NARRATIVE OF AN 



againft his feet, he was enabled juft to keep his head 

 above the water, while the weight of his body kept the 

 funk canoe from moving. In this precarious attitude, he 

 was picked up by a man-of-war's boat ; who, taking away 

 the canoe for their trouble, put him on fliore at Parama-^ 

 ribo. He kept the letter, however furprifing, ftill in his 

 mouth, and being eager to deliver it, he accidentally ran 

 into a wrong houfe; where, being taken for a thief (for 

 refufing to let them read it), he was tied up to receive 

 four hundred laflies ; but, fortunately, was Feprieved by 

 the interceffion of an Engiifh merchant of the name of 

 Gordon, who was my particular friend, and knew the 

 negro. Thus did the poor fellow efcape drowning, and 

 being flogged, either of which he would have undergone, 

 fooner than difclofe what he called the fecrets of his 

 mafera. — Query, How many Europeans are poflelTed of 

 equal fidelity and fortitude ? 



Having lately mentioned the mode of catching fifh by 

 means of a projeiting paleing, it will probably not be dif- 

 agreeable to the reader to have fome account of it, ])arti- 

 cularly as on many different occafions it helped me to a 

 comfortable dinner. It conHfts fimply of a kind of fquare 

 enclofure, that juts out into the river, furrounded by long 

 palifadoes of the manicole-tree, tied very clofe together by 

 nebees. In this fence is a large door, which is left open 

 with the flood, and fhut at high water, to prevent the en- 

 clofed fifli from efcaping ; and by this fimpie contrivance 

 the negroes and Indians frequently catch very large 

 4- quantities 0 



