A Queer Race: The Story of a Strange People — page 184: what you’re looking at

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

A QUEER RACE. 181 (all shark-fighters). The subalterns and sergeants were selected, on the recommendation of Oliver Fane (whom I made the chief of my staff), from the first or archer- guard regiment, I also organized a rifle company of fifty men, under the command of Tom Bolsover. It was impossible, with the time at my disposal, to at- tempt anything like regular drill. Wecould do no more than teach the second and third regiments to march in step, form in line, and a few other elementary movements. Old Tom, however, drilled his fifty men incessantly, and made very fair shots of them. As for arms, we had any number of bows, and though arrows were in rather short supply, our stock was being rapidly replenished. Wehad swords and cutlasses enough for the entire force; the former nearly all of Spanish make, and very superior weapons. Our only fire-arms were two cases of rifles (fifty) and three or four others, together with half adozen | revolvers, taken out of the Diana; the old flint-lock muskets which had belonged to the Santa Anna were out of repair, and decidedly less effective than our bows and arrows. [ gave Tom and each of the colonels a revolver apiece, and kept one for myself. Tom and I also carried each a rifle, My plan of campaign was very simple. I might, as Mr. Field and some of the seniors proposed, have chosen a strong position, and there awaited the Cariberoe attack. But as the Cariberoes might have taken it into their heads — to march elsewhere, and I thought it inexpedient to let them take the initiative, I decided to attack them as soon as I found them, and wherever I found them. To this end, though I should have been glad of a little more time for preparation, I resolved to take the field at once. Within an bour of receiving positive assurance that the enemy were at Wynter’s Hill, I gave orders to march, and my men being splendid walkers and in good fettle, I reckoned that we should probably reach that place in about three days. We were attended by about five hun- dred Caribs, who carried our supplies of food and reserve ammunition. I intended also to employ them as scouts, but as they were quite unorganized and poorly armed, i could not reckon them as effectives. (E(@) mm G JOO Spee)