The "Good Old Times'" in Guiana. 131 



should lose his fees, very charitably informed him that if he deviated in 

 the least from the established rule, he would publish throughout the colony 

 their living in a state of incontinency, and the illegality of the marriage." 



Stedman's "Narrative," 1796, is an account of expeditions against 

 Bush Negroes in Surinam and gives a lurid picture of slavery. His own 

 sufferings probably made him look at the dark side, but he had to admit 

 that it was not all bad. 



" The national character of these people, as I have remarked it where 

 they are as free to act by their own will and disposition as in Africa, is 

 perfectly savage : the twenty thousand Ouca and Seramica free negroes 

 have lived separated, and under no control of Europeans, for a number 

 of years, and yet I have never seen any marks of civilization, order or 

 government among them, but, on the contrary, many examples of un- 

 governable passioD, debauchery and indolence." 



His account of a sale of newly-imported slaves is interesting but too 

 long for quoting more than this : — 



"A new name is given to the newly-bought slave and he or she is 

 delivered to an old one of the same sex, and sent to the estates, where each 

 is properly kept clean hy his guardian, instructed and well fed, without 

 working for the space of six weeks ; during which period, from living 

 skeletons, they become plump and fat, with a beautiful clean skin, till it 

 is disfigured by some rascally proprietor, or rather his overseer." 



He gives an account of the narrow escape of an overseer when the 

 plantation was raided by Bush Negroes : — 



" The rebels, Sir," said he, " had already surrounded the dwelling- 

 house in which I was, before I knew of their being in the plantation, 

 and were employed in setting fire to the four corners of it so that to run 

 out of it was rushing on certain death. In this dilemma I fled to the 

 garret, where I laid myself flat on one of the beams, in hopes of their 

 dispersing soon, and that I might effect my escape before the building 

 should be burnt down ; but in this I was disappointed, as they still 

 remained ; and at the same time the flames increased so fast that the heat 

 became insupportable in the place where I was, and I had no other 

 alternative left, than to be burnt to death, or to leap from a high garret 

 window into the midst of my exasperated enemies. This last measure, 

 however, I resolved upon, and had not only the good fortune to light 

 unhurt upon my feet, but to escape without a wound, from among so 

 many men armed with sabres and bill-hooks- I flew to the water-side, 

 into which I plunged headlong ; however, not being able to swim, I imme- 

 diately sunk to the bottom, but I still kept my presence of mind, and 

 while they concluded me to be drowned, found means by the help of the 

 moco-moco and mangrove roots, to bring myself not only under cover of 

 the impending verdure, but just so far above water with my lips as to 

 continue in a state of respiration till all was over. Having killed every 

 other person, the rebels departed and I was taken up by a boat from my 

 very perilous situation." 



