EXPEDITION TO SURINAM, 125 



few can, and I hope fewer ftill will, follow your ex- CHAP. 



XXI 



ample. Drop your fhield, and do not intimidate your i_ 

 foldiers : one brave man creates others, then follow 

 thy Mattow, and fear for nothing." Upon which he 

 inftantly threw open his bofom, and charging his bay- 

 onet was the firft that mounted the oppofite beach: this 

 intrepidity infpired the reft, and they paffed the marfliy 

 fwamp without oppofition ; for which a6l of heroifm 

 this private marine was fince made a ferjeant. I fhould 

 think myfelf deficient if I did not obferve, that the Wal- 

 loons in general behaved with great fpirit, and were in 

 every refpe£l excellent foldiers. This evening we en- 

 camped upon the fame ground where we had paiTed 

 the night before the engagement, with exceffive bad 

 weather and very heavy rain. 



Early on the morning of the 25th, we again marched, 

 and proceeded on our return, having now a beaten path 

 before us. It will fuffice to fay, that we reached our 

 place of general rendezvous, Barbacoeba, on the after- 

 noon of the following day, but in a mofb fhocking con- 

 dition ; the whole of the detachment being mofiiy 

 fpent and wore out with fatigue, fome nearly ftarved, 

 others mortally wounded ; whilft all the flaves were em- 

 ployed in carrying the Hck and lame in their hammocks, 

 on long poles, though thefe poor wretches v/ere fcarcely 

 able to fupport themfelves. — Such was the concluding 

 fcene of the taking of Gado-Saby. However, if during 

 this expedition we neither captured any of the rebels, 



R a 



nor 



