CHAP, WPfkiïJg „them, the vaft Humber ©f'flayeis required to
, XXIIL , drag them through the foreft, where np horfesjj jsaH ; be
employed, feefides the danger and lofs -of time, we may
eajfily account for the .enormous price generally.paid for
the beft timber in Guiana.
. This march undoubtedly afforded us the moft, enchanting
profpofts that can be imagined, in a luxuriant and
ever-green fore'ft, while the dry feafon «contributed greatly
to beaufily .fhe fcene; find fimple nature by far out (hone
the moft ftremiQus endeavours of art. Hete*, we met
with immenfe favannas o f the moft lovely verdure, in>
tqrlperfed with meandring brooks o f water, cool and d ea f
as. rpck cryftal; their borders adorned with flowers o f
every lively hue and fragrance» In ibme places we. obr
ferved fmall clumps o f e lu ant ftirubs, Or perhaps a Angle,
tree,lwhbfe beauty would almoft induce on®to think
they had been defignedly. left growing to enrich the
fcene. The whole fürrounded by a vaft wood o f lofty
palm-trees, waving their fea-greèn foliage above the variegated
copfe o f never-fading verdure, bloflbm, and
fruit, as i f ,,to. invite the panting wandeiter =uhdér itè
coding fhade, till in the jlater hours he might •eBy.OJf the
bracing pleafures o f the limpid flood, and contemplate
nature’s beauties undiftufbed.— When univerfal fllence
reigned every where around, how «often have I thought
on my dear friend, and wiflied with her to glide through
life in thefe Elyfian fields!— But l moft wave the pleafing
jrecolle&ion.
• «On the 19th we again marched, and fell in with our
old
367
oid path, which we followed, leading dire&ly to the fields c h a p .
o f Gado-Saby,. where quantities o f rice once more ap- (__
Reared in-full.'bloom, which we cut down and burned to,
allies. Here, perceiving the poor rebel negro hopelefs
o f recovery, not abfolutely to bury him alive, he was
overfpread with mofs, leaves, and green boughs; after
.which we flung".our hammocks, being almoft chocked
With finoke^f''
In thefe fields I fawa lizard above twp-feétdong, which
the negro, flaves’killed and’ ate: they called 1 tfapagala, i f
Was o f a brownifh greqn colour;' but did not refemble
the iguana. &mong the ruins 'ó f . thé' eonfumed town
we difcdyered fome; Jmh^endraSy or centipedes^ no lefs
than eight or ten inches in-length;: this odious reptile is ,
ö f a yellowifti'-broWn colour, walks,very faft backwards
or forwards, ■ and bites fo feverely, that the venom it in-
fufes, though1 not deemed fatal, . generally-.produces a fever.
Some‘Writers affigndhis reptile twenty pair-of -legs;.
..others forty; 1- never reckdnddthem,' apd can, only ob^
ferve, that thëyJappeared to me' exaódy ^0'referable the
centipedes in Europe. Some o f our gentlemen formed
iarge collections o f theTexhriofities, which were very Valuable,
whilft ï contented myfelfwith the drawing^ and
défcriptions only bf thofe I thought moft uncommon.
■ On the .aöth, We marched when I perceiving
t h é™ negro captive ftill alive; after removirig
the bfanèhes, hë Was, rit mjf êaineft interceffion,
once more carried along with us^ .but theflavès,‘being
discontented