gh a p. The whole corps being ordered, at leven o’clock on th e -
•,XXIX -/ morning o f the 27th, to wait on Colonel Fourgeoud at the.-
head quarters, I tore myfelf away from all that was dear
to me in this world without difturbing them, in order to-
preventthe tender fcene o f parting. He then ,conducted us
to the water-fide, where the boats lay in w aiting; and^e •
were immediately embarked, under a > general falute, and
colours flying, from the fortrefs and the veflels-in the roads-.
The whole corps now having dined on board the ftaff-lhip -.
with Lieutenant Colonel'de Borgnes, Colonel Foürgeoud
politely invited me to'accompany him back, to tbV^hJill
next morning ; but which-, with a broken.heart, Iihought:
heft to decline? He then took his final-leave, and wiihing^
us all a fafe and profperous voyage to Europe, he returned,-
under a falute?of nine-guns and three cl^eers,, with C ap-
tain Van Geurike, his adjutant, back to Paramaribo.
On the 29th o f March, at midnight^the fignal-gun being ;
fired, the two fhips got under way, and dropped dovyn till
before the fortrefs Now Amfterdam, where they once'1
more came to an anchor;
Here my friends Gordon and Gourldy, the guardians;
o f my boy, after the convivial Colonel Seyburg (for fuch
he certainly was) had entertained them on board his veflel,.
the Uollandia, affectionately coming to vifit me, they did no ■
lefs than actually prevail on meto accompany them back[to
Paramaribo-. My foul could not refift this fecond invitation
o f once more beholding what was fo dear to me.—
I ;went, and, muff I fay it ?—found Joanna, who had dif-
X: ’ P^e ck
played fo much ‘fortitude in my prefence, now bathing CHAP
in tears, and ficarcely alive, fo much was fhe become ■
the victim' o f melancholy and defpair. Nor had fhe
partaken of food, or fleep, fince my departure,. nor
fpoken to any living creature, indeed not ftirred from the
-fpot where I had left her on the morning of the 27th.
The Ihips not being quite ready to go to fea till two
days after, I was prevailed upon to ftay on Ihore a little
longer, with poor Joanna and her boy, which feemed to
chear her : But, alas ! too dear we paid for this too ihoit
reprieve! fince, but few hours had elapfed, when a failor
abruptly .came in, with the meflage that thé fliip’s boat
lay in waiting that minute to carry me on board.—A t that
inftant—Heavens! what were my feelings! — Joanna’s
mother took the infant from her arms, the alhworthy
Mrs. Gödefroy fupporting herfelf----- her brothers and
lifters hung around me, crying, and invoking Heaven
aloud fot my fafety — while the unfortunate Joanna
(now but nineteen) gazing on me, and holding me by the
hand, with a look ten thoufand times more dejeCted than
Sterm'S Mariat— was unable to utter one word! ! !----- 1
perceived Ihe was diftraCted— the hour was come— I exchanged
a ringlet o f their hair, and fondly preflèd them
both to my bofom:— the power of fpeech alfo forfook
me, and my heart tacitly invoked the protection o f Providence
to befriend them. — Joanna now flint her beauteous
eyes—her lips turned the pale colour of death— Ihe
bowed her head, and motionlefs funk in the arms o f h e r
a d o p t e d m o t h e r —Here I roufed all my remaining
3 C 2 fortitude,