14^ . NARRATIVE OF A'N ' 



CHAP, plan of daily bathing for health; but finding by fol- 

 , lowing his dire(5tion that the dangers he reprefented 

 were to be avoided, I refolved to follow it, and derived 

 great benefit from the practice as long as 1 remained 

 in the colony. This negro alfo advifed me to walk 

 bare-footed and thirsly dreffed. " Now is the feafon, 

 Maflera," faid he, to iife your feet to become hard, 

 " by walking on the fmooth boards of the veffel ; the 

 " time may come when you will be obliged to do fo for 

 ^' want of flioes, in the midfl of thorns and briers, as I 

 have fee n fo me others. Cuftom," faid he, " Maffera, 

 is fecond nature : our feet were all made alike. Do fo 

 as I advife you ; and in the end you will thank old 

 Caramaca. As for being thinly drefled," continued the 

 negro, " a fliirt and trowfers is fully fufficient ; which 

 not only faves trouble and expence, but the body wants 

 air, as well as it does water : fo bathe in both when 

 you have the opportunity." — From that moment I 

 followed his counfels, to which, befides being cleanly 

 and cool, I in a great meafure afcribe the prefervation 

 ■of my life. I now frequently thought on Paramaribo, 

 where I enjoyed all the delicacies of life ; while here I 

 was forced to have recourfe to many expedients much 

 worfe than any favage ; yet fiiould I not have repined 

 had any perfon profited by our fufFerings. — But I am 

 forgetting the articles of war, viz. implicitly to obey, and 

 afk no queftions» 



Having, 



