not but our flight was now difcovered, yet were no longer afraid of a direct pursuit from Sinamary, where there was not one boat that could go out to fea. At all events, we had already got confiderably the ftart of them, and the thips in the road alone could have given us chafe. But Captains Poifvert and Bracket, over whom Aimé had no command, would not have weighed anchor and put to fea without orders from Jeannet.

We had, therefore, nothing to apprehend but from the detachment of Iraconbo, which we knew confifted but of twelve men; nor could they come after us but in a boat nearly like our own, with eight or ten armed men on board. We continued, however, ranging along the coaft, and got our arms in readiness, being determined to defend ourselves if attacked, or in cafe our paffage under the fort of Iraconbo fhould be impeded. At four in the morning, we heard two guns to the eastward, which were anfwered, within a minute after, by another clofe to us. We were at this time before the fort, but it was dark, and we faw nothing. We failed faft, and when day appeared, Iraconbo was to leeward of us. We had now no fear of being pursued, and had only the dangers of the fea to overcome.

Our canoe was fo fmall and fo low fided, that every fea filled it; fo that we were continually at work bailing her, and the was fo light, that the leaft motion might have upfet us. Hence we were nearly lost by an imprudence of which I alone was guilty. As I was row. ing, I happened to make a false stroke with my oar, and my hat fell into the water; upon which, leaning eagerly over to regain it, I threw the boat out of her trim, and it was with great difficulty we rightened her. But Berwick's addrets, together with our activity, foon remedied this difafter; and I was feverely reprimanded by Pichegru, whom we had made our captain. Barthélemy. being till covered with mud, took this opportunity to wath himself. I had the misfortune to lofe my hat, and had no means of defending my head from the burning

rays

rays of the fun, but by making myself a turban of fome Banana leaves, which the negro fifherman had left in the bottom of the canoe.

As we had neither compafs nor inftruments for taking the fun's altitude, we might have loft our way in the night; and the leaft gale of wind might have driven us out to fea, whenever we were obliged to keep off the fhore, on account of the rocks or currents near the mouths of rivers. It had been impoffible for us to bring away any provifion, and we had not even a bifcuit or a drop of water. Le Tellier, however, had brought two bottles of rum; and we were perfuaded, the winds that conftantly blow from caft to weft along this coaft would carry us, in two days, to Monte-Krick. It was enough, therefore, if we could fupport our strength till then by means of this fpirituous liquor.

On the 4th we fuffered much from the heat. We had, however, a good breeze, with which we ranged along the coaft; and when night prevented us from feeing the land, we reckoned that we were oppofite the mouth of the river Marowni, the banks of which are the limits that feparate the Dutch and French territories, and which is but forty leagues to windward of the port of Monte-Krick. Yet at eleven o'clock, when the moon rofe, we perceived nothing either in the appearance of the land, or the motion of the water, to fhew that we were near a great river. On the 5th we were not more fortunate, and we purfued our courfe till night, without any figns of the river or fort of Marowni. We were ftill, in all probability, fomewhat to windward of the river of Amaribo, a part of the coaft which rises a little towards the north-eaft, and intercepts the view.

On the 6th we were becalmed. Having now been three days without food, we fuffered the most cruel hunger and were extremely parched by the fun, the heat of which was not now tempered by the breeze; and, as our minds were neither occupied by motion, nor fupported by the hope of speedily reaching the end VOL. VIII.

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of

of our fatiguing voyage, we were forcibly ftruck with the horror of our fituation, and it is with difficulty we kept up our courage; for we had now nothing to expect from human affistance, nothing from our own exertions, which were thus deluded by the elements. It was on this very day of defpair that we mutually urged each other to facrifice even our juft refentment, and not to fuffer vengeance to take poffeffion of our minds. We fwore, in the prefence of the Almighty, never to bear arms against our country, and refigned ourselves to the will of Providence.

The next day, the 7th June, and the 4th of our voyage, a breeze fprang up, and freshened a little towards eight o'clock in the morning; and at ten we were in fight of Fort Marowni, and oppofite the mouth of the river, which the fhallow reefs and currents render very dangerous. It was, indeed, with great fatigue and risk we furmounted thefe obftacles. We were alfo much haraffed by the monftrous fharks that furrounded and attacked our canoe, and which we were obliged to drive off by firing at them.

We fupported the torment of hunger with fo much patience, as even to indulge in pleafantries relative to the various fymptoms of our fufferings. In the meanwhile we continually watched, but still in vain, for the fort and river of Orange, and at fix o'clock in the evening were again becalmed.

At three in the morning of the 8th, the wind freshening, we got under weigh. At one we were in fight of Fort Orange, which we doubled, intending not to go on fhore until we got as far as Monte-Krick, as had been recommended to us; and were oppofite the fort, at about a gun-fhot from it, when we were faluted with feveral guns loaded with ball, and of a large calibre, which followed each other fo rapidly, that we should inevitably have been funk, had we not gone further out to fea. This severity made us afraid of again approach. ing the fhore; but we have fince learnt, it was merely intended

intended to make us hoift our flag, of which we had

none.

At four o'clock in the afternoon the fky lowered, the wind increased, and we failed very faft; yet we could fcarcely escape the fwell of the fea, which drove us towards the fhore. Our brave pilot hoped we fhould reach Monte-Krick before the storm, but we could not expect to weather it. We were now every moment in danger of being loft: Berwick fteered towards the fhore, and the inftant we gained it, a heavy fea broke and upset us. It was low water, and we funk in the mud; yet notwithstanding the exertions we were obliged to make to difengage ourselves, notwithstanding the dreadful ftorm that raged around us, we did not lofe hold of our canoe, and even fucceeded in fetting her upon her bot

tom.

At length we got on fhore, not knowing where we were, or whether it was poffible for us to go along the coaft as far as Fort Orange, from which we reckoned ourfelves eight leagues; although, in reality, our diftance was but four.

We were now worn out with hunger and fatigue; our ragged clothes were wet, and covered with mud, and we found no fhelter but a wood, which was full of infects and reptiles. We had loft our arms and aınmunition when the canoe was upfet: night was coming on, and we heard nothing but the howling of tigers and the roaring of the fea. What a dreadful night! The winds raging, a deluge of rain falling, and accompanied with chilling cold. We were obliged to exert all our ftrength and labour throughout the night to keep hold of our canoe, which the waves continually wafhed away; and which, notwithstanding all our exertions, was much damaged. It will hardly be believed, that we ftill retained fufficient ftrength to perfevere in these efforts, after having fuffered fo much fatigue during five days and nights, without food. We were all naked in the fea, ftruggling with the waves, which were thus robbing

M 2

robbing us of our laft hopes. Barthélemy, notwithftanding his infirmities, worked with the reft, and afforded an example of patience and courage during this dreadful night.

At day break on the 9th of June, which was the 6th day fince our departure from Sinamary, we beheld each other with mutual compaffion, half frozen with cold and almost ready to fink under our fatigues. We confoled ourselves by faying "at least we shall not die in their hands."

Pichegru had faved his pipe and his utenfils for lighting it, with which we contrived to make a fire and thus dried our clothes. At length the heavens became ferene, but the wind continued to blow with violence.

We now laid ourselves down upon our bellies on the fand, unable to defend ourselves from the ftings of infects and the bites of crabs. Fortunately le Tellier had taken fo good care of his little ftock of rum that half a bottle ftill remained: but our hearts were fo depreffed, that we had not ftrength to fwallow, and only refreshed ourselves by wafhing our mouths and lips with thefe fpirits.

During this day, (the 9th June) the heroic le Tellier had contrived a fhelter for Barthélemy with branches of trees, and while the latter lay down to reft, or rather to faint, le Tellier, forgetting his own fufferings, drove, away the infects with a light branch, particularly from the face and hands of his mafter. What an affectionate attachment! what a glorious part did this worthy fellow act in alleviating our misfortunes!

At night the fky was again overcaft, and we were obliged to work while the tide was in, to preferve our canoe, which we had no means of fastening. As the tigers approached very near us, we increased our fire ; and thus we paffed the remainder of this night which was the fecond fince we were caft on fhore and the 7th of our escape.

At