io6 N A R R A T I V E O F A N
CHAP, van-guard, and a fmall party of, the rangers^ .at this time-
t xx> rufhing forward, foon came to a fine field of rice and.
Indian corn : we here made a halt for the .othtlr 'troops,,
particularly to give time for our rear -to:1cfofe%p, fome
o f whom were at leaft two miles1 behind usV' ^rtd durin
g which period we might have -hee’n ' cht to pieces,,
the enemy, unknowri to' us, having fhff adhered' the field-
in which wre were, as w.e yycce 1 }
In about half an.hour the whoje l^ody^^c^ir^d „wfacrt
we inftantly proceeded- by cmting^thrpugh a^fluall jde^
file. Of the wood,; into 'which we had .no foqg,er entered,
than- a heavy fire comp;enc,e,d frqrn^v.ery. £de^theJf rebels
retiring,, and wera^y|u^t|g,.
moft beautiful field-pf ripe rice,.m the form, of an ob^
iong. fquare, from "which-' the 'rkeQowjn^ a^earecl at..a
diftance, in the form of an amphitheatre,. fheller£d-.ftopa-,
the fun by the foliage . of a' few ^ f ty trees,, the^whol^-
prefenting. a coup - dlceth romantic and e^hanting| her-,
yond. conception.- la th is field the-firing, wa^ kept up^,
like one continued peal of thunder, for^abov^ forty minuses,.
during which; time our black, warriors tjehavedt
with wonderful intrepidity and fkill. ' The whit? .foU
diers were too eager,,and fired over pne another^ at random,
yet. I could perceive a few of. them .with the-
utmoftcoolnefs, and imitate the.,rangers with great;:
effect y amongfb thefe was now the once-daunted Roller,,
who being roufed from his tremor by the firing at the.
beginning o f the onfet^had.rufhed to the |n?ntj
re-eft.ablifh.ed.
E X P E D I T I O N T O SU R I N A M.
re-eftabjiflied 5 hiss - character, ■ by . fighting ‘ like a brave
fellow, bySpi^’fîdë, -until'thè muzzleiof his mufket was
fplit b y a fhot from thei-ènemy, which rendered it ufe-
Jefs 4 a ball paffed through my fhirt, and grazed the fkin
of my fhoulder ; Ivlr^DecabanesV my lieutenant,‘had'the
fling: of? his: fufee fhot awa!y :i feveral Pthers were wounded,
fome mortally, but I did riot, to my Tùrprize, obferve
pne infEancetof immediate^ dearth— for: which feeming miracle,
however* I fhalK pjefentlyaceount.
-<This whole field .of ridel was furrounded and inter-
fperfèdby the’ enemy with, the large trunks and roots o f
heavy treesj in order to make our approach both difficult
and dangefous ; behind thêfe temporary fortifications
the rebels lay /lurking^, and, firing;’‘upon us with delibé-
rate aim, whilfb «their -bulwarks certainly protedted .them
ih fome, measure from the .effedts o f our fire, we hav-,
ing vaft numbers o f thefè fallen trees to fcramble over
before we could reach thé; town : ,butwefrilladvahced,in
defiance o f every! pbflàcle, and „while I admired the. maf-
terly manoeuvres of , their general, I could not helR. pitying
them for their fuperftition. One poor fellow, in;
particular, trufting to his amulet or charm, fancied him-
felf invulnérable ; he mounted "frequently upon one of
the trees that lay near us, difchargecl his piece, defcended
to re-lpad, and then with equal confidence and the
greateft ; deliberation returned; to the charge in my full
view ; î till at laft a fhpt frqna one of my marines, named
Valet) broke the bone of his thigh, and he-fell-crawling
* P 2 for
lo y
G H A P .
XX.