On the 25th of August I repaired to the palace of Loo, in Guelderland, where, by the Colonel of the regiment, I was introduced to his Serene Highness the Stadtholder; who not only was pleased to give me a gracious reception, remarking, that by my looks I must have suffered much, but soon after promoted me to the rank of Major in the same Scottish regiment.
As I had now the pleasure also to see a few others of my fellow sufferers recompensed after their hardships, I had reason to think the less of our former troubles; thus, instead of indulging in censure, I found a more solid consolation in the triumph of truth, which was brought to light without my farther interference.
“Magna est veritas & prevalebit.”
On the 24th of September I went to the Hague, where I presented his Serene Highness with eighteen figures in wax, made by myself, for his museum, which were most [[396]]graciously accepted. They represented the free Indians of Guiana, and negro slaves of Surinam, engaged in different occupations, on an island, supported by a crystal mirror, and ornamented with gold.
I now also, with his own consent, made a present of my faithful black boy, Quaco, to the Countess of Rosendaal, to whose family I was under very great obligations; and who since, on account of his honesty and sober conduct, not only christened him, by the name of Stedman, at my desire, but promoted him to be their butler, with a promise to take care of him as long as he lived; which was particularly grateful to me, being such advantages as I could never have procured for him myself.
Here I cannot omit an anecdote of attachment in this boy:—Having set out by myself on a short journey, I found a crown-piece more than I expected in my purse, and for which I was at a loss to account; till on my return, when I questioned Quaco, he said, “that fearing I might be short of cash, where people seemed so fond of it, he had put his five-shilling piece in my pocket.”—This action was the more generous, not only in the manner it was done, but being at that time the only crown poor Quaco possessed in this world.
About the latter end of October, I was offered by the directors of the settlement to be sent over as a lieutenant governor to the colony of Berbicè, situated next to Surinam. In consequence, I immediately went to Amsterdam, to wait on them, and hear the proposals, in which they [[397]]indeed offered me a higher salary, and greater advantages, than they had ever offered to any other gentleman in that situation; but I insisted on having either the government if I survived, or a decent pension after a certain number of years at my return; which being out of their power, they said, to grant, I declined accepting of the offer altogether, judging it more prudent to recover my health and vigour in Europe with a Scottish company, than to parch any longer under the Torrid Zone, without a prospect of settling at home with honour and a competent fortune. Nor was it long before I perfectly recovered, and became as stout and healthy as I had ever been in all my life: a happiness of which not one among one hundred of my late ship-mates could boast.
Among others, poor Colonel Fourgeoud did not long enjoy his good fortune; for he was scarcely arrived in Holland, with the remaining few who stayed some time behind us, than his beloved ptisan having failed him, he was one morning found dead in his bed, attended only by a negro, and buried with military honours at the Hague.
Not long after this, expired also in Surinam Fourgeoud’s mortal enemy, the Governor of the colony; which vacancy was most worthily filled up by Colonel Texier, and since by the deserving Mr. Wichers[2].
From this period nothing worth recording occurred [[398]]till the year 1782, when the Emperor of Germany having retaken the barrier towns from the States of Holland, General Stuart’s regiment was the last that evacuated the city of Namur, and on the same day the Imperial troops marched in to take possession: after which the Emperor ordered, in the year 1783, all the fortifications to be demolished. Soon after this, the Scotch brigade, the privates of which now consisted of all nations, was naturalized by the States of Holland, that is, formed into three Dutch regiments, on account of the war with Great Britain; and this circumstance induced myself and most of the principal officers immediately to resign—as we refused to serve against our King and Country.