a

fee, and the transportation of it from but in that which is good. As there Arabia into Europe and America, is is but little of the latter in the colony, thus related. It is said, that a flock there are but few coffee plantations of sheep having discovered a wood of any extent. The trees being plantof coffee trees, loaded with the ber- ed, and attended to, with all the care ries full ripe, began to browse upon which this sort of culture requires, them, and that very evening the thrive as well as those of the Dutch shepherd was surprised to see his at Surinam and Demera; but the flocks returning home to the fold, quality of the coffee is inferiour. frisking and leaping. He followed Towards the summit of the mounthem; tasted the berries ; found him- tains, the cocoa tree extends its scatself more lightsome and cheerful; tered branches; and, under its large and was surprised to find the same leaves, conceals its brown fruit, surflavour in the kernel as in the pulp rounded with a soft, pulpy sap, enof the fruit. He dried and roasted closed in a spherical, streaked kind of some of them; smelt the perfume, cap. There is reason to believe the and related his discovery to a Mor. cocoa is a native of Guiana ; at least, lack, or priest, who took it to prevent it is certain, that a forest of it, of conhis falling asleep during his long me- siderable extent, is known here. It is ditations. The use of coffee soon situated beyond the sources of the passed from Asia to Africa, Europe, Oyapok, on the borders of a branch of and to both the worlds. The Dutch the Yari, which runs into the river of succeeded in raising the plants in the Amazons. It is generally believ. Europe in hot houses ; and having ed, that the species of cocoa cultivashared them with France, these sorts ted in the colony originally came from of magazines furnished the first seeds this forest, because the natural in. which were sent to America. The habitants of the country, settled on Island of Martinique got hers from the banks of the Oyapok, made seve. the Botanical Garden at Paris ; but ral journeys to this part, either for if we are to believe a tradition pretty the sake of visiting other nations, or generally known, those of Cayenne when they sent expressly, to bring were brought from Surinam. It is the seeds of cocoa, when the price of said, that some soldiers of the gar. this article could easily support the rison having deserted, and gone over expenses of these journeys, which to the Dutch colony, soon repented were never much to these people. of their fault, and wishing to return Indigo thrives very well in some to their colours, they brought to the parts of the colony, more especially government of Cayenne some grains on the borders of the river Appro. of coffee, which then began to be culo - nague, where the soil is dry and rich. tivated in the colony of Surinam; These is a sort of wild indigo, which that they obtained their pardon in naturalists call Anil, which grows consequence of the service they without cultivation, at a little dis. thereby rendered to Cayenne, and tance from the sea. It is celebrated the great advantages she would de- for its medicinal qualities, and is rive from its culture. It is also said, much used in all complaints of a bilthat this happened so late as the lious nature. years 1715 or 1716, when Mons. de

The Roucou yields four harvests la Motte Aigron was commander in in the year. It fears neither caterchief.

pillars for worms, which make such The coffee of Cayenne is of an ex- havock amongst the canes and cotton. cellent quality. It thrives in all lands Nothing but the heaviest rains ever which are in an elevated situation. injures it, or makes it shed. The tree It very soon degenerates in a poor which produces the roucou is always zoil, and never arrives at persection loaded with fruit and flowers. Its leaf

a

resembles our winter pear tree ; its both from the Mauritius. The clove Power, our hedge rose; its fruit, and cinnamon succeeded very well ; contained in a prickly husk, like our the other plants perished on the pashorse chesnut, is separated into two sage. For a considerable length of divisions of small seeds. A roucou time, the cultivation of these trees tree in full bearing, is a beautiful was prohibited to the colonists, which sight; but the gathering it, like the of course prevented their increase. indigo, is unhealthy. The roucou is This system having been abandoned, only cultivated in Guiana, by the In- the court sent several plants to St. dians, who stain their bodies with the Domingo and Martinique, in 1787, red colour they extract from it. The and 1788. At present, the governberries of the roucou are made into ment of Cayenne is occupied in ina paste, which is much used in co- creasing the spice gardens through louring different stuffs.--The vanilla the colony. In the latter end of 1798, likewise thrives here. It is a native it distributed a great quantity of seed, of the country. It is tall and luxuri- and several plants of cloves and cinant, like the vine. The fruit resembles namon to all the planters who asked the banana. The Indians alone cul. for them; and the gardens of the tivate it, and make it an article of town offer to the view alleys of the commerce with the colonists.

mango growing beside the clove tree. All the tropical fruits and plants The strait which separates the are found in Guiana in abundance. island of Cayenne from the main, is The bread fruit and the mango, from about a mile and a half wide. There the East Indies, were introduced are but few villages on the main. Of some years ago, and have succeeded these the chief are Synnamari and well.

Konamana. The latter place was fixThe rivers abound with various ed upon for the residence of the unkinds of fish; but they are also infest- fortunate deputies, priests, and others, ed with swarms of alligators or cro- who were transported under the sancodiles, as large as those of the Nile. guinary decrees of the revolutionary They are so voracious, that they scru- tyrants. It is a wretched village, conple not to attack boats, and often drag sisting of a few huts, or Indian karaway the fisherman and his lines.

bets, in a remote desert situation, Some of them are' full thirty feet in surrounded with almost impenetrable length, and, as the interiour of the forests, and distant about 90 miles country is but little known, it is pro- from Cayenne. From this place the bable there are much larger ones. celebrated senator Barthelemi, ex

The forests abound with animals director; generals Pichegru, Willot, and wild beasts of every description. Ramel, and five others, made their Tigers are very numerous, and often

escape, through the woods, to Suritake off cattle from the plantations. nam, in 1799, from whence they got Man has many enemies on this great to Barbadoes, where they were furcontinent; and amongst them 'ser- nished with a passage to Europe by pents of an enormous size. Were I

the British government. The celeto relate what many people of the brated Collot d'Herbois, well known colony have told as facts, relative to in the bloody annals of the revolution these reptiles, few would believe me. for his cruelties and murders, died

In the year 1773, the court of here. When he was taken ill, the surFrance determined to establish a spice geon, who was appointed to attend garden at Cayenne, and caused a the exiles, asked what was his com. number of various plants to be brought plaint--- I have a fever, and a burna

6 there from India. Two other expe- ing perspiration."-- I believe it well.a. ditions followed in 1784 and in 1788, You fierstrire with guilt and crimes,"

VOL. II.

a

severe

acts of generosity of the Parnai, or the sound of joy gave place to those of Mithridates, scattering gold upon of terrour and dismay. He was so well the plains of Cisica, to dazzle and re- convinced of the odium which attend. tard the conqueror. These great and ed him, that when he was appointed varying passions are sustained by an to the command of Cayenne, he got indefatigable ardour ; a never-ceas. a letter of recommendation from ing activity ; by enlightened views; Jeannett, who succeeded him at Guaand means always certain, whatsoever daloupe, of which, on his arrival, he they may be. Neither guilt nor vir- caused copies to be circulated in evetue hinders him from employing both ry district. The following is a copy one and the other to serve his pur- of it:pose, though he well knows the dif- “ Worthy inhabitants of Cayenne, ference between them. Ever fearful lay aside your fears. I know that of delay, he always lays hold of the citizen Hugues appears terrible in first favourable means which offer. your eyes; he will restore happiness He appears to honour atheism, which, to your colony; he asks no more of however, he only professes outwardly. fortune. He will cause you, by his

He has a strong, sound, judgment; clemency, to forget the miseries a most retentive memory ; he is a which Guadaloupe experienced ungood practical seaman; a

der his government. It will be his administrator ; an equitable and en- chief ambition to deserve your conlightened judge, when he only listens fidence and esteem.". to his conscience and his understand- Most people took this letter for a ing; an excellent man in any crisis piece of sarcastick irony, and very few of danger and of difficulty, when no indeed, gave faith to it. great management is required. Al- His policy began to manifest itself though the inhabitants of Guadaloupe on his arrival. He permitted the banand Rochefontain reproach him with ished deputies to visit the Island of abuses of power, and revolutionary Cayenne, with proper passportsexcesses, which decency and hu- which was never done by former manity shudder at, yet the English agents. He even visited their hospi(and I have been a witness to it) give tals. The government, he said, had the highest credit to his tacticks and ordered him to treat them with athis bravery.

tention. He praised those inhabitants From a cabinboy Hugues became who had done acts of kindness to a pilot, and afterwards a baker at St. them. He wished, he said, to restore Domingo. At the first insurrection peace and order. He made no change of that colony he went over to France, in the system of police, as left by and was elected a member of the po- Burnel; because the consular governpular society, and of the revolution- ment had only appointed him proviary tribunal, at Rochefort; got him- sionally. He paid off the debts of the self to be appoioted agent to Guada- colony, and corrected the errours of loupe ; retook that Island from the his predecessor. He gave balls and English, and, in all the Antilles, ac- splendid entertainments. The troops quired the esteem of the English, and which had disembarked along with the execration of the colonists. The him were a mixture of deserters stormy and unsettled times, in the from all nations--men ready to urdermidst of which he lived, has com- take any thing, if the thermometer of pletely revolutionized his spirit, and politicks should arrain descend to a life of peace and tranquillity is to anarchy. Whenever prizes were him a sort of anticipated death. brought in, he had their produce

His very name was dreaded through shared most equitably. He put the the colony ; his arrival was looked black soldiers on the same footing as upon as the coming of a wild beast; the white; new modelled their dis

cipline, and brought them to perfec. In the course of his long residence tion. Yet, notwithstanding all this, at Guadaloupe, he has amassed a confor the first six months he could gain siderable fortune. Some say he is not no friends. He had even the precau- worth less than eighty, or a hundred tion to get himself praised in some of thousand pounds sterling, most part the Paris journals, that the colonists of which, it is said, he has well se. might see how he was respected in cured in America; dreading, perFrance.

haps, were he to place it in France, It would appear difficult to reconcile some pretext would soon be found to such rigorous measures as he adopt- make him disgorge some of his illed, with the good he has done the gotten wealth. colony; and still less, with the praises Yet, in spite of his activity, he has which certain journals bestow upon experienced several losses. Famine him. He revived trade and commerce, has visited the colony no less than by making himself a merchant. He three times during his agency. He opened, in his own name, a mercan- was never disconcerted. He caused tile concern, in which he sometimes the police to be observed with the figured as a merchant, and sometimes utmost severity, and kept the neas an agent, to set what value be groes in subjection, more by the terthought proper on the different arti- rour of his name, than by his proclacles,

mations.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BRITISH MAGAZINE FOR THE YEAR 1800. SIR,

AS the present destructive war on It is well known that several anithe continent holds out no induce. mals, such as frogs, cats, cocks, &c. ment to visit regions annually manu- are influenced by the electricity of red with human blood, I occasionally the atmosphere, and that they are un. amuse myself with turning over a doubtedly sensible of the approaching few foreign publications imported changes of the weather. The spider, into this country.

that gloomy companion of the afflictThat your readers, however, may ed and wretched in cells, is peculiarly not be disappointed, I think it neces- susceptible of impressions originating sary to inform them, that my taste from the different states of the air ; for reading is confined chiefly to na- and according to an account* given tural history, and the useful, domes- us by M. D’Isjonval, that insect is, tick arts; insomuch that I have, for a perhaps, the most curious and enterlong time, held politicks, metaphy- taining in animated nature. sicks, and all speculative branches of In the commotions which took knowledge, in utter detestation. place in Holland, when the stadthol

Among the works I lately received der was reinstated by the Prussian by way of Hamburgh, I met with a very extraordinary French pamphlet,

* Sur la découverte du rapport constant, on the ingenuity of spiders; and I

entre l'apparition ou la disparition, le tramuch doubt, whether any of your fair vail ou le non-travail le plus ou le moins or unfair readers might conjecture, d'étendue des toiles, ou des fils d'attache how this frightful little animal has, in des arraignées des différentes espèces ; an essential manner, contributed to the

et les variations atmosphériques du beauconquest of Holland, by the French! principalement du chaud au froid, et de la

tems á la pluie, du sec á l'humide, mais A proposition so extraordinary re- gelée à glace au véritable dégel ; par le quires a satisfactory explanation. Citoyen Quatremere D'Isjonval, á la Haye,

1795, chez van Cleef.