ar6 N B r r a t i y e o f a n
C H A P. XXV.
Singular Method of dete&ing a ‘Theft— Rencounter between
the Rangers and Rebels— Amazonian A5iion of a black
Girl— Wonderful Sagacity in wild Bees-—- ‘The Regiment
receives a Jecond Order to return to Europe f '
CHAP.
xxy.
Ï4
O N the 27th o f March, 177Ç, adieu^§)rice more Paramaribo,
my Joanna, and my’b o y i 5'
This morning, ' a* little before I ’ fat out, I few- a -Mr;
AHalbergh terribly bitten by a-large* iguana nr Îïzaîdy at
the -very moment- he was prefling' me 'and jïiy* companions
to ftay a.few- days, to bë prêtent* at the célébration
o f what he called f&àfi; ' 'bdifig^-thë
twenty-fifth anniverfefy o f his marriage ; but after è(Ma
doling with him upon account ö f thofeèddéöVwé embarked
in a tent-bargej- and afrived thaife^véhlng-at^thg
Sporkfgift eftate in Matapîcâ. Here We were ehterfeirted
two days by Captain Mac Nedl, with'the-grëafëft hpfpi-
talïty. - I was however neârly -fuffocatëd'bÿ the ftéa of
fome green coffee, which was fpread on thè floör'Of '‘ th-e
lodge where I had flung my hammocks :
hate Oh the evening o f the scith^ We 'arrived at1 the
Gold-mine plantation, where We' found a negro ;bo.y and
girl, fufpended by. each others fide from a high beam, by
a rope fattened to their thumbs, which were tied behind
m .... 1 their
E X P E D I T I O N T O S U R I N A M . 217
their backs, this almoft diflacated their fhoulders, and chap.
muft have oepafipned the moft agonizing tortures. Thus , XXVj
I cut th^miferabje vidrims, down,, without leave or ce-r
remony, and^iWore thatv inftant to demolifh the tyrannical
overfeerwho had inflicted this new mode of puniflr-
mjent, pnlpfsj he • promifed immediately to forgive- them j
wjjielr he miraculoufly did in-myprefence..
On the, 30th, a little before we-landed at the Hope, I
difcpy.ered that all my fugajr, with the greateft part of
my rum, was^o^e y*and detected the thief by the follow*
ing laughHh|e ftratagem .(thppgh not my own invention)
— 1 told the negroes, fix in number, that a parrot’s'feather j
tWas t-o. grow within fix minutes fupon the tip o f his note
^who.;y£as .moft guilty ;- at < the- feme time pronouncing a
few incoherent words, and making,two or three circles
Withmy Jfabre, I fhyit myfelf within^the tilt: here, peeping
through/thu key-hple, .and qbtervjng, the rower-s, with
great attention,, without their perceivings me, I, fpon. few
one of them,.at every ftroke o f the par, put up his. hand,
.anf feel th#; tip,of ;his.u9f|i^;uppp. which, I inffant)y_rsarj.
•up to him, and.cried, “ ,I fee thejDarrot’s'TeatherI fThau
« art the thief, thou rafeal!;’ t To which the poor fuperr
ttitious fellow inftantlyanfwered,!4* Yawx me mjiffera!"
then kneeling to thej forcerer for mercy, and . the, others
alfo Entreating .me to Jpare him, I pardpned.the credulous
*thief and hisia^Mpfl^lg* who by t h ^ icandid eonfefe
fion obtained" a piece o f falt bepf for their dinner, and a
gourd full o f good grog in the bargain,
Vpl. II. F f Immediately