198 WANDERINGS IN 



THIRD 

 JOURNEY. 



They are very jealous of their liberty, and much 

 attached to their own mode of living. Though 

 those in the neighbourhood of the European set- 

 tlements have constant communication with the 

 whites, they have no inclination to become civi- 

 lized. Some Indians who have accompanied 

 white men to Europe, on returning to their own 

 land, have thrown off their clothes, and gone 

 back into the forests. 



In George-town, the capital of Demerara, there 

 is a large shed, open on all sides, built for them 

 by order of government. Hither the Indians 

 come with monkies, parrots, bows and arrows, and 

 pegalls. They sell these to the white men for 

 money, and too often purchase rum with it, to 

 which they are wonderfully addicted. 



Government allows them annual presents in 

 order to have their services, when the colony 

 deems it necessary to scour the forests in quest 

 of runaway negroes. Formerly these expedi- 

 tions were headed by Charles Edmonstone, Esq. 

 now of Cardross-park, near Dumbarton. This 

 brave colonist never returned from the woods 

 without being 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. 



