were all agreed, and declared they would obey no laws made by the English House of Boroughmongers that concerned the internal affairs of the island, let the consequences be what they might. Indeed, with the sentiments they entertain towards the British Parliament en masse, I am afraid that nothing but force would make any impression on these republican-minded Jamaicamen :-not that they are hostile to the institutions of the mother country, or at all dissatisfied with their own; but that interference would be doubly, trebly odious, which emanates from a Society whom they regard as a mass of corruption and hypocrisy, and despise er imo corde. "They consider the English people the dupe of the Canters. The people petition the Parliament to emancipate the slaves, poor things,'but the poor things are the people of England.'"

CHAPTER XXXVII.

. I WENT the day before yesterday on a second expedition to the Blue Mountain, with a Mr. M'Whinney, ́and a sun-burnt planter, who lives a few miles in the interior, and offered to be our guide. We had originally proposed to advance up Buff Bay River, to leeward, and to engage some of the Maroons of that district as guides up one of the ridges, which rise above that river. But the sunburnt gentleman, a Mr. Millar, persuaded us that the easier ascent was from his quarters, and was so positive in his assertions of what he had heard on this subject, so earnest in his recommendation and desire of accompanying us, and so profuse in his promises of assisting us with guides, provisions, and every thing we might require in our expedition, that we could not resist his invitation to go

to his house, and proceed from that point. . I soon found that we had gone too far to the eastward for the object we had in view, before we reached his domain, and suspected that we could never gain the western peak, to which we aspired, by any attempt from this quarter; and so it proved. We went first to Golden Vale estate (the property of Greenwich Hospital, with slaves on it). It well deserves its name; for it is a rich valley inclosed by mountains on all sides, so that the entrance and exit of the Rio Grande, which runs through it, can scarcely be distinguished. In short, when you have entered it, you can hardly imagine that it has any communication with the rest of the world, such is its perfect seclusion. Here the afternoon was passed in making preparations for our ascent. Mr. Miller, with the greatest alacrity, did all that he had promised. Our provisions of all kinds were packed up in abundance, and negroes appointed to carry them, one of whom undertook to be our guide. After an early breakfast, we started on foot, and, leaving Rio Grande on our left, proceeded up a smaller stream in a direction south-west. But it was necessary to quit the stream, which we

crossed, and, taking to a ridge, we advanced at a good pace and with a good resolution. Sometimes we had to descend into deep ravines, scramble among rocks, and wade through the mountain streams which tumbled over them. The transparent whiteness of these waters formed a beautiful contrast with the dark black marble of the rocks. We delighted in these opportunities of slaking our thirst, and, imprudently, too frequently indulged in the delicious draughts, for they but ill qualified us to encounter the difficulties which arose before us. We journeyed forward, and about mid-day arrived at a district which was entirely clear of wood. We could observe that the country, for miles to the eastward and westward of our position, and for a considerable breadth up the mountain, was in the same condition. There was thick wood above and below, but along this belt not a tree was to be seen, and it might have been called barren from its appearance, had not the luxuriant vegetation of a long coarse grass convinced us of the contrary.

Here began the severity of our labours. There was a track into this region of grass which our guide pursued, but after a short

progress it ceased to be visible. He was at a loss, but pointed out a knoll which we were to reach. There was no choice left, but to return or cut our way straight forward to the object marked out. We decided on the latter, and worked away with spirit; two of the party cutting in front, and the rest relieving them in turns. Such, however, was the nature of this impediment, which in many places grew higher than our heads, that our progress was exceedingly slow. The vertical sun poured all his heat upon us, unmitigated by the intervention of the smallest cloud, and not a breath of air could reach us through the grass. We were almost suffocated. At times we felt something like dismay, when we viewed the smoke that issued from this wilderness in every direction around us, and in some places at no great distance. The dry parts of the grass about the roots were as combustible as tinder, and though we could not feel any wind, we could perceive its effects, in driving the fires in other quarters. The conflagration might reach us, and we were so entangled that we had no chance of escape. Such were our reflections. However, we