102 N A .R R A T IV E' (O F A N
C H A P-. fince ’tis a truth that fterling bravery is incompatible with
^ x ^‘ t. a cruel heart.
At fix o’clock we advanced-N. E, by N. towards the
mania, my melancholy evaporating with the rifing fun.
. .About "eight o’clock. we entered this formklable fwamp,
and looft föimcf ourfel^l above our middle1 i'n wifter^
well prepared nevefthélefs for the warm reception tve ex-
peeled- from.the oppofite fiiore, ..as the former party, had
fo fatally experienced. " After wading above half a mile,
our grenadiers, ^rapiply, mounted thp ,beach with^eohkëcl
firelocks and bayonets fixed.; the main body "iriftantly
followed, and alfo.mounting the beach, the wholeformed
without the finafieft(pppófitiph. * W ê 'nqs^ehelu a Spectacle
fufficient to fhock the, moft intr^pid. me Jgrp^upu
ftrewed with Ikulls, bqn^S, ■ and- ribs/ftpl ^QV-efed-,%nh
human fleih, and hefineayed ,wlth the bloodlbf t no fie
unfortupate men who,wdfe killed with;Captain Meyl|ncl.'
—-Thatgpfficer had indeed found/meansytb uury [theinfi
but the rebels had dug them up for thé' fak e ‘ o f their
cloatiis, and to mangle the bodifes^ which, life férodóUs
animals, jthey hfd tofri litób mom f Anööfc f ‘thefiej'
the fa te'of MeytancTs pr(AiftfiA|fiJyoUrig idinn,
was peculiarly affeiting. He ftorh' the fftpiMtainS
o f Switzerland in queft xdT thilitia rpiërérmëhfl and'Afiet
fiis fate in a rharfti ö f 'ms
bravery was equal to that of KIs ünclé^ His intrepidifyj’
voluntarily ëxpoïïhg himfelf to'daöger, knew ho hoündsi
— Suchis the ehthufiafm'of military ambition.
“ And
I
E X P E D I T I O N ' T O S Ü R I N A M. 103
y And ’tis maß true} -vi^n\t' Time’s relfentlefs hand
y Withiickly‘grafpsdrags cithers to<the tombs •
V;;Tne'ßl$ier 'fcömss-to wail the, ,duH> command;
Bqt fpfings impatient -to a no.blet doom.
“ Tho* on the, plain he Iks, outftretch’d and pale^
“ Withoufiptae friend his ftedfaft dyes to clofey
“ Yetjphi^his h o n o u r 'many a gale' '
cc \yaft the moift fragrancef of the weeping role-
“ ,P rer thejdread ipot the melancholy moorr
y Shall paufc ^. while’— a fadder .beam to fhe&
“ And ftarry night amidft her awful ,noon, |
“ Sprinkle light dews upon his fallowed head..
“ There too the fqlitary bird“ ffialhfwell
“ With'long-drawn melbdy'nfer plaihtive ihrbat j
“ "Wh'ile diftant e!cho from refponfivV cell'
“ •sSKalfoft witn [fading force rfeturrf the 'note.
, «* Such recompense be valours -dug alone.’V ,
jb • This being the fecorid or third heap o f human bones
we had met with in our ma rch,'F frankly acknowledge
did not operate upon me As a ftimulatiVe to engage with
negroes; yet thefè, awful relJpApuried on thé common
fokliers to take revenge for the lofs' o f their mafiacred
companions^
Having fo frequently had occafion to fpeak of marching
through a fiwamp, it may not he improper to illuftrate
the
mi
i