While we continued here, a negro brought me a beautiful butterfly, which I copied with all the correctness I was master of; and which I saw since in Madam Merian’s collection, where it is coloured very ill. This fly was a dark blue tinged with green, and variegated with spots like a peacock’s feather, and on each wing it had a spot of pale yellow; the under part of the wings were a charming crimson and purple; the body a pale red.—The caterpillar is green and yellow; it is crowned with eight horns on the head, and has two on the tail. About the same time Captain Fredericy returned also from traversing the woods. He had a corporal drowned by slipping off a tree in crossing over a creek; which accident frequently happened, but the men were generally picked up, except this poor fellow, who sunk to the bottom instantly with all his accoutrements.
The Blue & Crimson Butterfly of South America.
The Groe-groe, or Palm Tree Worms.
London, Published Decr. 1st, 1791, by J. Johnson, St. Paul’s Church Yard.
Another negro also brought me a regale of groe-groe, or cabbage-tree worms, as they are called in Surinam. [[23]]
This reptile is produced in a tree called the mountain-cabbage-tree, which is one of the palm species. The worm grows to the size and thickness of a man’s thumb, is produced from the spawn of a black beetle, and is extremely fat. However disgusting to appearance, these worms are a delicious treat to many people, and they are regularly sold at Paramaribo. The manner of dressing them, is by frying them in a pan with a very little butter and salt, or spitting them on a wooden skewer. In taste they partake of all the spices of India, as mace, cinnamon, cloves, nutmegs, &c. Several species of these worms are produced in all the palm-trees when beginning to rot, but some are larger than others. They are all of a pale yellow colour, with black heads. In the plate annexed are represented the above-mentioned fine butterfly, and the cabbage-tree-worm, both of the natural size, taken from the life. By the Indians and negroes they are called toecoema.
On the 13th, a detachment departed for La Rochelle in Patamaca, and the following day a captain was sent with a few men back to the Hope, in Comewina, to protect the estates in that river.
On the same day, the miserable old negro who had cut his throat on the 5th day of March, but had since recovered, was seen by some slaves to enter the wood with a knife, from which he no more returned, being soon after found stabbed to death. We were afterwards informed by his master, that for some time before [[24]]he had attempted to do the same almost regularly from month to month.
On the 17th, the detachment returned from La Rochelle, where the troops of the Society were all sick.