112 



NARRATIVE OF AN 



CHAP, that between the two parties we were but ill, treated. 



This fame day, while at dinner on board a Dutch veffel in 



L I II"/— 1^ 



the roads, the company were alarmed by the moll tre- 

 mendous claps of thunder I ever heard in my life. On. 

 our fide of the continent, feyeral negroes and cattle were 

 killed by lightning ; while, on the other fide, nearly at 

 the fame time, the city of Guatimala, in Old Mexico, was 

 ■ fwallowed up by an earthquake, by which eight thoufand 

 families are faid to have infiantly periflied. 



On the nth, the fiiips, being taken again into commif- 

 fion, were ordered with all poflible expedition to prepare, 

 for our final departure, and every one was making himfelf 

 ready for the voyage. 



Being thus apparently difengaged from military fer- 

 vice, I received a polite invitation from a Mr. Gampbel, 

 who was lodged with a Mr. Kerry at my friend Ken- 

 nedy's, to accompany him on a vifit to the ifland of To- 

 bago, where I might recruit my debilitated health and 

 deje6led fpirits. His plan was to return with me by the 

 Leeward Iflands to Europe. It was, indeed, to me a moft 

 - agreeable offer, ail things confidered, and I fi:aould cer- 

 tainly with pleafure have accepted it, had not my appli- 

 cation to Colonel Fourgeoud been prevented by a frelh 

 alarm, which was received on the 15th. The fubftance of 

 this was no lefs, than that an officer of the Society troops 

 had been fhot dead by the rebels, and his whole party, con- 

 fifting of about thirty men, entirely cut to pieces. So alarm- 

 ing a piece of intelligence could not fail to throw the whole 

 3 colony 



