The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-05-03
a Gelefte0 Iale.
From the Southern G:erary Gazette.
THE MAROON.
A LEGEND OF THE CARRIBEES.
BY W. GILMORE SiMMS, ESQ,
Author of I" The Yemassee," etc.

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TnE waters of the Caribbean sea, subject to
some of the widest yicissitudes that ever sweep
the pillows Of the western hemisphere, were
never more placid and lovely to the eye than
on the morning Of the 26th of August, in the
yearof grace, one thousand five hundred and
tilirty.two. The exquisite calm of heaven
that delicious serenity and repose Of atmosphere
which seem never SO lovely or 80 perfect rs in
those latitudes where the capricions winds may,
at any moment, lash themselves and the ocean
into immitigable fury, and where nothing is
long secure against their violence-appeared
to rest, with the bosom of the halcyon, upon
the mighty deeps of sea. The sky was with
ont cloud the breeze, soft and spicy, as if
borne fresh on the very instant from the arc.
Inatic. islands Of the east, was gentle without
languor, and Just sufficed to watt along, under
easy sail, the high. popped Spanish bark that
might be seen to form, as it were, natural
and becoming portion Of the vast and beguiling
picture. She alone stood up, careering over
the watery waste, relieving its monotonous rev.
els, and looming out beyond her natural size,
in comparison with the uniform smoothness of
the waters. A swift and well built vessel of
the time, was the Diana de Burgos," named
after fayorite beauty Of old Spain. She had
taxed all the genius Of the architect of that
day, in her modelling, to do honor to her name.
sake. And he had succeeded 80 perfectly
succeeded, that the emulons little bark had al
ready acquired d peculiar reputation, such as
that enjoyed BY the Baltimore clipper of mod.
ern periods, for exquisite grace. of air, and un.
paralleled feetness of foot She was the pride
Of the waters, and cleft them, or passed over
them, rs il endued with all the consciousness
Of the young and naughty beauty whose name
had not been taken by her in vain. Of her
deeds, of her peculiar employment, in the west.
ern hemisphere, we shall say nothing. At that
wild period, we know very well what was the
usual history in the new world, as we'll upon
the ocean as the land. !" No peace beyond the
line" was thee common proverb of license among
the rovers of all the European nations; and
our g Diana de Burgos" carried within her
graceful girdle all the requisite resources for
deeds of strength and violence. Her loveliness
of model did not conflict with her capacity for
fight; and single glance upon the swarthy
groups that covered her deck, would satisfy
any sceptic, without farther search, that she
had already enjoyed no inconsiderabe experi.
ence in the trade of war. Could her polished
decks have spoken out, what revelations of
blood AND terror might they not have made!
But her past history is nothing to us. 1t is
enough that she still possesses sufficient mate.
rials Of interest for a startling and touching
narrative. At the moment when we ascend
her sides-in that calm and lovely day-in that
serene and delicious atmosphere with that
broad, deep ocean, as smooth as it could we'll
appear, to comport with the necessary degree
Of animation which, to form a picture, such q
prospect seems to require, and, at the same
time to disarm every sense of danger in the
bosom of the most apprehensive- shall find
that no such calm and serenity prevail among
aer, inmates. We discover them grouped about
in small parties along her deck, here leaning
against her masts, there erouehed among bulls
and cordage-yahously placed in different at
titudes-a hundred sturdy seamep apd soldiers,
speaking little-an occasional word -" sentence
only--but all looking as if thoroug',i ,iy inform.
cd, and anxious in relation to some matter of
evidently increasing interest The h.oken sen.
tences to which we listen-tbe half.uttered in.
quiry, the faltering suggestion have no meaning
for opr ears, though clearly of ready eompre.
bension by all around. Happily, stir takes
place among them; they rise to their feet-the
uSSss1ll ere is . sudden show of re.