64 NAKRATIVE OF AN 



CHAP, fents were fent to the negroes at the Jocka Greek, andj 

 , , what is reaiarkable, -aiider the care of the identical Mr. 



Mayer, who had formerly not dared to fight againfl: 

 them, and efcorted by iix hundred men, foldiers and 

 Haves. The pufiUanimity of this gentleman, however, 

 appeared again on this occalion, and he had nearly un- 

 done the whole bufinefs by departing from his orders, 

 delivering all the prefents to the rebels without receiving 

 the hoftages in return. Fortunately A.raby kept his 

 word, and fent down four of his beft officers as pledges 

 to Paramaribo. By this the peace was perfedtly accom- 

 pliflied, and a treaty of twelve or fourteen articles was 

 iigned by the white commiffioners, and fixteen of Ara- 

 by's black captains, in 1761 ; which ceremony took place 

 on the plantation Ouca, in the river Surinam, where all 

 the parties met, this being the fpot of rendezvous ap- 

 pointed for the purpofe, after four different embaflies had 

 been fent from the Europeans to the negroes. 



Signing this treaty alone, however, V7as ftill not con- 

 Udered as fufiicient by the rebel chief Araby and his 

 people. They immediately bound themfelves by an 

 . oath, and inlifled on the commiflioners doing the fame, 

 after the manner which is pradifed by themfelves, not 

 trufling entirely, they alledged, to that made ufe of by 

 the ChrifHans, which they had feen them too frequently 

 violate. It mufl indeed be confefTed, that the negroes 

 themfelves are uncommonly tenacious of thefe folemn 

 engagements, as I never heard of an inftance, during all 



the 



