EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 249 



and the others from hearing, I hid myfelf in the Ikirts of CHAP, 

 the wood; the pain however ftiil augmenting, I foon was ; ^ 

 prevented from breathing without the greateft difficulty, 

 and at laft fell down behind the rotten trunk of an old cab- 

 bage-tree. In this fituation I was difcovered by one of 

 the negro ilaves who was going to cut rafters, and who, 

 fuppofing me dead, ran inftantly back, and alarmed the 

 whole camp. I was taken up and carried in a hammock, 

 by the care of a Captain Medler, under proper cover, and 

 one of the Society furgeons inftantly fent for to attend me. 

 By this time I was furrounded by fpe6tators, and the pain 

 in my fide became fo acute, that, like one in the hydro- 

 phobia, I tore my lliirt with my teeth, and bit whatevcr 

 chanced to come near me ; till being rubbed by a warm 

 hand on my fide with a kind of ointment, the complaint 

 fuddenly vanifiied like a dream, and I felt myfelf com- 

 pletely recovered. 



To prevent a relapfe, however, the firft ufe that I made 

 of my ftrength v/as to cut a cudgel, with which I fwore 

 to murder the Berbice ruffian, Geufary, who had the 

 management of the flaves, if he did not inftantaneoufiy 

 employ them to build for me a comfortable hut, let who 

 would order the contrary, my life being the deareft thing 

 I had to regard ; and following him clofe at his heels, with 

 my cudgel clubbed upon my fhoulder, I had the fatis- 

 fatStion to be well houfed in the fpace of two hours. I 

 muft not omit, that Colonel Fourgeoud, during the crifis' 



Vol. I. K k of 



