SOUTH AMERICA. jgj 

 inclination to become civilized. Some Indians who have Third 



. 1 1 ■ ^ -r< . 1 . Journey. 



accompanied white men to JbiUrope, on returning to their 



own land, have thrown olf their clothes, and gone back 

 into the forests. 



In George-town, the capital of Demerara, there is a 

 large shed, open on all sides, built for them by order of 

 government. Hither the Indians come, with monkies, 

 parrots, bows and arrows, and Pegalls. They sell these 

 to the white men for money, and too often purchase rum 

 with it, to which they are wonderfully addicted. 



Government allows them annual presents in order to 

 have their services, when the colony deems it necessary 

 to scour the forests in quest of runaway negroes. For- 

 merly these expeditions were headed by Charles Edmon- 

 stone, Esq., now of Cardross-park, near Dumbarton. This 

 brave colonist never returned from the woods without 

 being victorious. Once, in an attack upon the rebel ne- 

 groes' camp, he led the way and received two balls in his 

 body ; at the same moment that he was wounded, two 

 of his Indians fell dead by his side ; he recovered after his 

 life was despaired of, but theballs could never be extracted. 



I do not believe that there is a single Indian in ci- General 



remarks. 



devant Dutch Guiana who can read or write, nor am I 

 aware that any white man has reduced their language to 

 the rules of grammar ; some may have made a short 

 manuscript vocabulary of the few necessary words, but 

 that is all. Here and there a Avhite man, and some few 



2 c 



