360 HISTORY OF [BOOK n, 



lieve it is the natural mode of attack and defence, 

 and that the practice of open war, among civilized 

 nations, is artificial and acquired. It is rather from 

 their abominable and habitual cruelty to their cap- 

 tives, and above all to women and children, and from 

 the shocking enormities which they practice on the 

 dead bodies of their enemies, that I infer the defici- 

 ency of the Maroons, in the virtue of true courage. 

 In their treatment of fugitive slaves, they manifest a 

 blood-thirstiness of disposition, which is otherwise 

 unaccountable ; for, although their vigilance is stimu- 

 lated by the prospect of reward, they can have no 

 possible motives of revenge or malice towards the 

 unfortunate objects of their pursuit: yet it is notori- 

 ously true, that they wish for nothing more than a 

 pretence to put the poor wretches to death, frequent- 

 ly maiming them without provocation ; and, until 

 mile-money w r as allowed by the legislature, oftei> 

 times bringing home the head of the fugitive instead 

 of the living man ; making the plea of resistance an 

 excuse for their barbarity. 



In the year 1760, an occasion occurred of putting 

 the courage, fidelity, and humanity of these people 

 to the test. The Koromantyn slaves, in the parish 

 of St. Mary, rose into rebellion, and the Maroons 

 were called upon, according to treaty, to co-operate 

 in their suppression. A party of them accordingly 

 arrived at the scene of action, the second or third day 

 after the rebellion had broken out. The whites had 

 already defeated the insurgents, in a pitched battle* 

 at Heywood-Hall, killed eight or nine of their num- 

 ber, and driven the remainder into the woods, The 



