As for the ladies, they indulge themselves just as much, by giving way to their unbounded passions, and especially to the most relentless barbarity. But while I can bear witness to the exalted virtues of such a woman as Mrs. Elizabeth Danforth, now Mrs. Godefroy, and a few more whose characters shine with treble lustre, I shall draw a veil over all the imperfections, too common to their sex in this climate. Before I drop this subject, however, I must attest, that hospitality is in no country practised with greater cordiality or with less ceremony, a stranger being every where at home, and finding his table and his bed at whatever estate necessity or choice may occasion him to visit. This is the more to be regarded, as no inns are to be met with in the neighbourhood of any of the Surinam rivers. To vary the subject a little, I will now describe three kinds of fish, with which I occasionally entertained my friends. The sun-fish, the snake-fish, and the spotted-cat. The first frequents both the salt and fresh water, like the salmon: it is about eighteen or twenty inches long, shaped not unlike a kite; and being covered over with scales of a golden colour, when it swims in clear water darts forth very bright beams, from which it has derived its name of the sun-fish. The snake-fish takes its name from its resemblance to that reptile: this is a black eel with a white belly, it is not large, and is very common in all the rivers. The spotted-cat is called so from its tabby colour, and long whiskers: this fish is formed not unlike a pike, with very sharp teeth; it has no scales, it is extremely fat, weighing sometimes above seventy pounds, but its flesh is yellow, and not esteemed the most delicate food: however, here excellent fish is seldom wanting, such as the new-mara, passessee, warappa, jackee, and many others already noticed. The Hope, with all this, was now truly a most shocking place of residence: here I much regretted my former cottage, and sweet companion, the one in ruins, the other at Paramaribo; while, at present, not a man was to be seen without an ague or fever, or some other wasting complaint. The dysentery also began to make its appearance; and to add to our distress, we had neither surgeon, medicines, nor so much as a light, and very little bread left. I was moved with the situation of the troops, and again distributed all my biscuits, lemons, oranges, sugar, wine, ducks and fowls, amongst the unhappy sufferers, with a few spermaceti candles.