EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 215 

 for lis, who had fo little a time before appeared like wild CHAP. 



XXIV 



men, now' to llrut through Paramaribo, dreiled like \ 

 fo many French 77tarquees. 



Being a particular favourite of Governor Nepveu, I 

 one day was induced to afk him for a piece of unculti^ 

 vated foreft ground ; when he readily granted me 400 

 acres : but when I inconliderately afked it of him, I had 

 not calculated how large a capital it required to clear 

 away woods, purchafe negroes, and provide other neccf- 

 faries for fuch an undertaking; and when a little re- 

 fie6lion convinced me how difficult it would be to find 

 a partner of abilities to affift me, I declined accepting 

 this mark of the governor's regard. 



Having on the 26th once more faved a poor black girl 

 from receiving fome hundred lafhes, by replacing a dozen, 

 of china, which ilie had broken by accident ; while an- 

 other was ftabbedby a Frenchman, who immediately cut 

 his own throat from remorfe, and his companion, an 

 overfeer, hanged himfelf ; and having vilited the poor 

 negro whofe leg had lately been cut off by law, I pack- 

 ed my boxes to fet out next morning on my fixth cam- 

 paign ; and once more take the command of the River 

 Comewina : at which moment arrived at my lodgings 

 lix loaded negro flaves with prefents from my hofpitable 

 friends, of every kind that Guiana could produce, and the 

 colony of Surinam could afford me. 



CHAP, 



