Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-04-05
4 QUEER RACE.
By WILLIAM wESTEL.

1t was not like British officer to accept
snch an offer as this, for doing so involved
both n dereliction of duty and a breach of
discipline. To remain on the island, ex-
cept under compulsion, was tantamount
to desertion: and desertion by combatant
officer in war time is an offense punishable
with death. Yet Denzil Fame not only did
accept the offer of the Carib chiefs, but
constrained his brother officers to follow
his example. assume the cOnstraint, al
belt no mention of it appears in the re-
cords, because it can hardly be supposed
that the ofIicers-the two lieutenants. the
masters mates, the surgeon, the chaplain,
and the half dozen midshipmen-would
willingly agree to expatriate themselves
and renounce all hope of ever seeing Eng
land again. But the recalcitrantS were a
small minority, and, being too few to build
a ship and get away by themselves, they
had no alternative but to throw in their
lot with the others and make the best Of
it. And some of the officers, like the sur
vivors of the crew, may have preferred
freedom and the Fair Island to life on the
ocean wave, for the British man-of-war Of
that time was not exactly paradise.
AS for DenZil Fane's motives | can offer
no adequate explanation. One, and per-
UiiBS illt HlbSb pO"flIu may nave bttH
that since his arrival on the island he had
married wife. The Spanish captain of
the Santa Anna" who fell on his own
quarterback, had with him his wife and
daughter, the latter handsome girl Of
nineteen The wife (Senora Velasquez Y
Blanco) survived her husband only a few
weeks; but Mercedes was among the rem
nant who reached the island, and month
nd Ia, 10 l,y
the Rev. Robert Hare.
If the commander had left a wife in
England (and such things have happened),
his reluctance To return thither would be
accounted for. But, though his conduct
may have been questionable. and his mo-
tfvcs obscure there can be no question that
Denzil Fame was IA man Of resOlute will
and strong character-a born leader of
men, should say. If his people thought
they were going to lead idle lives, they
were very much mistaken. So soon as the
decision was taken to remain on the island
he assigned 10 every one his task, organ
lied government, and promulgated a
code Of laws. Opposition Gf the idea Of it
was ever cOnceivcd) would have been out
OF the question: the CARDS simply idolized
their "White Chief" and rendered him
Iilt llt1l lUlDiltiI blJtultitCt. MINUS NtIt
made, houses built, gardens laid out, trees
cut down, and the country opened out.
Sailors are always handy fellows, and
among so many there were naturally some
with turn for mechanics and engineer
ing, and great improvements were effected
in the native methods of manufacture, and
several new Industries set on foot. Into
this work Fame threw so much energy that
I ne, ,Ii.r,,f,gnI tn think ia wanted ia iugti-
~ himself to his own conscience by civil
ling the Carib subjects, and making the
island the home Of IL happy and thriving
community. This may possibly have been
MS ruling motive from the first; and if so,
there can be no doubt that with the ma
terials ut his command he succeeded bet
ter than might have been expected
Some Of the rules he laid down are worth
mention. Although he acquired the Carb
tongue hc made English the official lam
guagc, and insisted on the Caribs learning
it, The process was probably slow and
painful in the beginning, but in the end
the desired result was attained. At the
time of my arrival on the island there were
not hundred men who could hold n con-
versatiOn in the Carib tongue. He also
made them Christans-after fashion-
which was all the more easy, rs their own
primitive religion seems to have sat very
lightly on them and they were ready to
believe pretty nearly everything the Great
White Chief told them.
In his own family Dcnzil Fame made the
practice Of athletics and the training of the
senses religious duty, whereby it came
To pass that his descendants were distin-
gutsh"d by exceptional bodily strength,
tt4.sy,4 1y.Ft 4 a, q
kccuucss of vision. Owing To their descent
from two European ancestors, moreover
Uhough Fanc's children had necessarily
nt"rmarricd with Caribs and haf-brceds),
they were whittier and less pirbald than the
other families of mixed blood. and formed
true aristocrncy, not by right of birth
merely, but 10y virtue of their physical and
moral superiority, which was probably the
end Fame had in view
lie called his government common
wealth, and himself its Protector" Orom
which infer that ne was I'm admirer of
Oliver CromwclD; but in reality it was
paternal despOtsm of a very uncompro-
missing sort. The ruling body was ostcns-
IDLY Council Of Nine, presided over by
the Protector, and nominated by himself;
and though they were ut liberty to offer
suggestions aud make proposals, he was
under no obligation either to adopt the one
or accept the other.
The office of Protector was made hercdi-
tary in Fanes own family; but on the
strictcst principle Of primogeniture-in
other words, the first-born child was to
succeed whatever mi .,ht be its sex. Sons
and daughters were placed on a perfect
equality. The Council Of Nine had, how
"a RIGHT pf ypfp uDI I ,val ohn,,t bn
only right they possessed In the event of
two thirds of their number declaring that.
I'm their opinion, the heir or heiress was
physically or mentally unfit, or morally
unworthy 10 rule, he or she would have TO
stand aside in favor of the next child in
the line OF succession.
Den2il Fame lived long enough to con-
solidatc his authority, firmly establish his
dynasty, and organize, according to his
own ideas, the community of which he was
the head. He ruled the Fair Island for
nearly half II century, and died full OF
years and OF honors. The islanders re-
yered his memory rs the children Of Israel
revered the memory of Moses, and even
more religiously than the Americans OF
to-day revere the memoryof George Wash
ington. His recorded opinions were held
In high honor, and the views and sayings
ascrhed 20 him 10y tradition had almost
the force of law.
CHAPTER NIX.-wIlY NOT oUEENf
Although spent half the night in porting
over log-hooks and other records, and CON
ycrsiug with Field-who. now that the ice
was broken, threw aside his reserve, and
treated me with all the cordiality | could
desire rose next morning before the sun,
and, accompanied by Bolsover and my
host, and ten fishermen, went on board the
Diana" to prepare for the reception of
Queen Nab
On our way thither Field explained how
the present ruler came to her title. Two
years previously Mabel Fame had succeeded
her father, the fourth Protector; and as
she strongly objected to the appellation as
being unsuitable Tor young woman, and
the Council of Nine coucurred in the OBJ
ieCttGn, it became necessary to choose an
other The choice was, however, attended
with some difficulty. "Protectress," be-
sides being questionable English, did not
sound we'll "Goveruess," beside sound
ing worse, was generally used in another
sense Chief and President" have no
feminine, and Miss Fame made it a condi-
ton sine qua non that the title selected
should denote her sex.
The difficulty was solved by an ingenious
member of the council "Why not queen"
he said. 1t is the feminine OF king; and
king in the original Specification of the
word, meant simply the man who cam
~ 1.