NARRATIVE O F A N 



banks and fitiiation of the river Surinam, as he had be- 

 fore done thofe of Rio Comewina and Rio Cottica. 



At this time died Captain Barends, one of the matters 

 of the tranfports, which were ftill kept irt commiffion, in 

 cafe they fhould be wanted for our return to Europe. 

 Five or fix failors now were buried every day, belonging 

 to the merchant fhips, whofe lamentable fate I cannot 

 pafs by unnoticed, being a6lually ufed worfe than the 

 negroes in this fcorching climate, where, befides rowing 

 large flat-bottomed barges up and down the rivers, day 

 and night, for coffee, fugar, &c. and being expofed to the 

 burning fun and heavy rains, and befides flowing the 

 above commodities in a hold as hot as an oven, they are 

 obliged to row every upflart planter to his eflate at a 

 call, which faves the gentleman fo many negroes, and for 

 which they receive in return nothing — many times not fo 

 much as a mouthful of meat and drink ; i)alliating hun- 

 ger and thirff, by begging from the flaves a few bananas 

 or plantains, eating oranges and drinking water, which 

 in a little time relieves them from every complaint, by 

 fliipping them off to eternity. In every part of the colony 

 they are no better treated, but, like horfes, they muff (hav-^ 

 ing unloaded the vefTels) drag the commodities to the dif- 

 tant flore-houfes, being bathed in fweat, and bullied with 

 bad language, fometimes with blows; while a few negroes 

 are ordered to attend, but not to work, by the diredionof 

 their maflers, which many would willingly do to relieve the 

 drooping failors, to whom this ufage mufl be exceedingly, 



diCheartening. 



