EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 



nothing. I was informed by the negroes, but I cannot C 

 fpeak from my own obfervation, that it has the power 

 of giving a very fevere Itroke with its tail, like the lafli 

 of a whip, which it fo much refembles. 



I muft alfo notice an amphibious animal which fome 

 of the negroes killed this evening, called by them the 

 Cabiai ; it is a fpecies of water hog, and about the or- 

 dinary fize of the land animal which goes under 

 that name ; it is covered with grey briftles, and armed 

 with a number of very ftrong teeth ; it has no tail ; on 

 each foot it has three toes, webbed like thofe of a duck. 

 This animal, it is faid, goes alhore only during the night, 

 where it feeds on young grafs, and other vegetables, 

 I have been told it is good food, but never tailed it 

 myfelf. 



On the i6th, having refted one day at this place, Colonel 

 Fourgeoud detached two ftrong parties to reconnoitre^ 

 fviz. Lieutenant Colonel de Borgnes, with loo men, was 

 fent to the Wana Creek in Upper Cormoetibo ; and Co- 

 lonel Seyburg, with an equal number, was ordered to 

 the Creek Pinenburg, in Upper Cottica. The latter re- 

 turned about midnight with two canoes, which he had 

 found hauled afliore, on the oppofite lide of the river, a 

 little below the mouth of the Claas Creek. This con- 

 vinced us that the rebels were gone weftward to plunder,, 

 and had brought their empty canoes down the Claas 

 Creek, from the rice country, in order to fend thero; 

 back loaded with booty from the eftates they intended to 

 , ^ . pillage. 



