NA R R A T IV JB- O P A N
the. reader may depend on having them painted inirheir
true original colours', however ftrong the fhades/: J
Governor Nepfeu was faid to be rather a man of fenfe
than of learning, and waswholly indebted to his art and;
add refs, for7 having rifen jj to his |prefent dignity from-
fweeping the hall of the court-houfe* By th e ; fame
means .die was enabled, from nothing, to accumulate0 a
fortune, by fome computed at no lefs than eight thoufand
pounds fterling-. annually, and to command refpedt from
all ranks of people, no perfon ever daring to. attack him
but at a diftance. His deportment was affable, but ironical,
without ever lofing the command. of his -temper,
which gave him the appearance of a man o f fafhion,
and rendered his influence almoft unbounded; He was
generally known by the appellation of Reynard* and
was moll certainly a fox of too much artifice to be run.
down by all the hounds in the colony.
. Colonel Fourgeoud was almoft exactly the reverie of
this portrait. He was impetuous, paflionate, felf-duffi-
cient, and revengeful: he was not cruel to individuals*
but was a tyrant to the generality* and caufed the death,
of hundreds by. his fordid avarice and opprefiion. With,
all this he waS partial,, ungrateful, and confufed; but
a moll indefatigable man in bearing hardfhips and in
braving dangers, not exceeded by Columbus bimfelf,
which* like a true buccaneer, he fuftained with* the molt
heroic courage, patience, and perfeverance. Though un-
i eonquerably
Ë X P E D I T IO N T O SU R IN A M.
eonquerably harfh. andfevere to his officers, he was
howeyer not, .wanting in affability to the private foldiers.
H6 had ,.read, but-had no. edue-atiorr to affiffc him in
digeiHng what he .read. In Ihort, few men could talk
better,, butonmpft-ptcahons few cahM adt worfe.- '
7,Such .were, the cliaraétem of bur commanders, while;
the iPppafttion■ of^tiyo jfuch men-to;each other could
not fail to produce, unhappinefs to, the troops,, and operated
as a fulheientîeâulè for the fluctuating ftate of
political affairs in this dejeched.blÉô n^-jr!1
As we ftill eontiO ued.to tall y fn aCtivfe^ I am 'ne cedar il y
deprived of- the pleafure-hf relating? any\of j our hero’s
warlike achievements .—To «relieve the famehefsldf the
h^ratiye, 1 therefore take the liberty of defcncbing.oiiè'
of-hijS favourites.—This other thahw bird called
the tpucan% < and in Surinam banarabechot cq/acai,- either
from its^bïll having, fome refeiublaneeftbithat fruit, or
frpm.its being aecuftom.ed to feedron it, and perhaps from
bothk This animal. , the-’ colonel kept hopping., tame
amongft his poultry;. | y
? The toucanis-not larger than a tame pigeon, atid yêl
its beak is no lefs than fix inches in length, if not more;
It.is fhaped like a jackdaw, carrying its. tail almoft perpendicular,
except when it flies : its. colouris blacky except
a little white under the throat and breaft, which is
borderedwith red in the form of: a crefeent reverfed, and
a few feathers^ above and under ifs? tail, fome white and
&me crimfon. The head is large, with a blueifh.ring
round!
r i7
C H A P .
VL
m n i i i B i