1800.1 
which is a large round cake, about three 
lines thick, made of coarfe flour of Ma- 
nioc, flightly baked on a tin plate. The 
Creoles eat the caflava inflead of bread, 
and prefer it to the beft and fineft forts of 
the latter. The other difhes common in 
Guiana, are the fame as in other colonies ; 
the cajatoll in particular, a difh chiefly 
prepared of the fruit of a plant called com. 
bua, is frequent in that colony. 
At every meal, a negro prefents to the 
guefts a glafs of ratafia, as foon as the firtt 
courfe is removed. ‘That liquor is as 
tran!parent at Cayenne as the pureft {pring 
water; very wholefome, and acquires a 
more pleafant flavour the older it grows, 
efpecially fince the colonifts have applied 
themfelves to diftil it over new gathered 
cinnamon. 
The climate of French Guiana is far 
more falubrious than that of any of the 
Antilles ; and yet we find it frequently af 
ferted, that a peftiferous air is breathed in 
that country, which is in this refpect ge- 
nerally affimilated to Batavia and other 
parts; mo& noted for the unhealthfulnefs 
of their climate. As this erroneous opi- 
nion chiefly took its rife from the unfortu- 
nate expedition to Kourou, which about 
thirty years ago was undertaken by com- 
mand of the late Duke of Choifeul, then 
prime minifter of France, we fhall here 
infert a faithful account of that ill-judged 
enterprize. 
The colony of Cayenne, which had been 
long neglected by the French government, 
feemed at once toengrofs all its attention. 
Ten thoufand perfons were deftined to peo- 
ple the immente deferts of French Guiana. 
But inftead of firft fending thither the moft 
neceflary articles, and preparing the coun- 
try for the reception of a number of people 
which exceeded the population of the whole 
colony, and inftead of previcufly exploring 
the nature of the country, and enquiring 
into the moft proper feafon for carrying 
the intended expedition into effect ; the ten 
thoufand perfons were put on board feveral 
fhips, together with the provifions, cloath- 
ing, unplements of agriculture, &c. de- 
figned for their ufe. The fhips arrived at 
Kourou, twelve leagues below Cayenne, in 
the moft rainy feafon of the year. They 
found a country deluged with rain and de- 
ftitute of all refources; no fheds even ex- 
ifted, which might have ferved as maga- 
zines, and under the flight coverings, 
which were run up in the utmoft hurry, 
and the articles dilcharged from on board 
the fhips were heaped pell-mell together ; 
cloathing, flour, and medicines, lay inter- 
mingled with barrels of gil and {alt meat. 
I 
Authentic Account of Cayenne, continued. 
23 
Heat and humidity foon produced fermen- 
tation and putrefaction ; and the people, 
worn cut with the fatigues of a long paf- 
fage, uilfheltered from the inclemencies of 
the feafon, and driven to defpair by milery 
and hunger, were cut off in gieat numbers. 
Thus this army of new colonifts vanifhed, 
as it were, in a moment; all France tiood 
achaft at the calamitous event, and con- 
cluded that people who perifhed through 
mifery and hunger, had fallen victims of the 
infalubrious climate. This erroneous opi- 
nion, which ftill prevails in France, has 
ruined the colony of Cayenne, inafmuch as 
it has not only prevented the French go- 
vernment from paying the leaft attention to 
that country, but alfo detained a number 
of Europeans and inhabitants of the Welt 
India Iflands from fettling in Guiana. 
Two different feafons only are, properly 
fpeaking, obfervable in that colony, that 
is, the dry and the rainy feafon. The fer- 
mer generally continues from the begin- 
ning of June until the end of September, 
during which time the heat is commonly 
very oppreffive; the air is almoft conti. 
nually ferene, and fcarcely a few drops of 
rain defcend to purify and cool the atmo- 
{pheree The heavy falls of rain begin in. 
the month of O&tober, and are very fre= 
quentin December, January, February and 
March, at which time they begin gradually 
to decreafe until the dry feafon {ets in. 
During the rainy feafon, that is, for fe. 
ven or eight months, the heat is as mode- 
rate as can be expected fo near to the equa- 
tor ;-nay, the Negroes fometimes complain 
of cold; and, upon the whole, the ftate of 
health is as good there as in Europe. At 
the time, only, when ftagnant waters are 
dried up and corrupted by the heat, fevers 
prevail for about two months, which, 
though not contagious, yet prove very de- 
ftructive. ; 
The feafon bears a clofe refemblance to 
the winter in the Antilles, which forms 
there alfo a critical period; but in Cay- 
enne it is not attended, as it frequently is 
in the Weft Indies, with earthquakes and 
hurricanes, as dreadful for the inhabitants 
of the iflands, as for the feamen who fre- 
quent thofe parts. 
(To be continued.) 
—s a 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
The Principles of POLITICAL ARITHME- 
Tic illuftirated in an Eftimate of the 
NATIONAL WEALTH 07 GREAT BRIle- 
Tain. By J. J. GRELLIER. : 
OLITICAL ARITHMETIC may 
not improperly be confidered as the 
ant of computing the wealth of nations. Tt: 
does 
