254 N A R R A T I V E O F A H
-CHAP. bably this"venei?able perfon fpent her youth in hard
1 ^ ¥I\ aabntir, like ^)ther flaves * whidb, though a negro can
Jaear much better in a tropical climate than a native of'
Europe, yet cannot hf natural, either on the eoaft o f
»Guinea or Guiana, where, without toil, the neceflaries
o f life are produced, and vegetation flanrifhes fpanta-
neoufly for ever.
In the conftitution of the negroes I have hill obferved
this Angularity, that while.;they bear the fatignae of
labour in the hotteft day they can alfoi beat the cold
and damp better than an European, at leaft beitekthan I
* could; fleepihg all night- onTthe- wdt graft, ^ f e $ 4y
naked, without any injury to their health, while tehave
been glad, efpecially early in the morning, to have/a^fire
lit under my hammockyand while th e ’marineS fot “waht
o f it lay in a fhiver. They alfe bear-hunger aiid thirft,
and pain or ficknefs, with the greateft patience»and refe-
lution.
I have formerly mentioned the names o f more -than
a dozen o f negro tribes: all thefe know each other by
the different marks and incifions made on their bodies
_for inftance, the Ceromantyn negroesy who are moft
efteemed, cut three or four long gafhes on each o f their
cheeks, as reprefented in the face o f the armed free negro
or ranger, in plate VII.
T h e L&<wg& negroes, who are reckoned the worft, di£-
tinguiih themfelves by punahring or marking the fkin
of their fides, arms, and. -elevated
figures, fomething like dice. (See plate LXVIII.) Thefe
alfo
E X P E D I T I O N T O S U R I N A M. 255
alfo cl&t their fore-teeth to a fharp point, which gives
them frightful Appear ahe®* fdemblirig]in fortie degree
thOfd ofafh ark t and all their mates afb CirOMEcifed, aftdt
the manner of the Jews.
Among th$:t e f tg e ffrodd&lonS'Of nathfe, a fpeCies'of
people knoWn5 b y the Elam# of deferves to- be
partiettiafiy h^idetkrKThe Aecovm, of Two-fifigefift, five
Among® the SOramaca begfe'es, in the very upper parts Of
the fiver off that hath#. This httierogeffeOus tribe are fh
defotmed in their MMs arid feet, that whao fome have
CHAP.
X X V I.
thfee or -four fihgers and toes'ron each. h aMd-and iioty
others have dnf^twefcp which refemble the claws o f A
lObffer, of :1r^#ier' limbs Chat have Bek* ©tired after nati-
ffitetion. b y lffre,' 0f fff>meoffibflAeeideBt. This' deformity
In one perfon would caufe but- fmall- admktatioh; but that
a Whole community ibouM be afflicted with this fingdlA*
irityy i^Cfett&iihly a mofl woriderful phenomenon.!\ Having
feen but rn i' and that too gvear a diff ahe© to
take W drawing; of therny I cannot pretendifavouch for the
truth, of what I haVerdhiy heard’;- hut an engraving of one
o# thefe figures wis pofitively fertt to the Society of Arts
and while IMgteavWt© introduce, as
a further voucher, tM fc^lmVitt|e^rA<& I f « a aniold book
o f fhfgeiy and anaffhhiyj-pfffeme'd,- mi ?hy fhe* ihg«nkmi
and teamed CamrMge^ Ef^tihe, of ^wiskmbam... -
« After Michaelitias term, ih the-year a a body WaS
<t brought front the pfec# o f ekeCtititirr-tO'fhe (Itelfeg®1 d f
h phyficiariS', to be cut tip for* an anatomy; and by* chance;
1 the;
m