On the third of July, 1773, at four o’clock in the morning, the fleet cast off from their moorings, and with the ebb tide rowed down as far as the fortress New Amsterdam, where, being wind and tide bound, we dropped anchor off the battery.

It may not be improper, in this place, to describe the dress of our marines, which was blue turned up with scarlet, short jackets, and leather caps. They carried a musquet, sabre, and pistols; a large wallet or knapsack across one shoulder, and their hammocks slung over the other. While in the woods, they wore trowsers and check shirts, with short linen frocks, as most adapted to the climate.

Having first reviewed both my ship’s companies, viz. four subalterns, two serjeants, three corporals, thirty-two privates, two pilots, twenty negroes, and my black boy Quaco; and having placed the arms, consisting of blunderbusses, swivels, &c. stowed the luggage, and slung the hammocks, I perused my orders, which were to cruise [133]up and down Rio Cottica, between the Society posts, La Rochel at Patamaca, and Slanswelvaren above the last plantation, to prevent the rebels from crossing the river, to seize or kill them if possible, and protect the estates from their invasions: in all which operations I was to be assisted, if necessary, by the troops of the Society on the above posts, with whom I was also to deliberate on the proper signals to be given in case of an alarm.

Having now time and opportunity, I visited the fortress called New Amsterdam.

This fortification was began in the year 1734, and finished in 1747. It is built in the form of a regular pentagon, with five bastions, being about three English miles in circumference, surrounded by a broad fosse, which is supplied from the river, and defended by a covert way, well palisadoed. Its foundations are a kind of rocky ground; and its principal strength by water a large bank of mud off the point, supported by a strong battery of cannon, which prevents even flat-bottomed vessels from making any approach in that quarter; and by crossing the fire of the guns with the opposite redoubts, Leyden and Purmerent, it protects the entry of both the rivers, Surinam and Comewina, as I have said before: it has, besides, powder-magazines and victualling-offices, and is well provided with all the other necessary buildings for the use of a strong garrison. There are even a corn-windmill, and a cistern which will hold [134]above a thousand hogsheads of water. This in fact is no more than necessary; since, according to my opinion, it will take the whole army of Surinam to defend so large an extent for any length of time. Adjoining to the fortress is also a large spot of ground, well stocked with plantains, yams, &c. in order to feed the Society slaves, which are kept here, at the colony’s expence, to work at the fortifications, under the inspection of a proper overseer.

In this fort is generally stationed a small garrison, commanded by an officer of the artillery, which obliges all vessels whatever to bring-to, shew their colours, and salute them with seven guns each, the compliment being answered with three guns from the battery, and the hoisting of a flag on the ramparts. I shall only add, that this fortress is, on the north-east side, surrounded with bogs and impenetrable bushes, and that the spot was, from these circumstances, formerly called the Tyger’s Hole.

Having described Fort New Amsterdam, I cannot leave it without taking notice of some very remarkable fish, which are always seen in great quantities near this fortress, and which have actually four eyes, swimming constantly with two above and two under the water. These fishes are about the size of a smelt, and swim in shoals with incredible velocity; they seem principally to delight in brackish water, are accounted no bad eating, and are called coot-eye by the inhabitants of the colony.

[135]

This evening my sentinel being insulted by a rowboat, which damned him, and spoke of the whole crew in the most opprobrious terms, I immediately manned the canoe, and gave chace; but by the help of hoisting a small sail, and the intervention of a dark night, the rogue, who kept course towards Baram’s Point, had the good fortune to escape my resentment.

On the fourth of July, in the morning, we weighed anchor; and having doubled the Cape, rowed with the flood till we arrived before Elizabeth’s Hope, a beautiful coffee plantation, where the proprietor, Mr. Kleynhans, inviting us on shore, shewed us every civility in his power, and loaded my barge with refreshing fruits, vegetables, &c. He told us that he pitied our situation from his heart, and foretold the miseries we were going to encounter, the rainy season being just at hand, or indeed having already commenced, by frequent showers, accompanied with loud claps of thunder. “As for the enemy,” said he, “you may depend on not seeing one single soul of them; they know better than to make their appearance openly, while they may have a chance of seeing you from under cover: thus, Sir, take care to be upon your guard—but the climate, the climate will murder you all. However,” continued he, “this shews the zeal of your commander, who will rather see you killed, than see you eat the bread of idleness at Paramaribo.”—This pleasant harangue he accompanied with a squeeze by the hand. We then took our [136]leave, while the beautiful Mrs. Dutry, his daughter, shed tears at our departure.—This evening we anchored before the Matapaca Creek.

I here created my two barges men of war, and named them the Charon and the Cerberus, by which names I shall distinguish them during the rest of the voyage; though the Sudden Death and Wilful Murder were much more applicable, as will be seen. We now continued rowing up the river Cottica, having passed, since we entered Rio Comewina, some most enchantingly beautiful estates of coffee and sugar, which line the banks of both these rivers, at the distance of one or two miles from each other.

My crew having walked and drest their dinner ashore on the plantation l’Avanture, we anchored, on the evening of the 5th, before Rio Pirica.

On the following day we rowed still further up the river Cottica, and went on shore on the estate Alia. At all the above plantations we were most hospitably received, but we met with fewer plantations as the river grew narrower.

On the 7th we continued our course, and having walked ashore on the estate Bockkestyne, being the last plantation up the river Cottica on the right, except one or two small estates in Patamaca, at night we cast anchor at the mouth of Coopman’s Creek. This day the Charon was on fire, but happily it was soon extinguished.

On the 8th, we again kept rowing upwards, and at eleven o’clock A. M. cast anchor off the Fort Slanswelvaren, [137]which was guarded by the troops of the Society. Here I stepped on shore, with my officers, to wait on Captain Orzinga, the commander, and delivered three of my sick men into his hospital; where I beheld such a spectacle of misery and wretchedness as baffles all imagination: this place having been formerly called Devil’s Harwar, on account of its intolerable unhealthiness—a name by which alone I shall again distinguish it, as much more suitable than that of Slanswelvaren, which signifies the welfare of the nation.

Here I saw a few of the wounded wretches, who had escaped from the engagement in which Lieutenant Lepper, with so many men, had been killed; and one of them told me the particulars of his own miraculous escape:—“I was shot, Sir,” said he, “with a musquet-bullet in my breast; and to resist or escape being impossible, as the only means left me to save my life I threw myself down among the mortally wounded, and the dead, without moving hand or foot. Here in the evening the rebel chief, surveying his conquest, ordered one of his captains to begin instantly to cut off the heads of the slain, in order to carry them home to their village, as trophies of their victory: this captain, having already chopped off that of Lieutenant Lepper, and one or two more, said to his friend, Sonde go sleeby, caba mekewe liby den tara dogo tay tamara; The sun is just going to sleep, we must leave those other dogs till to-morrow. [138]Upon saying, which (continued the soldier) as I lay on my bleeding breast, with my face resting on my left arm, he, dropping his hatchet into my shoulder, made the fatal wound you see, of which I shall perhaps no more recover.—I however lay quite still. They went away, carrying along with them the mangled heads of my comrades, and five or six prisoners alive, with their hands tied behind their backs, of whom I never since have heard. When all was quiet, and it was very dark, I found means, on my hands and feet, to creep out from among the carnage, and get under cover in the forest, where I met another of our soldiers, who was less wounded than myself; with whom, after ten days wandering, in torment and despair, without bandages, not knowing which way to proceed, and only one single loaf of black bread for our subsistence, we at last arrived at the military post of Patamaca, emaciated, and our putrefied wounds full of live worms.”

I gave the miserable creature half-a-crown; and having agreed with Captain Orzinga upon the signals, we left this pest-house, and stepping on board my man of war, rowed up till we arrived before a creek, called Barbacoba, where we once more came to an anchor.

On the following day we continued to row farther up the river, till we came before the Cormoetibo Creek, where we moored the fleet, as being my head [139]station, by Colonel Fourgeoud’s command. Here we saw nothing but water, wood, and clouds; no trace of humanity, and consequently the place had a most dismal, solitary appearance.

On the 10th I detached the Cerberus to her station, viz. Upper Patamaca; for which place she rowed immediately, with a long list of paroles, according to my orders, but which were never of any service.

We now tried to cook the victuals on board; our furnace was a large tub filled with earth, and we succeeded, at the expence of having almost scalded one of my men to death, and at the hazard of setting the barge once more on fire. As we had no surgeon along with us, this office fell to my lot; and, by the help of a small chest of medicines, I performed so well, that in a few days the scalded marine recovered.

To prevent, however, a similar accident again, I sought an opening in the creek above-named, which having found not very far from the mouth, I ordered my negroes to build a shed, and my men to dress their victuals below it, placing sentinels around them to prevent a surprize, and in the evening we returned to our station. This cooking we continued to perform every day, until the fourteenth, when we rowed down to Barbacoba.

Here we built another shed on the 15th, for the same purpose; and then, the rain already beating through my decks, we rowed down to Devil’s Harwar for repair, where I put one of my negroes sick in the hospital. [140]

On the 16th, I got my deck caulked and payed, and sent an account of our arrival to Colonel Fourgeoud.

On the 17th, we returned to Cormoetibo Creek, having lost an anchor among the roots of the mangrove-trees that on both sides line the banks of all the rivers in the colony. These trees are of two species, the red and the white, but the former is that of which I now speak: it rises from a number of roots that shew themselves above ground for several feet before they are joined together, and form the trunk, which is both large and tall; the bark is grey on the outside, but the inside is red, and used for tanning leather. The wood is reddish, hard, and good for building and other purposes; but the most remarkable property of this tree is, that from its extended branches, and even its trunk, descend thousands of ligneous shoots, like the ropes of a ship, which dropping to the earth, take root and again re-ascend, forming for a great circumference an impenetrable thicket, while, like so many props, they keep the tree steady in all weathers. The white mangrove is found mostly in places more distant from the water.

This evening my sentinel, when it was very dark, called out that he saw a negro, with a lighted tobacco-pipe, cross the Cormoetibo Creek in a canoe. We lost no time in leaping out of our hammocks; but were not a little mortified, when one of my slaves declared it was no more than a fire-fly on the wing—which actually was the case. [141]

These insects are above an inch long, with a round patch under the belly, of a transparent greenish colour, which in the dark gives a light like a candle: its eyes are also very luminous, and by the light of a couple of these flies one may see very well to read small print. There is another species, which is smaller, and only to be observed when they fly elevated, at which time they appear like the intermitting sparks of fire emitted from the forge of a blacksmith.

On the 18th, having nothing else to do, I shot a bird, which is here called a tigri-fowlo, or tiger-bird, but which I take to be of the heron species; it is about the size of a heron, but of a reddish colour, covered over with regular black spots, from which it has derived its name: its bill, which is long and strait, as also the legs and toes, are of a pale green colour, and seem to indicate that it lives upon fish: the neck is also long, from which hangs down a kind of hoary feathers. On the head, which is small, it has a roundish black spot, and its eyes are a beautiful yellow.

By a water-patrole from the Cerberus I received intelligence this evening, that the men began to be sickly; and on the following day I was informed, that on the spot where we had dressed our victuals, in the Cormoetibo Creek, and which is on the rebel side of the river, a strong detachment had lately been murdered by the enemy. I therefore ordered the shed to be burnt to the ground, and the meat to be dressed on board the barges. [142]Here all the elements now seemed to unite in opposing us; the water pouring down like a deluge, the heavy rains forced themselves fore and aft into the vessel, where they set every thing afloat; the air was infested with myriads of musquitoes, which, from sun-set to sun-rising, constantly kept us company, and prevented us from getting any sleep, and left us in the morning besmeared all over with blood, and full of blotches. The smoak of the fire and tobacco, which we burnt to annoy them, was enough to choak us; and not a foot-step of land could we find, where we might cook our salt provisions in safety. To all this misery may be added, that discord broke out between the marines and the negroes, with whom, as promises or threats had as yet no weight, I was obliged to have recourse to other means. I tied up the ringleaders of both parties; and after ordering the first to be well flogged, and the latter to be horse-whipped for half an hour, after due suspence and expectation, I pardoned them all without one lash. This had equally the effect of the punishment, and peace was perfectly re-established; but to prevent approaching disease was totally out of my power. Not all the golden rules in Doctor Armstrong’s beautiful poem upon health could avail in this situation.

We rowed down on the 20th, till we arrived before the Casepoere Creek, in hopes of meeting some relief, but were equally uncomfortable. So very thick were the musquitoes now, that by clapping my two hands together, [143]I have actually killed to the number of thirty-eight at one stroke.

In rowing down to Barbacoeba, we saw one or two beautiful snakes swim across the river. In the course of our progress we occasionally met with a little relief, by stepping ashore under the shade. I now had recourse to the advice of an old negro.—“Caramaca,” said I, “what methods do you take to preserve your health?”—“Swim every day twice or thrice, Sir,” said he, “in the river. This, Masara, not only serves for exercise where I cannot walk, but keeps my skin clean and cool; and the pores being open, I enjoy a free perspiration. Without this, by imperceptible filth, the pores are shut, the juices stagnate, and disease must inevitably follow.” Having recompensed the old gentleman with a dram, I instantly stripped and plunged headlong into the river. I had, however, no sooner taken this leap, than he called to me for God’s sake to come on board; which having done with much astonishment, he reminded me of the alligators, as well as of a fish which is here called pery.—“Both these, Sir,” said he, “are exceedingly dangerous, but by following my directions you will run no hazard. You may swim entirely naked, only take care that you constantly keep in motion; for the moment you are quiet, you run the risk of their snapping off a limb, or being dragged to the bottom.” [144]

Having mentioned the alligator, I shall take the liberty to offer to the reader (though he cannot but have met with some account of this creature in reading different voyages) some particulars which I have myself observed, or of which I have been informed on the best authority.

It is an amphibious animal, and found in most rivers in Guiana; its size is from four to eighteen or twenty feet in length; the tail as long as the body, both of which are on the upper part indented like a saw, its shape being something like a lizard; the colour on the back is a yellowish brown, approaching to black, variegated on the sides with greenish shades, the belly being a dirty white; the head is large, with a snout and eyes somewhat resembling those of a sow; the last immoveable, and guarded each by a large protuberance or hard knob. The mouth and throat, extremely wide, are beset with double rows of teeth, that can snap almost through any bone: it has four feet, armed with claws and hard sharp-pointed nails. The whole animal is covered over with large scales, and a skin so thick that it is invulnerable, even by a musquet-ball, except in the head or the belly, where it is most liable to be wounded; its flesh is eaten by the natives, but is of a musky taste and flavour, owing it is said to a kind of bags or bladders which are on the inside of each limb. The alligator lays its eggs on the shore to a great number in the sand, where they are hatched by the sun, the [145]males eating the greater portion of them. On land this animal is not dangerous for want of activity, but in the rivers, where he is often seen lurking for his prey, with his muzzle alone above water, something like the stump of an old tree, he is truly tremendous to all that approach him; yet of man, as I have seen, he is afraid, during the time he keeps his hands and feet in motion, but no longer. Some negroes even have the courage to attack and vanquish the alligator in his own element, notwithstanding his violent strength and unequalled ferocity, being particularly fond of human flesh.

The difference between the above animal and the crocodile (which is also found in Surinam) consists not merely in the name, but in the shape and in the nature also, the latter being longer and more slender in proportion, and not so ferocious; the alligator or cayman (as called by the natives and negroes) is besides more frequently met with than the crocodile, which partly may be the cause of its being supposed to be more destructive. I shall only add, that in Asia there is a considerable difference to be found upon a nice examination between the above two reptiles, where they are also larger than they are in any parts of America.

Had it not been for an accident, these creatures would never have been known by any other name than that of crocodile: for had the first navigators seen any thing more resembling their form than a lizard, they would have adopted that which the Indians called them by, viz. [146]the cayman; but the Spanish sailors remarking their great resemblance to that little reptile, they called the first of them which they saw lagarto, or lizard. When our countrymen arrived, and heard that name, they called the creature a-lagarto, whence is derived the word alligato, or alligator.

The great advantage of such repositories of Natural History as the British Museum is, that they enable the lover of nature and truth to be satisfied by his own eyes of the extraordinary and almost incredible productions of nature. In the above-named collection may be seen a crocodile, differing in some particulars, but chiefly in its dimensions, from the creatures of the same name in other parts of India. Though so numerous in Bengal, I never heard upon good authority of one much larger than this, which measures, above twenty-one feet. It was taken in the river Indus, but not till it had received on many parts of its body several three-pound balls, many of which could not penetrate, or produce the least effect against his scales.

As I cannot so easily produce my voucher, I must pledge my veracity for another specimen, which I have myself seen; which proves to me that there have been some of this species of more than twice the size of that which may be measured in the Museum.

At Maestricht, in 1781, I saw the head of a crocodile petrified, which had been dug out of Mount Saint Pierre: [147]the body of which, by calculation, must have measured above sixty feet in length.—Query, when, or how, did this animal come there? Yet there with astonishment I beheld it, in the possession of a priest, who since sent it to Paris as a very great curiosity.

In Guiana there are said to be lizards of the size of five or six feet; but that species which is here called the iguana, and by the Indians the wayamaca, is seldom above three feet long. From the head to the extremity of the tail, it is covered over with small scales, reflecting very brilliant colours in the sun; the back and legs are of a dark blue, the sides and belly of a yellowish kind of green, as also the bag or loose skin which hangs under its throat. It is spotted in many parts with brown and black, and its eyes are a beautiful pale red, while the claws are of a deep chesnut colour.

This lizard, like the alligator, has its back and tail indented, both which are formed into a sharp edge. It lays its eggs in the sand, and is often seen among the shrubs and plants, where the Indians shoot it with their bows and arrows. These people esteem its flesh, which is very white, as a great delicacy; it is sold dear at Paramaribo, and bought as a dainty by many of the white inhabitants. This creature’s bite is extremely painful, but seldom attended with bad consequences.

But to return to my negro Caramaca, I acknowledge his account at first discouraged me from the [148]plan of daily bathing for health; but finding by following his direction that the dangers he represented were to be avoided, I resolved to follow it, and derived great benefit from the practice as long as I remained in the colony. This negro also advised me to walk bare-footed and thinly dressed. “Now is the season, Massera,” said he, “to use your feet to become hard, by walking on the smooth boards of the vessel; the time may come when you will be obliged to do so for want of shoes, in the midst of thorns and briers, as I have seen some others. Custom,” said he, “Massera, is second nature: our feet were all made alike. Do so as I advise you; and in the end you will thank old Caramaca. As for being thinly dressed,” continued the negro, “a shirt and trowsers is fully sufficient; which not only saves trouble and expence, but the body wants air, as well as it does water: so bathe in both when you have the opportunity.”—From that moment I followed his counsels, to which, besides being cleanly and cool, I in a great measure ascribe the preservation of my life. I now frequently thought on Paramaribo, where I enjoyed all the delicacies of life; while here I was forced to have recourse to many expedients much worse than any savage; yet should I not have repined had any person profited by our sufferings.—But I am forgetting the articles of war, viz. implicitly to obey, and ask no questions. [149]

Having, on the 22d, sent my serjeant and one man sick to the hospital at Devil’s Harwar, we now rowed again to the head station before Cormoetibo Creek.

Here one of my negroes caught some fish, amongst which was the torporific eel already described, which he dressed and eat with his companions; the others were the pery and que-quee: the pery was that mentioned by the old slave as dangerously rapacious. This fish is sometimes near two feet long, of a flattish make, scaly, and of a blueish colour; the mouth large, and thick set with sharp teeth, which are so strong, and the pery so voracious, that it frequently snaps off the feet of ducks when swimming, nay even the toes, the fingers, and the breasts of women. The que-quee may be called a fish in armour, being covered over from head to tail with brown coloured moveable rings, sliding the one over the other, and joined like those of a lobster, which serve for its defence in place of scales. This last is from six to ten inches long, with a large head and of a roundish shape. Both the pery and the que-quee are very good eating.—But I must for some time lay aside the description, and return to my journal.

The 23d, being the day appointed by Captain Orzinga and myself for the trial of the signals, at twelve o’clock precisely the whole number of blunderbusses and swivels were fired at Devil’s Harwar on board the Charon, and on board the Cerberus still stationed at Patamaca; which proved to be to no purpose, no person on board either of [150]the vessels having been able to hear the report of the guns fired by the other. During this, however, I met with a small accident, by firing myself one of the blunderbusses, which I placed like a musquet against my shoulder; when I received such a stroke by its rebounding as threw me backward over a large hogshead of beef, and had nearly dislocated my right arm. This however it seems was owing to my ignorance of the manner of using the blunderbuss, as I have since been informed that all such weapons ought to be fired under the hand, especially when heavy charged; and then by swinging round the body suddenly, the force of the rebound is broken, and the effect scarcely sensible. I insert this only to shew in what manner heavy-loaded muscatoons ought always to be fired; especially since, without any aim, the execution from their wide mouth is almost equally fatal.

On the 26th, by a canoe that came down from Patamaca, I received intelligence that the Cerberus was in danger of being surprised by the enemy, who had been discovered hovering round about her; and the part of the river where she was moored being very narrow, I considered her situation as critical. I therefore immediately rowed the Charon up before the Pinneburgh Creek; and having manned the yawl, as being the most expeditious, went myself, with six men, to their assistance: but was agreeably surprised at finding the whole to be a false alarm. In the evening we returned back to [151]our station. In rowing down I was astonished at being hailed by a human voice, which begged me for God’s sake to step on shore. This I did, with two of my men; when I was accosted by a poor old negro woman, imploring me to afford her some assistance. It seems she was the property of a Jew, to whom belonged the spot of ground where I found her, and where the poor creature lived quite alone, in a hut not larger than a dog-kennel, surrounded by a wilderness, with only a few plantain-trees, yams, and cassava, for her support. She was no longer of use to work on the great estate, and was banished here only to support her master’s right to the possession, since this spot had been ruined by the rebels. Having left with her a piece of salt beef, some barley, and a bottle of rum, I took my leave, when she offered me in return one of her cats: but this I could not accept, for by this token, I mean upon the information of the cats, my negro rowers firmly insisted that she must be a witch; which evinces that this superstition is not confined to Europe.

In this creek, the banks of which on both sides are covered with mangrove-trees, thorns, and briers, we found floating on the surface of the water a kind of large white nut, which seemed to have dropped of themselves by ripeness from the shell. They are sweet, crisp, and exceedingly good eating; but I neglected to inquire from what tree they had fallen. A kind of water shrub, called the mocco-mocco, is here also to be found in great [152]quantities. It grows about six or eight feet high, thick at bottom, jointed and prickly all the way to the top, where it is very small, and divided into three or four large smooth oval leaves, which possess almost the quality of blistering by their violent adhesion to the skin.

As we approached the Charon in the evening, I found my sentinel fast asleep, which enraged me so much, that having quietly entered on board the barge, I fired my pistol close to his ear, just over his head, assuring him that I would the next time blow it through his brains: the whole crew flew to their arms, and the poor fellow had nearly leaped into the water. But however it might be necessary to threaten in this manner, at a post where a surprize might be fatal, it would have been excessive cruelty to have executed it in such a situation, where the bite of the musquitoes rendered it impossible to reckon upon sleep at stated times; and thus the interruption of it at one time made the approach of it unavoidable at another.

We now returned, on the 27th, to Cormoetibo Creek, where my negroes, having been ashore to cut wood for the furnace, brought on board a poor animal alive, with all its four feet chopped off with the bill-hook, and which lay still in the bottom of the canoe. Having freed it from its torment by a blow on the head, I was acquainted that this was the sloth, called loyaree or heay by the natives, on account of its plaintive voice. It is about the size of a small water-spaniel, with a round [153]head something like that of a monkey, but its mouth is remarkably large; its hinder legs are much shorter than those before, to help it in climbing, being each armed with three very large and sharp claws, by which it holds its body on the boughs, but which, as being offensive weapons, my negroes had so cruelly chopped off: its eyes are languid, and its voice is squeaking, like that of a young cat. The greatest particularity of this creature however is, that its motion is so very slow, that it often takes two days to get up to the top of a moderate tree, from this it never descends while a leaf or a bud is remaining; beginning its devastation first at the top, to prevent its being starved in coming to the bottom, when it goes in quest of another, proceeding incredibly slow indeed while on the ground. Some say, that to avoid the pain of exercising its limbs, it forms itself into a ball, and drops down from the branches: that may be true or not, but this I know to be a fact, that it cannot mend its pace.

Of these animals there are two species in Guiana, viz. the Ai and the Unan; but in Surinam distinguished by the names of the Sicapo and Dago luyaree, or the Sheep and the Dog Sloth, on account of their hair; that of the first being bushy, and of a dirty grey, while the other is lank and reddish-coloured. This last has also but two claws on each foot, and the head is less round than the former. Both these creatures, by forming themselves in a clew, have often more the appearance of excrescences in the bark, than that of animals feeding upon the foliage, [154]which frequently prevents them from being discovered by the natives and negroes, who devour their flesh with avidity.

Now came down from Patamaca, on the 28th, Lieutenant Stromer, the commander of the Cerberus, in a burning fever, and scorched by the sun in an open canoe, drinking cold water from the river as his only relief. In this situation, a Jew soldier, of the Society post La Rochelle, accompanied him, with the account that the rebels had actually passed the creek two days before, one mile above the last estate, as had been first reported, viz. marching from east to west.—He at the same time delivered to me a negro woman, with a sucking infant, who had formerly been stolen by the rebels, and had now found means to make her escape. From below I received also the news, that Major Medlar had sent to town from the Jew Savannah two dried hands of the enemy, killed by the rangers; that an officer with ten men and some provisions were landed at Devil’s Harwar, there to be under my command; and that one of my marines at that place was dead. The same dispatches brought an order for me to look out for a dry spot, and, if possible, to build a temporary storehouse.

I immediately detached my lieutenant, Mr. Hamer, to take the command of the Cerberus, and having weighed anchor, rowed down till I arrived before the Casepory Creek, where we passed such a night as no pen can describe:—The sick groaned, the Jew prayed aloud, the soldiers swore, the negroes intreated, [155]the women sung, the child squeaked, the fire smoked, the rains poured down, and the whole vessel stunk to such a degree, that I began to think myself but little better off than the unfortunate persons who were confined in the black hole at Calcutta. At six o’clock the next morning, however, the joyful sun broke through the clouds, and I dropped down with the Charon before Devil’s Harwar.

On the 29th, I delivered my sick officer and five sick men, besides my other passengers, for whom I had done all that was in my power, but that was very little; and having stowed the newly-arrived provisions in a proper place, I once more returned to my dreadful station, where I came to an anchor on the first of August.

The following day, between the showers, we saw great numbers of monkies, of which I shot one, and having had no fresh meat for a long time, I ordered it to be dressed, and eat it with a good appetite. We were at this time in a shocking situation, not only wanting refreshment; but the men’s cloaths and hammocks were rotting from day to day, not only from their being almost constantly wet, but being also composed of the very worst materials sent from Holland.

On the third, I received the account that Lieutenant Stromer was dead at Devil’s Harwar.

On the fourth, we dropped down before the place, to bury him directly, in the hope of doing it with decency, but we were disappointed; for having contrived to make [156]a coffin of old boards, the corpse dropped through it before it reached the grave, and exhibited a shocking spectacle: we nevertheless found means to go through the rest of the interment with some decorum, having covered it over with a hammock by way of a pall; then fired three vollies with all the troops that had strength to carry arms. This being over, I regaled the officers with a glass of wine, and once more took a farewell of Devil’s Harwar.

On the sixth, having first written to Colonel Fourgeoud, to acquaint him that the rebels had passed above La Rochelle, and that I had found a spot for a magazine at Barbacoeba, I informed him also of the death of my lieutenant, Mr. Stromer; and recommended my serjeant, who had been an officer of hussars, for advancement.

To give the reader some idea of this spot called Devil’s Harwar, I will here take the opportunity to describe it.

This place was formerly a plantation, but is now entirely occupied by the military, who keep here a post, to defend the upper parts of the river Cottica. The soil is elevated and dry, which makes it the more remarkable that it should be so extremely unwholesome, yet such it certainly is: and here hundreds of soldiers have been buried. It lies on the right side of the river as you go upwards, and had formerly a path of communication with the river Pirica, on which were a few military guards; but this is now little frequented, and quite overgrown.

[157]

The buildings on Devil’s Harwar are all made of the pina or manicole-tree; which tree, and the manner of using it for houses, &c. I shall afterwards attempt to describe: but now must content myself with only saying, that on this post the buildings consist of a dwelling-house for the commanding-officer, with four very good rooms; another for the subalterns; a good lodge for the private soldiers; and an hospital for the sick, which is large and roomy: but this is no more than is necessary, as it never is without inhabitants. There is also a powder and victualling magazine, proper kitchens, a bake-house, &c. besides a well with fresh water. The Society troops feed a flock of sheep, pigs, and poultry at this place, for the use only of the hospital: here was also at this time a cow, which had been allotted for the rangers after Boeccow was taken, but the feast had not been kept at this place. She had now a calf, and afforded milk for the officers to their tea, &c. but for us poor fellows in the barges there was nothing at all of the kind. I may add, that some of the officers had also little gardens here, which afforded them sallad, &c.

The circumstance which renders Devil’s Harwar so unhealthy, in my opinion, is the myriads of musquitoes that prevent the people from rest, and the multitudes of chigoes or sand-fleas which abound in that station.

On the seventh, I arrived again at Cormoetibo Creek, where I resolved to make a landing on the south shore at all hazards, for my own soldiers to cook their beef [158]and barley; concluding it as well to be shot by the enemy at once, as to be gradually consumed to death on board the Charon. It was, however, a difficult task to find the smallest spot for the purpose, the whole of that shore being so very marshy, and over-grown with every kind of underwood, that we could scarcely put our new project in execution; till at last, my negroes having made a temporary kind of bridge, to step from the yawl upon a small speck of dry ground, and having formed a slight shed of manicole-leaves to keep off the rain, we found means to keep in a fire, and were infinitely more comfortable than we were on board the Charon. Our danger in this situation, however, was certainly greater than in our former station; since an old rebel settlement was not very far from this place, which was called Pinneburgh, from a neighbouring creek; though others alledge that it obtained this name from the sharp pins stuck in the ground, like crow-feet, or cheveux de frize, with which the rebels had formerly fortified and defended it. Notwithstanding this village had been demolished, it was well known that the rebels still frequently visited the spot, to pick up some of the yams and casadas (which the ground continued, in its uncultivated state, to produce) for a temporary subsistence. I was indeed almost absolutely convinced that the rebels, who had lately passed above La Rochelle in Patamaca, were at this moment encamped at the above spot Pinneburgh, and ready to commit some depredations on the estates on [159]the river Cottica or Pirica, if not to attack ourselves; on this account I always kept double sentinels round the landing-place, and gave orders that no men should be allowed to speak or make any kind of noise while on that spot, in order that we might hear the smallest rustling of a leaf, and so obviate our danger by vigilance and alacrity.

On the 8th my other officer Macdonald fell sick, but refused to be sent to Devil’s Harwar, as he would not suffer me to be left quite by myself.

I have said that we had no surgeon, but carried with us a parcel of medicines, which consisted of emetics, cathartics, and powders, of which I knew not the proper use. At their desire, however, I daily distributed them to the men, who, loading their stomachs with heavy salt provisions, and using no exercise, had sometimes occasion for art to assist nature. But these briny meals of pork and beef, Colonel Fourgeoud insisted were much more wholesome food in a tropical country than fresh provisions; for, by a most curious theory, he asserted that the latter corrupted in the stomach by the heat, whereas the others underwent a proper digestion. Unfortunately for us, there were but few on board either the Cerberus or the Charon, whose stomachs were in a state to digest such food. I had also some plaisters on board the barge, but these were soon expended by the running ulcers, with which the whole crew was covered; and this was easily accounted for, since in this climate, [160]where the air is impregnated with myriads of invisible animalcula, the smallest scratch immediately becomes a running sore. The best antidote and cure for such complaints in this country is lemon or lime acid, but this we had not. The next best mode of treatment is never to expose an open wound, or even the smallest scratch, to the air; but the instant they are received, to cover them with grey paper wetted with spirits, or any kind of moisture, so that it may stick to the skin. For my own part, no man could enjoy a better state of health than I continued to enjoy, wearing nothing but my long trowsers, and checked shirt loose at the collar and turned up in the sleeves. Nay, even when the sun was not too hot, I stripped all together, and twice every day continued to plunge into the water: by these means I was always cool and clean; I also daily used a cheering glass of wine, having first hung it a few fathoms under water, which rendered it much more cool and pleasant.

During all these hardships, I must not forget the high gratification which was afforded us one day by a few marcusas that we found in this place, which had been left there standing ever since the estate, many years ago, had been destroyed. There was indeed but one single old tree, I should rather say a shrub, for the plant which bears them falls more properly under that description. This delicious fruit is of an oval form, and of an orange or golden colour; the blossom resembling the passion-flower. They are commonly larger, but some less than [161]a hen’s egg, and are broken open as one would break an egg; they are then found to inclose an ash-coloured succulent jelly, full of small seeds. This is sipped out of the shell, being sweet mixed with acid, of an exquisite flavour, and so cool that it reminds one of ice marmalade.

Here we remarked a variety of beautiful butterflies, particularly some of an azure blue, which are exceedingly large, and between the showers skimmed and hovered amongst the green boughs, to which their ultramarine hue, brightened by the sun, bore the most enchanting contrast: but as I could not catch one of them while I staid here, I must defer the farther description to another part of the work.

This evening we heard the sound of a drum, which we could suppose to be no other than that of the rebels; nevertheless we determined to continue dressing our victuals ashore, still keeping on our guard, according to the advice of Mr. Kleynhans.

On the 9th Mr. Macdonald was much worse; however, on seeing me receive a letter from Colonel Fourgeoud, he seemed to revive, as we all did, expecting now to be relieved from our horrid situation. But what was our mortification, at reading that we were still to continue on this forlorn station! This letter was accompanied by a present of fish-hooks and tackle, to make up for the deficiency of other refreshments; and, indeed, of salt [162]provisions, which began daily to get both worse and less—

The receipt of such unwelcome intelligence made the whole crew declare they were sacrificed for no manner of purpose; while the negroes sighed, pronouncing the words, Ah! poty backera! Oh! poor Europeans! By the distribution however of a few tamarinds, oranges, lemons, and Madeira wine, which were by this opportunity sent me by my best friend at Paramaribo, I found means to impart, not only to my officers, but also to my drooping soldiers, some relief. But this cheering sun-shine could not last long: and the day following we were as much distressed as ever, when I had once more recourse to the nimble inhabitants of the forest, and brought down two monkies with my gun from the top of the mangroves, where they were sporting in flocks consisting of some hundreds.

On the 11th, I sent two men sick to the hospital, and the same evening we again heard the drums. On the following day, at noon, we were disturbed by a hurricane; the Charon broke loose from her anchors, and was driven ashore, her upper works being terribly damaged by the stumps of trees, &c. that hung over the river, while the water from the clouds broke in upon us like a torrent, and I expected no less than a shipwreck. [163]

On the 15th the other officer, Lieutenant Baron Owen, came down sick from the Cerberus, and at his request I ventured to send him down to Paramaribo. I now received another letter from Colonel Fourgeoud, with a little money for the men to purchase refreshments, where nothing was to be met with: but not a word intimating that we were to be relieved.

On the 20th I received a report, that the Cerberus, having only four private men left, had retired to the post at La Rochelle; and, on the 21st, I sent two of my men to her assistance, and ordered her back to her former station.

I now was myself at last attacked with a fever, and upon the whole felt myself in a truly distressed condition; deprived by sickness of my two only officers, and my serjeant. My men upon the three stations (viz. the two barges and Devil’s Harwar together) melted down to fifteen, from the number of forty-two, without a surgeon, or refreshment, surrounded with a black forest, and exposed to the mercy of relentless enemies; who must be formidable indeed, should they be informed by any means of our defenceless situation. The remaining few were, with truth, declaring they were doomed to destruction; insomuch, that they could with difficulty be prevented from mutiny, and from proceeding down the river Cottica with the Charon against my orders.

For my own part, I was not altogether free from uneasiness. In fact, a few troops from all quarters ought [164]to have marched against the enemy, when they crossed the Patamaca Creek; that is, from La Rochelle, Devil’s Harwar, and the river Pirica; when, being assailed at once from three quarters, the rebels might have been, if not entirely routed, at least severely punished for their presumption: not to speak of the happy effect which such a check must have had in saving the lives and property of those victims, who, after such incursions, are generally devoted to their rage.

On the 23d I felt myself rather better; and between the fits of the fever shot a couple of large black monkies to make some broth, to supply the want of fresh provisions; but as the destruction of one of these animals was attended with such circumstances, as for ever after had almost deterred me from going a monkey-hunting, I must beg leave to relate them as they happened:—Seeing me on the side of the river in the canoe, the creature made a halt from skipping after his companions, and being perched on a branch that hung over the water, examined me with attention, and the strongest marks of curiosity: no doubt, taking me for a giant of his own species; while he chattered prodigiously, and kept dancing and shaking the bough on which he rested with incredible strength and agility. At this time I laid my piece to my shoulder, and brought him down from the tree into the stream;—but may I never again be a witness to such a scene! The miserable animal was not dead, but mortally wounded. I seized him by the tail, and taking it in both [165]my hands to end his torment, I swung him round, and hit his head against the side of the canoe; but the poor creature still continued alive, and looking at me in the most affecting manner that can be conceived, I knew no other means to end this murder, than to hold him under water till he was drowned, while my heart felt sick on his account: for his dying little eyes still continued to follow me with seeming reproach, till their light gradually forsook them, and the wretched animal expired. I felt so much on this occasion, that I could neither taste of him nor his companion, when they were dressed, though I saw that they afforded to some others a delicious repast.

That monkies, especially when young, are no bad food, may easily be accounted for, since they feed on nothing but fruits, nuts, eggs, young birds, &c.; and indeed, in my opinion, all young quadrupeds are eatable: but when one compares those which are killed in the woods to those filthy and disgusting creatures that disgrace the streets, no wonder that they should disgust the least delicate stomach. As for the wild ones, I have eaten them boiled, roasted, and stewed, and found their flesh white, juicy, and good: the only thing that disgusted me was, their little hands and their heads, which when dressed, being deprived of the skin, appeared like the hands and the skull of a young infant. I have already observed that there are in Guiana many different species, from the [166]large ourang-outang to the very small sarcawinkee. The former, however, I never have seen, nor heard described, while I was in this country; as for the latter, I shall describe him on another occasion, and shall only, for the present, give an account of those which I met with on this cruise. That which I shot the second instant is what is called in Surinam micoo: it is nearly the size of a fox, and of a reddish grey colour, with a black head and very long tail. Those I killed on the tenth were indeed exceedingly beautiful, and much more delicate when dressed than the former: they are called the keesee-keesee by the inhabitants, are about the size of a rabbit, and most astonishingly nimble. The colour of their body is reddish, and the tail, which is long, is black at the extremity; but the fore-feet are orange colour. The head is very round, the face milk white, with a round black patch in the middle, in which are the mouth and the nostrils; and this disposition of the features give it the appearance of a mask: the eyes are black, and remarkably lively. These monkies we saw daily pass along the sides of the river, skipping from tree to tree, but mostly about mid-day, and in very numerous bodies, regularly following each other like a little army, with their young ones on their backs, not unlike little knapsacks. Their manner of travelling is thus: the foremost walks to the extremity of a bough, from which it bounds to the extremity of one belonging to the next tree, often at a [167]most astonishing distance, and with such wonderful activity and precision, that it never once misses its aim: the others one by one, and even the females, with their little ones on their backs, which stick fast to the mother, follow their leader, and perform the same leap with the greatest seeming facility and safety: they also are remarkable for climbing up the nebees or natural ropes, with which many parts of the forest are interwoven. These nebees grow in such a manner as to afford the appearance at first sight of a fleet at anchor.

The monkies, I am told, have sometimes two young ones sucking, like the human species. I have been a witness how these animals towards sun-set ascend to the tops of the palm-trees, some of which are above one hundred feet in height, where they sleep safe in the large diverging branches. The keesee-keesee is such a beautiful and delicate fond creature, that it is by many people kept as a favourite, when it wears a silver chain. Besides its mimic drolleries, it is remarkable for its good-nature and chirruping voice, which pronounces peeteeco peeteeco without intermission. They are easily tamed, and are taken by means of a strong glue made by the Indians, which is something like our European bird-lime.

The other species, of the shooting of which I have just given the horrid account, were called by my negroes monkee-monkee. The only facts which I can relate farther of them is, that they are in size between the two former described, and all over black. One circumstance I ought [168]not to omit, which is very remarkable, viz. that one morning I saw from my barge a monkey of this kind come down to the water’s edge, rinsing his mouth, and appearing to clean his teeth with one of his fingers: he was first discovered by one of the slaves, who pointed him out to my great amusement.

Here I shall end the subject for the present, after adding that the above animals are sociable, and that they are very tenacious of life, as I have shewn. It is almost superfluous to mention, that the usual distinction between what are called monkies and apes, consists in this, that the first have all tails, of which the latter are divested; but never having met with in Guiana any of the latter description, I believe them more to be the inhabitants of Asia and Africa, than of the part of the new world distinguished by the name of South America, The monkies are often mischievous near the plantations, where they commit depredations on the sugar-canes, &c. yet of this I but one time have been a witness.

As I am speaking of the animals found in this part of the country, I must not omit the otters here, called tavous, which in the Cormoetibo Creek frequently attracted our attention by their disagreeable noise: as they are amphibious, they live mostly on fish; they are about three feet in length, grey-coloured, and all over spotted with white; their legs are short, they are web-footed, and armed with five claws; the head is round, the nose beset with whiskers like a cat; the eyes are small, and [169]placed above the ears; the tail is very short. This animal moves aukwardly upon land, but in the rivers proceeds with great velocity. In Guiana it is said there is another species of otters, which are much larger, but these I never saw.

Notwithstanding the favourable appearances of the preceding day, I was, on the 24th, exceedingly ill indeed, not being able to sit up in my hammock, under which the black boy Quaco now lay, crying for his master, and on the following day the poor lad himself fell sick; at the same time I was also obliged to send three men in a fever to Devil’s Harwar. As misfortunes often croud together, I received, at this fatal period, the melancholy account that the officer, Mr. Ower, was also dead, having expired on his passage downwards at the Alida estate, where he was buried. My ensign, Mr. Cottenburgh, who had since gone to Paramaribo, died next; and for myself no better was now to be expected. In the height of a burning fever I now lay, forsaken by all my officers and men, without a friend to comfort me, and without assistance of any kind, except what the poor remaining negro slaves could afford me, by boiling a little water to make some tea. In this situation the reader may judge of the consolation which was afforded me, the very evening when these accumulated misfortunes seemed to threaten our extinction, by the receipt of an order from the Colonel, to come down with both the barges to Devil’s Harwar, where I was again to take post [170]on shore, and relieve Captain Orzinga, of the Society service, who with his men was to proceed to La Rochelle in Patamaca, to strengthen the troops already there. Ill as I was, this had such a powerful effect on my spirits, that I immediately ordered the Cerberus down to the mouth of the Cormoetibo Creek, where she joined me that evening.

On the 26th, we bid farewel to this destructive place; and having weighed anchor, rowed down as far as Barbacoeba, during which time a circumstance happened, which will probably prove more entertaining than the repeated accounts of sickness and deaths.

As I was resting in my hammock, between the paroxysms of my fever, about half way between Cormoetibo and Barbacoeba, while the Charon was floating down, the sentinel called to me that he had seen and challenged something black and moving in the brushwood on the beach, which gave no answer; but which, from its size, he concluded must be a man. I immediately dropped anchor; and having manned the canoe, ill as I was, I stepped into it, and rowed up to the place mentioned by the sentinel. Here we all stepped ashore to reconnoitre, as I suspected it to be no other than a rebel spy, or a straggling party detached by the enemy; but one of my slaves, of the name of David, declared it was no negro, but a large amphibious snake, which could not be far from the beach, and I might have an opportunity of shooting it if I pleased. To this, however, I [171]had not the least inclination, from the uncommon size of the creature, from my weakness, and the difficulty of getting through the thicket, which seemed impenetrable to the water’s edge; and therefore ordered all of them to return on board. The negro then asked me liberty to step forward and shoot it himself, assuring me it could not be at any great distance, and warranting me against all danger. This declaration inspired me with so much pride and emulation, that I determined to take his first advice, and kill it myself; provided he would point it out to me, and be responsible for the hazard, by standing at my side, from which I swore that if he dared to move, I should level the piece at himself, and blow out his own brains.

To this the negro cheerfully agreed; and having loaded my gun with a ball-cartridge, we proceeded; David cutting a path with a bill-hook, and a marine following, with three more loaded firelocks to keep in readiness. We had not gone above twenty yards through mud and water, the negro looking every way with an uncommon degree of vivacity and attention; when starting behind me, he called out, “Me see snakee!” and in effect there lay the animal, rolled up under the fallen leaves and rubbish of the trees; and so well covered, that it was some time before I distinctly perceived the head of this monster, distant from me not above sixteen feet, moving its forked tongue, while its eyes, from their uncommon brightness, appeared to emit sparks of fire. I now, resting my piece [172]upon a branch, for the purpose of taking a surer aim, fired; but missing the head, the ball went through the body, when the animal struck round, and with such astonishing force as to cut away all the underwood around him with the facility of a scythe mowing grass; and by flouncing his tail, caused the mud and dirt to fly over our heads to a considerable distance. Of this proceeding however we were not torpid spectators, but took to our heels, and crouded into the canoe. The negro now intreated me to renew the charge, alluring me the snake would be quiet in a few minutes, and at any rate persisting in the assertion that he was neither able nor inclined to pursue us; which opinion he supported by walking before me, till I should be ready to fire. And thus I again undertook to make the trial, especially as he said that his first starting backwards had only proceeded from a desire to make room for me. I now found the snake a little removed from his former station, but very quiet, with his head as before, lying out among the fallen leaves, rotten bark, and old moss. I fired at it immediately, but with no better success than the other time: and now, being but slightly wounded, he sent up such a cloud of dust and dirt, as I never saw but in a whirlwind, and made us once more suddenly retreat to our canoe; where now, being heartily tired of the exploit, I gave orders to row towards the barge: but David still intreating me to permit him to kill the animal, I was, by his persuasions, induced to make a third and last attempt, in company with him. [173]Thus, having once more discovered the snake, we discharged both our pieces at once, and with this good effect, that he was now by one of us shot through the head. David, who was made completely happy by this successful conclusion, ran leaping with joy, and lost no time in bringing the boat-rope, in order to drag him down to the canoe; but this again proved not a very easy undertaking, since the creature, notwithstanding its being mortally wounded, still continued to wreath and twist about, in such a manner as rendered it dangerous for any person to approach him. The negro, however, having made a running noose on the rope, and after some fruitless attempts to make an approach, threw it over his head with much dexterity; and now, all taking hold of the rope, we dragged him to the beach, and tied him to the stern of the canoe, to take him in tow. Being still alive, he kept swimming like an eel; and I having no relish for such a ship-mate on board, whose length (notwithstanding to my astonishment all the negroes declared it to be but a young one come to about its half growth) I found upon measuring it to be twenty-two feet and some inches; and its thickness about that of my black boy Quaco, who might then be about twelve years old, and round whose waist I since measured the creature’s skin.

Being arrived along-side of the Charon, the next consideration was, how to dispose of this immense animal; when it was at length determined to bring him on shore at Barbacoeba, to have him skinned, and take out the [174]oil, &c. In order to effect this purpose, the negro David having climbed up a tree with the end of the rope, let it down over a strong forked bough, and the other negroes hoisted up the snake, and suspended him from the tree. This done, David, with a sharp knife between his teeth, now left the tree, and clung fast upon the monster, which was still twisting, and began his operations by ripping it up, and stripping down the skin as he descended. Though I perceived that the animal was no longer able to do him any injury, I confess I could not without emotion see a man stark naked, black and bloody, clinging with arms and legs round the slimy and yet living monster. This labour, however, was not without its use, since he not only dexterously finished the operation, but provided me, besides the skin, with above four gallons of fine clarified fat, or rather oil, though there was wasted perhaps as much more. This I delivered to the surgeons at Devil’s Harwar, for the use of the wounded men in the hospital, for which I received their hearty thanks, it being considered, particularly for bruises, a very excellent remedy. When I signified my surprize to see the snake still living, after he was deprived of his intestines and skin, Caramaca, the old negro, whether from experience or tradition, assured me he would not die till after sun-set. The negroes now cut him in slices, in order to dress and feast upon him, they all declaring that he was exceedingly good and wholesome; but to their [175]great mortification I refused to give my concurrence, and we rowed down with the skin to Devil’s Harwar.

Of this species several skins are preserved in the British and Mr. Parkinson’s Museums. It is called by Mr. Westley Lyboija, and Boa in the British Encyclopœdia, to which publication I refer the reader for a perfect account, and an excellent engraving, of this wonderful creature, which in the colony of Surinam is called Aboma. Its length, when full grown, is said to be sometimes forty feet, and more than four feet in circumference; its colour is a greenish black on the back; a fine brownish yellow on the sides, and a dirty white under the belly: the back and sides being spotted with irregular black rings, with a pure white in the middle. Its head is broad and flat, small in proportion to the body, with a large mouth, and a double row of teeth: it has two bright prominent eyes; is covered all over with scales, some about the size of a shilling; and under the body, near the tail, armed with two strong claws like cock-spurs, to help it in seizing its prey. It is an amphibious animal, that is, it delights in low and marshy places, where it lies coiled up like a rope, and concealed under moss, rotten timber, and dried leaves, to seize its prey by surprize, which from its immense bulk it is not active enough to pursue. When hungry, it will devour any animal that comes within its reach, and is indifferent whether it is a sloth, a wild boar, a stag, or even a tiger; round which [176]having twisted itself by the help of its claws, so that the creature cannot escape, it breaks, by its irresistible force, every bone in the animal’s body, which it then covers over with a kind of slime or slaver from its mouth, to make it slide; and at last gradually sucks it in, till it disappears: after this, the aboma cannot shift its situation, on account of the great knob or knot which the swallowed prey occasions in that part of the body where it rests till it is digested; for till then it would hinder the snake from sliding along the ground. During that time the aboma wants no other subsistence. I have been told of negroes being devoured by this animal, and am disposed to credit the account; for should they chance to come within its reach when hungry, it would as certainly seize them as any other animal. I do not apprehend that its flesh, which is very white, and looks like that of fish, is in any respect pernicious to the stomach. I should have had no objection to the negroes eating it till it was consumed, had I not observed a kind of dissatisfaction among the remaining marines, who would not have been pleased with my giving the negroes the use of the kettle to boil it. The bite of this snake is said not to be venomous; nor do I believe it bites at all from any other impulse than hunger.

I shall only add, that having nailed its skin on the bottom of the canoe, and dried it in the sun, sprinkling it over with wood-ashes to prevent it from corruption, I [177]sent it to a friend at Paramaribo, whence it was since sent to Holland as a curiosity.

However extraordinary this account may appear to many readers, let them peruse the narrative which is related by a gentleman in the island of Ceylon, who saw a tiger killed there by a snake he calls the anacunda, but in a quite different manner, and their wonder will cease. I must add, however, that this gentleman’s relation is so very marvellous, that, notwithstanding what I have experienced, I must confess it very greatly staggered my faith1.

This business being ended, I also made an end of the cruise, by dropping down before the Society post Devil’s Harwar, in order the next day to assume the command. [178]