Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-06-30

when in Belise, British Honduras,
We had opportunities Of learning some
thing about the interesting people called
Caribs or Caras, the word meaning .
brave man. They are supposed To-
have existed ~ = powerful race In
prehistoric times, and have spread all
over the globe, their name varying a
little In each place. They themselves
say they came from the North, and
some traditions are found among them
that make the plains OF Florida their
cradle.
There were in complete state of de
cadence At the time of the discovery Of
America, but we're q highly civilized
people long before that time. HeritageI
was still carefully regarded and kept
In the reigning family; great respect
being shown to the princes and to the
religious Jepets, As we'll rs obedience TO |
their laws, and much tenacity in cling |
ing TO ancient customs.
The Osribs in British Honduras 20 to |
the city Of Belize TO sell yams and . |
kind OF bread called caz ave, made from
the yuca plant. This bread Is made In
the form OF largo, round, thin and crisp
cakes, and Is almost tasteless. In q
crowd these strange people at once 1t.
tract attention by their peculiar Ian
Ruage. 1t sounds like the following
syllables constantly repeated with great
rap!dity-gloo 60 log.boo-ga.l oog but
strange to ray they use the French
numerals up 70 ten, though French 10
hardly spoken in Britiah Honduras. II
sounds odd 10 hear con, dou1, troll,
lquatre mingled with their gloo,gloo
particular CAribs como from Saint
VII L., thu Want IndiAR
The women dress in skirts, but wear
no Jacket over their low.necked under
garment. They twist caudy striped
kerchief round their heads as turban,
and wear all the ornaments they can
lobtain, q favorite necklace being .
string Of gold or silver coin. They are
not accustomed 10 eat with their hus
bands, or associate with them as com
panions. Tradition has 1t that Carib
linen captured these women from
Ianother tribe and made them their
wives, but the women swore that they
would never be their companions,
though compelled to serve them.
1t was rumored that the Caribs dwell
ling at Stan Creek, q settlement not far
from Belize, every year made human
sacrifice. Sir Frederick Barlee, at that
| time Lieutenant. Governor OF the colony,
IN ade inquiries to put q stop TO 1t II pos
sible, Stan Greek being within his )u-
risdiction but the accounts were rash-
or conflicting. It seems that once year
fifteen or sixteen Caribs, accompanied
by their wives, go to well cleaned
house away In the woods.
They go In procession TO the beating
Of drum, taking with them one male
child ave or six years old, whose moth
or 10 compelled to remain in the village
They allow no one to follow them, be-
yond their number, and when asked ii
Igive An account OF their prooeedingi
lsay: "After we shut ourselves In thu
house, We light great BIZ
fire in the middle of the floor. 9Th
Iearth serves az floor, and stand aroun,
81 "Aftervard we lie down with on
faces to the ground, leaving the chill
standing In our midst (where the FIR
Iis.) Whom We look up the child ha
Idisappeared-he Ia carried away b
!Maaa." They return to the villag
J. without the child, which Ia never agai
seen or heard of, and when urged to 90
what they have done with 1t, reply tha
"A they have given 1t to Mafs TO educate
Every year one child disappears In shs
way and no one has been able to dis
COV6L NuAb tu0y tobiiy w ~ "
" cause, when In the great hut wher
A they say they meet Malta, they tak
"A every preeaution to prevent any on
from peeping In.
10 Some assert that no boy ID sacrificed
bnt they do worship an invisible bein
OF that name, because they regard 1t 8
e an evil power, but they make nothin
to represent 1t and worship no goo
, being When VIC ourselves questione
Fl Carib about the m ysterious Malta, b
u said 1t WAS the Devil; 30 they worship
=, ped him, not God, for God was goo<
~ Malta, he said, always carried ava
the boy that was offered TO him. w
asked II he thought the Devil ate ii
boy, desiring to find out whether the
l indulge In little cannibalism, b,
u his very prudent answer WAS, Ma,
be-"
Yet, among the mountains Of Guatema
or la, where, even q few years ago, the trr
IN 10 time INDUCED In eating a young chill
or old persons more by way of a sa
~ RIDGE than to crafty their appetite
H. The Oaribs in Guatemala were almo
i'd white, but those in British Hondur,
are very dark.
n They also have dance called MI
- fia's Dance" in which they make
maiden as intoxicated as possible, IL
dress her, then form circle around b
and dance, making all sorts oi sil
antics, a banquet being spread in {
room for Malta to partake of. The q,
. thorities at Stan Creek forebade &
dance, but the order only resulted
the Caribs going further away to pc
y form the::rite.
< They are polygamists, can have
many wives as they can build hous
for, because each must have her on
1d home. When q man desires to ma
any woman his wife he proposes to hi
III. and If she accepts him, clears pat
as of ground, builds hut, and plar
some banana trees, then takes b
~ there. They have NO marriage ceremo
,ar of their own, but occasionally Cal
'oh is now married to his first wife by I
1t Catholic priest. The women do all
work, even cultivating the grour
They have to provide tor them SEW
.v and their children, as we'll as for
~ husband when he visits them.
~ ia woman ventures 10 marry c
who ia not q CaIib, she Is liable to
tied to . post, naked, aud whipped
lany one who chooses 10 intilct the pi
.T lalty on her. And II man amc
them leaves his people when a chi
he must return within o certain pr
cd and build o house, or be hen
forth considered by them an outcast.
1T A boy who had been taken into
. white family. when asked II he wo
like to 60 back to his people, ga
Not till am little bigger, bsca
they might give me to Malta"
a.