Halfhide, the only wEnglifh; and Captain ‘Macneal, the
only native of Ireland; refidingin this colony.
On the 28th, Colonel Fourgeoud r e in e d with his
command from Patamaca, much emaciated himfelf, and
his men nearly exhaufted by fatigue.- He had-left a
great number behind him in the hofpital at La;:ps<w?helle,
but heard no account whatever o f thenrebels, although'
he varied his route -every time. It was, Jherjlfoiif pretty
evident that they were routed, if latterly there had- bnen
any. fettled at a ll: but where to find them in this un?
bounded foreft was the jqueftion. He howjevief fifeyef :’de-
Ipaired, and feemed as -eager, to difeover -the^h'aunts. 'o f
the rebels. t>*as ;=he had «been formerly in fpringteg a
covey o f partridges,'?or difcovering^a riefF Of black
badgers.
On the 29th, Mr. Matthew,-: one^of our offrcer-s >Whbr:
had been out fhooting, prefented me with tile
animal^ thatlis'-here called the - wood-rat. it Tbis^reatUre
was the fize o f a young hare, and>of a reddifti brown .gqj
lour, being remarkably thin,: with long 1 irhbs,;a roundifh
head, and a taib not unlike that of aofi^king-pjgiythfe
daws were exadly hke thole-bfarcommon rat, but larger
in proportion, and fo was the head, mouth;':teeth,' and
whilkers; the ears were fhort and naked,- the eyes black-
and ^ prominent, with a white M *0 |r is faid^to run yerye-
faff: we had it drefled, and ate it, having-been told that
it Was very good, and fo we found it, fweet, tender, and
even' fat, 'notwithftandihg its . lank appearance# This
creature,
E X H I T I Ö N T O S U R I N AM. 41
bh^bêö'Unt ö f Itè fii^rdhirtds me of another CHAP,
animal, known in thisfeountry by the name of cfabbo- , XVII‘ ,
'Üago\ -or the crabbed dog, for its matchlefs ferocity, as it
kills-1'arïd d’èvöürs evéfy thing that-Hornes in its Way,
without■ exdèpt-i-ony Whether qtfadruffeds, foWls,- or reptiles
;-&nd nëver feeming to be glutted with filÖöd, it mur-
dbfs, -éVeri without being huhgryj all it can variqüifb,
Which-, on aëcöunt Of ifcs-€öufagë, activity,; and ffrëhgtii,
gre not/a ife#f fhatigh it bè ifót larger than a edmmon
cat. From what f haVé ikid, I ftioiild appfehetid it
;ih\ich htf&tdbles*fbe itbfivuhf6n ‘, but ftill more fhatUni-
mal mèdtfctóed by Mr. AHbhiand, in the' Count de Buffbn;
(feè'Vol. IV. p. 2*65.') Which he there callsj the gflfon or
gTey - wbazfel, - though1" this' that I mention was father
larger; and he fays*)that notwithftandihg its being a ha-
tive7 o f Surinam, nöfré ó f fed people' do'mirig from that
‘country cotfid give my-hyféöunt ó f it. I f this: be the
fame' animal, - (aA 1' ddtfbe not, tód havé therefore 'given it
■ the nsirhe: óf* thé trkïïM-MgÓ Of grilbh) I ahï napfvf to
hdve-had it in my power t-o givè the re'adèf 'lome account
of it. ' I Ihair rtów''liter ally'quote the Count’s own
words, is'extracted frOth Mr. Aflërn and,'which will afford
thè bèft proof o f itfs bemg thé fame1 animal, Whëiu compared
with thé annëkéd’pMe," where botht'he wood-rat,
. attd thë erabiïfrétfgè'bYglifórv are repreifehtêd; and' had,
I feen this accouneduring the Count’s life, I would have
moft affuredly taken the liberty of informing him by. a
V ol. II, I ‘ letter,