N A R R A T I V E ÓP AN.
Colonel Fourgeoud now iffued orders for our little
army to march in-three lines dr columns, his ownr regiment
in the centre, the Society troops on the right, the
rangers or black foldiers on the left, .all within hearing
•of each other,^ with a few flankers or riflemen outfide
the whole: thus formed we advanced till about noon,
when -we changed our courfe from E. to . N. E. and
continued our march over a biree-biree fwamp, or
quagmire: thefe are very common and dangerous in
this country, being a deep foft miry* bog, ep'veredr oVèr
with a thin cruft o f verdure, fuflicient in moth-places to
bear the weight o f a man, and quaking when .walked
over ; but ihould this cruft. gpbg-way,- whoever breaks
it is fwallowed up in the chafm; where..hé; muft iqevi-
tably perilh i f not immediately je^tricated; thus it-;.has
frequently happened that .men have béeni-ff^hnto fink,
and have never mom been heard-of. I'n
Quickfands are quite differentiae they overwhelm by
a gradual fudtion, whereas the effects of a quagmire are
inftantaneous. To avoid accidents,, we opened ■ our, flies
as much as poflible, which occafioned a, very long rear;
but even With this precaution■ fever al men funk through
it, as i f the ice had broken under their feet, and feme
in my prefence up to the arm-pits, but were fortunately,
though with much difficulty, extricated.
In the afternoon'we paffed through two old cajfava.
fields, which .indicated our.near approach to "the rebel
fettlement; we afterwards fell in with Captain Meyland’s
path,
path, which we knew by the marks cut upon the trees, CHAP,
as before .explained. The evening being too far ad- ■ _ *
yanced to attack the enemy,Mwe once more encamped
^ few miles, from the fwamp in which Captain Mey land,
and his party had been defeated.
Having had a long march, and the men being much
fatigued»' Colonel, Fourgeoud allowed, during this night,
both huts and,fires; which furprized me greatly, beingfo
near the.rebels, though he -had fbrtoidden thefe .comforts
when we were at a very confiderable diftance from them.
I availed myfelf, o f his bounty»? i^dhavinggOtfrom
iflyTei^epht,. which he had picked
up in the oid caffava grounds; atid laid hold of-one Of the
-kettles, I invited - him, and a captain'Of the blapk corps
called Hannibal^ to ,a fliare; who -having thrown their
falt-beef^and rufk-bifquit intp ;;the nSefs'Withmine, and
,flirred"it round with abayonetpwe made a ’Very excellent
fupper; though in a fad dreary -night andheavy rain. !
IplFhe -fligibn of Angola peas- g-fptw on a flirub about
eight-or ten feet high;- five or-fix-of thefe peas1 are contained
in a pod; they are flat- Irkfe lentils, and of a
reddifla-hrown colour: the negrobs are extremely fond
o f them, and cultivate them in their gardens'without any
expence or much; trouble.
Hannibal now obferVing that we'Ihould certainly fee
the' enemy to-morrow, aiked me if, I ' wliaf manner
negro engaged againft negto? Having,-anfwcred in
the negative, he gave me it he following relation, while
«i'-'VoL. II, O ''''''fihokihg'