he arts of civilized
warfare, the British were driven to try a new method. In 1737 they brought
from the Mosquito coast a number of Indians, who were fully the equal of
the negroes in bush fighting. These were launched upon the track of the
Maroons and soon ran them down in their mountain fastnesses. From Nanny
Town the seat of war shifted to another quarter of the island, but at
length the Maroons, finding their new foes fully their match in their own
methods, consented to sign a treaty of peace with the whites, though only
on the terms that they should retain their full freedom.

The treaty was made in 1738 at Trelawney Town, the Maroons being
represented by Captains Cudjoe, Accompong, Johnny, Cuffee, and Quaco, and
a number of their followers, "who have been in a state of war and
hostility for several years past against our sovereign lord the king and
the inhabitants of this island."

By the terms of the treaty the Maroons were to retain their liberty
forever, to be granted a large tract of land in the mountains, and to
enjoy full freedom of trade with the whites. On their part they agreed to
keep peace with the whites, to return all runaway slaves who should come
among them, and to aid the whites in putting down the rebellion and in
fighting any foreign invader.

In 1760 their promise to aid the whites against local outbreaks was put to
the test when the fierce Koromantyn negroes broke out in rebellion and
committed fearful atrocities. A party of Maroons joined the whites and
seemed very zealous in their cause, ranging the woods and bringing in a
large number of ears, which they said they had cut from the heads of
rebels killed by them. It afterwards was found that the ears had been
obtained from the negroes who had been slain by the troops and left where
they fell.

The Maroons remained unmolested until 1795, not without outbreaks on their
part and depredations on the settlements. In the year named two of them
were caught stealing pigs, and were sent to the workhouse and given
thirty-nine lashes on the bare back. When set free they went home in a
fury, and told a pitiful tale of the disgrace they had suffered, being
whipped by the black driver of the workhouse in the presence of felon
slaves. The story roused the blood of all their fellows, who felt that
they had been outraged by this insult to two of their kindred, and a
revolt broke out that spread rapidly throughout the mountains.

The whites were in a quan