NARRATIVE OF AN 



favaniia, flung our hammocks in the Ikirts of a thick 

 and obfcure wood. On the 31ft we again fet out the fame 

 courfcj in hopes of meeting with the marks of fome for- 

 mer path cut upon the trees by fome of our troops ; but 

 were miflaken, for having got into a marfli, where 

 we waded till noon up to our chins, at the hazard of be- 

 ing drowned, we faw ourfelves imder the neceffity of 

 returning the fame way we came, perfectly foaked and in 

 rags ; and after a forced march encamped once more on 

 the banks of Cormoetibo Creek, in fuch a heavy fliower 

 of rain during the whole night as I did feldom remem- 

 ber, which caufed fo much confulion and hurry, each 

 ftriving to build his flied, and get under cover firft, that 

 I got a broken head, but perfevering was one of the firfl 

 in flinging my hammock ; above which fpreading green 

 boughs, and under which having lighted a comfortable 

 fire, I fell moft profoundly afleep in the middle of the 

 fmoke, which faved me from the flings of the mufqui- 

 toes. 



While fpeaking of infects, I ought not to forget that 

 this evening one of the negro flaves who had been look- 

 ing for dry wood, prefented me, to my great furprize, 

 with a beetle no lefs than three or four inches in length, 

 and above two in breadth, called in Surinam the rhinoce- 

 ros^ on account of its probofcis or horn, which is hooked, 

 forked, and thick as a goofe-quill ; on the head it has 

 many hard poliilied knobs ; the limbs are fix ; the wings 

 are large, and the whole animal is perfedlly black, be- 

 ing the largeft of all the beetle kind in America. 



^ In 



