The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1894-01-25

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There Were Words Es" Whispered
grave old Caribs tell me that they no
longer kill human beings for religious
feasts; and their mournful sadness in
their tones when they talked Of rigor-
GUS laws made by the white usurpsrs
of American rights, to put an end to
the eating of people captured in bat
tie.
I was, because Of these ru1nors and
hints, only to glad to accept an invita-
ton that seemed to offer opportunity
to learn for myself just how much
truth might lie behind these tales.
We sailed at dusk from La Caribe,
from the mouth Of that river where
Columbus made his second landing on
the continent of America, and where
the English planted colonies three diff
ferent times, and were each time COM
PEELED to withdraw their garrisonS and
their colonists.
Not a soul ashore seemed to know
of our coming. Not a light glimmered;
not voice was heard. We made not
noise enough to awake even a village
dog.
Out from the shadow Of the shore
came three canoes. AS quietly as
ghosts they glided toward us over the
still waters. A dozen hands grasped
their wales as they ranged alongside,
and kept them from touching even
lightly against the schooner. Our pas
sengers passed baskets of their belong
tngs into the canoes, and followed the
baskets There was not even Wills
pered word, not an audible stroke Of
the paddle. I could not hear as much
as the lap of ripple against bow as
we made our way to shore, where the
canoes Sid up on the mud under the
shadows of the mangroves.
Bolli and I were last to step ashore.
Not soul was in sight as he led the
way between the houses, then through
banana patch and on into q dense
thicket which marked the spot whore
a plantation had once been, at the very
foot OF a high hill and had been aban-
dOned.
My guide crept beneath a leafy. tan
| gled vine and crouched along between
| the curtain it made and the rocky face
l.
fected from his white shirt. A minute
later we trod a smooth. hard path,
where could see no ray Of light.
We stood in that mysterious cave, Of
which evry dweller on the island Of
Utilla can tell weird tales.
! My guide picked up a few splinters Of
pine. lit them at the burning torch, then
led the way along a crooked cleft, that
had been widened here and there by
the chisel. He was stopped by blan-
ket, which curtained the passage. He
touched this lightly, and the edge, of
the curtain was drawn aside a little by
hand from the further side. There
We're few whispered words and after
waiting a moment we passed the CUT
tain.
Dusky forms Of Carib men and wo-
men suuatted on their heels in orderly
rows tint reached around the room.
| At one side was man who held before
him a carimba, bow, some six feet in
length, that had for it's boWstring 4
brass wire, which was drawn in toward
the bow by loop Of finer wire that
passed around both boWstring and bow
a third Of their length from their low.
er end. This loop Of fine wire went
through the bottom Of small jicaro, ]
deep cup that was the woody shell OF
calabash, and firmly bound it against
the back of the bow. One end Of the
carimba rested on a big calabash bowl
turned open side down on the rocky
floor to give depth and volume to the
notes Of the instrument.
The performer held in one hand a lit
tie wand, made of the dense, hard shell
Of the palm royal. He struck the wire
with this baton and q clear, sharp note
rang out. A bamboo flute joined witt
drOning vail and a drum, Of the Skin
of a peccary, stretched across the enc
of a section of hollow log, rolled ou
! volumes Of sound that filled the cave
with thunderingS.
A strangely carved statue of sof
gray stone squattcd on table in tn.
middle of the room, it's hands claspeC
about what seemed to be a bowl, rest
ing on the knees of the image. AROUND
it's head was band that formed Gu
rious head dress. On checks and brow
were marks of red and green and blacl
paint-symbolic colors Of the Mayas
who once filled Central America witt
cities, temples and other monument
Of a civilization that the ruthless bi
gotry Of the conqueror destroy
ed. About the waist Of tn
image was breechcloth o
palpura, adorned by q great rosett
behind. The face was craven with al
art which gave to it an expression 0
grim humor, as if he smiled at th
vanity Of man who has made so littl
real progress since the artist Who Great
. ed that stony counterance crumbled t
, forgotten dust.
A tiny fire burned on the thick edg