Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-19
GREAT SPORT VluGlNG FAST BIRDS
How the Game is Prepared for the
Table.
CUNNING WITH THE PARSON
Written for The Evening Star.


nountaineers of Haiti and other islands;
guinea grass, guinea corn. and finally
guinea birds or fowl, all which have taken
root in the American tropics, and in many
places flourish exceedingly.
Like the negro, the guinea fowl has found
the climate and productions of the south
ern islands just suited to his warm-blooded
and VlVacious nature, and In certain parts
OF Cuba, Porto Rico, Jamaica and other
smaller islands has become the leading
game bird of the country. There is in fact,
no wild feathered game to rival him. either
In size or quality, throughout all the West
Indies
While good sport may now and then be
had with this bird in few islands of the
Greater Antilles, the only place where the
guinea bird fairly swarms is less known
island lying about thirty miles north Of
Antigua, the seat Of government of the
Leeward confederation belonging to the
British. Antigua can boast of having been
British possession for more than two
hundred and sixty years, and like Bar
BADGES, has never been anything but Eng
lish since 1T was first settled, about 1899.
1t was, the Caribs said, too dry for them.
and 1t has proved not much better for the
English planters, but they have stuck
there with praiseworthy tenacity, and to-
day its capital and only town of Saint
Johns is a place of some attractions and
consequence.
Troubles on the Start.
About thirty years after the first planters
had settled in Antigua the French from
Ma rtinique combined with band of Carib
Indians to ravage the island with fire and
sword, taking away all the negro slaves
and plundering the white people of every
thing they possessed, even to the clothing
on their backs and the shoes on their feet.
For several years after this event the An
war 10 fn % a
their many calamties, but about the year
1874 there came here, from Barbados.
wealthy and honorable gentleman of dis
tinguished family, Col. Codrington, who
set an example to the others by planting
the waste lands with sugar cane He was
later made captain general and COM
mander-in-chef of all the Leeward Islands,
and thus was the frstOf a long line of sub
governors, which has existed to the pres
ent time.
To Col. Codripgton Barbadoes owes its
charming seat of learning, Codrington Col
lege, founded by him. about ITO. and in
many other ways he showed his public
spirit and interest in the welfare of these
islands.
Col. Codringtop. 1t seems, had an eye
to personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, and early in
his rule obtained possession of the outlying
island of Barbuda. 1t was not long before
he had stocked it with cattle, sheep, fallow
deer from England and guinea fowl, so
that we may safely say that the island was
made a game preserve more than 200 years
ago. And, as those cattle, sheep and deer
soon ran wild, while besides the guinea
fowl the island was the natural home of
doves. pigeons, plover, curlew and many
other birds, 1t goes without saying that
Barbuda became so well stocked that royal
ty itself would not scorn to own it and to
shoot there on occasion.
The First Families.
Some negro slaves and overseer were
sent over at the time of the first settle
Iat f1a ly,l
obeyed the injunction literally to increase
and multiply. At the beginning of this CEN
fury there were 200 negro residents and one
white; on the occasion of my visit, a few
years ago, there We're about 500 black and
colored residents and two white men.
Barbuda is about ten miles long. with an
area of seventy-five square miles, the
greater portion of which is covered with
dense forest of scrubby wood and por-
ton only cultivated. There is only land
enough cultivated to feed the people living
there, and today the vast fields with high
stone walls show that more has reverted
to original conditions than is now planted.
The Old MarteIIo Tower.
The first object that attracted my atten-
ton as the little sloop in which 1 had taken
passage from Antigua arrived within sight
of Barbuda was a quaint old Martello tow
er, which once pertained to castle erected
by the buccaneers. There were no other
structures of note in sight, and only after
a weary walk of about three miles was 1
cheered by arriving at the great house."
built in the fiourshing times of the Cod
ringtOns A great wall had accompanied
me along the road, broad topped, high and
deeply based, showing that compulsory Ia
Dor was at one time abundant.
The white gentlemen residing there had
leased the island from the crown and were
working it for all 1t was worth" One Of
them was a clergyman of the Church of
ISpu nd md he q n ante hra To
the raising of sugar cane and the oversight
of laborers; SO both together made very
successful combination. AS the "parson"
was pledged to attend to the spiritual needs
of the black people and the overseer to their
physical wants, the blacks were contented
and happy apparently. They worked hard
in the fields six days In the week, under the
eye of the superintendent and on the
seventh attended services at the chapel.
AS the island had been without news
from outside for many moons, / was made
more than welcome, and Immediately my
wants were made known I was furnished
with a horse, a sable servant and a dog,
who accompanied me on my excursions
afield Our first visit was to vast inclo-
sure where the guinea fowl were said to
be abundant. and we arrived at their
scratching ground about mid-afternoon.
The dog put up a fine male bird and I let
go both barrels at him without touching
feather. 1t was the same with the second
and the third bird that got UP and sailed
away into the dim distance like railroad
train making up for lost time.
Getting EXCITED Now.
Puzzled>and ashamed at my poor shoot
Ing vowed that thesnext flock saw on
the ground should NOT be allowed to take
wing without a pot shot. anyway. but even
then there wasr somehow a discrepancy
between my antIcipaaons and reahzations.
1 never in my life Before saw such fast
birds on the wing nor such rapid ones
afoot They were thoroughly wild, and
probably had been for many generations.
At last. as the sun was sinking behind the
sea grapes on the shore. we approached an
old field where ,1ny guide said, there was
sure to be a flock busting" and If warily
approached could be- taken easily. This
time, as the chatteriAg fowl hurled them
selves into the air. caught two of them.
| right and left by firing ahead Of them
about half a rod, 1t seemed to me- Any
way they tumbled end over end, and I
was rewarded for my hours Of toll beneath
the ardent rays of a tropical SUM- The
| pair weighed seven pounds and that night
we had the tenderer of the two, q comedy
| pullet roasted for dinner. 1t was brought
| to the table garnished with all sorts Of
| good things, the huge platter on which 1t
| lay being borne aioft upon the head of q
grinning cook who could boast lineal de-
scent from the very first of his line brought
| to the island by "Massa Codrington" And
ii was toothsome-the Dullet-iespite the