STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF THE 



port, I embarked on board a sloop belonging to a free negro, 

 called La Rose. At six o'clock in the morning, the tide 

 answered, there was a little wind, but the stream of the De- 

 merary soon swept us outside the mouth of the river, where 

 we caught a breeze from the N. E. which continued all day. 

 I retired into the cabin, where I amused myself with smoaking 

 and reading till evening. I then went on deck to enjoy the 

 refreshing breeze, and about eleven P. M. discovered the river 

 Berbice, we hnmediately shaped our course for the west en- 

 trance of the river, to get under the protection of the York 

 redoubt, when we were boarded by a boat from the Serpent 

 Batavian schooner of war, who took a pilot from us to bring 

 in some vessels outside the bar from Surinam, with troops on 

 board, soon after that we were brought to by a gun from the 

 battery, who ordered to anchor at the ferry, and not go over 

 to New Amsterdam, as the insurgents fired at every boat that 

 crossed. I was of course happy to be under any protection, 

 being the only white man on board the sloop, and therefore 

 landed at the ferry at Mynheer D'Hanckars ; before my ser- 

 vant could bring my portmanteau and writing desk on shore, 

 the vessel, with all her hands, were pressed to convey troops 

 from the vessels outside the bar to this place. Mynheer 

 D'Hanckar's I found was the head quarters of Col. Matthias 

 and officers. Major Van Hamers too and the^roops from 

 Demerary were also here, and mustering thus early, two 

 o'clock in the morning, in order to cross the river to attack 



