EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 



delightful to a man, who, in all probability, was in his 

 own country, Europe, a — nothing. 



But, in this colony, this is too frequently the cafe, 

 where plantations are fold upon credit, and left (by the 

 abfent proprietor) to the appraifers, who, by felling 

 cheap, have generally an underflanding with the buyer. 



Thefe are the planters who are the peft of the colony ; 

 fuch as the fine gentleman juft defcribed, who, while he 

 lives at the above rate, pays nobody, under pretence of 

 bad crops, mortality amongft the flaves, 8ic. but like an 

 upftart rafcal malTacres the negroes by double labour, 

 ruins and pillages the eftate of all its produ6cions, which 

 he clandeftinely fells for ready money, makes a purfe, 

 and runs away. Exceptions, however, take place in every 

 circumftance of life; and I have known many planters 

 in Surinam as good men as I ever would defire to be ac- 

 quainted with, which I have already mentioned. 



As for the ladies, they indulge themfelves juft as much, 

 by giving way to their unbounded paflions, and efpecially 

 to the moft relentlefs barbarity. But while I can bear 

 witnefs to the exalted virtues of fuch a woman as Mrs. 

 Elizabeth Danforth, now Mrs. Godfrey, and a few more 

 whofe characters fliine with treble luftre, I fliall draw z 

 veil over all the imperfections, too common to their fex 

 in this climate. Before I drop this fubjedt, however, I 

 muft atteft, that hofpitality is in no country praCtifed with 

 greater cordiality or with lefs ceremony, a ftranger being 

 every where at home, and finding his table and his bed 



I 2 at 



