The Hawaiian gazette., 1868-11-11
A NEGRO HUNT.
[BY THE EDIToR.l

Porto Rico is fairy island OF lofty noun
tains, lovely valleys, large sugar and coffee
plantations, beautiful gardens and sweet
orange groves. Therein live proud and state
ly caballeros of untold wealth; naughty, dark
eyed senoritas and poor negro slaves. In
the Northern part of the Island, which is
most beautifully laid out and cultivated, there
tations of Don Gomez de Mier. Although one
of the wealthiest of all those proud Spanish
Lords and well nigh able TO master from three
to four thousand negroes ON his haciendas,
yet be felt rather angry when the report came
in, one morning, that one of the hands had
not answered TO the call, nor was his anger
by any means mitigated when, shortly after
wards, he was told that the wife of the run
away was missing too. The negro was
stout and powerful fellow, worth his 81 200
even at that time, and the woman was strong
and healthy too: reason enough to get out of
temper for any man even if he should be able
AS Don Gomezwas-to lay his hand upon a
hundred thousand Spanish gold ounces at a
fortnights notice. The bad example besides,
ifnot summarily punished, might have an
epidemieal effect on the darkies, and for these
reasons Don Gomez resolved to give chase.
The neighbours were duly informed of the
occurrence and invited to share the sport.
About an hour afterwards you might have
seen halfa-dozen Of them galloping up the
alley of palm trees that led to the lordly man
sion of Don Gomez a portly set they were
TO look at all mounted on splendid thor
oughbred Andalusian chargers, their saddles
richly embroidered with gold and their bri-
dies jeweled.
As there was no earthly need whatever for
being in hurry-the dogs being sure not to
loose scent of the track before the setting in
of the night dew-the guests sat down to
breakfast and made good cheer at the Justly
renowned table of Don Gomez, whose hospi-
tality was of the old Castflian style. After
breakfast, however, the horses were called for,
the dogs were brought out, and the chase
was to begin in earnest.
The negro, Juan was his name, had taken
good care to leave nothing behind him; a
wooden bowl, out of which he used to take
his meals, was all that could be made service
able for the. occasion, but the woman had
left few rags behind her, and these the over
seer had identified and picked up.
Drink was given to the dogs out of the
wooden bowl, and the linen was applied to
their nosas Tbara 1.,aro l,,,t tu-o of .ba,,,
but two are enough to settle any niger,
even of the size of Juan. Splendid animals
they were-powerful, strong built, yellow
haired, double-nosed blood-hounds. No
sooner had they got smell, than off they
darted, with halfsayage, half-joyful yell,
their long tails high in the air, their delicate
and dreadful noses close to the ground.
The caballeros had mounted by this time.
In the darn. eyes of some of them fash of
keen interest might be noticed, as this intro
duetory part of the chase is considered by
some amateurs as being by no means the
least attractive
The dogs had made straight for the negro
huts, the poor slaves, male or female, that
happened to be in that direction, taking
mighty good care to keep out of their way.
There the animals stopped and seemed TO
hesitate for while; then they were seen
tracing circle around the huts, coming back
again and gradually approaching a fence,
alongside of which they trotted for some
hundred yards, their tails tanning the air all
the time, their delicate and dreadful noses
almost rubbing the ground. Suspense was
at its height then, and many an anxious look
followed the savage beasts, when, all at once,
they gave a sharp yell and broke through the
fence without further hesitation.
"To the chase, eaballerosp' cried Don
Gomez, waving his large sombrero. They
put spurs to their horses and cleared the
fence. The hunt was upl
The dogs were taking a straight line in
southerly directions they did not run very
fast, so that our caballeros could follow them
at an easy canter. The security with which
they went along, however, was appalling to
behold; always sure, always eager, always
certain to pick up the track at the opposite
side of an impeachment round which they had
to turn now and then, never stopping, never
hesitating, and never for a single moment
lifting mp those terrible noses more than half |
an inch above the level of the ground.
The sun was at its highest now, and its |
scorching rays of liquid fire would have |
abated the enthusiastic zeal of many a white |
man of the Anglo-Saxon or any other race.
1t was not so with our jaded Dons, however,
who seemed to gather fresh strength from
every new feature of the chase. So on they |
went, up hill and down dale, through woods |
and groves, past sugarcane and cotton fields,
never slackening their speed, and with an
excitement that eTinced no signs whatever
Of decrease. a
The southern part Of the Island is very
and the nearer we draw to the |
the wilder and more picturesque /
becomes the surrounding landscape. Lofty
rocks rise up to hight Of several thousand
feet, their Inaccessible tops visited only by
the eagles which can be seen flying round
hem in majestic circles. The ground is torn
by deep chasms and cleffs, huge stones are
scattered about in every direction. The
country abounds in secluded spots, hiding
places, formerly for runaway sailors and pi-
rates, now for fugitive slaves-maroon mig
gers, as they are called here
Before a broad abyss, of tremendous
depth. the dogs suddenly stopped, and lift
ing up their noses, for the first time, high In
the air, they began to bark most furiously.