Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-06-28

agos without encountering dark
| skinned people who boast extensively of
MY uncle, Sir William Snagg."
From st. Vincent to Bequla Is but
a short row of a summers morning,
| the Islands lying almost within hall
ing distance of each other. This north
ernmost and largest OF the Grenadines
Is only about six miles long by a mile
wide, edged with gray cliffs and covered
with dense woods, and with range
Of hills, a thousand feet high, running
across the middle. Like the other ISL
ands of the group, II Is well stocked
by nature with wild doves plover, and
ducks IN their season, besides a multi
tude of song birds, while the rocky
shores are the haunts OF millions OF
sea fowls. All through the Grenadines
and especially In Bequi-but strange
TO say, In no other Islands,
not even In nearby st. Vim
cent-there is n singular species
OF fat glossy black birds, which make
the air resound all day with
plaintiye cries that seem to say Be
qula Sweet" "Bequia Sweet, Sweet"
Nothing would Induce native TO kill
or inJure one of these birds, whose
peculiar cry is accounted for In a ira
ditIon connected with the captivity OF
the aboriginal people and the cruel
treatment they received at the hands
OF the French. According TO the sto-
ry the little creature was like any
other blackbird and sung like the rest
OF its kind until near the middle OF the
seventeenth century, when transformed
by pity for the unfortunate Caribs. The
remnant OF large and peaceful tribe
had been driven out OF their own Gre
NADIA and imprisoned on the bare little
island Of Balliceaux, which Is low and
dry and had not tree TO shade them
from the burning sun. Within full
sight OF their place Of captivity was Be
quia, six times as large, with high hills
and dense forests and little riyelets
dancing downward TO the sea. OF course
the homesick Indians longed unutter-
ably for its cool shades and breezy hills.
but In vain. The heartless conquerors
had destroyed their canoes as well as |
their homes, and left them weapOnless |
and helpless. Without even Implements |
for fishing and hunting. or material for |
a slight shelter, the poor |
Caribs lay starving and gasping under |
the tropic sun, dying by dozens; until |
suddenly the blackbirds, into which I
perhaps the souls OF the dead were re-
began TO sing "BeQula
Sweet" "Beduia Sweet Sweet" and
have kept II up ever since.
The present Inhabitants OF the Gren-
adines, degenerate descendants OF the
)nce numerous Caribs, mixed with the
blood OF all nations African predomi-
Mating, display a love for even the
)arest and tiniest OF their Islands which
outsiders cannot comprehend. In re-
Taid 10 their conquest lin 1880, by the
du Teatre, one OF the
who took part in Il, re-
ates a monstrous mixture OF knavery |
md religious fanaticsm. II seems
hat Du Parquet the governor Of Mar
inico, although the greater portion OF
Ms own island was s,ill uncultivated.
asst covetous ewes upon beautiful
irenada. Finally he set out TO ac-
uire II by force, at the head OF 200
ardy rufiians,to whom--with the beau
lful consistency OF the old MISSION
nes-he administered the holy sacra-
lent on starting. After landing at
irenada, the first thing this pious
oyemor did was 20 erect a cross and
ompel his soldiers and the wondering
atlyes who gathered around, 10 kneel
nd join In prayer for the success OF