344 HISTORY OF [HOOK n. 



among the mountains, and least accessible parts; 

 whence they plundered all around them, and caused 

 several plantations to be thrown up and abandoned, 

 and prevented many valuable tracts of land from be- 

 ing cultivated, to the great prejudice and diminution 

 of his majesty's revenue, as well as of the trade, na- 

 vigation and consumption of British manufactures; 

 and to the manifest weakening, and preventing the 

 further increase of the strength and inhabitants, in the 



island." We mav learn from hence, what extensive 



* * 



mischief may be perpetrated by the most despicable 

 and cowardly enemy. The assembly, perceiving that 

 the employment of flying parties had proved ineffec- 

 tual, by the length of their marches, the difficulty of 

 subsisting them in the woods for so long a time as the 

 service required, and the facility with which the Ma- 

 roons eluded their pursuit, ordered several defensible 

 houses, or barracks, fortified with bastions, to be 

 erected in different parts, as near aspossible to the 

 enemy's most favourite haunts : in each of these they 

 placed a strong garrison, and roads of communication 

 were opened from one to the other. These gar- 

 risons were composed of white and black shot and 

 baggage negroes, who were all duly trained. Every 

 captain was allowed a pay of ten pounds, the lieute- 

 nants each five pounds, and Serjeants four pounds, 

 and privates two pounds per month. They were 

 subjected to the rules and articles of war; and the 

 whole body put under the governor's immediate or- 

 der, to be employed, conjunctly or separately, as he 

 should see occasion. Their general plan of duty, as 

 directed by the law, was to make excursions from the 

 barracks, scour the woods and mountains, and de- 



