EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 



our ftation. In rowing down I was aftoniOied at being- 

 hailed by a human voice, which begged me for God's 

 fake to ftep on fhore. This I did, with two of my men ; 

 when I was accoftcd by a poor old negro woman, im- 

 ploring me to afford her fome affiftance. It feems flie 

 was the property of a Jew, to whom belonged the fpot 

 of ground where I found her, and where the poor crea- 

 ture lived quite alone, in a hut not larger than a dog- 

 kennel, furrounded by a wildernefs, with only a few 

 plantain-trees, yams, and calfava, for her fupport. She 

 was no longer of ufe to work on the great eftate, and 

 was banilhed here only to fupport her matter's right to 

 the polTeffion, fince this fpot had been ruined by the re- 

 bels. Having left with her a piece of fait beef, fome 

 barley, and a bottle of rum, I took my leave, when fhe 

 offered me in return one of her cats : but this I could not 

 accept, for by this token, I mean upon the information 

 of the cats, my negro rowers firmly inlifted that flie mull 

 be a witch ; which evinces that this fnperitition is not 

 confined to Europe. 



In this creek, the banks of which on both fides are co- 

 vered with mangrove-trees, thorns, and briers, we found 

 floating on the furface of the water a kind of large 

 white nut, which feemed to have dropped of themfelves 

 by ripenefs from the fiiell. They are fweer, crifp, and 

 exceedingly good eating; but I neglected to inquire 

 from what tree they had fallen. A kind of water fhrub, 

 called the mocco-mocco^ is here alfo to be found in great 



quantitiesa 



