374 



ance of being always expofed to the rain or 

 the fun, by taking the fleering duty ourfelves. 

 in this dilemma, I blufh to fay that a remedy 

 was found in the expedient of half-fed ucing, 

 and half-preffing into our fervice a negro who 

 was {landing in idlenefs at the landing place. 

 Our crew being thus completed, we ordered 

 the moil intelligent of the fort negroes to af- 

 fume the poft of cockfwain, and putting the 

 others to the oars, took our departure without 

 having decided where to make even our firft 

 place of calk Rich eftates, commodious 

 houfes, and hofpitable planters, were~not de- 

 ficient about this part of the river ; and as we 

 had adopted the principle of feeking a home, 

 wherefoever we fhould find it mod convenient, 

 we refigned ourfelves without hefitation to the 

 difcretion of the flaves, defiring them to make 

 a port whenever they might feel themfelves 

 fatigued, or fhould find the tide impede their 

 progrefs It happened that they took us on 

 fhore, about two o'clock, at a plantation called 

 **Het Pleytanker." We advanced to the houfe 

 fans ceremonk % and introduced ourfelves by 

 obferving- that we were engaged in an excur- 

 fion up the river, and had put in for the pur-* 

 pofe of reding the flaves ; and of learning 



