The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-08-16
4 5elefte1 Gale.
From the Southern Literary Gazette.
THE MAROON.
A LEGEND OF THE CARRIBEES.
BY w. GILMORE sIMMs, ESQ.
Author of The Yemassee," etc.

thus prosfrate and at The mercy OF one VINO
seemed about to complete the rites in which she
had been engaged, by the sacrifice ofthe limo.
cent creature in her grasp, was moment of
the mos, cruel humiliation to the imbecilc Span.
lard. His sensibilities were violently excited.
Every sympathy OF his heart was awakened.
His better nature-his human training-his
Christian teaching-such as it was possible for
him 10 acquire in that day Of constant war and
rapine-were all active in urging him to ad.
venture his own life, in saving her who seemed
about to perish before him. She too. so young
so resigned, and-not the least consideration
so really beautiful. But the necessary nerve
was wanting TO the "Maroon." He who dared
not .he single stroke, though prompted by the
woman he professed to love, when it would
have saved her from shame and himself from
the bitter exile which he now endured, was
not likely to exhibit any rashness-a any ordina.
ry courage-though with such spectacle Of
death of death before him.
Happily for humanity, his apprensions were
all idle. The meditated sacrifice in which the
pri, stpss was about 10 oficate, contemplated
not the life hut the long flowing locks Of the
damsel. These we're severed with stroke,
and hung up in the chamber from an arrow,
The shaft of which was made 10 penetrate ere.
vice in the rock. Then the maiden rose. and
taking the bunch Of arrows which she had
brought, she snapt them in twain before the al.
tar which the ma,ron continued to supply, with
aromatic gums and fuel. Some further cere.
monies were performed; there was solemn
imposition of hands, while the virgin knel, be.
fore the priestess, and the lips of the latter were
glued TO the forehead Of the girl. A brief dia.'
logue, in subdued and murmuring tones, passed
between them, and then the voices Of both rose
in wild, sad chauni, the burden OF which was
caught up byahe voices Of the females without.
One embrace followed the subsistence of the
strain. and the matron and the virgin parted ;
The former hurrying from the cavern, and HE
latter sinking down, in an agony of fear and
grief before the flfll blaze upon the altar.
Lopez de Levya drew long breath. He
began TO grow courageous. The voices Of the.
women without were dying away in The distance.
Could they have retired to the boat. and could
they he returning 10 The distant shore from
whence they came, leaving the maid alone as
he himself had been left. Her evident sorrow
and apprehension declared this to he The case.
But il was evident that no such feeling moved
her abandonment as had occasioned his. The
proc Of deep and tender interest had been
shown her to the last. He had heard the sighs,
the moans, the nurrnnrs, oflhe officiating mat.
ron. He had witnessed her fond caresses of
the damSel. He had heard with qnIvering SEN
sibiities The wild sad chaunt of the attending
women, whose song still feebly fell upon his
senses from without.
The scene which he had witnessed was a re.
ligiou. ceremony. But what did it contem.
plate? Was The maiden thus left to herself
and 10 him, destined for sacrifice; to parish at
last, before the altars OF solne strange aud saw.
age diviniryl Il might he so bnt certainly no
such purpose WAS designed at present, for he
did not al to perceive that an ample supply Of
food was left with her, sufficient for month 8
consumption. Or. was she destined, herself, to
become a priestess, officiating, like the matron,
who had left her,in the same and other mysie.
rious rites, hereafierl This was the more pro.
bable conjecture. Al least such was the thought
TO which, after rapid mental survey oi proba.
bilities, our MIroon arrived. Perhaps little
more deliberaton might have rendered it doubt.
iul, whether the nnunerabls signs which the
walls of the chamber presented, of repeated Ger.
emonials like the present, were not proofs that
the proceeding could not regard any such ap
preparation Of the neophyie. 1t was a ceremo.
nial evidently common to the tribe or nation.
II was one through which, al certain period,
each virgin had 10 pass. It was indeed, dedi.
ecaiory, but i was an invoca'ory service also.
We;may, in this place, briefly declare the OBJ.
ject Of The ceremonial.
Among the Caribbeans, as among the Abo.
rigtnes ot the new world in most quarters, both
sexes were dedicated, separately, and by differ.
ent rites, 10 fortune. The period in life when
they were to emerge from the salutary re-.
straints ofthe parent, and to he left to the as.
sertion Of their own wits and the exercise of
their own intelligence, was that chosen in which
TO solicit for them the protection Of the gods.
who, should confer upon them some especial
spiritual guide and guardian. Topropit ale the
gods for this favor--to move them into indul.
gent dispensalion-to secure friendly and "a.
vorable projection, and to Inspire the young
with wisdem. courage and falhfulness, were
the objects Of The ceremonial. In the case oil
males, they were thus consecrated when able to
commence the labours ofthe chase. They
we're subjected to seve -er ordeals than The other
sex, since the leading desire, with them, was
the proper endowment with hardhood and cour-
age. Long abstinence from food, exposure to
cold, and frequent stratagems by which 10 alarm
q mil Itr,,t thcss toh h,,