The tobacco plant grows here with large downy leaves, full of fibres; it flowers almost continually, and will last for twelve or fourteen years, but is so inferior to the Virginia tobacco, that it is only used by the slaves. This plant derived its name from the island Tobago, where it was first discovered, in 1560.
They have here also a kind of wild tea, which is accounted very wholesome, but in my opinion is no better than English ground-ivy. I found plenty of tomatè, which being produced in many British gardens, I will not attempt to describe; but only observe [[225]]that the Jews are particularly fond of it, and stew it with butchers meat instead of onions.
The physic-nut tree is likewise to be met with here; this is a knotty shrub, that grows about ten or twelve feet in height, and very slender; the nut that it produces has a kernel like an almond, and tastes as well, provided it be deprived of a thin white skin that adheres to it, otherwise a violent vomiting and purging is the immediate consequence of swallowing it. They also shewed me several kinds of peas and beans, and other fruits growing in pods; such as the cassia, a shining hard yellow seed inclosed in a woody shell near sixteen inches long, and very small, with a black soft pulp as sweet as honey: this is considered as a very safe laxative: the cassia grows on a tree very common in Guiana, and which is called soete boonties and cotiaan. Another kind of pod, named seve-yaars boontie, is so called, because it is said to be in blossom seven years before it produces. The shrub called snakee weeree-weeree also grows here; they told me it was a sovereign remedy for fevers, and I take it to be the same as the serpentaria Virginiana, or Virginian snake-root. Lastly, I saw a vegetable or flower here called seven-boom, which is too frequently used by the young negro girls to promote abortion, as are also the green pine-apples, which are said to have the same effect.
Thus having spent not only an agreeable but an instructive day at Knoppemombo, we took leave of our very good friend in the evening, and rowed contentedly [[226]]back to the Hope, our boat being nearly loaded with presents of every kind, amongst which were some fine cocoa-nuts, that one of his slaves, after walking, I may say more properly than climbing[1], up the tree, had brought down in my presence, and after a fierce engagement with a black serpent upon the very top of it, which by the help of his knife he vanquished, and to our admiration dropped it down dead at our feet.
The slaves of the Hope and Fauconberg also testified their respect for Joanna and her boy, by bringing in presents of fowls, fruit, eggs, venison, and fish; and Mr. Palmer handsomely presented us with a large quantity of Indian corn to feed our poultry. Thus every thing seemed to contribute to our felicity, which was however considerably allayed by the disagreeable news we received on the 18th, informing me of the death of my dear friend, Mr. Walter Kennedy, shortly after his arrival in Holland[2]: it was now also confirmed that the Dutch had refused the Scots Brigade to his Britannic Majesty; which greatly surprized me, as I considered it as a claim not only from affinity, but also by treaty.
To amuse my mind from these unpleasing subjects, I now paid a short visit to my French acquaintance Monsieur [[227]]Cachelieu, at his plantation Egmond. Here, amongst other company, I met with an Italian, a planter called D’O—s, who had but one arm; with which, however, he took up a knife at table, and without the smallest provocation, as I sat next him, made a back thrust at me, to the astonishment of all who were present. Having fortunately parried the blow by beating up his elbow, which occasioned the point of his knife to pass over my shoulder, I started up, and was going to put him instantly to death; but this being prevented, I offered to fight him with one hand tied behind me, and with any instrument he chose, fist, bludgeon, sword, pistol, or even knife; this the cowardly assassin having refused, was kicked out of company, and sent home to his plantation called Hazard.
So violent was this unhappy man’s disposition, that some little time before, he ordered a poor negro woman, who was advanced eight months in her pregnancy, to be flogged, until her intestines appeared, and that only for breaking a tumbler. One of his male slaves, trying to evade his severity, was shot dead on the spot; and there was not a slave belonging to his estate but was cut by the lash of his whip from the neck to the heel.
Colonel Fourgeoud now sending a proper supply of men, with a surgeon and medicines, the Hope wore a more pleasing aspect, and health and content began to be visible in every countenance. Amongst other things, I encouraged the men to catch fish, which were here in abundance, and the negroes taught them how to make [[228]]the proper snares, such as the spring-hook, and mansoa or spring-basket. I have given a representation of both these in the plate annexed, where the spring-hook is expressed by the letter A, being a long elastic pole, like a strong fishing-rod, stuck in the ground under water, at the other end of which is fixed a double line, the shortest having fastened to it a small stick, ten inches long, and the other the same, but a little lower; while at the extremity of this line is hooked a small fish by the fins, in such a manner as to swim to and fro, and be a bait for the larger species. Two long sticks being next placed in the ground so as to appear above water, a third stick much shorter, forms them like a gallows; above this gallows is bent and fixed the elastic pole, by means of the double line and its beams; but in so very slight a manner, that upon the least touch the whole apparatus gives way, and the large pole erects itself, when the fish that occasioned the spring, by taking the bait, is suspended to the hook in the air, as exhibited by the figure B.
Manner of catching Fish by the Spring-Hook.