44 



NARRATIVE OF AN 



CHAP, before Commodore Harman retook the colony from the 

 >_ ,'- ' Dutch, confiderable tumult and diforder took place 

 among the inhabitants, who knew not whom they 

 ought to acknowledge as their lawful fovereign. At 

 length, by an order of King Charles, the fettlement was 

 ceded to the Dutch, in 1669, when twelve hundred of 

 the old inhabitants, Englifh and negroes together, left 

 it, and went to fettle on the ifland of Jamaica. At the 

 clofe of the fucceeding war, it was agreed by the treaty 

 of Weftminfler that Surinam fhould be the property of 

 the Dutch for ever, in exchange for the province of New- 

 York, which accordingly took place in the year 1674 ; 

 and after this period the colony of Surinam was never 

 more in the poffeffion of Great Britain. In 1678, a Mr. 

 Heynfius was governor of the colony, and a Captain 

 Lightenburgh commander of the troops. 



The Dutch for the firft few years enjoyed little fatisfac- 

 tion in their new pofTeflions, as they were daily harrafled 

 by the invafions of the Carribbeafi Indians, to whom they 

 were much more obnoxious than the Englifh had been : 

 indeed they carried their refentment fo far as to murder 

 feveral of the Dutch fettlers. In addition to this, the pro- 

 vince of Zealand, to which the colony properly belonged, 

 being perpetually at variance with the other United Pro- 

 vinces concerning the fovereignty of this fettlement, and 

 not being of themfelves able to fupport the great expence 

 which was requiUte for its prefervation and defence, at 

 laft refolved to fell the whole to the Dutch Weft India 



6 



Company ;, 



