were, breathing defiance, and meditating venge ance on the whites. Lord Balcarras, the governor, therefore resolved, as they had proceeded to such lengths, to call these people to a quiet submission, and surrender of their arms, or to subdue them by force. A proclamation was issued to this effect; but only a few attended to it, and submitted the rest continuing refractory, and remaining in a menacing attitude, martial law was proclaimed, the militia called out, and with a strong body of regulars, were sent to invest their towns. The first signal of war was the unfortunate overthrow of colonel Sandford's detachment of light dragoons and militia, by an ambuscade of the Maroons, in a narrow defile between the old and new Maroon towns. This officer unfortunately pushed on further than his orders directed; and, through his temerity and imprudence, perished with thirty of his party, by a close and deadly fire from an unseen enemy. It would be superfluous to enter into the particulars of this savage contest, already detailed by other writers; suffice it to say, that, after a seven month's war, the Maroons capitulated to General Walpole, the commander of the troops, and laid down their arms, on condition that their lives should be spared, and that they should be suffered to remain in the country, under the whites as before. This last article the governor and assembly conceived it imprudent to ratify, as they

viewed such a people as highly dangerous inmates in the country. It was justly considered, that though this people would remain, from compulsion, apparently silent and peaceable, they would yet brood over their hatred to the whites, and secretly meditate a future and signal vengeance, by stirring up revolt and insurrection among the slaves. They were therefore transported, at the expence of the island, to Nova Scotia; and were subsequently, as the cold climate of that region did not agree with them, sent to the banks of the Sierra Leone, in Africa. None of the other Maroons in the island joined in this rebellion of the Trelawney town Maroons;

indeed, the Accompong Maroons appeared at first on the side of the whites; but they were not hearty in the cause; and, on a few of them being killed and wounded in a skirmish, they retired altogether from the service. None of the Maroons remaining in the island are now allowed the use of fire arms; if their services were required, they would, of course, be armed for the occasion by Government.

As the author was present during the whole of the last contest with the Maroons, he will endeavour to convey to the reader the nature

of it.

At the outset, there was perhaps too much pomp and preparation of war." The troops marched in their proper regimentals, as if

they were going to fight a regular and civilized enemy; and sometimes had even the absurdity to traverse the mountainous roads with drums beating! Nothing could be more opposite to propriety in such a contest, nor more subservient to the views of their savage and artful foe. The sound of these instruments could answer no other end than to warn the Maroons to keep out of the way, or to throw themselves into a convenient ambush, from whence they could cut off their assailants, without danger of annoyance to themselves. The customary accoutrements were too clumsy and burthensome for traversing the woods and clambering over the rocks with; and the red coats were too conspicuous an object to the Maroon marksmen, who seldom missed their aim. These inconveniences and incumbrances were at length felt, and laid aside; light green or blue jackets and trowsers were now adopted, and in lieu of cross-belts, &c, a light cartouch-box was fastened, without a bayonet (this instrument being useless here) round the middle; this, with a fusee and canteen, formed the military equipment of the militia; and the dress of the regulars was also considerably lightened. Baggage negroes followed in the rear of the detachments, carrying provisions, &c. for the troops; and thus they traversed the deepest woods, crossed over mountains, clambered up the most frightful precipices, or wandered along glades impervious

to the light, or through defiles darkened by im pending rocks and the thickest woods. Here were they often encountered by the Maroons who hardly ever were seen, nor could the troops know where to direct their fire, except by the flashes of their adversaries' pieces. On these occasions, the regular soldiers were far more awkward than the island militia: having never been trained to this sort of bush-fighting, they disdained for a long time to have recourse to rocks and trees as a shield against their enemies' fire, accounting it base and unmanly in a soldier thus to shrink from danger; nor was it till they had repeatedly experienced the fatal effects of this temerity, that they overcame this prejudice, and reluctantly consented to put themselves on a footing with their savage enemy, by availing themselves of these natural entrenchments, A considerable number of the whites were killed by the Maroons in this contest; while it was never ascertained that even one Maroon was killed by the whites!--So superior were these savages, by their agility, their hardihood, and knowledge of the woods, in this species of warfare. Indeed, had the courage of the Maroons been equal to their skill and activity, the whites would have been still less able to have coped with them, and many more would daily have perished in the unequal conflict. But they carried their caution and their fears, luckily for the whites, to an un

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necessary extreme; only venturing on an attack when they were certain they could make it with impunity. They generally procured information of the motions of the whites from the fugitive slaves, who fled to them, and were employed by them in getting this information from the other slaves. They once received notice that a considerable quantity of provisions, &c. was to pass forward to one of the posts occupied by the whites, on a certain day, under the escort of a party of regulars commanded by a serjeant. They sent a party to way-lay this escort. On receiving the first volley from the Maroons, which killed half of the soldiers, the poor fellow who commanded, drew up the remainder, and told them to stand openly and manfully, and fight these cowardly miscreants they did so, and not one of them escaped. The provisions, &c. which were carried by negroes, fell into their hands. It was fortunate for the whites, that the slaves in general conducted themselves, on this occasion, with great fidelity and attachment to their masters: they were all along, with a few exceptions, orderly, tranquil, and obedient. An antipathy had always subsisted between them and the Maroons; and it is believed that none but the turbulent and desperate among them, wished well to the cause

of the Maroons.

The barbarities that were perpetrated by these wretches on the unfortunate and defenceless white