Ivi AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF 



succeeded to the government. Prior, however, to 

 my going into the interior, I paid some visits to 

 different friends residing up the river Demerara. 

 About this period, an English gentleman of my ac- 

 quaintance had been outlawed, on account of a cer- 

 tain bill transaction. It was said that the party who 

 had caused his disgrace had acted fully as much 

 through private pique, as through a love of justice. 

 Indeed, the character of his principal accuser was 

 none so good ; and one might have said to him with 

 truth, 



" Stamina de nigro vellere facta tibi." 



But this man held a high official situation, and it 

 was as the seven-fold shield of Ajax to him. The. 

 unfortunate gentleman (for a gentleman he was in 

 manners and appearance) was skulking up the river 

 Demerara, in order to escape from the colony by 

 the first favourable opportunity. The governor had 

 offered 500?. for his apprehension. To add to his 

 misfortunes, he was sorely afflicted with a liver com- 

 plaint ; and, when he at last fell in with me, he told 

 me that he had gone from place to place for three 

 weeks in quest of me, that I might bleed him, as he 

 dared not entrust himself to a surgeon, on account 

 of the proclamation which was out against him. We 

 were at breakfast, about twenty miles up the river 

 Demerara, at the house of a gentleman who knew 

 how to pity those in distress, when a negro came 

 into the room, and informed us that a tent-boat 

 with four oars was approaching. I looked out of 

 the window, and saw the officers of justice in it. 

 Not a moment was to be lost. I directed our 



