88 NARRATIVE OFAN 



CHAP, being ill and unfit for fervice ; but no rangers were as 

 , yet arrived, though , they . had been expeded. The 



fa6l was, they were fo much difgufted with Fourgeoud's 

 command, that they did not appear at all, which afforded 

 this gentleman for once an opportunity of iligmatizing 

 them as a band of pufillanimous rafcals ; and I confefs I 

 was myfelf extremely aftoniflied at this v/ilful abfence of 

 my black favourites, who were at other times fo eager to 

 rufli upon the enemy, and had declared their" fatisfa6tion 

 at the hopes of a decifive engagement with their fabl^ 

 -countrymen. 



This whole day our courfe was due E.; and after pro- 

 ceeding about eight miles (which is a great diftance in this 

 country, where the pioneers with bill-hooks muft con- 

 flahtly open a path), we eredted huts, and encamped. 

 Having frequently mentioned the rebel - negroes with 

 whom we were now certain to have a rencontre, I pre- 

 fent the reader with the figure of one of thefe people, 

 upon his guard, as alarmed by a ruftling amongfi: the 

 bufiies. At a diftance aire fuppofed a couple of our 

 rangers, waiting the moment to take him by furprize. 

 This rebel negro is arm.ed with a firelock and a hatchetf-; 

 his hair, though woolly, may be obferved to be plaited 

 clofe to his head, by way of diftindion from the 

 rangers, or any other ftraggling negroes, who are not yet 

 accepted amongft them ; his beard is grown to a point, 

 hke that of all the Africans, when they have no op- 

 portunity of fliaving. The principal drefs of this man 

 6 confifts 



