EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 



genuity in forming rings out of the ftones, which they 

 decorate with, cyphers, initial letters, and other devices, 

 then difpofe of them to the Europeans, who mount them 

 in gold. Thefe ftones are large, extremely hard, and as 

 black as jet or ebony, but the pulp which furrounds them 

 is very thin. 



This day, on examining into the ftate of our remain- 

 ing live ftock, fuch as hogs, fheep, ducks, geefe, fowls, 

 and turkies, we found them nearly as many in number 

 as when we firft failed from Holland : thefe were all fent 

 to the colonel's poultry-yard at the head-quarters, while 

 we had the additional mortification of feeing above lixty 

 large kegs with preferved vegetables, &c. and juft as 

 many fine Weftphalia hams (being perfe6lly rotten) 

 thrown into the river Surinam to feed the fliarks. 



I now obferved, on the fecond morning after our land- 

 ing, that my face, my breaft, and hands were entirely 

 fpotted over like the fkin of a leopard, occafioned by 

 myriads of gnats or mufquitoes^ which flying in clouds, 

 had kept me company during the night, though the fa- 

 tigue from my voyage, and the oppreflive heat of the cli- 

 mate, had funk me into fo profound a fleep, that I was 

 infenfible of their flings, till I perceived the eiTeds. 

 Thefe infe6ls are inconceivably numerous here during 

 the rainy feafon, and particularly on the banks of creeks 

 or rivers. None are fecured from their attacks, but 

 they peculiarly infeft ftrangers in preference to the na- 

 tives ; and wherever they infert their probofcis, and re- 



VoL. L D 4 main 



