SQQ MAR 
Maroons were endeavouring to Seduce them from their 
allegiance. Information of this nature was tranfmitted 
from many refpeftable quarters; but moft of the gentle¬ 
men who had vifited the Maroons on the 20th, were fo 
confident of their fidelity and affeftion, that the governor, 
difbelieving the charges againft them, was prevailed onto 
let the troops embark, as originally intended, and they 
actually failed from Port Royal on the morning of the 
29th, under convoy of the Succefs frigate. Fortunately, 
the courfe from Port Royal to St. Domingo is altogether 
againft the wind ; and at this time there was alfo a ftrong 
lee current. A faft-failing boat, difpatched after the fleet 
by lord Balcarras’s order, came up with them off the 
north-eaft end of Jamaica, and delivered orders to captain 
Pigot, of the Succefs, to change his courfe, and to proceed 
with the tranfports to Montego Bay. The eighty-third 
regiment, confifting of 1000 effective men, was landed on 
Attguft 4. The unexpected arrival of fo powerful a rein¬ 
forcement, immediately changed the face of affairs : yet 
farther meafures were adopted. The whole ifland was put 
under martial law : 130 more dragoons, commanded by 
colonel Sandford, and a detachment of too men from the 
flxty-fecond regiment, with 150 difmounted dragoons, 
embarked at the fame time for Black River; and the go¬ 
vernor himfclf left Spanifh-town for Montego Bay, in or¬ 
der to command in perfon at the fcene of aftion. 
The Maroons now became undecided in their counfels: 
many of the old men recommended peace ; and the whole 
(H the Acompong people declared in favour of the whites: 
but the more violent counfels of the younger prevailed ; 
and war was the final determination. Lord Balcarras, 
afrer having ineffectually fummoned them to furrender, 
gave orders to the troops to take poffeffion of all the 
known paths leading to Trelawney Town. The Ma¬ 
roons having alfembled in a body near a village called their 
New Town, behind which were their provilion-grounds, 
colonel Sandford was ordered to take poffeffion of thofe 
grounds. He proceeded thither accordingly : but, being 
■informed that the Maroons had retired to the ruins of the 
Old Town, he, contrary to his orders, pufhed after them : 
a fatal error, to which he himfelf and many brave men 
fell Sacrifices. The retreat of the Maroons was a feint, 
to draw him into an ambufcade; and the troops had 
inarched only about li 3 lf-way, when a heavy fire enfued 
from the bufhes, by which thirty-feven men were imme¬ 
diately killed, and many wounded. They pufhed for¬ 
wards, however, drove the Maroons from their hiding- 
places, and brought back with them moft of their wounded 
companions. By the death of colonel Sandford, the com¬ 
mand devolved on colonel Fitch : but his caution alfo, 
notwithftanding the warning juft given, the Maroons 
found means to elude, and he perifhed nearly in the fame 
manner. Their head-quarters were now eftablifhed at a 
place of moft difficult accefs, called the Cockpits; whence 
they lent out parties, who deitroycd Several plantations, 
carried off the negroes, and murdered the whites in cold 
blood, without distinction of fex or age.. 
It now appeared that the fuppreflion of the Maroons 
would prove a talk of greater difficulty than had been 
imagined. The general affenvbly was convened towards 
the end of September; and, on this occalion, the expe¬ 
dient that had been adopted in a former war, of employ¬ 
ing dogs to difcQver the concealment of the Maroons, 
was recommended as a fit example to be followed in the 
prefeat juncture. It was therefore refolved to fend to 
Cuba for an hundred of thofe animals, and lo engage a 
Sufficient number of Span fill hunt fine 11 to direft their ope¬ 
rations. Meanwhile the Maroons were ftill carrying on a 
-predatory, or rather a devastating, war; yet they exprefl'ed 
a willingnefs to Submit, “ to deliver up their arms, to 
furrender their lands, and intermix with the general body 
of free blacks, in Such parts of the country as the colo¬ 
nial government (hould approve;” and it was the opinion 
of many wife and worthy men, that thofe overtures ought 
10 be accepted ; but others thought that a compromile of 
MAR 
any kind would be a Sacrifice of the public honour, and 
an encouragement to the reft of the Maroons. It was 
alfo alleged that the Maroons were not in earned. 
While thefe matters were difeuffing, forty Spanifh hun¬ 
ters and about one hundred dogs arrived. Such extraor¬ 
dinary accounts were immediately fpread of the Savage 
nature and appearance of thefe animals, as made a fur- 
prifing imprellion on the minds of the negroes. Though, 
generally, not larger than the Britifh Shepherd’s dog, thefe 
dogs of Cuba were reprefented as equal to the maStiff in 
bulk, to the bull-dog in courage, to the blood-hound in 
Scent, and to the grey-hound in agility. Thefe reports 
had a powerful and falutary effeft on the fears of the Ma¬ 
roons, and Soon brought about a negotiation, followed by 
a treaty. The final Steps taken, in conformity with, the 
treaty, are thus related by Mr. Bryan Edwards : “ His 
majefty’s Ship the Dover, with two tranfports in company, 
having on-board the Trelawney Maroons, (in number 
about fix hundred,) provided with all manner of neceffa- 
ries, as well for their accommodation at fea as for the 
change of climate, failed from Bluefields in Jamaica, for 
Halifax in North America, the beginning of June 1796. 
They were accompanied by William Dawes Quarrel and 
AlexanderOuchterlony, efqurres, commiffioners appointed 
by the affembly, with authority and instructions (Subject 
to his majefty’s approbation and further orders) to pur- 
chafe lands in Lower Canada, or where ell'e his majefty 
Should pleafe t<- appoint, for the future establishment and 
fuhfiftence of thoS'e Maroons, as a free people. Tlie com- 
miffioners had orders withal, to provide them the means 
of a comfortable maintenance, until they were habituated 
to the country and climate. The Ann of 25,0001. was- 
allowed for thofe purpoSes.” Long's Hiji. Jam. Proceedings 
in Jamaica in regard to the Maroons , publifisd by order of the 
AJJembly, 1796.-—About ten years afterwards, a few of theie 
Maroons were fent to Sierra Leone. 
MAROO'NA (North), or Double-maded Shoal, 
a Shoal in the Chinefe Sea, extending north-north-ealt 
and fouth-fouth-weft, about thirty miles in length, and 
from fix to ten in breadth ; about Sixty miles welt from 
the island of Lu$on, Lat. 16. yt. to 16..58. N. Ion. 118. 
46. to 119. 10. E. 
MAROO'NA (South), or Marsingo'la, a Shoal in 
the Chinefe Sea, extending nearly ealt and weft, about 
thirty miles in length, and from four to eight in breadth. 
Lat. 15.15. to 15. 30. N. Ion. 118. 46. to 119.10. E. 
MAROO'N©AS, a fmall island in the Sooloo Archi** 
pelago. Lat. 6.3. N. Ion. 120. 58. E. 
M AROQ'NING,/. [derivation not known.] The bari- 
barotis aft of letting a perfon on-Sbore where there are no 
inliabitants. 
MAROO’TS, or Ida'hans, people who inhabit the 
north part of the valt illand of Borneo, near and upon 
the Skirts of the high mountain of Keneebaloo ; called^ia 
old maps, St. Peter’s Mount. Theie people believe that 
the Deity is pleafed with human victims. An Idaban, or 
Maroot, moil, once at leaft in his life, have imbrued his 
hands in a fellow-creature’s blood. The rich are Said to 
do it often, adorning their houfes with lkulls and teeth, 
to Show how much they have honoured their Creator, and 
laboured to avert his chaStifement. Several in-, low cir- 
cumftances will club to buy a Christian Slave, or any one 
that is to be fold cheap; that all tnay partake the benefit 
of the execution.. Some alfo believe that thole,, whom 
they kill in this world, will lerve them in the next; They 
are acquainted with a. fubtle poifon, called ippoo, the juice 
of a tree, in which they dip fmall darts ; and tnefethey (hoot 
through a hollow piece of wood, called by the Sooloos 
Jampit, from which iSlues irritant death, to any one who 
is wounded by them. The Idahans carry their rice, fruits,. 
&c. to the Sea-Side, and buy fait from the Badjoos, who 
often manufacture it by gathering lea-weeds, and burning 
them, making a ley of aShes, filtering it, and forming a 
better kind of fait in Square pieces, by boiling it in pans 
made of the bark of the aneabong, The/e pieces of fait 
are 
