country air, and. the hofpitable manner in which we
were entertained at his eftate, had fuch an effidt On my
conftitution and my fpirits, that on the ninth I returned,
if not recovered, at leaft greatly benefited, to Paramaribo.
But Iftiould be guilty of partiality, did I not relate one
inftance, which throws a lhade over the humanity even
of my friend Macneyl.
Having obferved a handfome young negro walk very
lamely, while the others were capering and dancing, I
inquired into the caufe of his crippled appearance
when I was informed by this gentleman, that the negro
having repeatedly run away from his work, he had been
obliged to hamftring.him, which operation is performed
by cutting through the large tendon above one of the heels.
However fevere this inftance of defpotifin may appear,
it is nothing when compared with fome barbarities which
the talk I have undertaken will oblige me, at the expence
of my feelings, to relate.
On our return to the town of Paramaribo, the only
news that occurred confifted in a few ffiocking executions
; alfo that the Boreas man of war, Captain Van-de-
Velde, had failed for Holland; and that Colonel Forgeoud
had on the eighth, the Prince of Orange’s anniverfary,.
entertained a large company with a ball en militaire, in
the officers guard-room. The mufic on this occafion
confifted of two fiddlers only, who had the confcience to
make, the colonel pay one hundred and. twenty Dutch
florins for rofin and catgut.
About
About this time I was attacked by a diftemper called
th e prjiektyheat, by thé colonifts-' rm tvm t. It begins by
the fkin taking'a 'colour 'like fcarlet, (occafioned by a;
number of ffiiall pimples,) 'and Jtching inconceivably ;
under the garters, or , any place where the circulation is
impeded, the itching is almoft infupportable.
With- this peff all new-comers from Europe are foon in-
fefted ?,tthe cure -is to bathe the'parts with the juice of
limes and water, a* for th e bites of gnats or mufquitoes.
The prickly heat is-fuppofed to be. a prognoftic of good
health by the inhabitants; which;I have.reafon to think
true, fince from that, period my health and %irits were
perfectly re-eftabliffied, and I wasoncemore as happy-as
Paramaribo could make me.
At this time Colonel Fourgeoud fet out with a barge,
to infpea the fituation of the rivers Comewina and Cot-
tica, in cafe the^ótual fervice of our troops Ihould foon
he wanted; being at his departure fainted by the guns
from Fort Zelandia, and by thofe of the fhipS; the
roads. This compliment I acknowledge aftoniffied me,
after the coölnefs which took place, and ^as now rooted,
between this gentleman and the governor o f the colony.
As we were ftill in a ftate of inaótion, I made another ex-
cur ion, with a Mr. Charles Ryndorp, whorowedmein his
t o e to five beautiful coftee eftates, ^nd èhé fugar plantation,
m the Mattapaca,paramarica>,and Werapa Greeks:
thedefcription-of whieh I muft defer to mother ocea*
fion;