EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 



Thus I daily found fome new object to defcribe, and 

 fpent the moft agreeable hours, conftantly accompanied 

 by my young mulatto, upon this Elyfian plantation — but 

 alas ! all at once, in the midft of my hopes, my truly 

 halcyon days were blafted, and I was almoft plunged into 

 defpair, by receiving the fatal news of the death of Mr. 

 Paflalage at Amfterdam,to whom I had written to obtain 

 my mulatto's manumiffion; and what muft certainly re- 

 double my diftrefs, was the fituation in which flie proved 

 to be, promiling fair to become a mother in the fpace of 

 a few months. It was now that I faw a thoufand horrors 

 intrude all at once upon my dejected fpirits; not only my 

 friend but my offspring to be a Have, and a Have under 

 fmch agovernment ! — Mr. PaffalagejOn whom I relied, dead 

 — the whole eftate going to be fold to a new mafter — I 

 Gould not bear it, and was totally diftradled ; nay, muft have 

 died of grief, had not the mildnefs of her temper fup- 

 ported me, by fuggefting the flattering hopes that Lol- 

 kens would ftill be our friend. In, the midft of thefe 

 refle6lions, on the evening of the 4th, we heard the 

 report of feveral alarm-guns towards the North Eaft, on 

 which, by day-break next morning, I fent a detachment 

 to Rio-Pirica, which returned about noon with the ac- 

 count of the rebels attacking the eftate Merfcille, in the 

 river Cottica j but that they had been beaten back by the 

 plantation Haves, as they had before by thofe of Korten- 

 duur. The other news was, that they had ill treated a 

 party of poor Indians, fufpeding them to have aHifted 

 4 the 



