For some time past we have been anxiously looking for news from England. Papers are at length arrived, and we read, that instead of drawing nigh to a peace, we are only now entering upon a wide-spreading war.

By inspecting the map you will find that our situation upon this coast is now rendered peculiarly interesting. The Spaniards are on our left, to leeward; the Dutch and French to windward, on our right; close in our rear are heavy and impenetrable forests, inhabited by wild and naked tribes; and our whole front is bounded by the open sea. Our new foes, the Dons, will have more cause of alarm from us, than we can possibly have from them: being to leeward of us, we shall be able to run down, at any time, and surprise them at Trinidad, or the Caraccas: whereas it might require a voyage of many days for them to make their passage, against the trade winds, far enough to annoy us with any effect: further, the superiority of our fleet gives us so entirely the command of the coast, that the Spanish vessels may be expected to afford a plentiful harvest to our sloops and privateers.

An express, announcing the arrival of a reinforcement of medical officers from Martinique, called me, somewhat suddenly, from my hospitable quarters, at Mahaica. On hearing that these gentlemen were come, the suggestion naturally occurred, that it was a detachment from the hospital staff of the Charibbee islands, sent to relieve the division of the St. Domingo staff, and to set us at liberty to proceed to our original destination: but, so far from this being the case, the reinforcement consists only of a garrison surgeon and a mate; and instead of orders being sent us to set off for St. Domingo, I have received copies of hospital papers, and instructions for my guidance, in directing the duties of the medical department of these colonies.

I now feel it a severe mortification, that I should have so long arranged for my letters to be sent to St. Domingo; but I hope to be more fortunate in saying ... write to me at Demarara.

Of myself I need not speak, for my strength is so rapidly returning that I scarcely belong either to the list of sick or convalescents. My comrade, Mr. Blackader, is also growing strong, and forgetting his invalid feelings; but Mr. Jordan, one of my assistants, has suffered a late attack, from which, after much danger, he is only slowly recovering. Having before mentioned to you the circumstance of the relapses of fever corresponding remarkably with the periods of the moon, I may now tell you, that the fact was particularly noticed in the case of this gentleman. He suffered a relapse during his early convalescence, and it was remarked that, on the same day, four of the patients in the hospital had a renewed attack of the fever. This coincidence led us to look at the almanack, when it was found to be the day previous to the change of the moon.

Mr. Blackader with our recovering assistant and myself, all in different stages of convalescence, having met together a few evenings ago, it happened that the conversation turned from yellow fever, and other ills, to the many comforts of dear England. If you could know how gratefully our minds were absorbed on this inexhaustible subject, and the high delight which we were led to contemplate, in returning to the tranquil enjoyments of that happy and salubrious home, you might almost envy us a long absence, and the danger of never seeing our native island again!

The reports from Martinique, Grenada, and St. Lucie, respecting the ravages of disease, I am sorry to find, are not more favorable than our own. The great scourge of the climate has made sad havoc in those islands, and the medical officers have suffered in full proportion. Of the physicians who were attached to the windward expedition, four have already fallen victims to disease, viz. Doctors Riollay, Story, Clifton, and Suttleworth. With sincere grief I likewise hear of the death of poor Colonel Gammell, who so lately left us in robust health. In his loss the service has to lament a most valuable officer. The removal of this gentleman and his comrades of the 93d regiment from these colonies, instead of being accompanied with all the comfort which attached to the prospect of returning to England, seems to have been only the signal of unhappy events. Whilst they remained together at Berbische, under Colonel Gammell’s excellent rules of command, the whole of the officers were singularly healthy, but the suspension of the regular system which he had maintained, and a total relaxation from duty, together with the hurry of embarkation, and, perhaps, the liberal glass at parting from other comrades, while they have unfortunately removed the happy exemption from disease, which those gentlemen had enjoyed, have also proved the high utility of a rigid and correct discipline in these destructive regions.

One of the officers of the 93d died at Demarara, whither he had arrived from Berbische, preparatory to going on board the ship in which he was to have proceeded to England: now, we hear of the death of Colonel Gammell at Martinique: a third officer, of the same regiment, was prevented from embarking with his comrades by an attack of fever, which nearly deprived him of life, and which still detains him among us. The Colonel left Demarara at the time I was lying dangerously ill, and was one of the friends who, on turning from my bed-side, shook his head, and despaired of ever seeing me again. Alas! I grieve to find him so correct in the fact, although his apprehensions did not go to the event precisely as it occurred; for, little did he expect that it would be my lot to live, and thus soon deplore his death!

At the La Bourgade hospital, as well as at Mahaica, we feel the effect of the present dry season, the numbers on our sick list being considerably less than for several months past; yet the sad remains of expiring disease have lately afforded us too frequent opportunities of prosecuting the comparative examinations I before mentioned to you; and we have availed ourselves of them to a considerable extent. Among the advantages arising from the late dry weather in these colonies, no one is more conspicuous than the improvement which it has effected in our deep and muddy roads. Hitherto they have been intolerably bad; indeed, on account of the great depth of wet and stiff clay, almost impassable. At present they are dry, and, from being upon a perfect level, and the clay being hardened and worn smooth, they are as fine roads, for travelling, as the very best in England.

Since the weather has been settled, we find the thermometer rise occasionally at noon as high as 86 or 87: usually it has been from 82 to 85. This climate is perhaps one of the most steady in the world, the range of the thermometer, upon the cultivated part of the coast, being only from 11 to 15 degrees. Most commonly the mercury is at 73 at six o’clock in the morning; and at noon 84. The lowest I have seen it, at any time, was 72; and the highest 87. From living in constant heat and relaxation our bodies become highly sensible to cold, and I sometimes feel my fingers chilly, as in an autumnal morning in England, although the thermometer be as high as 74.

Since the arrival of the garrison surgeon and assistant, our department has been further strengthened with the addition of a deputy-purveyor, and some hospital-mates. These gentlemen are come in good time to enjoy the evening shade of our toils. We have supported the severe labour and fatigue of the sickly season without them, and they now find us well seasoned in our duty, and with our hospitals far less crowded. When we most wanted them, their services were most required in the islands, and now we have less occasion for them, they can best be spared. However, I am busily engaged in making up the returns, and all the necessary accounts and hospital papers, from the time of our arrival in these colonies, and shall hope soon to be relieved from one branch of my late duty, by resigning to our newly arrived deputy-purveyor the business of his department.

Rumour has lately threatened us with an attack from Surinam, but we feel no alarm on this subject; having an adequate force to meet the enemy at sea, and troops enough on shore, to resist any detachment which the Dutch might be able to send from that colony.

On my way down the coast lately from Mahaica, I observed among the slaves, what to me was a novelty; although I was told, by a gentleman of the colony, that it was by no means uncommon. In one of the fields we passed a gang of negroes employed at their labour, with a female driver carrying the whip at their backs. On my remarking that it was not a becoming duty for the beau sexe—that the nature of the lady might be too tender to admit of her correcting the strong; and her arm too feeble to enable her to chastise the idle; my companion replied, that I was much mistaken, for, on the contrary, the “women drivers” were sometimes peculiarly severe, and often corrected the stoutest slaves with no feeble arm.

The following anecdote forces upon my mind a fact which is perhaps universally observed, viz. that where the population is thin, the society confined to a few, and the intercourse with other places bounded by narrow limits, trifles gain importance, and occurrences which, in themselves, are insignificant, become subjects of conversation, and of interest.

From the great heat of climate, and the consequent rapidity with which dead animal matter tends to resume its gaseous form, it is become a custom here, for the butcher, when he is about to kill beef, to secure the sale of the whole carcase, before he slaughters the animal: for which purpose he sends round a ticket or notice informing the inhabitants when the beef is to be killed, in order that each person may write down what part, and what quantity he may wish to have. It is likewise a practice among the Dutch people to give notice when any person dies, inviting the neighbours to the funeral, by means of a paper which is commonly superscribed, in conspicuous characters, “doed brief.” A Dutch officer having died, the burial-ticket was despatched in due form, when a lady who had lately arrived from Barbadoes, reading the words “doed brief,” put down her name for “twelve pounds and a half of the buttock.” The messenger proceeding throughout the town with the notice, the mistake was quickly known in every house, and the gloomy solemnity of the occasion was interrupted by the various witticisms, upon the English lady bespeaking twelve pounds and a half of the Dutchman’s buttock.