Part 25
The 93d regiment is intrusted with the defence of this colony. The mess is one of the pleasantest I have yet met with. In gratitude I ought to tell you that every individual emulates his commander in kind and friendly attentions toward me. Indeed I cannot but be strongly sensible of the many marks of politeness and civility with which I am daily honored. Most of the officers are men of cultivated manners. Among them are several of considerable fortune, and some of rank; men who are not only well-disciplined soldiers, but well-bred gentlemen; being no less versed in the polished rules of civil, than in the austere observances of a military life. The general order and decorum which mark their conduct afford the surest indication of correct discipline, and offer the most convincing proof of the high advantage derived from serving with a strict, but respected commander. Colonel Gammell, while he suffers no remission of duty, is affable and pleasant towards those who are under him. He treats them as companions, and seeks to engage their affection and esteem. The soldiers consider him severe; but he is their friend, and the majority of them are not insensible of it. We frequently overhear the conversations and remarks of those about the hospital, respecting him, and they always terminate very much to his credit; for if one calls him rigorous or severe, another instantly contrasts what they regard as his better qualities, saying—“Why, to be sure, he is a little _close upon us_, and _keeps us to it_; but then you know it is for our own benefit; and, besides, how good he is to us when we are sick! You see he keeps these doctors to their duty, too. He comes to see us himself every day, and makes them give us plenty of every thing that’s good for us; and ’tisn’t all officers do that, you know! Some of ’em are more afraid of an hospital than a cannonball, and never care whether we die or live!”
In this way their remarks usually go to the approval of the Colonel’s conduct towards them; and, like good soldiers, they acknowledge their esteem for a commander who, by imposing a strict routine of duty, gives them cause to pride themselves upon a degree of pre-eminence in point of health and discipline.
Among the many ills of climate, I am now suffering from a teasing eruption which has thrown itself out upon my legs; a complaint which I find has lately been prevalent among the troops in this colony, although we had not observed it at Demarara. It is more severe than the prickly heat, but somewhat of the same nature; and is, perhaps, only an aggravated degree of that disease. It creates an uneasy sensation, not amounting to actual pain, but sufficient to rob me of rest.
The second day after my arrival at Berbische I had the unhappy opportunity of inspecting the body of a soldier who had fallen sacrifice to yellow fever. The appearances were similar to those which we had witnessed at Demarara, except that, in the present instance, there were some striking marks of inflammation in the chest.
LETTER XLVII.
Berbische, June.
I have lately been present at the sale of a Dutch cargo of slaves, at the new town of Amsterdam. Many of the officers went from the fort to witness this degrading spectacle, and although my feelings had suffered from a similar scene at Demarara, I could not resist the novelty of observing the Dutch mode of proceeding in this sad traffic of _human cattle_.
On arriving at the town, we were surprised to find it a holyday, or a kind of public fair. The sale seemed to have excited general attention, and to have brought together all the inhabitants of the colony. The planters came down from the estates with their wives and families all arrayed in their gayest apparel; the belles and beaux appeared in their Sunday suits; even the children were in full dress; and their slaves decked out in gaudy clothes. It was quite a gala-day, and greater numbers of people were collected than we had supposed to have been in the colony. Short jackets, with tawdry petticoats of large flowered patterns, and loose Dutch slippers formed the prevailing dress of the females. Scarlet, crimson, and poppy, with all the bright colours used in a northern winter, rivalled a tropical sun, and reigned conspicuous in their flaming apparel. To the inhabitants it seemed a day of hilarity, but to the poor Africans it was a period of heavy grief and affliction; for they were to be sold as beasts of burden—torn from each other—and widely dispersed about the colony, to wear out their days in the hopeless toils of slavery.
The fair being opened, and the crowd assembled, these unpitied beings were exposed to the hammer of public auction. A long table was placed in the middle of a large room, or logis. At one end was seated the auctioneer; at the other was a chair for the negroes to stand upon, in order to be exhibited to the view of the purchasers, who were sitting at the sides of the table, or standing about the different parts of the room. All being in readiness, the slaves were brought in, one at a time, and mounted upon the chair before the bidders, who handled and inspected them, with as little concern as if they had been examining cattle in Smithfield market. They turned them about, felt them, viewed their shape and their limbs, looked into their mouths, made them jump and throw out their arms, and subjected them to all the means of trial as if dealing for a horse, or any other brute animal. Indeed the indelicacy shown towards the defenceless Africans, by some of these dealers in their species, was not less unmanly than it was disgusting, and insulting to humanity.
We were shocked to observe women in the room who had come to the fair for the express purpose of purchasing slaves. Even children were brought to point the lucky finger, and the boy or girl, thus chosen, was bought by papa at the request of superstitious mamma, to give as a fairing to young massa or missy!
The price of these poor degraded blacks varied from 600 to 900 guilders, according to their age and strength, or their appearance of being healthy or otherwise. The boys and girls were sold for 600 or 700 guilders; some of the men for as many as 900; and the women were knocked down at about 800.
In the course of the sale, a tall, robust negro, on being brought into the auction-room, approached the table, with a fine negress hanging upon his arm. The man was ordered to mount the chair. He obeyed, though manifestly with reluctance. His bosom heaved, and grief was in his eye. The woman remained in the crowd. A certain price was mentioned to set the purchase forward, and the bidding commenced: but on the slave being desired to exhibit the activity of his limbs, and to display his person, he lowered his chin upon his breast, and hung down his head in positive refusal; then, looking at the woman, made signs expressive of great distress. Next he pointed to her, and then to the chair, evidently intimating a desire to have her placed by his side. She was his chosen wife, and nature was correctly intelligible. Not obtaining immediate acquiescence, he became agitated and impatient. The sale was interrupted, and as he could not be prevailed upon to move a single muscle by way of exhibiting his person, the proceedings were at a stand. He looked again at the woman,—again pointed to the chair; held up two fingers to the auctioneer, and implored the multitude in anxious suppliant gestures. Upon his countenance was marked the combined expression of sorrow, affection, and alarm. He grew more and more restless, and repeated signs which seemed to say—“Let us be sold together! Give me my heart’s choice as the partner of my days, then dispose of me as you please, and I will be content to wear out my life in the heavy toils of bondage.” It was nature that spake, and her language could not be mistaken! Humanity could no longer resist the appeal, and it was universally agreed that they should make but one lot. A second chair was now brought, and the woman was placed at the side of her husband. His countenance instantly brightened. He hung upon the neck of his wife, and embraced her with rapture; then folding her in his arms, and pressing her to his bosom, he became composed; and looked round with a smile of complacency, which plainly said, “Proceed!—I am yours, yours, or yours! Let this be the associate of my toils, and I am satisfied.” The bidding was renewed. They exhibited marks of health and strength, and, quickly, the two were sold together for 1650 guilders.
“Enough!” you will say. “Give me no more of slaves, nor of slavery!” For the present I obey, and, leaving the dusky Africans, hasten to introduce you to the copper-coloured Indians; thus, leading you to the opposite extreme of human life, and placing you among those of our species, who spurn alike the shackles of slavery, and the slavish trammels of society. I have lately had an opportunity of seeing several parties of the wild and naked inhabitants of these woods—men who range, at large, in the fullest enjoyment of native freedom; neither suffering their liberty to be effaced by bondage, nor abridged by civilization. Being one day at the town of New Amsterdam I took a walk with the acting surgeon of the garrison, down to the Bush[12], on the border of the creek or river Kannye. Nigh to the water we met with a party of Indians, and observing that they made no attempt to avoid us, we went so near to them as to mix in the group. We found them engaged in various pursuits; and remarked that none of their occupations suffered any interruption by our presence. A woman and her son, who were in the river, continued to bathe before us, and seemed greatly to enjoy the water. Some were cutting wood for firing; some collecting the Bush-water[13] with a calabash, for the purpose of drinking, or of cooking—some were stewing crabs, together with capsicum and cassada juice into pepper-pot; and some were eating the raw tops of the mountain-cabbage. To the latter I held forth my hand, implying a desire to partake of their repast. They immediately gave me a part; and seemed pleased on observing me eat of it. A better salad I never tasted. It was very crisp and white—much superior to the best lettuce or endive; and, in flavour, somewhat resembling the filbert. Perceiving that they were not incommoded by our society, we continued a considerable time attentively watching their proceedings; but their curiosity was not commensurate with our own, for they scarcely looked at us, or appeared to be, in any degree, interested concerning us. With indifference they saw us approach; they regarded us with indifference whilst we remained; and with indifference they witnessed our departure.
Two days after, I saw a much larger party of Indians, who came to the government-house to ask for rum, as a compensation for felling timber; and the same evening, on walking towards the creek with some of the officers, we met with a still more numerous body of these inhabitants of the forest, who had been employed by the Governor to cut down wood preparatory to clearing the land near the town for cultivation. They were busied in packing up all their little store of implements and utensils, in order to return to their native abode in the Bush. Bows and arrows, apparatus for preparing cassada, the clay cooking-vessel, hammocks, calabashes, and crab-baskets constituted their whole list of stores and furniture. All these were light in structure, or in the materials, and, being arranged in compact order, were easily carried on their backs. The women were made to bear the burden; while the men took no share of the load. One man, who had three wives, packed upon their backs, very neatly, the whole of what he had to carry away; then taking up a long staff, he marched on before with lordly step, the wives following him in silent train, one after another. We walked gently behind a party of about forty as far as the creek, and there saw some of them embark in their canoes, to paddle up the river; while the others took a narrow path leading into the depths of the forest: so that quickly all of them were out of sight, leaving not a trace of their visit behind.
They come down, occasionally, in parties, and enter into an engagement to cut wood for a certain compensation; but no dependence can be placed upon them for a single day, for they sometimes pack up all belonging to them, and return suddenly and unexpectedly into the Bush; from whence they come not again for several months, perhaps not at all. They are naturally indolent, and, being tenacious of freedom, they become impatient of the restraint imposed by daily labour; wherefore, they hastily cast it off, and fly back to the forest to range in their native liberty. From possessing a degree of expertness in the felling of timber, they might be highly useful in forwarding the cultivation of the colony; but they have no sense of industry, nor do they seem to acquire the least disposition to emulate the colonists in any of their pursuits: content with finding food and pepper in the woods, they have no ambition to become planters. Cotton is not necessary to protect their naked skins; nor are their appetites so refined as to require either coffee or sugar.
At the fort we have had a visit also from an Indian family who came to us in the true style of forest accommodation, forming a scene of high interest and novelty. Before their little vessel reached the fort, we observed the long black hair and naked skins of the man, his two wives, and several children, who were all stowed about the vessel with the strictest attention to equipoise—_trimming_ it most exactly. The canoe was large, and, in addition to the family, was loaded with cedar and other kinds of wood for sale or barter. On the top of the cargo appeared a ferocious-looking animal, setting up his bristles like the quills of the porcupine. It was a species of wild hog caught in the forest, and hence called a _bush-hog_. A small monkey was likewise skipping about the canoe. At one side sat two very fine parrots, and on the other was perched a large and beautiful mackaw, displaying all the splendour of his gay plumage. On the canoe arriving at the landing-place, the bow and arrows, the clay cooking-vessel, calabashes, hammocks, and crab-baskets, were all brought into view; and we gazed on the whole, as forming a very complete and striking specimen of original equipage. The entire family, the household apparatus, the canoe and paddles, in short all the furniture and implements for cooking, for sleeping, for shooting, fishing, and travelling were here moved together in one compact body, so as to render it indifferent to them, whether they should return to the home from whence they came, or take up a new abode in any other part of the forest.
LETTER XLVIII.
Berbische, June.
Several opportunities have lately offered to me of making boat excursions, with Colonel Gammell and others of the officers, to New Amsterdam, and I have had the honor of being presented to Governor and Madame Van Battenburg, of whose hospitable and polite attentions I cannot express myself in sufficient terms of praise. They have kindly invited me to take up my abode at the government-house, during my stay in the colony, but I have to lament that my duties at the hospital will not allow me to avail myself of so flattering and agreeable an accommodation.
The government-house is, beyond all comparison, the handsomest and most spacious edifice I have yet seen in South America. It is built near to the river, with one front commanding the water; the other the town.
A few days ago I joined a small party from the fort, in an excursion to some of the planters’ estates up the river Kannye, and was particularly gratified in viewing the rich plantation of Mynheer Ongre. We set off at an early hour, in order to have the day before us, and arrived at this gentleman’s abode just as he was sitting down to his Dutch breakfast of very excellent crab soup, some fine fish, a tongue, and a variety of other good things. It is the custom of the Dutch to take coffee in bed, or as soon as they rise, and to make a more substantial breakfast of soups and solids about ten o’clock. After partaking of this repast, we were conducted about the estate, which is rich and well-cultivated, yielding abundance of coffee and cocoa, and some cotton. The annual produce of coffee is estimated at 140,000lb. weight, and of cocoa 10,000lb. Two hundred slaves are employed upon the estate, calculated at the value of from 50_l._ to 100_l._ each. The house is handsome and spacious, the plantation extensive, and the coffee logis upon a very large scale: the whole exhibiting the appearance of fertility and opulence. Having visited the fields of coffee, and the cocoa plantation, we next went to the logis, where we saw the cocoa seeds exposed for drying, preparatory to their being made into chocolate; and, also, great quantities of coffee undergoing the last process, previous to their being sent to market. I observed that what is commonly used as cocoa, in England, is only the shell or outer covering of the seed—the kernel, or better part, being used for making the chocolate.
At another estate we were regaled with fruit, and several pines were put into the boat, when we were going away. Here we also pulled from the trees a number of calabashes of uncommon size, to take home with us to use by way of bowls and platters. We likewise gathered some roots of jalap from under the hedges, and observed the ipecacuanha growing in the fields. Thus, you find, that however shut from the world, we can neither want fruit, food, nor physic; for the hedges, the fields, and the gardens amply supply them all: drink, clothing, and condiment we also collect from the trees, the plants, and the bushes; and, in the calabash, bountiful nature has even furnished us with plates, basins, and dishes.
Although we had not the usual incitements of a sumptuous dinner and a splendid ball, we were not unmindful that the 4th inst. was a day of rejoicing. The troops fired a _feu de joie_; and a royal salute sounded through the thick woods both from the fort, and an armed schooner which was lying in the river. Bumpers were filled to His Majesty’s health, and we were merry and happy as you, who were revelling in all the luxuries of London. One treat was added to our feast, which, even in that all-supplying place, you would fail to meet with, and which I know would have much pleased you; viz. the report of the cannon through the deep woods around us, with the loud shrieks of parrots, monkies, and the other wild inhabitants, on hearing it: and, above all, the enchanting echo which was returned to us across the river. I had listened each night with delight to the solemn reverberations of the evening gun, and was quite prepared to watch the effect of a more heavy firing. It was grand, and wanted only the stillness of evening, and the placid rays of the moon to render it sublime. On escaping from the fort, the sound seems first to cross a part of the water, and roll softly through the island of trees, at the river’s mouth: from thence it traverses the remainder of the wide stream, and on reaching the thick woods of the opposite shore, it suddenly echoes, as if abruptly repulsed into the water. Afterwards it breaks through the forest, and is heard in rumbling undulation, as if again interrupted in its course, till at length its awful reverberations steal their hollow way through the distant woods in deep and heavy-rolling thunder.
LETTER XLIX.
Berbische, June.
On the 10th inst. a sloop arrived from Demarara, bringing us news of the surrender of St. Lucie: but stating only the simple fact, unconfirmed by any authentic details. Still we cheerfully hail the tidings, not doubting but the conquest has been honorable to our countrymen and comrades.
Since I wrote to you last we have had the misfortune to lose one of the soldiers by the disease called coup de soleil, or ictus solis. The poor man was on guard and stationed as sentinel to take his turn of duty for two hours at the gate of the fort, but before this short period had elapsed he was seized, fell down suddenly, and expired at his post. The day was excessively hot, and the perpendicular rays of the sun struck directly upon his head. Others of the men have likewise experienced the disease, but we have only, in this instance, seen it fatal.
I may also mention a very marked and melancholy case of yellow fever which has occurred at Fort St. Andrew, affording a striking example of the nature of this afflicting malady. A grenadier named Llewellyn, a handsome, well-made man, of robust figure, was brought into the hospital, complaining only of an uneasy sensation about the region of the stomach, which although indescribable, conveyed to him an early assurance of the fatal tendency of the disease, with which he was attacked. On asking him to explain his complaints, and the feelings which so alarmed him, he replied, “_I feel that I shall die_,” and placing his hand over his stomach, said he had “something there” that would soon kill him. We used all the means in our power to divert him from this desponding impression; but in vain! Nothing, he said, could restore him, for he knew the hand of death was upon him. He evidently laboured under an attack of the disorder, termed _yellow fever_; but, with the exception of this fatal sensation, no symptom was present which could have led to the apprehension of immediate danger. At my next visit, on the following morning, I found him sitting up, and apparently somewhat relieved; but on my asking him how he was, he still replied, “_Dying! I feel that I shall soon be gone._” He continued perfectly rational and collected until the next day; when, alas! death but too surely confirmed the accuracy of his predictions. From the moment of attack he had been assured, that nothing could save him! The indescribable feeling he complained of, seemed to induce a rapid exhaustion of the vital powers, while it formed, not only the leading feature, but almost the only symptom of the disease.
Upon examination, we found the same redness of the inner coat of the stomach, which we had observed in all cases after yellow fever: in the lungs also were some strong marks of recent inflammation.