EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 209 



Being iqformed that Colonel Fourgeoud had left Craw- chap. 



aflibo eftate, and entered the woods jull above the plan- ^ 



tation Clarenbeck, on his way to the Wana Creek, to try 

 if he could fall in with the rebels, I requefted, by a let- 

 ter, that I might join him there as foon as I fhould be 

 recovered, and having fliipped off for the laft- men- 

 tioned eftate medicines and fuch furgeons of ours as 

 had been left at Paramaribo, I employed Mr. Greber, the 

 furgeon of the Society, on my own authority, and at the 

 regiment's expence, to attend the fick officers and fol- 

 diers, who were left in town, dettitute of cafli, and now 

 without affiftance. At the fame time I alfo ordered to be 

 purchafed two more ankers of the beft claret for their 

 fupport. Thus was I determined properly to avail myfclf 

 of my command, which at beft could but laft a few days 

 longer. 



This evening my friend De La Mara took his depar- 

 ture, with his twenty-five free mulattoes, for the river 

 Surinam ; he being a captain of the militia, and they be- 

 ing infinitely preferable to the European fcarecrows. 



I was fo £ar recovered as to be able to ride out every 

 morning, when the following ludicrous adventure hap- 

 pened to me on the road that leads to Wanica. In this 

 place a Mr. Van de Velde, boafting how faft his horfe 

 could gallop, propofed to me to run a race ; to which I 

 agreed, allowing him the ftart at twenty paces diftance. 

 The ftart indeed he had, but did not long retain his ad- 



Vol. I. E e vantage. 



