EXPEDITION TO SURINAM, 221 



ordered alternately to keep watch, and awake me if they chap-. 

 heard the leail ruftling ia the woods, forbidding them all 

 abfolutely to fpeak or make any noife, left the rebels, 

 who were hovering on both fides of the Creek, might 

 hear and fiirprize us. As for myfelf, who was the only 

 white perfon amongft them all, I was confident I fiiould 

 not, in fuch a cafe, efeape their fury. After thefe pre- 

 cautions, we all lay down and flept foundly, from nine 

 o^clock till about three in the morning, at which time 

 Quaco and myfelf were both fuddenly thrown down 

 from our benches, by the boat all at once heeling upon, 

 one fide, while all the negroes leaped overboard into 

 the water* I infbantly cocked my piftol, and jumping 

 up, afked aloud what was the matter ? pofitively deter- 

 mined to defend myfelf to the lafi: extremity, rather than 

 be taken alive by fo relentlefs an enemy. For the fpace of 

 a few feconds I obtained no anfwer, when again the boat 

 fuddenly rectifying itfelf (by the motion of which I wa& 

 thrown off my feet) one of the fwimming negroes called 

 out, " Mafera, da wan fea-cow ;" and to my great happi- 

 nefs it proved to be no other than the manati, or fea-cowj. 

 which is called in Cayenne the lamentyn. By the account 

 of the negroes it had Qept under the boat, which, by the 

 creature's awaking, had been lifted up and thrown upon 

 one fide, and again replaced when the manati made its 

 efeape from underneath it. I did not fo much as fee 

 the creature, nor indeed hardly had the negro, owing to 

 the darknefs of the niehr, which. lafi:ed. fonie hours 



after ;.; 



