C H A-P.
^ A R R A T iV E: O'F A N
fpent In mirth dnd cohvivialityj'withput the leaft difturb-
aiiBe, n |y even with decorum"'Aiid propriety,’to* the great
fatisfifdtion df the inhabitants.
The WeftfeHingWerf, Captain Grafs, now1 left the river
alfo, bound for Holland, but firflffor the colony Dc-
meraty. Thus both ftiips of War having failed without
us, there wals fome reafoa fo fuppofe we were fooifeto be
employed on a6tHiaTfervice. There"were manyffibtiv^s/
indeed, For wifhlng either tnat this might be' the^btfe, or
that we might fpeeduybe permitted to return to Europe.
Not only our officers1,’ ThiVour privates, began to feel the
debilitating effedts of the climate, and manyyor that
contmued debauchery fo common'In'all rainkl id this
fettlement: and as hard labour and" bad treatmeht-^prf-
ftahtly killed the poor failors, fo now ouf comnion’foldiers
fell the victims of idlenefs and licentioufheis, arid^died'
frequently fix or feven in a dayp whence it' il ‘evident
to demonftration, that all excefies, of whatever kind, are
mortal to Europeans lii the, dimate of !Ouiana;
But men will give lefions which" they do hSt^th^n-'
felves oblerve. Thus, notwithftandirfg' my ^former Ve*'
lulution of living retired, I again relapfed inth^the.
vortex of diffipadon. I bedame S r&mber or a drinkin
g club, I partook Of all polite and impolite- amiife-'
rtiehtl, and plunged into eJvery "extraVagancb1 w^hbut'
ekCbption. 1 ffid rrbt, however^ eftape With'ouf'the pu-
riifhmenr I deierved. I a
dreadful fever; and ffictTwias-!its;;'Vidiehcl, 'thai in .1'
Jew; days T was no more feicpdfted' to recover. Tfi this
" | ■ I ' I P n ' fithation
E X P E D I T ! O N T O S U R I N A M . 103
fituatiori I lay in my hammock until the 17th, with
onJy a? foldier and my black, boy to attend me, and
witternf ahy pthfer. friend! ficknefebCing univerfal among
the > ne-w-comeiB^to. -this: country, and every one of our
corps- having fo; much to dp to take care of themfelves*
negledt was'an inevitable consequence* even among the
neareffiagquamtancei j This, however, is a cenfure which
does, hpt apply to fheh inhabitants, who perhaps are
the moft hofpita-ble .people; on the globe to Europeans.
Thefe philaiithropifts not only fupply the fick with a Variety
of scofdiais at the fame-: time,: but crowd their apartments
with .innumerable condolefsi, who. from . mofhihg
thl night dontinue prefeibmg*.Mfifting, bewailing,'and
lamenting,, friendf and without: exception? and
this kffiSf until the-patient becomes delirious ai^l expires.'
Such muft inevitably-hwe been rriy;oafe, | between the
two extremes of negleft and importunity, had it not been
for the happy,Intervention Of poor Joanna, who one-
morning entered- my apartment, to my unfpeakable joy-’
and furprize, accompanied by one of her lifters. She informed
me that fhe was aequainted-with mydbrlorn iltua-
tion ? that if I ffcill entertained for her the fame good«
opinion, her only requeft -was^ that ffie;mi^t;Waffihpon;
me-till J; Ihould be-recovered. I indeed gratefully, ^accepted
her, offer ;■ and by her unremitting care and attention
had the good .fortune- fo far to regain - my health and'
fpirits, as to be able, in a, few days after^ to take an airing;,
in Mr. Kennedy’s carriages’
the.