260 Timehri 



From his influence with the [ndians Edmonstone was able to assist 

 the Government in preventing the danger of campa of runaway slaves. 



As a result of precautionary measures these never became so dangerous 

 here a'- in Surinam, and this is largely «lue to Edmonstone. who at 

 different times led fifteen expeditions into the bush with uniform success, 

 but not without danger. In 1801 he nearly lost his life in an expedition 

 to the district now occupied by the reservoir for the Lamaha Canal. 



With eleven men. a corporal and sergeant, as well as a party of 

 Indians, he proceeded up the Madawini Creek. After eight days travelling 

 Over the sand-reefs and through the swamps. the3' came upon a hill where 

 was a large body of runaway negroes. Edmonstone, with his man. Coffee, 

 was well ahead with two Indian Chiefs, one of whom tired at a negro. 

 On this the leader, a burly man about 6ft. high, with a head-dress of 

 cowrie shells, came out and challenged him. Edmonstone advanced slowly 

 to allow his party time to come up. but as the runaway was defiant he 

 shot bin i. Immediately the enemy fired a volley, with the result that the 

 two Indians and Edmonstone fell, while the bush negroes ran off. One of 

 tlie Indian Chiefs lay down close t<> Kdmonstone. who asked him if he 

 was much hurt. " Oh no," he replied ami at once expired. Finding 

 their leader severely wounded the party refused to pursue the runaways 

 and at once prepared to carry Edmonstone to the nearest plantation. 

 This was Alliance, and from thence they crossed the river to Vredestein 

 where Dr. Dunkin, the Colonial Surgeon, attended him. Four slugs were 

 located but only one could be extracted then : in (dasgow a second was 

 removed many years later, but the remaining two gave trouble as long as 

 he lived. 



For this and other exploits he was presented with a gold-hilted 

 sword, a silver cup, freedom from taxes, and a fine grant for timber 

 cutting. 



When Charles Waterton became- acquainted with his friend dees not 

 appear, but we may take the account of Warrow's Place as given by St. 

 Clair in his "'Residence in the West Indies" and referring to 1^07 as 

 probably near to what the settlement was like when Waterton paid his 

 first visits. A copy of St. Clair's sketch was reproduced in a late number 

 of Timehri (Vol. 2. No. 2). The house stood on a sloping rise from the 

 savannah-like expansion of the creek and behind were the ridges of Band 

 which are so common in that neighbourhood. Xo doubt these sand-reefs 

 were at one time covered with immense trees which formed the good 

 sound timber for which some of our old buildings were noted. Wild ani- 

 mals were more common than they are at present, but even yet the 

 locality is not far from its primitive condition. Birds were and are 

 numerous ; it is an ideal place for the naturalist. 



Waterton tells how Warrow's Place sometimes became a refuge for 

 people who got into trouble. In one case an unfortunate gentleman was 

 outlawed in connection with a bill transaction. He had been wandering 

 about] and being sick looked up Waterton. who was expected to act as 



