EXPEDITION TO SURINAM 



played fo much fortitude ia my prefence, now bathing 

 in tears, and fcarcely alive, fo much was ilie become 

 the victim of melancholy and defpair. Nor had fhe 

 partaken of food, or Heep, Unce my departure, nor 

 Ipoken to any living creature, indeed not ftirred from the 

 fpot where I had left her on the morning of the 27th. 



The fliips not being quite ready to go to fea till two 

 days after, I was prevailed upon to fl:ay on fhore a little 

 longer, with poor Joanna and her boy, which feemed to 

 chear her : But, alas ! too dear we paid for this too lliort 

 reprieve ! fince, but few hours had elapfed, when a failor 

 abruptly came in, with the meffage that the fhip's boat 

 lay in waiting that minute to carry me on board. — At that 

 inftant — Heavens ! what were my feelings ! — Joanna's 

 mother took the infant from her arms, the all-worthy 

 Mrs. Godefroy fupporting herfelf - — ~ her brothers and 

 filters hung around me, crying, and invoking Heaven 

 aloud for my fafety — while the unfortunate Joanna 

 (now but nineteen) gazing on me, and holding me by the 

 hand, with a look ten thoufand times more dejected than. 

 Sterne's Maria, — was unable to utter one word ! ! ! — —I 

 perceived fhe was diftra6ted — the hour was come — I ex- 

 changed a ringlet of their hair, and fondly preffed them 

 both to my bofom : — the power of fpeech alfo forfook 

 me, and my heart tacitly invoked the protection of Pro- 

 vidence to befriend them. — Joanna now fliut her beau*- 

 teous eyes — her lips turned the pale colour of death — flie 

 bowed her head, and motionlefs funk in the arms of hep. 

 ADOPTED MOTHER :-- Here I roufed all my remaining 



3 C 2 fortitude^, 



