APPENDIX.] THE MAROONS. 365 



On their return to Trelawney town, and giving an 

 account of what had passed, the whole body of Ma- 

 roons immediately assembled; and after violent de- 

 bates and altercations among themselves, a party of 

 them repaired to captain Craskell, the superintendant, 

 and ordered him, in the name of the whole, to quit 

 the town forthwith, under pain of death. He retired 

 to Vaughan's field, a plantation in the neighbourhood; 

 and exerted himself, by friendly messages and other- 

 wise, to pacify the Maroons ; but without effect. 

 Thev sent a icritten defiance to the magistrates of 



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Montego bay, declaring their intention to meet the 



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\vhite people in arms, and threatening to attack the 

 town on the 20th of that month (July). In the mean- 

 while an attempt was made on captain Craskell's life, 

 and he very narrowly escaped. 



Alarmed by the receipt of this letter, and the in- 

 telligence which was received of the temper and dis- 

 position of the Maroons, the magistrates applied to 

 general Palmer, requesting him to call out the mili- 

 tia; which was done; and the general sent an ex- 

 press to the earl of Balcarres, in Spanish town, pray- 

 ing his lordship to send dow r n a detachment of the Ja- 

 maica dragoons. Eighty men were accordingly sent, 

 well accoutred and mounted. 



The militia assembled on the 19th of July, to the 

 number of four hundred; and while they were wait- 

 ing for orders, one of the Maroons, armed with a 

 lance, made his appearance, and informed the com- 

 manding officer, that they wisiied to have a confer- 

 ence in Trelawney town, with John Tharp, Esq. (the 



