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 opportunit}'. 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 out- 



