History of Demerara— 1763. 273 
that occasion I had written a very long and circumstantial 
letter to the Directors on the state of our colony. 
Although overwhelmed with business, having only arrived 
in Demerara three or four days ago, where we have 
a man-of-war called the Zephir, (Captain Van Ozen) 
and the letter bag of M. De Bruyn'S negro-ship closes 
the day after to-morrow, I cannot let this opportunity 
slip of acknowledging the receipt of your letter, and 
offering you a thousand thanks for the book you had the 
kindness to send me. I am curious to see what M. 
De Bellin says of our district of which I have no great 
opinion. On opening it on its arrival, I found several 
rather grave mistakes on the subject of our Coast. I 
have the pleasure to inform you that the rebellion in 
Berbice is over. Thank God, they are beginning to 
return each to his plantation. They have already 
held a dreadful execution, 32 rebels were hanged, 18 
broken on the wheel after having their flesh torn off 
with red hot pincers, and 18 burnt alive. This seems 
to me a little cruel. There are still some fifty of the 
most guilty in irons. Our Caribs were of considerable 
service in this affair ; they cannot be sufficiently praised 
for their faithfulness and bravery on this occasion. I 
have still a body of 95 men of this nation searching the 
woods and savannahs, to capture and strike down the 
rest of the fugitives. I never knew Berbice contained 
such a great number ot slaves. They exceed seven 
thousand, and our Essequebo and Demerara together 
cannot at most have more than five thousand. Is it not 
a shame for a colony so widespread and so fertile ! 
Whatever they would have us believe, there is no appear- 
ance that this will change before the majority of the 
