The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-08
STORY OF THE CARDS
REMNANT OF A RACE OF WHOSE
HISTORY LITTLE Is KNOWN.
Tradition of Their Migration from
the North-They Are Daring Sail
0rs, with Habits of Thrift.


race, now nearly extinct known as the
Carib Indians. The village of Livingston.
situated at the entrance Of the Gulf Dulce,
is one OF the largest settlements of these
people. containing, near as could
learn, about two thousand Caribs, with
few whites and handful of soldiers,
ragged, barefooted and totally undisci-
plined, but whose presence is deemed neces-
sary to maintain the dignity of the little
republic and properly impress the stranger
with the military resources of the country,
Being delayed several weeks at this place,
the writer devoted his leisure hours to the
study OF Carib history from their own
standpoint, but, must / admit, with small
success, for, garrulous as they are on al
most any other subject, they could hardly
be induced to speak of themselves; how
ever, by putting together the fragments
cleaned from different sources. think the
reader may get very fair idea of the pres
ent condition Of this remnant Of once
powerful race, with a glimpse of its past
record that may prove Interesting to those
whose tastes lead them in the direction of
historical research or the more delightful
study Of folk lore This singular reticence
in regard to their customs and beliefs may
be accounted for, in part, from the dread
nave
government, whose representatives regard
with suspicion the performance Of certain
rites and ceremonies held sacred by the sue
cessor of the fiery Caonabo. who reigned
in the southern archipelago at the time of
its discovery by Columbus.
In the writer's opinion, these periodical
complaints are simply the result Of jealousy
on the part OF the petty officials, whose
envy Is aroused by the superior thrift of
the Caribs, whose Industrious and econom-
ical habits contrast sharply with the lazy,
shiftess lives of the half-breeds, who are
in many instances appointed to administer
the law In these remote corners of the
state, and whose fitness for the position
is never questioned IL their political creed
is found favorable to the party in power.
It Is q matter Of astonishment that people
of such primitive habits should have sur
vfved the terrible persecution of the Span
iards, whose heartless cruelty seemed salts
fed with nothing short Of the total extinc-
ton Of every national trait, as witness the
Aztecs of Mexico, and the still more highly
cultured Children of the Sum-" who had
converted the desert wastes Of Peru into
blooming gardens, and whose knowledge OF
agriculture and mechanics should have been
preserved at all hazards acquisition
OF far greater Importance to the conquerors
than all the mineral wealth Of the noun
tains. Had thirst for knowledge equaled
her love for gold, Spain might to-day have
held the first place among the nations of
the earth, but, like all nations or individ-
uals whose highest aim is the accumulation
of wealth for purely selfish ends, the sue
cessors of Ferdinand and Isabella sank
steadily, until. at the present time, they oc-
cupy the lowest position among the powers
laying claim to any degreee of civilization.
WARIIKE ANCESTORS.
But my present purpose is not to discuss
questions of morality or philosophy, but
rather to sketch hastily some of the char
acterlstics OF this interesting tribe, whose
| ancestors ruled the Western sea, and whose
huge, painted dories appearing on the hori-
| ION filled the inhabitants of the neighboring
| islands with CONSERVATION. The Caribs of
| to-day are confined to a few small settle
ments along the coast of Honduras, and at
| this one point in Guatemala they have not
only retained their native tongue, but many
Of their ancient customs and continue to be
the best sailors on the coast. They were
first met with by Columbus on his second
voyage, and formed striking contrast to
the friendly, easy-going savages with whom
he became familiar during his first visit
Among all the daring enterprises under
taken by the admiral, or those under his
command, the ones directed against these
ferocious chiefs were attended with the
most danger. and the story of the wild
adventures of the valiant Ojeda reads more
like Grecian fable than actual historical
facts. However, their desperate courage
coupled with knowledge Of war far su-
perior to that of the tribes around them
was no match for their civilized assailants,
and their story from this time is one of
gradual cecay. Driven from point to point
by an ever advancing foe. the territory of
the Carib CHIEFS rapidly dwindled away un-
| til their identity as a nation was lost and
| in 1896 the English government transported
| the entire Carib population from Dominica
| and ST. Vincent to Ruatan, small but
| fertile island near the coast of Honduras
whittier most Of them have since emf
| grated, owing to the constant encrowdment
| of English settlers.
| These people have a legend, somewhat
| shadowy, but pretty withal, which drew
| from an old Card sailor locally known as
"Jim," in whose dory spent many pleas
| ant hours, skirting the palm-fringed shores
| of the Rio Dulce, as the nations persist in
| calling the narrow entrance to Lake Col
| fete. This story, necessarily abridged for
present purposes. traces their history back
| through centuries of time to the cradle of
| the nation in a beautiful valley in the midst
| OF the Blue mountains of North America,
and corresponding with the territory now
| known as Virginia North Carolina In
| this happy vale, surrounded by every lux
ury an Indian could desire. they lived and
loved. fought and died. and were buried or
tom lands furnished corn in abundance al
| most without effort, the mountains were
| alive with game, the rivers swarmed with
/ fish, the men were brave, the women beau
| tiful, and there they might have been living
| in peace and happiness to this day, pos
| sibly, had not a most unfortunate vision
| come to their chief. Un-gow-a, in which a
beautiful female formed the central fea-
| ture, as is frequently the case in visions of
to-day among men much further advanced
socially and politically.
This figure, as described by the infatuated
Un-gow-a. possessed a fair skin. a face
radiant with light while her long golden
tresses fioated about her shapely shoulders
like a cloud. She appeared every evening
in the southern sky, smiling and beckon!ns
| TO our unhappy chief. True, others saw
nothing but bright star. with long tran
of light streaming out behind IL, but no
Carib ever questioned a chief, especially
on matters connected with visions In which
handsome women appeared. 1t wasn't con-