CHAP, ftill extremely weak; and with theie cheeringJhopes re-
.. VI11- j ! tired at ten ó’clöck ht night to my hammock ; but this
tranquillity was again, of Ihort duration, for having
fcarcely clofed my eyes I was awaked by my feijeant,
and the following letter put into my hand, fent by an
exprefs from the captain o f the * militia, or bargers in
Cottica.
« S ir,
« This is . to acquaint you, that the rebels have burnt
« three ëRates.by yóur fidè, Süyinghéyd, Peru, and L’Ef-^
«.perance, the rums of which arè ftmfmokihg; and
« that they, have cut the throats of all the white inhabi-
« tanfs that fell in their way. ' As bn 'their ‘retreat ihey
« muft pafs clofe by where you are polled,‘"be On your
« guard.—I am in haftë.
« Your’s, &c.
' ’ - ^Signed ) !; 11 0 w “ -St oè l ëm A N ■ {
Confclous of my defenceiefs fituatlon, I immediately
flatted u p ; and the exprefs who brought the letter having
fpread the news the moment Of hisdandiUg',. there
was nO neceffity for beating to armsyfihceriot only the'
fèw fóldïers who were well, but thé whole hofpital burft
out; and fevera! o f them, in fpite of my oppofition,
crawling On their hands and feet to their arms, dropped
dead upon thefpot.—Mayl never beholdfuch another feene
g o f
i f mifety and diftrefs! Lame, blind, fiek, and wounded, CHAP,
in the hope Of preferving a wretched exiftence, rallied , VIIL .
upon certain death! They could only, in a word, be
'compared; to the diftreflOd army and. navy at Cartha-
Igeha, commanded by the Britilh Admiral Vernon, whom
Thomfon defcribes—
- « You, gallant Vernon, few
1 if1 The miferable feene, you pitying fa»* .
« To infant weaknefs funk", the warriour’s arm}
; « Saw the deep-tacking pang, the. ghaftly form,
!i « The lip pale quivering, and the beamlefs. eye,
“ No more with ardour bright.” %
• F o r my own-part, I was im a: very weakly condition
indeed; howevbr, We continued to lie all night bn our
arms, during" which I preffed the mefleriger to ftayy. in
Order to add one to our miferable number,sbeing;deter-
mfoed to fell, our lives! as dearly as poffible: But no
enemy appearing in the morning, we buried the dead in
«heir hammocks, not having a board to make a coffin on
«he whole; pdfi.fi in thisfitUation I loft all patience* and
4ad the audacity to write to my-commander, that (be-
•fides what had happened) my laft men flood upon the
brink of the grave, from hardlhips and for want of being
properly fupported; t the Very : waiters of the hofpital
having defeated onthe moment of my arrival here, and
gone to Paramaribo. Our whole number, indeed, was
now