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tvé found the Negroes* who were just brought from the Ouineaman,
ell in gieat lamentation, and many of them continually beating their
fieèks with the! edgês of theirhands, shewing by. this gesture that
thë^ iffifèoh in fear of beiiig put to death by the captors, as it
is reported, frequently happens in the wars in Africa« The captain
of the priVaièefc. t<|@k much pains: to mak&them understand that no
Such thing Should happen' to them, and after ‘treating them with a
meal Which they had been accustomed to, they became reconciled
to their condition, and the change of masters.
The Captain of the privateer received me with great civility, and
Said he wished much that I would prefer staying with him, as on
board his ship I might have several comforts ; for instance, every
day fresh bread and other things, which at present I might not get
perhaps sö easily in the Jason. To this I-replied, that: as I was not
of the strongest constitution, and had undertaken this voyage for
the saké of my health, I expected to be less disturbed in the Jason,
there being fewer people on board of her. Gaptain M. requested
ïnè.té) be his interpreter, to ask if they wouM.let him go andfremain
on board his former Ship, but he received for answer, that this- was
not possible to be compiled with. I was therefore obliged $0
bid farewell to my good qld captain. On my return , on board
the- Jason every thing was in disorder. O f the cabin it seemed
as if Mars and Bacchus had taken possession; one side was ientiroly
filled With military arms, and on the oppositei side: Were- placed
two large casks of Madeira wine, for the entertainment of the
new crew, who were singing and dancing on the^quarter deck;
but what made a particular contrast to all this was* two soldiers
labouring in great agony with the West India fever, and who had
thrown themselves down among the crowd of the dancing group.:,
another unpleasant sight to me was the considerable diminution of
my luggage; on enquiring for it of the prize-master, he replied, be
was extremely sdfry at what had happened, but thinking I would
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certainly accept the polite offer of the Captain of the privateer,
and remain with him, they had carried a part of my luggage
on board of his ship ; but this, he said, was only a mistake, and I
shouldbavdfife back again as soon as we landed : he added, it was
very fortunate that it did not. come to boarding of the Jason, as he
could not tell what might have, happened in that case, there'being
some very bad people amongst: the crews of the two privateers,
which were composed of different nations and colours.
The names of the .two privateers: by which we-were taken are
1’Aigle (the Eagle) and. le Elibustier (the Freebooter), one óf
twenty, the other of eighteen guns, and both crowded with men;
they appeared: to be very fine ships, and remarkably fast sailers.
The two captains, with the öthér officers,.consulted first where it was
best to carry the prizes; they thought there would be less danger
of being retaken in the passage, to Cayenne, but as they expected
to get a higher, price; for the negroes, at Guadaloupe, it was determined
upon, to proceed to that place, and accordingly the course
was altered for the West India islands. Thus 1 saw the coast of
Guiana disappear before me like a magic exhibition, which had only
flattered me for a moment with the delusive imagination; of a happy
arrival; instead of which I am now left without even a hope, of
making a speedy return tqthecoast of Surinam.
In all trading vessels which venture to sail without a convoy, the
tonnage decides in general how many guns they are to carry; but
if there is not a proportionate number of men for manoeuvring
the guns, and likewise for small arms, they must soon fall a
prey when attacked by a privateer; and as these cruisers always
carry a great number of men, they are able to make a better use of
the guns of the captured ship; which by this means injures the
commerce of the very nation it was at first intended to protect;
therefore those vessels which have not a proper complement of men,
but are fast sailers, might make their passage as well without guns,