EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 



During thefe Ikirmifhes, an inftance of prefence of 

 mind was exhibited by a rebel negro, I think but feldom 

 equalled : — A ranger having levelled his piece was juft 

 going to fire at him, when the man called out, holding 

 up his hand, " What, Sir, do you mean to kill one of 



your own party ?" Which the ranger believing him to 

 be, replied, " God forbid !" and dropping the muzzle of 

 his piece, inftantly received a ball through the body from 

 his adverfary, which killed him ; and who, having thus 

 faved himfelf, difappeared like a flafli of lightning. One 

 of the captive negroes related, that the evening before they 

 were taken, a rebel, who had formerly deferted from Fau- 

 conberg was cut to pieces with fabres, by Benny's com- 

 mand, as two others had been before we took Gado- 

 Saby, 



On the 6th of May it blew a violent hurricane, accom- 

 panied with thunder and lightning, fo that many trees 

 were torn up by the roots, and mofl of the houfes on the 

 Hope blown do wn^ or unroofed ; my aerial palace, how- 

 ever, by good fortune, withftood this gale; and upon 

 the 8th, Joanna, with her boy, arriving at this j^lace, I 

 promifed myfelf a fcene of happinefs equal to that I 

 experienced in 1774; efpecially as my family, my flieep, 

 and my poultry, were now doubled; befides, I had at this 

 time a beautiful garden, and if I could not with propriety 

 be called a planter, I flight at leaft claim, with fome degree 

 •of juftice, the name of a little farmer. 



On the 9th we all dined with Mr. de GraaJ, at his beau- 

 tiful 



