LETTER LIII.
We rose at seven o’clock. Coffee was brought to us on quitting our hammocks, and at nine was set before us a more substantial repast. Soon afterwards we made our congé to the ladies, and took our departure from Johanna. We crossed the river in a boat belonging to M. Fenner, the negroes having been sent on with ours early in the morning. To our surprise, on reaching the opposite bank, we had to ascend a hill, which to a Dutchman might have seemed a mountain; and on arriving at the summit of this elevated shore we found slaves and horses, equal in number to our party, in readiness to conduct us to Arends, the home of Mynheer Paùels. The distance was much shorter by land than by water: our negroes, therefore, were sent round with the boat, by way of the river, in order to meet us in the evening; while we proceeded on horseback, across the woods, and savannas. This change in our mode of travelling was planned by M. Fenner, and it not only afforded us a pleasant variety, but relieved us from a tedious and uninteresting journey in the boat. The first part of our ride was across a wide plain bordered with heavy forests, and exhibiting all the rudeness of primitive nature: next we traversed the deep woods, by way of a narrow path, following each other in the Indian file: then we escaped, again, into an open savanna, more varied and interesting than any uncultivated spot we had seen in the colony. As we were trotting through the still shades of the forest, we perceived that the notes of our conversation became unusually soft, and rumbled in gentle murmurs amongst the trees. Struck with this unexpected charm of our voices, we were induced to sound the huntsman’s call, and the halloo of the chase, in order to observe the melodious echo. But we quickly discovered that, however musical and delighting in the copses of England, these were calls of danger in the woods of Guiana! Our friendly conductor, M. Fenner, instantly took alarm, and begging us to desist, desired that we would quicken our pace, and be still, lest we should bring down the Bush-negroes; who, if they should find themselves able to overpower us, would certainly take off our scalps, and perhaps not leave us our heads! Need I say that we were obedient to our guide, and rode on in silence?
The accommodations of this day’s journey were quite West Indian: we had blacks as footpages holding by the horses’ manes, or their tails; and each slave was loaded either with a trunk of clothes upon his head, or a bottle of Madeira wine, of rum, or of water in his hand. Imagine to yourself the picture of a party of Europeans riding through the wild woods and savannas of South America, with a body of African slaves running at their sides, carrying bottles in their hands, and trunks on their heads, and you will have a correct idea of our travelling group. The negroes kept pace with us throughout the journey, and were not only at hand to give us drink on the road; but were likewise in readiness to supply us with dry clothes on our arrival.
At the distance of about nine miles from Johanna, the estate Arends opened suddenly to our view, and the scene became unusually varied and European. It, in some degree, reminded us of England—a circumstance which gave it additional interest, and led us to contemplate it with a kind of filial respect. Looking down from high land we saw, below us, a rich plantation of coffee, cotton, and cocoa, together with the house and home of M. Paùels. On descending from the rude plain to this finely improved estate, our road was continued along a fragrant path bordered with rows of oranges and pines, which leads across the plantation up to the house.
Our reception at Arends was cordial and friendly. We found M. Paùels to be a man of liberal education, and of refined manners. The house and environs, indeed the whole order of the home, no less than his personal address, indicated an improved and cultivated mind. We took dinner, and passed a few hours so pleasantly, that we regretted, they could not be tenfold multiplied. In the evening, M. Paùels, with his own boat and slaves, undertook to conduct the party to M. Heynemann’s, the remotest European settlement of the colony. We embarked from Arends on a narrow river or creek, which, at a short distance from this estate, falls into the great river Berbische. On the point of land, at the angle formed by the two streams, is a small battery, and an old established military post, which is still kept up by a Dutch guard, or at least the semblance of it, formed of a few antiquated invalids.
The journey from the fort to M. Heynemann’s afforded nothing of interest or variety. The scenery was a dull sameness of river and forest: wood and water overspread by the azure canopy, were all that met the eye. We were two hours and a half in the boat, and arrived at M. Heynemann’s just as it was growing dark; having completed our expedition from the sugar plantation of Mr. Blair, in three days; although we had been told at the town that we could not perform it in less than ten. Moreover we had effected it with the greatest ease, notwithstanding our having been assured, by several persons, that such a journey could not be executed, especially in the wet season, without infinite difficulty and fatigue, if at all. We felt it singularly fortunate that M. Fenner was of our party to M. Heynemann’s, the latter gentleman not speaking any language but Dutch, and it being from him, particularly, that we expected to acquire a great fund of information, as well regarding the customs and manners of the Indians, as respecting the country and its natural productions. He had been chosen king, or captain of a band of Indians, and having resided for many years among them, was better acquainted with their habits and pursuits than any other person in the colony. To him they frequently brought presents of whatsoever they esteemed rare or curious, and it had been intimated to us that he had accumulated an extensive collection of specimens in natural history; also of Indian implements and apparatus. We found a number of Indian men and women, living in the house with this king of the district. He had also a gang of negro slaves; so that the household consisted of a medley of white, copper-coloured, and black inhabitants, who were assembled in this remote corner, from three different quarters of the globe, the group being composed of Europeans, Africans, and native Americans.
The day having been spent in busy occupation, we went to our hammocks very soon after supper, in order to rest and recruit ourselves for the morrow’s fatigue.