794 
vigilance and aétivity with which 
fugitives were pursued by the Ma- 
toons, a small body of them did ac- 
tually establish themselves in the 
mountains, where they had raised 
huts, and made provision grounds, 
on which some had lived for up- 
wards of twenty years. ‘This body, 
called the Congo Settlement, was 
discovered in the late war by a party 
of Maroons crossing the country, 
and was dispersed, some of the ne- 
groes returning to the estates to 
which they formerly belonged, and 
others surrendering with the Ma- 
roons at the termination of the war. 
That the Maroons had proved 
themselves a useful body, cannot be 
denied. Besides their utility in pre- 
venting assemblages of fugitives, 
they had been active in the suppres- 
sion of rebellion; in which it was 
affirmed, by one of their superin- 
tendants*, of whose character you 
will presently hear more, that they 
stood forth with a determined spirit 
against the insurgents; and, in the 
conflicts of the year 1760, lost se- 
veral of their people. In the year 
1766, they were no less active, as I 
have been assured by a gentleman 
who was an eye-witness of their 
servicet+, having been one of a 
party that went against a body of 
Coromantees, who had taken arms 
in the parish of Westmoreland, 
massacreing all the white people 
they met with. A short engage- 
ment took place in the mountains ; 
and the rebels, imagining the party, 
some of whom were covered by the 
trees, much larger than it was, re- 
treated fartherinto the woods. Their 
assailants having endured excessive 
* Major James. 
+ Mr. Quarrell, the gentleman alluded to in the preface and to whom these let: 
ters are dedicated. 
t Mr. Goodin. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. 
fatigue, were unable to pursue them, 
but happened to fall in with a body 
of Mareons, who, being hog-hunt- 
ing in the vicinity, had not heard of 
the insurrection. They were soon 
collected, and being apprised of the 
danger that threatened the country, 
hastened towards the spot were the 
engagement had taken place, fell in 
with the party who had come out 
against the rebels, and found them 
so exhausted and crippled, by their 
forced marches through the woods, 
that all they could do, was to shew 
the Maroons the track the rebels 
had taken in their retreat. They 
went forward with the greatest ala- 
crity, and before sun-set, killed and 
took two thirds of the number of 
the negroes, and dispersed the rest, 
whom, in the course of a few days 
more, they brought in. The cons 
duct ofthe Maroons was highly ap- 
plauded by the commandert of the 
little party, and he and his follow- 
ers received the thanks of the house 
ofassembly, On slighter occasions, 
likewise, when small bodies of 
slaves have committed outrages, the 
Maroons exerted themselves suc- 
cessfully; and it is but common 
justice to say, that they were ever 
ready to support the government 
whenever it was necessary. ‘They 
assembled for the purpose of assist- 
ing to repel the invasion of the 
island, which, in the year 1779, 
and 1780, was threatened by the 
count D’Estaing, who was prevent 
ed by admiral Rodney from forme 
ing a junction of the French with 
the Spanish forces collected at St. 
Domingo, for a descent on Jamaica. 
Prejudice frequently warps truth 
without © 
