At day-break on the roth of June we perceived at a distance, a vessel, which Berwick discovered to be an English privateer. We had sheltered ourfelves under fome trees, where we had formed a kind of hut, from which I went out at fix in the morning, to examine the weather and our canoe. Having crawled a few steps, I perceived, about 200 paces from us, on the beach, two armed men, upon which I ran in, crying, "I fee men;" all our party instantly rose up, and Berwick, though the most indifpofed, on account of having been so severely ftung in the woods of Sinamary, darted forward towards them, while we concealed ourfelves, that our numbers might not alarm them. On feeing our poor Berwick, who fcarcely retained the form of a human being, the two foldiers ftopped and leveled their mufkets at him, on which he fell upon his knees and raised his hands in a fuppliant pofture, at the fame time crying out, making figns, and pointing to the canoe. The foldiers liftened to him, and came towards him, and at the fame time we all furrounded them. We foon found they were two German foldiers of the garrison of Monte-Krick, and Pichegru entering into converfation with them, learnt that we were but three leagues from that fort. These men had been fent on duty from Fort Orange, where they would not fail to give an account of the number and fituation of the perfons they had found caft away, and therefore we determined to depute two of our party to the commandant of the fort, to ask for fuccours and exhibit our paffports, but at the fame time concealing who we were. We fixed upon Barthélemy and la Rue, whom we caused to drink the remainder of our rum before they fet out. At the very time they arrived at Fort Orange, the commandant was difpatching a picquet of fifty men to fetch us away. Our ambaffadors declared the object of our voyage, ftating us to be merchants, and defcribing all the particulars of our being caft away, in confe M 3 quence quence of which we had loft all our provifions and effects; and, adding, that the bad state of our canoe, which was almoft broken to pieces, would not admit of our putting to fea again after the ftorm. The commandant received them with great humanity, and having ordered them some victuals, fent workmen and negroes to repair our boat and affift in fetting it afloat, and to fearch for our pretended merchandize. When we faw this troop, confifting of about twenty perfons at a distance, we were very uneafy, till two of thefe workmen who spoke French had explained their orders, upon which, having fhewed them the canoe, they drew it afhore and began to repair it with the greatest industry and fkill. At fix in the evening Barthélemy and la Rue arrived; but they were fo much overjoyed and fo agitated, that they did not think of bringing us a bottle of water. We could fcarcely believe that Barthélemy had ftrength enough remaining to perform a journey of eight leagues on thefe burning fands. Our canoe being now repaired, and the fea having become smooth, we were defirous of immediately embarking; but were obliged to wait for the tide. In the mean while, the workmen, whom we recompenfed as well as we could, and whom we were forry to detain during the night, had orders not to leave us till they faw us at fea. Poor Berwick was growing worse, and as we were obliged to país this night alfo amidst hostile infects, it might have proved the laft of his life: for it muft not be forgotten, that this worthy fellow, whose corporeal ftrength equaled his courage and generofity, had fuffered cruel torments during the two days he had paft in the woods of Sinamary, waiting for the appointed, time of our expedition. We had now not an inftant to lofe, to fave him who had preferved our lives. At day-break, on the 11th June, Barthélemy, La Rue, Aubry, and Doffonville, fet off along the coaft to wards wards Monte-Krick, to procure food and lodgings for the poor fhipwrecked merchants. Some hours after their departure, and at high water, Pichegru, Willot, le Tellier, and myself, re-entered our canoe, which the workmen vigorously pufhed off, and then took their leave of us; while Berwick, though almost dying, refumed the helm. A little before noon, we entered the fmall river of Monte-Krick, where we landed, while Berwick triumphed in our fuccefs, which he confidered as the full reward of his kindness and generofity. The commandant of the poft at Monte-Krick had already received our companions with kindness, and had ordered us a fpacious, clean, and comfortable room, by the fide of the creek. What a moment of joy was that of our meeting in this happy place! Our friends had prepared for us two fowls, fome rice, and bread, which, on this occafion, was watered with tears of pleasure and gratitude! We were alive! We had escaped our perfecutors, the dangers of the waves, and the horrors of famine! In fhort, we were free! Having taken a little nourishment, though with many precautions, we made faft our boat, which we cherished as if it had been an animated being, and towards which we felt both affection and gratitude. AN AN EXCURSION INTO THE WEST OF ENGLAND, DURING THE MONTH OF JULY, 1799. IN FOUR LETTERS TO A FRIEND. BY THE REV. JOHN EVANS, A. M. DEAR SIR, LETTER II.* H Sidmouth; I now proceed to give you an account 【AVING in my last epistle delineated my route to of this place and its vicinity. The friend who had admitted us beneath his hofpitable roof, poffeffed a fpot remarkable for the neat. nefs of its appearance and the felicity of its fituation. I eagerly availed myfelf of the light of the enfuing day, to afcertain the nature of the place whither I had arrived amid the fhades of midnight dark nefs. The house, I found, was inclofed by a garden, highly cultivated, abounding with fruit, and furnishing a profpect both of the ocean and of the furrounding country. At one of its extremities lay a fummer houfe, into which we afcended by a flight of fteps, and from which the fea burst upon the eye of the spectator with uncommon grandeur. Its hoarfe refounding murmurs were even thence diftinctly heard by the liftening ear; and struck with the *It may be neceffary to apprife the reader that another açcount of the fmall pox, at Blandford, prevails, viz. that the removal of the inhabitants into the open air was favourable to the difcafe, and thus operated to produce among the faculty a more cool treatment of it. Be this as it may, it is proper that both accounts should be mentioned. The reader will be pleased to correct, with his pen, a typographical error in the last let ter-hats, for hops, in the article of Weyhill fair. contemplation contemplation of fo immenfe a body of water, I was ready to exclaim with Thomson: And, THOU, majestic main, A world of fecret wonders in thyself, Sound his ftupendous praife, whofe greater voice Inftead of attempting to defcribe Sidmouth with my own pen, I will present you with an account obligingly drawn up by my friend, with which you will be much pleafed. His refidence at the place for many years, joined to the inquifitive turn of mind which he is known to poffefs, well fitted him for the delineation of the fubject. "Sidmouth is feated at the bottom of the immense bay which is formed by the two noted head lands, Portland Point and the Start Point. It was, formerly, a place of confiderable note, and poffeffed an ample harbour for shipping, and an extenfive trade: but fuch have been the encroachments of the ever reftlefs ocean upon this part of our coafts, that its port is now loft, and its trade annihilated. Different geographers, fpeaking of this place, tell us that its harbour is now choaked up by fand; but this is palpably an inaccuracy, as the harbour was certainly not formed by any inlet of the fea, and confequently could not be filled up by the accumulation of marine substances. The fact is, the land to the weftward of the town, formerly projected far beyond its prefent boundary into the fea, and probably formed a Bight-Bay, or natural pier, within which veffels fought refuge in time of danger. This fuppofition is the more plautible, as immenfe rocks are now feen at low water, ftretching far from the point juft mentioned, in a fouthern direction, and pointing out to the obferving eye an eligible bafis for the re-erection of fuch a work: nay, more, there are those who can recollect a chain of rocks fimilar to the very picturefque one which yet rears its head and defies the buffetings of the waves, which followed each |
