwithftanding this, however, it has often been found that they behave well in adtion, and have on many different occafions, by their bravery, been of infinite fervice to this fettlement *.
Here is alfo a fmall corps of artillery, being part of the
* A corps of European chafleurs, or rifle-men, was fince added to thefe troops, jifter the manner ef the light infantry in England.
twelve
4
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
79
twelve hundred, which I muft acknowledge to be a very fine company in all refpedts. As for what they pleafe to call their militia, they are, a few gentlemen excepted, who command them, fo ftrange a collection of ill-dif- ciplined rabble, that they can fcarcely be mentioned as lighting men.
With refpeCt to the new-raifed corps of manumitted Haves, though in number they amounted but to three hundred, they indeed proved ultimately of as much fervice to the colony as all the others put together ** Thefe men were all volunteers, and in general ftout able young fellows, feleCted from the different planta¬ tions, the owners of whom received for them their full value in money. None were accepted but thofe who were reputed to be of unexceptionable character* It muft, however, be obferved, that what we Europeans' call a good character, was, by the Africans, looked on as deteftable, particularly by thofe born in the woods, whofe only crime confifted in revenging the wrongs done to their forefathers. I have been an ocular wit- nefs to afton hiring proofs of the fidelity of thefe en- franchifed Haves to the Europeans,, and their valour againft the rebel negroes.
Their chief leaders are three or four white men, called Conductors, to whom they pay the ftriCteft obedience :
* Blood-hounds were alfo propofed, to difcover and attack the rebel negroes in' the woods, but never adopted, from the difficulty of their proper training, &c.- ■
CHAP.
IV.
one
So
CHAP.
IV.
U..— v— ,JI
NARRATIVE OF AN
one or two of thefe attend them when they fet out o& any enterprize of confequence. Every ten privates have one captain, who commands them in the foreft by the different founding of his horn, as the boatfwain com¬ mands the feaman by his call, or as the cavalry of Eu¬ rope are diredted by the found of the trumpets in the field ; by which they advance, attack, retreat, fpread, See. : they are armed only with a firelock and fabre. Of both thefe weapons they underftand the management in the moft mafterly manner ; they generally go naked, in preference, in the woods, excepting trowfers, and a fear- let cap, the emblem of liberty, on which is their num¬ ber, and which, together with their parole or watch¬ word, which is orange, diRinguifiies them from the rebels in any adtion, to prevent difagreeable mifiakes. They have, indeed, of late years, been farther diftin- guifiied by green uniforms. — Thus far as to the force of the colony.
I have already Rated, that the newly revolted rebels, called Cotticas, were juR preparing to give the finifiiing blow to Surinam ; and I fhall now proceed to relate how this cataflrophe was prevented.
Thefe negroes, being commanded by a defperate fellow named Baron, had eredted a Rrong fettlement between the river Cottica and the fea-coafl, whence they fallied forth to commit their depredations on the .plantations in Cottica river? &c.
I have
SlaJce Sculp.1'
■K-
rr/y a? %_
//ys’ /l a/r s/ i/w .
London , l‘nhti.\/n<i DccTi&.’jff^.by J.Johruron , StPaulj- ChiuxJi Yard .
>
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
I have called this fettlement Itrong, becaufe, like an ifland, it was entirely furrounded by a broad nnfordable marlh or fwamp, which prevented all communication, except by private paths under water, known only to the rebels, and before which Baron had placed loaded fwivels, which he had plundered from the neighbouring eftates : it was moreover fenced and inclofed on every lide by feveral thoufand itrong pallifadoes, and w'as on the whole no contemptible fortification. To this fpot Baron gave the name of Boucon or Mouldered , intimating that it iliould perifh in duft rather than it iliould be taken by or furrendered to the Europeans. He even prefumed to fuppofe, that it would never be difcovered.
After many marches and counter-marches, however, this nefi of defperadoes was at lafi: difcovered, by the vi¬ gilance and perfeverance of the Society troops, and the black foldiers or rangers, by which name I fhall for the future diftinguifh them, their fervice being chiefly like that of the rangers in Virginia, who were fent out againit the Cherokee Indians. Another fettlement of the rebels was, indeed, well known to exift in that corner of the colony, known by the name of the Lea-fhore, and fituated between the rivers Surinam and Seramica; but here the fituation, by marflies, quagmires, mud, and water,
is fuch, that it fortifies them from any attempts of the
*
Europeans ; nay, they are even indifcoverable by ne¬ groes, fo thick and impenetrable is the foreft on that fpot, and fo choked with thorns, briars, and every fpecies of underwood,
Vol. I.
M
From
From thefe coverts they Tally forth in fmall parties, during the night, to rob the gardens and fields fur¬ rounding Paramaribo, and carry off the young women, Sic. In this wildernefs a young officer, Lieutenant Freidrecy, was loft two or three days and nights, as he went out on a fliooting party, and would probably never have been heard of, had not the governor, by ordering a gun to be fired at intervals, given a fignal for him to find his way back, and thus reftored him once more to
his friends.
As foon as it was determined' that the rebels com¬ manded by Baron, at Boucon, fhould be befieged and rooted out, a ftrong detachment of white and black troops were fent againft them, under the command of the brave Captain My land, who was to head the firft ; and Lieutenant Freidrecy, a fpirited young officer, with the conductors* was to lead the latter. The detachment,, on their arrival at the marlh, however, were obliged to encamp on its borders, not being able to pafs through it on account of its un fordable depth.
On the difcovery of the troops, the bold negro Baron immediately planted a white flag within their view, which he meant not as a token of peace, but of defiance ; and an inceffant firing inftantly took place on both Tides, but
with Very little effe£L
It was then projeaedto throw a fafcine bridge over the: marlh, by the troops ; but this plan, after feveral weeks,
had been fpent in the attempt, and a number of men
Ihot
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
83
Riot dead while employed upon it, was of neceflity laid CHAP, afide. Thus every hope of palling through the marlh , Iv; t into the fortrefs being fruitrated, and the food and am¬ munition being conliderably leffened, added to the lofs of many men, affairs were at length arrived at fuch a crilis, that the liege mult have been broken up, and the remaining troops mult have marched back to Parama¬ ribo, had not the rangers, by their indefatigable efforts, and (however Itrange to think) implacable enmity again It the rebels, found out and difcovered to the Eu¬ ropeans the under-water paths of communication to Boucon, feveral being Ihot and drowned in the execution of this important fervice.
Captain Myland with the regulars, on this intelligence, now forded the fwamp on one fide, and inltantly making a feint attack on the fortrefs, drew Baron with all the rebels, as was expe&ed, to its defence; while Lieutenant Freidrecy, with the rangers, having crofted the fwamp on the other lide, embraced the opportunity of leaping, with his black party, over the palifadoes, fword in hand, without oppolition.
A moll terrible carnage at this time enfued, while feveral prifoners were made on both fides, and the for¬ trefs of Boucon was taken ; but Baron, with the greateft number of the rebels, efcaped into the woods, havinp- firll found means, however, to cut the throats of ten or twelve of the rangers, who had loft their way in the marlh, and whom he feized as they ftuck fall in the
M 2 fwamp ;
84
NARRATIVE OF ,AN
CHAP, fwamp ; and cutting off the ears, nofe, and lips of one of IV‘ them, he left him alive in this condition to return to his friends, with whom however the milerable man foon expired.
This Baron had formerly been the negro Rave of a Mr, Dahlbergh, a Swede, who on account of his abilities had advanced him to the rank of a favourite, had taught him to read and write, and bred him a mafon ; he had alfo been with his matter in Holland, and was promifed his manumiffion on his return to the colony. But Mr. Dahl¬ bergh breaking his word with regard to his liberty, and felling him to a Jew, Baron obftinately refufed to work, in confequence of which he was publicly flogged under the gallows. This ufage the negro fo violently refented, that from that moment he vowed revenge againft all Europeans without exception ; fled to the woods, where putting himfelf at the head of the rebels, his name be¬ came dreadful, and particularly fo to his former mafter Dahlbergh, as he folemnly fwore that he fliould never die in peace till he had waflred his hands in the tyranfs blood.
To thofe who know how greatly mankind are affected by felf-intereft, it will not appear fo extraordinary, as it may to a fuperficial obferver, that thefe black rangers fliould fo inveterately engage againft their friends and countrymen. What will not men do to be emancipated from fo deplorable a ftate of fubjeftion ! and this emanci¬ pation was obtained upon more certain and advantageous ^ grounds
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
grounds by the confent of the Europeans, than if they had abfconded into the woods. Having thus once en* gaged in this fervice, it is evident they mu ft be con¬ i'] dered by the other party as apoftates and traitors of the black eft dye ; they muft be convinced, that defeat muft not only expofe them to death, but to the fevereft toi- tures ; they were therefore fighting for fomething more than liberty and life : fuccefs was to bring them the rnoft folid advantages, mifcarriage was to plunge them in the fevereft mifery.
The taking of Boucon was now greatly fpoken of, and deemed a very fevere blow to the rebels ; both the regu¬ lars and the rangers, indeed, behaved with unprecedented intrepidity and courage. Captain Myland's gallant con¬ duct was moft highly acknowledged; while Lieutenant Freidrecy was prefented by the Surinam Society with a beautiful fabre, a fufee, and a brace of piftols, mounted in filver, and ornamented with emblems exprefiive of his merit; befides which, he obtained the rank of captain. It muft be confeffed, that on this occafion the whole de¬ tachment, white and blacK, without exception, juftly met with the fulleft marks of approbation for theft fpirited behaviour.— In this ftate were the public affairs of Surinam ; when, in 1773, our fleet dropped anchor before the town of Paramaribo.
CHAP.
\
86
NARRATIVE OF AN
CHAP. V.
The Scene changes— Some Account of a beautiful Female Slave — The Manner of travelling in Surinam — The Colonel explores the Situation of the Rivers — Barbarity of a Flanter — Wretched Treatment of fome Sailors,
chap. TT AVING in the firfl chapters given fome account V_ i *“* of our incorporation, our voyage, our landing, and our reception in the colony, in February 1773; and having defcribed the colony of Surinam, its boundaries, and revolutions, from its earlieR difcovery ; I Riall now proceed in my narrative, by connecting the proceedings of our little corps with the general chain of events ; and write precifely what I have learned by local and ocular obfervation.
Having already Rated that from our arrival till February 27th, we feemed to be landed in Guiana for little more than idle diflipation; I fhall now pro¬ ceed from the fame date, which was about the com¬ mencement of the rainy feafon, when our mirth and conviviality Rill continued, to prefent to the reader, as a contraR to the preceding fcenes of horror, a de- fcription of the beautiful mulatto maid Joanna. This charming young woman I RrR faw at the houfe of a Mr. Demelly, fecretary to the court of policy, where I
daily
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
daily breakfafted ; and with whofe lady Joanna, bat fif¬ teen years of age, was a very remarkable favourite. Rather taller than the middle lize, fhe was poffeffed of the mod: elegant fhape that nature can exhibit, moving her well-formed limbs with more than common gracefulnefs* Her face was full of native modefty, and the molt dif- tinguifhed fweetnefs ; her eyes, as black as ebony, were large and full of expreffton, befpeaking the goodnefs of her heart; with cheeks through which glowed, in fpite of the darknefs of her complexion, a beautiful tinge of Ver¬ million, when gazed upon. Her nofe was perfectly well formed, rather fmall ; her lips a little prominent, which, when fhe fpoke, difcovered two regular rows of teeth,- as white as mountain fnow ; her hair was a dark brown inclining to black, forming a beautiful globe of fmall ringlets, ornamented with flowers and gold fpangles. Round her neck, her arms, and her ancles, fhe wore gold chains, rings and medals : while a fhawl of India muflin, the end of which was negligently thrown over her po~ lilhed fhoulders, gracefully covered part of her lovely bofom, a petticoat of rich chintz alone completed her apparel. Bare-headed and bare-footed, fhe fhone with double luftre, as fhe carried in her delicate hand a beaver hat, the crown trimmed round with filver. The figure and appearance of this charming creature could not but attradt my particular attention, as they did indeed that of all who beheld her; and induced me to enquire from Mrs..
8 Demelly,
aass
83
NARRATIVE OF AN
chap. Demelly, with much furprize, who fhe was, that appeared , v> r to be fo much diftinguifhed above all others of her fpecies in the colony.
44 She is, Sir,” replied this lady, u the daughter of a 44 refpedtable gentleman, named Kruythoff ; who had, be- 44 lides this girl, four children by a black woman, called 44 Cery, the property of a Mr. D. R. on his eftate called 44 Fauconberg, in the upper part of the river Come- 44 wina.
44 Some few years finee Mr. Kruythoff made the offer 44 of above one thoufand pounds fterling to Mr. D. B. to 44 obtain mannmiffion for his offspring; which being in- a humanly refufed, it had fuch an effedt on his fpirits, 44 that he became frantic, and died in that melancholy 44 Rate foon after ; leaving in flavery, at the difcretion of 44 a tyrant, two boys and three fine girls, of which the Ci one now before us is the eldeff *.
u The gold medalsj 8cc. which feem to furprize yon, 64 are the gifts which her faithful mother, who is a 6( moff deferving woman towards her children, and of 44 fome confequence amongft her caff, received from her 44 father (whom fire ever attended with exemplary affec- 44 tion) juft before he expired.
&
* In Surinam all fuch children go with fhould their father be a prince, unlefs he their mothers : that is, if (he is in flavery, obtains them by purchafe. her offspring are her matter’ s property,
44 Mr.
L
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
u Mr. D. B. however, met with his juft reward: for “ having fince driven all his beft carpenter negroes to the u woods by his injuftice and feverity, he was ruined, and obliged to fly the colony, and leave his eftate and “ flock to the difpofal of his creditors ; while one of the “ above unhappy deferters, a Jamboe *, has by his in- “ duftry been the prote&or of Gery and her children. “ His is Jolycceur, and he is now the firft of Baron’s 66 caPtains, whom you may have a chance of meeting “in the rebel camp, breathing revenge againft the “ Chriftians.
“ Mrs. D. B. is ftill in Surinam, being arrefted for her “ hufband’s debts, till Fauconberg fhall be fold by ex- “ ecution to pay them. This lady now lodges at my “ ho ufe, where the unfortunate Joanna attends her,
“ whom ftie treats with peculiar tendernefs and diftinc- “ tion.”
Having thanked Mrs. Demelly for her account of Jo¬ anna, in whofe eye glittered the precious pearl of fym- pathy, I took my leave, and went to my lodging in a ftate of fadnefs and ftupefadtion. However trifling, and like the ftyle of romance, this relation may appear to fome, it is neverthelefs a genuine account, and on that fcore I flatter myfelf may not entirely be uninterefting to
When reflecting on the ftate of flavery altogether,
1
I
4
* A famboe is between a mulatto and a negro.
Vql. I.
N
while
90
NARRATIVE OF AN
CHAP, while my ears were flunned with the clang of the whip, Vt and the difmal yells of the wretched negroes on whom it was exereifed, from morning till night ; and confider- ing that this might one day be the fate of the unfor¬ tunate mulatto I have been defcribing, Ihould fhe chance to fall into the hands of a tyrannical mafter or miftrefs,
I could not help execrating the barbarity of Mr. D. B. for having withheld her from a fond parent, who by be¬ llowing on her a decent education and fome accomplifh- ments, would probably have produced, in this forfaken plant, now expofed to every rude blaft without protection, an ornament to civilized fociety.
I became melancholy with thefe reflexions ; and in or¬ der to counterbalance, though in a very fmall degree, the o-eneral calamity of the miferable flaves who furrounded me, I began to take more delight in the prattling of my poor negro boy Quacoo, than in all the fafhionable con- verfation of the polite inhabitants of this colony : but my fpirits were deprefled, and . in the fpace of twenty- four hours I was very ill indeed ; when a cordial, a few preferved tamarinds, and a bafket of fine oranges, were fent by an unknown perfon. This firft contributed to my relief, and lofing about twelve ounces of blood, I re¬ covered fo far, that on the fifth I was able, for change of air, to accompany a Captain Macneyl, who gave me a prefling invitation to his beautiful coffee plantation, called Sporkefgift, in the Matapaca Cieek.
Having mentioned tamarinds, 1 will, before we proceed
on
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
91
on our journey, embrace the opportunity of introducing a fhort aefcription of them. The tree on which this fruit is produced is about the fize of a large apple-tree, and is very Rrait, and covered with a brown ifh-coloured bark; the twigs are Render, arched, and knotty, pro¬ ducing leaves and a pod, which will be belt known by the annexed reprefentation, where A is the leaf of the natural Rze ; B the extremity of the branch ; C the fruit green and unripe ; D the pulp, which is brown when in perfection; and E the purple kernels or Rones that are in- clofed within it. The upper part of the leaves are a darker green than underneath : upon the whole, they form a very agreeable fliade, on which account the ta¬ marind-trees are frequently planted in groves.
The male and female fpecies bear a remarkable dif- tindtion in their colour ; that of the RrR having the deepeR hue.
I fliall not prefume to be minute with refpedt to the medicinal qualities of thefe or any other vegetable in Gui¬ ana, which are as amply as I believe juRly defcribed by Dr. Bancroft, in his letters to Dr. Pitcairn, Fellow of the Royal College of Phyficians in London, except in men¬ tioning fuch eflicacy as I have found them to poRefs by my own experience, and which confiRs in the pulp ; which when preferved is a moR delicious refrefliment in hot climates : it is a laxative, and when diflolved with
water, makes a very cooling and agreeable beverage, and
N 2 is
NARRATIVE OF AN
■i? l
ff
ill
chap, is much recommended in all difeafes, particularly in fevers.
We now fet out from Paramaribo for Sporkefgift, in a tent-boat or barge, rowed by eight of the belt negroes belonging to Mr. Macneyl’s eftate ; every body, as I have already mentioned, travelling by water in this colony..
Thefe barges I cannot better defcribe than by com¬ paring them with thofe that accompany what is ufually ftyled the Lord Mayor’s Show on the river Thames. They are, however, l'omewhat lefs, though fome are very little inferior in magnificence, and are often decorated with gilded flags, filled with muficians, and, abound in every convenience. They are fometimes rowed by ten and even by twelve oars, and being lightly built, fweep along with aftonifhirig celerity. The rowers never flop, from the moment they fet out till the company is landed at the place of deftination; but continue, the tide ferving or not, to tug night and day, fometimes for twenty-four hours together, finging a chorus all the time to keep up their fpirits. When their labour is over, their naked bodies Hill dripping with fweat, like poft-horfes, they headlong, one and all, plunge into the river to refrefh themfelves : — ,
« The wanton courfer thus, with reins unbound,
« Breaks from his ftall, and beats the trembling ground;
« Pamper’d and proud, he feeks the wonted tides, u And laves in height of blood his (hining lides.”
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
We now paffed a number of fine plantations, but I could not help taking particular notice of the Cacao eftate, called Alhnaar , fituated on the right fide in row¬ ing up the river Comewina, which is no lefs confpi- cuous for its beauty than for the goodnefs of its pro¬ prietor, the invaluable lady the widow Godefroy, whofe humanity and friendfhip muft always be remembered by me with gratitude.
At our arrival on the eftate Sporkefgift, I had the pleafure to be the fpedtator of an inftance of juftice which- afforded me the greateft fatisfa&ion.
The fcene confifted in Mr. Macneyl’s turning the over- feer out of his fervice, and ordering him to depart fronr the plantation in an inferior boat, called a pongee *, to Paramaribo* or wherever he thought proper ; which was inftantaneoufly put in execution. The caufe of his difgrace was having, by bad ufage and cruelty, caufed the death of three or four negroes^ His departure was made compleatly joyful to all the flaves, by an holiday, which was fpent in feftivity, by dancing and clapping hands on a green before the dwelling-houfe windows.
The overfeer’s fentence was the more ignominious and galling, as at the time of receiving it a negro foot-boy, who was buckling his fhoes, was ordered back, and he was defired to buckle them himfelf. The fpirited condu£t of this planter, the joy of his negroes, the falubrity of the
* A ponkee is a flat-bottomed boat of four or fix oars, fomething like a fquare-toed &oe ; fometimes it has a tilt, and fometinies cot.
, country
93
CHAP.
V.
CHAP, country air, and the hofpitable manner in which we _ ^ 1 , were entertained at his eftate, had fuch an effect on my conftitution and my fpirits, that on the ninth I returned, if not recovered, at leaft greatly benefited, to Paramaribo. But I fiiould be guilty of partiality, did I not relate one inftance, which throws a fliade over the humanity even of my friend Macneyl.
Having obferved a handfome young negro walk very lamely, w7hile the others were capering and dancing, I inquired into the caufe of his crippled appearance ; when I was informed by this gentleman, that the negro having repeatedly run away from his work, he had been obliged to hamftring him, which operation is performed by cutting through the large tendon above one of the heels. However fevere this inftance of defpotifm may appear, it is nothing when compared with fome barbarities which the talk I have undertaken will oblige me, at the ex¬ pence of my feelings, to relate.
On our return to the town of Paramaribo, the only news that occurred confifted in a few Blocking execu¬ tions ; alfo that the Boreas man of war, Captain Van-de- Velde, had failed for Holland ; and that Colonel Forgeoud had on the eighth, the Prince of Orange’s anniverfary, entertained a large company wdth a ball en militaire , in
the officers guard-room. The mufic on this occafion
*
confifted of two fiddlers only, who had the confcience to make the colonel pay one hundred and twenty Dutch florins for rofin and catgut.
About
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
About this time I was attacked by a difiemper called the prickly heat , by the colonifis rootvont. It begins by the Rein taking a colour like fcarlet, (occafioned by a number of fmall pimples) and itching inconceivably ; under the garters, or any place where the circulation is impeded, the itching is almofi infupportable.
With this pefi all new-comers from Europe are foon in- fefied; the cure is to bathe the parts with the juice of limes and water, as for the bites of gnats or mufquitoes. The prickly heat is fuppofed to be a prognoRic of good health by the inhabitants ; which I have reafon to think true, lince from that period my health and fpirits were perfedtly re-efiabliflied, and I was once more as happy as Paramaribo could make me.
At this time Colonel Fourgeoud fet out with a barge, to infpedl the fituation of the rivers Comewina and Cot- tica, in cafe the adlual fervice of our troops fhould foon be wanted; being at his departure faluted by the guns from Fort Zelandia, and by thofe of the fhips in the roads. This compliment I acknowledge aRonifiied me, after the coolnefs which took place, and was now rooted, between this gentleman and the governor of the co¬ lony.
As we were Rill In a Rate of inaction, I made another ex- cur Ron, with a Mr. Charles Ryndorp, who rowed me in his barge to five beautiful coffee eftates, and one fugar plan¬ tation, in the Mattapaca,Paramarica, and Werapa Creeks ; the defcription of which I mufi defer to another occa-
fion |
CHAP.
V.
^ 1 ■-*
iion ; but on one of which, called Schovnort, I was the witnefs to a Icene of barbarity which I cannot help re¬ lating.
The viflim of this cruelty was a fine old negro {lave, who having been as he thought undefervedly fentenced to receive fome hundred lafiies by the lacerating whips of two negro - drivers, in the midft of the execution pulled out a knife, which, after having made a fruitlefs thruft at his perfecutor the overfeer, he plunged up to the haft in his own bowels, repeating the blow till he dropped down at the tyrant’s feet. For this crime he was, being firft recovered, condemned to be chained to the furnace which difiils the kill-devil *, there to keep in the intenfe heat of a perpetual fire night and day, being bliftered all over, till he fhould expire by infirmity or old age, of the latter of which however he had but little chance. He {hewed me his wounds with a fmile of contempt, which I returned with a figh and a fmall do¬ nation : nor fhall I ever forget the miferable man, who, like Cerberus, was loaded with irons, and chained to everlafting torment. As for every thing elfe I obferved in this little tour, I muft acknowledge it to be elegant and fplendid, and my reception hofpitable beyond my expectation : but thefe Elyfian fields could not diflipate
* Kill-devil is a fpeeies of rum which the negroes} many Europeans alfo, from is diftilled from the fcum and dregs of a point of (Economy, make ufe of it, to &gar cauldrons. This is much drunk in whom it proves no better than a flow b»e £hi$ colony, and the only fpirits allowed fatal poifon.
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
the gloom which the infernal furnace had left upon my mind.
Of the coffee eftates, that of Mr. Sims, called Limefliope, was the moft magnificent, and may be deemed with juftice one of the richeft in the colony. We now once more, on the fixth of April, returned fafe to Paramaribo, where we found the Wefterlingwerf man of war, Captain Crafs, which had arrived from Plymouth in thirty-feven days, into which port he had put to flop a leak, having parted company with us, as already mentioned, off Portland, in the end of December 1772. This day, dining at the houfe of my friend, Mr. Lolkens, to whom I had been, as I have faid, recommended by letters, I was an eye witnefs of the unpardonable contempt with which negro flaves are treat¬ ed in this colony. His fon, a boy not more than ten years old, when fitting at table, gave a flap in the face to a grey-headed black woman, who by accident touched his powdered hair, as fhe was ferving in a difh of kerry.
I could not help blaming his father for overlooking the a£hon ; who told me, with a fmile, that the child fliould no longer offend me, as he was next day to fail for Holland for education ; to which I anfwered, that I thought it aim oft too late. At the fame moment a failor pafling by, broke the head of a negro with a bludgeon, for not hav¬ ing faluted him with his hat.-Such is the ftate of fla- \ery, at lead in this Dutch fettlement !
About this time, Colonel Fourgeoud made a fecond ex-
curfion, and now departed with a barge, to explore the Vol. I. n
■lip Iff
III
'll*
98
NARRATIVE OF AN
chap, banks and fituation of the river Surinam, as he had be*- , V* _ . fore done thofe of Rio Comewina and Rio Cottica.
At this time died Captain Barends, one of the mailers of the tranfports, which were Rill kept in commilhon, in cafe they fhould be wanted for our return to Europe. Five or fix failors now were buried every day, belonging to the merchant fhips, whofe lamentable fate I cannot pafs by unnoticed, being actually ufed worfe than the negroes in this fcorching climate, where, befides rowing large flat-bottomed barges up and down the rivers, day and night, for coffee, fugar, &c. and being expofed to the burning fun and heavy rains, and befides flowing the above commodities in a hold as hot as an oven, they are obliged to row every upflart planter to his eftate at a call, which faves the gentleman fo many negroes, and for which they receive in return nothing — many times not fo much as a mouthful of meat and drink ; palliating hun¬ ger and thirll, by begging from the flaves a few bananas or plantains, eating oranges and drinking water, which in a little time relieves them from every complaint, by fhipping them off to eternity. In every part of the colony they are no better treated, but, like horfes, they mull (hav¬ ing unloaded the veffels) drag the commodities to the dif- tant llore-houfes, being bathed in fweat, and bullied with bad language, fometimes with blows; while a few negroes , are ordered to attend, but not to work, by the direffion of their mailers, which many would willingly do to relieve the drooping failors, to whom this ufage mull be exceedingly
dilheartening
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
disheartening and galling. The planters even employ chap. thofe men to paint their houfes, clean their fafi- , Vl windows, and do numberlefs other menial fervices, for which a feaman was never intended. All this is done to five the work of their negroes; while by this nfage thoufands are fwept to the grave, who in the line of their profefion alone might have lived for many years ; nor dare the Weft India Captains to refufe their men, with¬ out incurring the difpleafure of the planters, and feeing their flips rot in the harbour without a loading nay, I have heard a failor fervently wifi he had been horn a ne¬ gro, and beg to be employed amongft them in cultivat¬ ing a coffee plantation.
I now took an early opportunity to enquire of Mrs.
Demelly what was become of the amiable Joanna ; and was informed that her lady, Mrs. D. B. had efcaped to Holland on board the Boreas man-of-war, under the protection of Captain Van-de-Velde, and that her young mulatto was now at the houfe of her aunt, a free woman, whence fie expeCted houily to be fent ud to the eftate Tauconberg, friendlefs, and at the mercy of fome unprin¬ cipled overfeer appointed by the creditors, who had now taken pofeffion of the plantation and ftock,tiil the whole fliould be fold to pay the feveral fums due to them by Mr. D. B.— Good God ! — I few to the fpot in fearch of poor Joanna; I found her bathed in tears. — She gave me fucn aloox an ! fuch a look ! — from that moment I detei mined to oe her protedlor againft every infult, and perfevered, as fliall be feen in the fequel.— Here, reader, let my youth, blended with extreme fenfibility, plead my ^0L‘ ^ ® % excufe;
NARRATIVE OF A N
iea
CHAP, excufe ; yet affuredly my feelings will be forgiven me— v- by tbofe few only excepted — who delight in the prudent conduit' of Mr. Indey to the haplefs and m rich -injured Tarico at Barbadoes.
I next ran to the honfc of my friend Lolkens, who happened to be the adminidrator of Faueonberg edate ; and afking his aflidance, I intimated to him my drange determination of purchadng and educating Joanna.
Having recovered from his furprize, after gazing at me dlently for fome time, an interview at once was pro- pofed ; and the beauteous Have, accompanied by a female relation, was produced trembling in my prefence.
Reader, if you have perufed the tale of Ldvinia-' with' pleafure, though the fcene admits of no comparifon,. re- jeit not the hiftory of Joanna with contempt.— It now proved to be die who had privately fent me the cordial! and the oranges in March, when l was nearly expiring,, and which die now modedly acknowledged “ was in. « gratitude for my expreffions of companion refpe&ing: « her fad fituation ; ” with Angular delicacy,, however,, lhe rejected every propofal of becoming mine upon any terms. She was confeious,. (lie faid,,“ that iii fuch a date « Should I foon return to Europe, die mud either be “ parted from me for ever, or accompany me to a part q£ fFe world where the inferiority of her condition « mud prove greatly to the difadvantnge of both herfelf « and her benefa&or, and thus in either cafe be mifer- « able.” In which fentiments Joanna drmly perfiding, fhe was immediately permitted to withdraw, and return ' to the houfe of her aunt; while I could only intreat of
Mr.
#
i
EXPEDITION TO SURINAM.
ioi
Mr. Lolkens his generous protection for her, and that chap. file might at leafl for fome time be feparated from the , v~ , other Raves, and continue at Paramaribo ; and in this re- queft his humanity was induced to indulge me.
On the 30th the news arrived, that the rangers , hav¬ ing difcovered a rebel village, had attacked it, and car¬ ried off three prifoners, leaving four others dead upon the fpot, whofe right hands, chopped off and barbecued or fmoke- dried, they had fent to the governor of Para¬ maribo as a proof of their valour and fidelity.
On receiving