The weekly Anglo-African., 1860-02-04

occasion might at any moment revive all
the old terror. That occasion was close
at hand.
Captain Cudjoe and Capt Accompong
and the other founders of Maroon indepen-
dence had passed away, and "Old Monta-
GU" reigned in their stead, in Trelawney
Town. Old Montagu had all the pomp
and circumstance of Maroon majesty; he
wore laced red coat, and hat superb
with gold.lace and plumes; none but cap
tains could sit in his presence; he was
helped first at meals, and no woman could
sit beside him; he presided at councils as
magnifcently as at table, though with less
appetite and possessed, meanwhile, not
an atom of the love or reverence of any
human being. The real power lay entire
ly with Major James, the white superin-
tendent, who hal been brought up among
the Maroons by his father, land predecess-
orr and who was the idol of this wild race
In an evil hour, the government removed
him, and put certain unpopular Captain
Craskell in his place; and asthere happen
ed to be, about the same time, great ex-
element concerning hopeful pair of
young Maroons who had been seized and
publicly whipped, on charge of hog g-steal-
ing, their kindred refused to allow the new
superintendent to remain in the town. A
few attempts at negotiation only brought
them to higher pitch of wrath, which en-
ded in their despatching the following re-
markable diplomatic note to the Earl of
Balcarres: "The Maroons wishes nothing
else from the country but battle, and they
desire not to see Mr.. Craskell up here at
all SO they are waiting every moment
for the above on Monday. Mr.. David
Schaw will see you on Sunday morning
for an answer They will wait till Monday,
nine o'clock, and if they don't come up,
they will come down themselves" Sign
ed, Colonel Montagu and all the rest"
1t turned out, at last, that only two or
three of the Maroons were concerned in
this remarkable defiance; but meanwhile it
had its effect Several ambassadors were
sent among the insurgents, and were so ia
vorable impressed by their reception as to
make up a subscription of money for their
hosts, on departing; only the gallant Col
onel Gallimore," Jamaica Camillus, gave
iron instead of gold, by throwing some bull
lets into the contribution box. And it was
probably in accordance with his view of
the subject, that, when the Maroons sent
ambassadors in return, they were impris-
oned, most injudiciously and unjustly; and
when old Montagu himself and thirty sew
en- others, following, were seized and i'm
prisoned also, it is not strange that the Ma
rooms, joined by many slaves, were soon
in open insurection.
Martial law was instantly proclaimed
throughout the island. The fghting-men
among the insurgents were not, perhaps,
more than FIVE hundred, against whom the
government could bring nearly fifteen hun
dred regular troops and several thousand
militia-men Lord Balcanes himself took
the command, and eager to crush the af-
fair, promptly marched a large force up to
Trelawney Town, and was glad to march
back again as expeditiously as possible.
In his very first attack, he was miserably
defeated, and had to fly for his life, amid a
perfect panic of the troops, in which some
forty or fifty were killed, including Colo
mel Sandford, commanding the regulars,
and the hullet-loving Colonel Gallimore,
in command of the militia-wbile not a
single Maroon was even wounded, SO far
as could be ascertained.
Concluded next meek.