APPENDIX.] THE MAROONS. 359 



" No sooner (he observes) did the horn sound the 

 signal, than they all joined in a most hideous yell, or 

 war-whoop, and bounded into action. With amazing 

 agility they ran, or rather rolled, through their vari- 

 ous firings and evolutions. This part of their exer- 

 cise, indeed, more justly deserves to be stiled evolu- 

 tion than any that is practised by the regular troops - y 

 for they fire stooping almost to the very ground ; and 

 no sooner are their muskets discharged, than they 

 throw themselves into a thousand antic gestures, and 

 tumble over and over, so as to be continually shift- 

 ing their place ; the intention of which is to elude 

 the shot, as well as to deceive the aim of their adver- 

 saries, which their nimble and almost instantaneous 

 change of position renders extremely uncertain. 

 When this part of their exercise was over, they drew 

 their swords ; and winding their horn again, began, 

 in wild and warlike gestures, to advance towards his 

 excellency, endeavouring to throw as much savage 

 fury into their looks as possible. On approaching 

 near him, some waved their rusty blades over his 

 head, then gently laid them upon it ; whilst others 

 clashed their arms together in horrid concert. They 

 next brought their muskets, and piled them up in 

 heaps at his feet, &c. &c. 



With all this seeming fury and affected bravery, 

 however, I suspect that they are far below the whites 

 in personal valour. Their mode of fighting in real 

 war, is a system of stratagem, bush-fighting, and am- 

 buscade. I will not, indeed, arlirm that such a 

 system alone, though it displays no proof of cou^ 

 rage, is absolutely evidence to the contrary. I be- 



