The Black Army is Harangued. 
301 
the expedition to show them the way : the latter had supervision over the 
Indians who had been hired as boathands. Mr. Youd, as well as our 
corial that had been despatched from Waraputa to Ampa to fetch the 
things left behind, was in the rear-guard. While the black crew were 
discharging their military stores, tents, etc., we and the officers compared 
notes concerning our respective adventures over a bottle of wine. They 
had also crossed the falls without mishap, had found our greetings in the 
empty champagne bottle and followed our example; they unfortunately 
lost two Arawaks from dysentery. 
849. Hamlet was beside himself, for feeling now quite safe he 
danced and sang around the big fires which he had got lighted in view 
of preparing the feast for to-day’s welcome, and searched the cases for all 
the dainties that up to now had been put aside. 
850. Shortly before supper Lieut. Bingham had his black army 
drawn up and gave them an inspiriting harangue. He made known to 
them the condition of affairs but at the same time also warned them not 
to imagine perhaps that all danger was past, because it was easily 
possible for the Brazilians to come back now in doubly increased 
numbers, to try and drive them out of Pirara or lead them into captivity. 
He did not want to describe in detail the fate that awaited them were 
they not to justify the trust that England had reposed in their courage 
and their valour, but would only remind them of the mines in the 
province of Minas where the prisoners never lived to enjoy the bright 
blue sky or breathe the fresh air of heaven again. To put it briefly, he 
represented the lot to be expected as something so horrible that his 
black audience, who had hardly got enough travelling kit left to cover 
their nakedness, became possessed of the real Berserker spirit, and 
swore hard and fast that they would rather hack themselves to pieces 
than submit to such slavery: judging from my subsequent experience of 
the Brazilian militia, such a really furious Negro would easily have got 
the better of any of her soldiers. Exultant and inspired with the glory 
of battle the multitude was dispersed. That beautiful Hamlet of ours 
and that cowardly Stöckle now played the part of Falstaff to real 
perfection for, mixing up with the black troops, these true swaggerers 
tried to inflame them still more against the Brazilians behind their 
backs: this was quite unnecessary with the really doughty soldiers. 
851. At supper also, many a sarcastic remark to be sure was let 
fall and many a satirical toast proposed : for without being a military 
genius, the impracticability of this monstrously costly and, if matters 
really came to a crisis, unsuccessful expedition was patent to everybody. 
Had the Brazilians wanted to remain owners of Pirara they could have 
easily crushed the small force to death before relief could have been even 
thought of. The presence at the mouth of the Amazon of a single 
frigate, of which many were lying idle in Barbados, would Lave produced 
the same effect at barely a sixth of the cost. 
852. Next morning my brother went over to Pirara to get the neigh- 
bouring Indians by whom he was generally as well known as respected, 
to come and help with the transport of the baggage which had to be 
carried pick-a-back a distance of seven miles; the soldiers were not going 
