I 



EXPEDITION TO SURINAM. 331 



the greateft difficulty, being obliged to thruft him CHAP, 

 through a crevice made on purpofe, as the hole in the 

 roof was not calculated even for any healthy perfon's 

 admittance, myfelf excepted. Having here flung his 

 hammock near to my own, and boiled fome water, I 

 treated him with warm grog and a toafted bifcuit, and 

 he became much better from that very moment. He 

 now acquainted me t':iat one of his men was drowned 

 on the p^ffcLgQ ; and that Colonel Fourgeoud having en- 

 tertained the officers with a ball after their landing, at 

 which one of his cooks, and a couple of meagre marines, 

 had been the fidlers, he concluded his illnefs to be the 

 confequence of too much dancing. A little after this, Co- 

 lonel Fourgeoud himfelf appearing in perfon in the camp 

 amongft us, he foon, however, entertained us with mufick 

 of a different kind ; which was no lefs than the difcourag- 

 ing news, that by the newly-arrived corps of officers fe- 

 veral of us had loft our rank (both in the regiment and in 

 the army) after parching above four years in a burning 

 fun, toiling ourfelves almoft to death, and fubfifting upon 

 ftinking meat and black ruik. To add to this grievance, 

 while the above gentlemen ufurped our preferment, we 

 were, inftead of being relieved, ordered to continue in 

 the woods, in order to 'teach them their duty. 



During the above unpleafing probation, the major's 

 duty again fell to my fliare ; which was at this time ex- 

 tremely difagreeable, being obliged daily to chaftife the 

 men, many, of whom x>ilfered the magazine to alleviate 



U u 2 hungerj 



