â p
,e a à F.
I.
The former ofitfiefe is fo'fmall as.to fieficareèlyyifible-
the liatter is: fomething larger, 'and formed-like a crab,
•an d ; both âgfèe/in adhering <clolêly t° the^fkin, and oç-
cafioning an intolerable itchingi Thëfë infe£t,s abound
moffc during the- rainy feafbn, when the beft means jof
avoiding their attacks is fuppofed tofie by walking barefoot,
as: they are believed to fallen more I eafil-y, and con-
fequently in greater numbers, upon the -deaths, whence
however they very fpeedily find their way to: the ikin;
We did not get rid u f our difagçeeable -companions till’
our return to the fhip, when :we walhed: the affigdred part;s
with the juice of limes or /lemons, which, çonfidèrably al-
leyiatedrOur trpublefpmejTenfiati'ons.
On the 3d of March we received- a vifit from lèverai
officers of the Society, or Weft India Company’s troop?,
accompanied 1 by a number of other gentlemen, to : welcome
our arrival in the colony. Nor were -they fatisfied
■with paying us ; merely a compliment in words,'.b%t rp-,
galed us with a large quantity- pf , excellent-fruits'-and;
other refrefhments. They came in very elegant barges,
or. tent-boats, adorned with flags, and attended by final!
bands of mufic. The veffels were rowed fiy fix or eight
negroes, who were entirely without doathsg 'except à
fmall ftripe of check or other fifien - c l q t |^ |^ î ^ ^ ^ ;
paflè'd between their thighs, and fattened hefpré and behind
to a thin cofton ftring tied round their loins. As
the colpnifts generally make choice of their handfomeft
flayes for, this office, and to attend them at table, &c*.
i the.
the rowers, who were healthy, young, and vigorous, lóok-
édT extremely well, and their being naked: gave us a full
opportunity of :obferving their Ikin, which was Ihining,
and nèarly as black as ebony. This feene was however
cojaferafted by the arrival of two canoes filled with emaciated
ftarvifig wretches, who clamorouflv folicited relief
from the foldiers^and were ready to fight for the poffef-
fion of a bone.
-■ The day following our Commander in Chief was vi-
fited by a .Mr.-Rynldorpi? whdihtródüced to him two
black faldiejS) manumized Haves, who ■compofed part of a
corps ©f three .hundred which had been lately formed*
Tfiefe kien were exhibited *by Mr. RynCdprp as Ipicimens
of that valiant body}'whicïubut a Ihort tiifie*. before had
m a f t ' by thé protection it had
afforded to the
Whilft we -ftill remained*at anchor. bgfore the fbrtrefs
Amfterdam, I received a polite invitation from one Mr.
LölkenSf a planter, to whom 1 had beep recommended,. to
accept the life of his-houfe'and table on our arrival at
- ParamaribójÉihcapft^hfi thé- colony..
On tbe-Sth We > once ' mom \vënt\ uiidef -Way,: and after
the ufual ceremonies on both fides on leaving .the fortrefs,
fail’d up the river Surinam with drums beating, 'colours
flying, a.nd a-guard of marines drawn up 01Ï the 'quarter-
’ deck of each veffel’. Having at length reached Paramaribo,
we finally came-to an an chor with ml piftol-fhot'off
the fit ore, receiving a falute of eleven guns from the citadel
Zealandia, which w as returned by all the fliips of our
fmall'fieet.
V'ol. -I.-1 I After