EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 107 



re-eft abliiTied his charadter^ by fighting like a brave CHAP, 

 fellow, by my iide, until the muzzle of his mufket was 

 fplit by a fhot from the enemy, which rendered it ufe- 

 lefs ; a ball paffed through my fhirt, and grazed the fkin 

 of my fhoulder ; Mr. Decabanes, my lieutenant, had the 

 fling of his fufee fhot away : feveral others were wound- 

 ed, fome mortally, but I did not, to my furprize, obferve 

 one inftance of immediate death — for which feeming mi- 

 racle, however, I iliall prefently account. 



This whole field of rice was furrounded and inter- 

 fperfed by the enemy with the large trunks and roots of 

 heavy trees, in order to make our approach both diffi- 

 cult and dangerous; behind thefe temporary fortifications 

 the rebels lay lurking, and firing upon us with delibe- 

 rate aim, whilft their bukvarks certainly protected them 

 in fome meafure from the effects of our fire, we hav- 

 ing vaft numbers of thefe fallen trees to fcramble over 

 before we could reach the to wn \ but we ftill advanced, in 

 defiance of every obftacle, and while I admired the maf- 

 terly manoeuvres of their general, I could not help pity- 

 ing them for their fuperftition. One poor fellow, in 

 particular, trufting to his amulet or charm, fancied him- 

 felf invulnerable; he mounted frequently upon one of 

 the trees that lay near us, difcharged his piece, defcended 

 to re- load, and then with equal confidence and the 

 greateft deliberation returned to the charge in my full 

 view; till at laft a (hot from one of my marines, named 

 Valet -i broke the bone of his thigh, and he fell crawling 



P 2 for 



