After being , confined nearly the whole, of fixty-three
days within the limbs of a frhall vefiel, and upon>abelementto
which few of the troops had been accjiftomed, it-
would not be eafy to defcribe the pleafure we experienced
on finding .ourfdv.es once more on-land,..and furrounded
by a thoufand agreeable circumftances.
The .town appeared uncommonly, neat and pleafing,
the ihipping extremely beautiful, the adjacent woods
adorned with the moft luxuriant verdure, the iajr perfumed‘.
with the utnaoft fragrance, and the whole feene
gilded by the rays of an unclouded fu n ., did'not
however take leave of our .wooden-habitation at this time,
but tlfe next day were, form ally, ^fembarked w ith ar^êjr
neral appearance pf rejoicing-* all tbe'fliips;in-the roads
being in full drefs, and the gqns'keeping up an inceflant
fire till the whole of the troops werp landed, g'
All the inhabitants of Paramaribo were collected to be-
hold this fplendid fcene, nor were,, the expectations they,
had formed difappointed.^ The corps confifted .of nearly
five hundred .young men; (for we hadbeen fo fortunate
;as only to lofe one during the voyage) the pldpftjof whom
was fcarcely more than thirty, and the whole party neatly
cloathed in their new uniforms, and in caps ornamented
with twigs of orange-bloflom. We paraded on a large
green plain between the town and the citadel, opposite
to the Governor's palace;. during the couffe of which
ceremonies feveral foldiers fainted from the exceifive
heat. The troops then marched into quarters prepared
for their reception, whilft' the officers, were regaled with
a dinner by thé Governor, which would have derived a
considerable
E X PE D I T I O N TO SURINAM. *9
confide r ablerelifh from its* fucceeding the lalt provifions, CHAP.'
to which we hadfo long been confined, had any contraft
been necefiary to«heighten our opinion of its elegance.
But the choicéft delicacies of America and Europe were
united in this-TOpafi, and ferved up in filver. A great
variety of the rieheft wines were poured out with pro-
fufion; t the defert was compofed of. the moft delicious
fruits, and the company ’were attended by a confiderable
number of extremely handfome negro and mulatto maids,;
all naked from the waifl: upwards, according to the
euftom bf ■ the^couritry;' but the ótfief ptih^of their per-
fbns arrayed in the fineft India chintzes, and the whole
adorned with golden chains, medals, beads, bracelets,
and fweet-fmelling flowers.
« After partaking of this fuperb entertainmeiit till about
feven o'clock* 1 fee out- in fearchof the houfe of Mr. Lol-1
kens, the hofpitabie gentleman who had fohhligihgly in-"
yited me to make it my. own. I foón dafcoverëd the placed
but myteception was foJudicrous^that 1 caafiöt ferheaf fe-
latingthe particulars. On knockingatthe door,it Was opened'
by a young female negro, of a mafcülihë appearatice,
whofe whole drefs confified of a fingle petticoat* and who11
held a lighted tobacco-pipe in one hand, and a burning^
caadle in the other, which filebrought cfëfe ib iny^Mc^ '
m order to reconnoitre me. • I enquired te lle r maften wéis;
. at_horne, to which fhe replied, but in a language totally"
unintelligible to me, ¥1 then :méntionéd hisifiame^!on
which file burft. into an immoderate fit of laughter,-
P a difplaying