LIFE OF THE AUTHOR. 37 



" General Carmichael was Governor of Demerara in 1812, the year 

 in which I took a final leave of the estates, and went far into the 

 interior of Guiana in quest of the wourali poison. The General had 

 one of the most difficult tempers in the world to manage. His 

 disposition was generous, but at the same time it was exceedingly 

 fiery ; although his ire soon subsided, unless it had received extra- 

 ordinary and repeated provocation. He had such a profound 

 veneration for royalty, that I do believe he would have sent his own 

 brother out of the house, had he heard him speak with levity of the 

 Prince Regent of England. In person he was shrivelled and 

 weatherbeaten, and of diminutive stature ; but he was wonderfully 

 active and vigorous in mind, notwithstanding his great age, for he 

 must have been bordering on seventy at the time that he succeeded to 

 the government of Demerara. My intimacy with him had a singular 

 origin. 



" Knowing that I should spend very little time in the civilised 

 parts of the colony, I had not paid my respects at headquarters 

 after the General had 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 gentle- 

 man of my acquaintance had been outlawed on account of a certain 

 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 sevenfold 

 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 complaint ; 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 intrust himself to a surgeon, on account of the 

 proclamation which was out against him. We were at breakfast, 



