From AJsimOj on our return to town, we visited a plantation,
tying on the Hoerhelena creek, which has its name from a celebrated
courtesan, who is said to have resided hère in former times.
This creek is on the right side of the Commewyne, and its cdurse
is south, towards.the interior parts of the country. The land as far
as I have seen is very low arid marshy, and the director complained
he was much afflicted with the a g u e ;y e td s is said that some Very
valuable tracts of land lie along this creek. On our ..return to town
we visited a plantation on the Commewyne, where a, Mr. B____is
director ; he employs his leisure hours in drawing the outline of
birds from the life, and of the natural size, on a sheet of paper,
and;then filling it up by pasting on the feathers of the birds. His
extensive collection is very neatly done, and he has refused a considerable
sum, which he was offered for it.
I cannot finish this letter without speaking highly of the great
hospitality which we every where experienced ; it made the whole
tour, which was of a considerable length,' quite an excursion of
pleasure ; and which I the more enjoyed, as my health seems to
improve much in this climate, and if it continues to’improve, I
hope that when I have the pleasure of seeing! you again, you will
find me greatly altered for the bètter since we parted.
L E T T ER V I I .
Celebration t f ihefirst D a y ofpiTte N em Yea r a t Paramaribo.—-Militia o f
the Colofiy.—:Fesfivtils h f the D a y .
M y HEAR Sir , ' ' Wjpl; ? yPanamaribOf January Ast, 18QJ3. :
T he days the, gre^es^ public Testiy^ty ^t Surinam are, the
the commencement of the year,-, and, tb,e, fourth , of June, which is
th^hhth day of the, Sovereign,. Ths^irijlitia then parade in , the
great squ,aref a n d , ^ f sgy pr^l^Jli^jsp The mi os t that can be said in
pOjWUjir^ed, and hgve.^gqod band of
rnpsip. ,Thei;e might be selected a respectable corps from amongst
thqm? ,beGap^e jinanypl tj^ejinhabitarits, Jmve served in the army,
and other^Jhaye^a^n^tural talent fqr{ military (exercise; but ps the
whple ,inil\lia has been,, established here, on a strict^equality, and
as it «is required that every inhabitant should be enrolty^d, with
the exception only p f those who have plaops under government, or
who paw assign spine ypry importanfreasori, tp.be excused, it is
necessarily, made up in a-very irregular, manner, apd{ many individuals
Qannphbe brought to expertness in.eserc^se or discipline ;.and
when then®-is a review, the rest of the inhabitantstgp tdthe% place qj|
meeting as a matter of amusement,, and/, the mqsj;; sensible' persons
in the militia, cannot refrain from laughing at soippof their comrades
; hqwevpr, it must be sai<|..tQ ttyeir credit, th^t they keep good
order; and police, in the town, as tjhey mount guard at night,. and
frequently patrole the, pets. >S6
The fourth- of June concludes with a splendid ball, given by, the
governor or general commandant, to which all the principal inhabitants
the festival is quife iri the Furojiean style.