380 HISTORY OF [BOOK. n. 



died of his wounds. The misfortune of this day was 

 aggravated too by a circumstance, which, though 

 shocking to relate, must not be omitted, as it strong- 

 ly marks the base and ferocious character of the Ma- 

 roons. When the remains of colonel Fitch were 

 found, a day or two afterwards, by a party sent to 

 give them the rights of sepulture, it was perceived 

 that the head had been separated from the body, and 

 was entombed in the ill-fated officers own bowels ! 



It now became evident, that it would prove a work 

 of greater difficulty than was imagined, to stop the 

 depredations which were daily and hourly committed 

 by this horde of savages, and it was allowed that ex- 

 traordinary measures were necessary in order to coun- 

 teract their constant practice of planting ambushes. 

 Neither the courage nor conduct of the best disci- 

 plined troops in the world could always avail against 

 men, who, lurking in secret like the tygers of Africa, 

 (themselves unseen), had no object but murder. The 

 legislative bodies of the island were soon to meet, and 



o 



the hopes of the whole community rested on their 

 councils, 



