I had now the disagreeable news, that all my letters for Europe were sunk on board Captain Visser, who was wrecked in the Texel roads among the ice. I was also sincerely grieved to hear that my good friend Mr. Kennedy, with his lady and family, had taken their final farewel of the colony, and sailed for Holland. This gentleman, Mr. Gordon, and a Mr. Gourluy, were the only Scotch; a Mr. Buckland, a Mr. Townsend, and Mr. [[40]]Halfhide, the only English; and Captain Macneal, the only native of Ireland, residing in this colony.
On the 28th, Colonel Fourgeoud returned with his command from Patamaca, much emaciated himself, and his men nearly exhausted by fatigue. He had left a great number behind him in the hospital at La Rochelle, but heard no account whatever of the rebels, although he varied his route every time. It was therefore pretty evident that they were routed, if latterly there had been any settled at all: but where to find them in this unbounded forest was the question. He however never despaired, and seemed as eager to discover the haunts of the rebels as he had been formerly in springing a covey of partridges, or discovering a nest of black badgers.
On the 29th, Mr. Matthew, one of our officers who had been out shooting, presented me with the Taibo, an animal that is here called the wood-rat. This creature was the size of a young hare, and of a reddish brown colour, being remarkably thin, with long limbs, a roundish head, and a tail not unlike that of a sucking-pig; the claws were exactly like those of a common rat, but larger in proportion, and so was the head, mouth, teeth, and whiskers; the ears were short and naked, the eyes black and prominent, with a white iris; it is said to run very fast: we had it dressed, and ate it, having been told that it was very good, and so we found it, sweet, tender, and even fat, notwithstanding its lank appearance. This [[41]]creature, on account of its size, reminds me of another animal, known in this country by the name of crabbo-dago, or the crabbed dog, for its matchless ferocity, as it kills and devours every thing that comes in its way, without exception, whether quadrupeds, fowls, or reptiles; and never seeming to be glutted with blood, it murders, even without being hungry, all it can vanquish, which, on account of its courage, activity, and strength, are not a few, though it be not larger than a common cat. From what I have said, I should apprehend it much resembles the ichneumon, but still more that animal mentioned by Mr. Allemand, in the Count de Buffon; (see Vol. IV. p. 266.) which he there calls the grison or grey-weazel, though this that I mention was rather larger; and he says, that notwithstanding its being a native of Surinam, none of the people coming from that country could give any account of it. If this be the same animal, (as I doubt not, and have therefore given it the name of the crabbo-dago or grison) I am happy to have had it in my power to give the reader some account of it. I shall now literally quote the Count’s own words, as extracted from Mr. Allemand, which will afford the best proof of its being the same animal, when compared with the annexed plate, where both the wood-rat, and the crabbo-dago or grison, are represented; and had I seen this account during the Count’s life, I would have most assuredly taken the liberty of informing him by a [[42]]letter, of what I now, though in this unconnected method, relate to the public.
“I received,” says Mr. Allemand, “the small animal represented in the plate[1]. In the catalogue it was called the grey-weazel, from which circumstance I derived the name grison, because I knew not how it is denominated in the country where it is found. The whole upper part of its body is covered with deep brown hair, having white points, which gives it a greyish brown colour: under the head and neck is a bright grey, because the hairs are very short, and the white part is of equal length with the brown. The muzzle, the under part of the body, and legs, are black, which singularly contrasts with the grey colour on the head and neck.
“The head of this animal is very large in proportion to its body, its ears almost form a semicircle, its eyes are large, and its mouth is armed with strong grinders and sharp tusks: it has six cutting teeth in each jaw, four of them hardly rising above the gums. Both the fore and hind feet have five toes, with yellowish claws; the tail is pretty long, and terminates in a point.
Barlow sculp.
The Wood-Rat of Surinam.
The Crabbodago, or Grisson.
London, Published Decr. 1st, 1791, by J. Johnson, St. Paul’s Church Yard.