LETTER XLIII.
I have already informed you that the barrack allotted to the medical officers is a very commodious house, situated near to the hospital; but I gave no account of the furniture; nor did I describe what we here esteem a comfortable dwelling. Let me, therefore, tell you that our mansion is built wholly of wood, and is of the simplest construction. Being set upon low pillars, it is so raised from the ground as to leave sufficient space for dogs and small pigs to pass under it. Chimnies and fire-places are not required. The windows are mere holes in the sides, and are neither closed with plate glass, nor well-fitted sashes, but hung with heavy shutters on the outside, to protect us in time of rain. No fine stucco covers the walls, nor are the rooms hung with rich paper or tapestry. No painted cloth, or soft carpet spreads the floor, nor do any rich cornices, or figured compositions decorate the ceiling. Above, below, and at the sides, all is plain wood: the walls, the ceilings, and the floors are alike of naked boards; many of them so loosely joined together as to allow free admission to air and light. Sitting in the parlour, we see through the openings into the bed-room above; and to the pigs routing below. The roof is also of wood, and open to the bed-chambers, which are hung only with the well-spun tapestry of industrious spiders. An old bench, or form, with three or four chairs of rough wood, and a coarse deal board, laid upon a pair of cross legs by way of a table, complete the furniture.
Thus accommodated, you will be amused to hear that we have had company to visit us at our dinner-table: a party from one of his majesty’s ships of war, who were led, by curiosity, to see how the “soldier-officers” were accommodated on shore. They did not express themselves violently envious of our comforts; but were much diverted in forming conjectures as to what might have been the remarks of some of our foppish friends in London, could they have glanced an eye upon our humble banquet, and the general order of our manege. A piece of hard salt beef graced one end of the table, a heavy lump of salt pork the other, and salt-meat soup supplied the place of the rich plateau in the middle. Such is our daily repast, and such was our feast; for we gave to our visitors the most sumptuous fare of the larder. Fresh animal provisions are dainties we can seldom procure, and if it were not for the daily allowance dealt out to us by government, we should be confined to a diet of yams and plantains, like the slaves. During the passage from England, and while we were lying at Barbadoes, we disregarded our salt allowance; nor did we, till now, duly estimate the value of a government ration; but it is here become of the greatest importance, and forms, to us, as well as to the soldiers, the principal supply.
We often despatch negroes to the distant plantations upon the coast, or the borders of the river, in search of fowls, ducks, roasting pigs, or any other fresh provisions; but they so commonly return empty-handed, that we have been led to suspect them of idleness or neglect, and have been induced to make the experiment ourselves, by going in a boat to different estates up the river, with a view of purchasing poultry or other stock. But we have been equally unsuccessful; sometimes failing altogether, and at others procuring only a single chicken, or a sucking pig to serve a mess of six persons for the week. It happened once that we met with a whole litter of young roasters to the number of six, when we thought ourselves in high good fortune; but as we had no convenient means of keeping them fat or in condition, we were unable to economize the use of them, and from eating pig every day till they were all consumed, we became so entirely satiated with this kind of food, as to make it doubtful whether we shall ever be able to enjoy it again.
Beef, veal, and mutton are luxuries beyond our reach. This settlement does not supply them in sufficient quantity for the ordinary consumption; we do not therefore expect them, except by way of an occasional feast. The great additional demand for fresh provisions, since our arrival, has likewise taken off all the surplus of smaller stock, and left scarcely a spare duck, or chicken in the colony.
In one of our provision-hunting excursions to the western coast, we had the good fortune to meet with Captain Dougan, whom we found to be residing there, in command of the remnant of the black corps, which was raised last year for the expedition against the Bush-negroes. From this gentleman we experienced every mark of polite and friendly attention. In our conversation we discovered that he was the son of the gentleman whom I had seen at “Profit;” and, on his learning that I had visited his father, we became at once as intimate as old acquaintances. But this was not required to call forth the captain’s hospitality, for he had previously insisted upon our dining, and passing the remainder of the day with him; which we did, and he gave us an excellent dinner, with plenty of good wines, and a most cordial welcome. Cassada cake and roasted plantains were served instead of bread, and with our fowls we had a sauce prepared from the cassada juice, which loses its poisonous quality by boiling and evaporation, and becomes somewhat like the essence used under the name of soy.
On taking our leave, in the evening, we received many polite and liberal invitations to repeat our visit; had our boat loaded with fruit, and were desired to send for a further supply whenever it might be acceptable. The estate was rich in oranges and plantains, beyond all we had visited; and so universally were the fields intersected with rows of fruit-trees, that whichever path we pursued, the eye looked down a fine avenue, loaded and yellow with fruit.
You will be pleased to hear that although we are still sadly annoyed with musquitoes during the day and the evening, our nights are passed, at our new home, in quiet and comfort. In Carlisle Bay, and at Stabroek, notwithstanding I slept with the door and windows open, I always felt heated and restless in bed; and, too commonly, rose with a painful and spotted skin in the morning. At La Bourgade I am free from these inconveniences. I lie upon a hard mattress, without any bedding under it, covered only with a thin cotton sheet, and protected by my friendly musquito curtain. Even with the door and windows shut, I can remain without feeling myself unpleasantly heated; and, surrounded with my netting, I can regard the hosts of musquitoes and other insects, buzzing about me, without the fear of their disturbing my repose.
From the situation of these colonies with respect to the sun and the ocean, and from the territory being a continued flat, we are scarcely ever without a free and steady breeze, which creates an equable temperature, and renders the climate peculiarly uniform. At six in the morning the thermometer is usually between 74 and 77 degrees, and at noon it has seldom varied more than from 81 to 84. It being now the wet season, much rain commonly falls during the night; and, frequently, very heavy showers in the course of the day; such as quickly find their way through all the garments of those who happen to be exposed to them: the most violent thunder-storms of England are scarcely sufficient to give you an idea of their force and rapidity.