Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-07-23
LAST OF THE CARIBS.
4 Romance of Martinique.

YOU have heard them speak Of the
Caravelle. 1t is a wild isthmus, so
called by the sailors from a Spanish
wreck. The sea is always raging wildly
enough there. An, you see the waves
as thew leap madly on the rocks. Then
they break into DRILLING white foam
sheets a furlong broad-and then fall
back in vain. And it is always going
on; it never ceases. There my fathers
house was situated.
But further down, the country
changes entirely; it becomes perfectly
fascinating. The two sides of the
isthmus resemble two fairy lakes. It
was for this reason that its proprietor,
the Count de Saint Croix, called it Beau
Seiour-the beautiful home.
The Saint Croix family ard ours
formed, so to speak, only one, we were
so intimate. Francis, the Counts only
son, was like brother with my sister
and me-
ANY one who had seen us, three-ln-
hand, running. like deer, over the sand,
our hair lifted by the breeze, ming,ing
our merry laughter with the murmur of
the waves, would have believed that
there are some happy beings here on
earth.
Our greatest pleasuse was to run out
on the caves, or sand bars, and hunt
for shells. We left at sunrise, a little
basket on our arms. The songs Of the
negroes, fishing in their long canoes,
came to us over the water.
One winter day we returned from
running on the sands. It was an even
ing foreboding storm. Distant light
nings darted across the sky. Julie was
delayed by endeavoring to tear up from
q seafan a shell. The tide rose until
the sand-bank on which she stood be-
came an island The poor girl became
alarmed, and, lifting her arms, cried
aloud for assistance. Her long, black
braids tapped in the storm-wind, and
coiled, like serpents, around her neck.
The negroes, hearing the cry, came in
their canoes. Before they arrived,
Francis had swan across, and stood
by his sister supporting her.
They carried her beneath the palm
trees which bordered the shore. With
her arms entwined around her brother,
she cast on him chances Of love; but
from time to time looked regretfully
toward the island.
"Who will bring me my shells?" she
cried, at last.
And, as if she had power to command
the elementary spirits. there suddenly
arose deep, strange voice, which ex-
claimed "I"
A man ofcopper hue, gray eyes, bushy
brows, long hair, dripping with. salt
water, came forth from the waves, bear
ing the wished-for shells.
Father Sassa!" cried all the negroes.
Father Sassa vas neither white, mu-
3atto nor black. He was of the indigo
nous Carib race. His family, last rem
nant of the original tribes found by
the Spaniards, had escaped the massa-
ores Of civilization and taken refuge
among the rocks of our wild peninsula.
But the family has been sadly reduced
under the English rule of the island,
and Sassa survived He bore the title
OF cacique, though without subjects to
rule. His name was Sassaggari, but the
blacks, following their custom of giving
always called him Father
Sassa.
He had brought the longed-for shells
to Julie. When be first heard her cry,
he had plunged into the waves.
" All what horrible shell !" I cried,
perceivlng a dark mass in the hand of
the Carib. "Why, 'tisn't worth the
pain it has cost. Throw it back into
the sea, Father Sassa." 1865 49, . :
To the sea to the seai' cried all the
negroes. -t'-5e
But the Carib. deaf to these murmurs,
advanced with us under the shade of
the cocoa trees.
Little whites" said he, sssyou love
what shines and for that reason do not
throw away this shell. It lis colorless
on the surface, but it CLEANS within.
The stals Of night have marked its
heart"
What, Father Sassa," we cried, edo
you mean to say that you can see
through the shelf" f*
The cacique stretched out a hand to.
ward the last rock of the Caravelle,
where his little hut cleaned IL the fire.
quent lightning. y s.-,..
"Come there" saidihe, "and you will
learn more" .....l
And entering h1s canoe he disap-
peared. .e.- .--..E -
The lightning grew more brilliant;
large drops quickly falling announced
coming tropical hurricane. We
fastened homeward, bearing the
shoe.
The next morning the banana trees
beaten down in the fields, the uprooted
trees borne afar by torrents, were the
only indications of the storm of the
previous night. The heaven and
the sea rested, calm and beautiful.
after their wild passions had been graf
flied. s tH eos
We started for the cabin of Father
Eassa. SON..
We found that Carib seated on
large stone, before his dwelling, pre-
pairing nets for fishing. Seeing as he
raised his heavy eyebrows; his strange
eyes cleaned, as with gratifed feel