EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 



fettlement, but troops alfo from the neighbouring colo- C 

 nies were difpatched, ia order to fubdue the revolt. In ^ 

 this defign they foon fucceeded, fince the woods in that 

 part, being of fmall extent, are eafily penetrated, which 

 prevents the rebels from forming fettlements, and fince 

 from the fame caufe they will not ferve to conceal them 

 from their purfuers. The confequence was, that after 

 numbers had been fliot dead, and others taken prifoners, 

 the reft were forced to furrender at difcretion, and im- 

 plore for mercy, or they muft have been ftarved to) 

 death for want of fubfiftence- 



During thefe troubles, it happened that one officer and 

 about feventy men, fent from the colony of Surinam, had 

 been pofted on the banks of the river Corrantine. This 

 detachment, together with a party of Indians, who are 

 natural enemies to the negroes, but friends to the Eu- 

 ropeans, had one day beaten the rebels in a fkirmifh, 

 having killed feveral of them, and retaken about the va- 

 lue of twenty or thirty pounds fterling in efFedts, which 

 the negroes had pillaged from the neighbouring eftates. 

 The officer who commanded this detachment having, 

 however, unwarrantably diftributed this booty among 

 the Indians alone, without giving a ihare to his foldiers, 

 difgufted them fo much that they revolted; and defert- 

 ing their commander, took their march for the river 

 Oronoque through the woods, in hopes of foon falling in 

 with Spaniffi fettlements and being relieved : but how 

 miferably were thefe deluded men miftaken, and difap- 



pointed- 



