>J A R R A T I V E O F A N 



withiianding he had made a favourable peace with the 

 Caribbee, Warowa, and Arawakka hidians, as well as 

 with a few run-away negroes, who had been fettled at Rio 

 Copename fmcc the Englilli left the colony. 



This unfortunate gentleman's reign, however, lafled 

 but a iliort fpace, viz. till the year 1688, when on the 

 fame day both the governor and deputy governor, Mr. 

 Verboom, were murdered by their own foldiers, owing, 

 as was alledged, to their having not only forced the men 

 to work like negroes in digging canals, Sic. but alfo 

 obliged them to fubfift on very bad and fliort allowance, 

 which drove them to this a6t of defperation *. — I am 

 forry to fay this treatment is too frequently the cafe in 

 the fettlements, as I lliall afterwards have occafion to 

 prove. Such indeed was the confidence of thefe alTaf- 

 fins, that they offered to give in their defence, and affign 

 their reafons for committing this acSl of cruelty. 



As the particulars of the alfaffination are not uninte- 

 refting, I iliall beg leave to trefpafs upon the reader's 

 patience by a brief recital of the tranfailion. 



The governor was walking under a grove of orange- 

 trees, near his own houfe, with Mr. Verboom, when 

 imexpedledly ten or twelve armed foldiers (feemingly 

 drunk) accofted them, and immediately infifted on lefs 

 work and better fubfittence. The governor drawing his 



* Somelfdyk had the chara<^ler of a 

 tyrant ; he was, under the cloak of reli- 

 gion, defpotic, paffionate, brutal, and 

 cruel ; he even ordered an Indian chief's 



head to be ftruck ofF for fome domeftic 

 mifdemeanour, for which he could not 

 produce, efpecially in thofe days, the 

 fmalleft ftiadow of authority. 



fword 



