24B NARRATIVE O F A N 



CHAP, door, and lifting up his fdver-headed cane, afked me/^ If 



XXVI 



^ '_, that hoiife was my own ? and if not, what bufinefs I 

 "had to interfere? I ara," faid he, in a thundering 

 voice, " Captain Fortune Dago-So ; and, if I had you in 

 my country at Owca, I would make the very earth 

 " drink up your blood." To which I replied, drawing 

 my fword, " That my name was Stedman ; and that if he 

 " dared to utter one infolent expreflion more, my wea- 

 " pon finould find the fliorteft way through his body." 

 Upon which he fnapped his fingers, and marched off, 

 leaving me much difpleafed, and blaming Fourgeoud for 

 fliewing fo much indulgence to fuch a fet of banditti. In 

 the evening, as I returned from dinner, I met the fame 

 black fellow again, who, ftepping fliort up to me, faid, 

 " MafTera, you are a man, a very brave fellow ; won't 

 " you now giveforae money to the Owca Captain ?" This 

 T flernly refufed; he then kiffed my hand, and fhewed 

 his teeth (he faid) in token of reconciliation, promif- 

 iiTg to fend me a prefent of piftachio-nuts, which, how- 

 ever, never did arrive, nor indeed fhould I have tafted. 



Though we continued in Surinam fome time longer, 

 our future fervices could add but very little to its pro- 

 fperity, as our numbers were nov/ fo very few, and out 

 of this number, fmall as it was, nine officers and above one 

 hundred and fixty privates, all fick and incurable, embark- 

 ed again for Holland on the lit of Auguft, I was ill with 

 an ague at this time, and had the offer of making one of 

 the party, but declined it, being determined to fee the 

 end of the expedition if I could; 1 however availed my felf 



of 



