WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 241 



victorious. Once, in an attack upon the rebel negroes' 

 camp, he led the way, and received two balls in his body ; 

 at the same moment that he was wounded, two of his 

 Indians fell dead by his side ; he recovered after his life 

 was despaired of, but the balls could never be extracted. 



Since the above appeared in print, I have had the 

 account of this engagement with the negroes in the forest 

 from Mr. Edmonstone's own mouth. 



He received four slugs in his body, as will be seen in 

 the sequel. 



The plantations of Demerara and Essequibo are bounded 

 by an almost interminable extent of forest. Hither the 

 runaway negroes repair, and form settlements, from 

 whence they issue to annoy the colonists, as occasion may 

 offer. 



In 1801, the runaway slaves had increased to an alarm- 

 ing extent. The Governor gave orders that an expedition 

 should be immediately organized, and proceed to the 

 woods, under the command of Charles Edmonstone, Esq. 

 General Hislop sent him a corporal, a sergeant, and eleven 

 men, and he was joined by a part of the colonial militia, 

 and by sixty Indians. 



With this force Mr. Edmonstone entered the forest, and 

 proceeded in a direction towards Mahaica. 



He marched for eight days through swamps, and over 

 places obstructed by fallen trees and the bush-rope ; tor- 

 mented by myriads of mosquitos, and ever in fear of 

 treading on the poisonous snakes, which can scarcely be 

 distinguished from the fallen leaves. 



At last he reached a wooded sand-hill, where the 

 Maroons had intrenched themselves in great force. Not 

 expecting to come so soon upon them, Mr. Edmonstone, 

 his faithful man Coffee, and two Indian chiefs, found 

 themselves considerably ahead of their own party. As 



B 



