A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 140: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

2 A QUEER RACE. 137 CHAPTER XXII, A FLASH OF LIGHTNING. AND so things went on. For two or three weeks there occurred nothing to disturb the even tenor of my life. In the company of Field and Amyas Fane and some others, and once with a party organized by the queen, I visited several estates and saw something of the interior of the island. All the piebald whites and most of the descend- ants of the former Carib chiefs owned plantations which they cultivated, with the help of slaves; for land was so plentiful and the soil so fertile that .very few of the aborigines would labor for hire. So far as I could see, the slaves, though not il]-treated, were very hard wrought, for in the absence of horses they had to do horses’ work. They were, however, comfortably lodged and well fed, and as, according to a law Jaid down by Denzi! Fane, no bondsman could be soid without his own consent, there were presumably none of those cruel separations of fami- lies which are usually among the worst features of the system. Insubordination was, however, severely punished, rebellious slaves being hanged without ceremony, and, as Field one day confided to me, the two races were really at bitter enmity. ‘There had been several partial risings repressed, and, as I gathered, not without difficulty. «The Calibans are our greatest trouble,” he said. «They are increasing at such a rate that they will soon be more numerous than ourselves, and if a rising should happen to coincide with an invasion of the Cariberoes, it would be a serious matter.” ; ‘The Cariberoes?”’ | «The people whom Denzil Fane and his men helped to repulse when they first came to the island. The Cali- bans are their descendants, and they are very strong and brave, and would make desperate fighters.” ‘“What makes you think so?” ‘* Because they are very courageous. We have had ex- perience of their prowess, though not very recently. It was they who taught us how to fight sharks, and they often fight fiercely among themselves. Yes, the Cariberoes would make splendid soldiers.” ‘Have you any present reason to fear a rising?” Gom C yoo) SH |