APPENDIX.] THE MAROONS, 377 



roons relied for support, remained peaceably disposed ; 

 nor did an instance occur to raise a doubt of their con- 

 tinuing to do so. 



By the death of Sandford, the command, in the go- 

 vernor's absence, devolved on colonel Fitch, an offi- 

 cer whose general deportment and character excited 

 great expectation ; but the Maroons found means to 

 elude his vigilance. They had now established their 

 head quarters at a place in the interior country, of 

 most difficult access, called the Cockpits ; a sort of 

 valley or dell, surrounded by steep precipices and 

 broken rocks, and by mountains of prodigious height; 

 in the caverns of which they had secreted their wo- 

 men and children, and deposited their ammunition. 

 From this retreat (almost inaccessible to any but them- 

 selves) they sent out small parties of their ablest and 

 most enterprizing young men, some of which were 

 employed in prowling about the country in search of 

 provisions, and others in setting fire by night to such 

 houses and plantations as were unprovided with a 

 sufficient guard. In the beginning of September, 



thev burnt the habitation and settlement of Mr. 



j 



George Gordon, called Kenmure ; and soon after- 

 wards the dwelling house and buildings of a coffee 

 plantation, called Lapland ; the proprietor too sus- 

 tained the still greater loss of thirty valuable negroes, 

 whom the Maroons compelled to go with them, load- 

 en with plunder. Another plantation called Catadupa, 

 was destoyed by them in the same manner, and ten . 

 of the negroes carried off. About the same time, 

 they burnt the property of John Shand, Esq. as ettlc- 



Vol. I. 3 l 



