Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-21
A REAL PIRATE ISLA ND

island may be the scene of drunken debauch.
which brings to mind stories written about the
carousalS of the buccaneers after the capture of
a prize; but here is no Captain or discipline of
the sea. The weaker are the prey of the stronger.
and robbery and killing pass unnoticed. 1t is
the testimony of Father Saint John, the brave
priest who alone is endeavoring to do something
to improve the condition of these people, that
scarcely week passes without murder.
With only handful out of the thousand popu-
lation acknowledging any form of Christianity,
it is not strange that the belief in fetshes, even
voodooism, should be wide spread. Witch doc
tors and sellers of charms for good and evil are
numerous. Most of the women wear next to the
skin tuft of hair, piece of rag srneared with
blood, or some other amulet which is intended to
cast a spell over their enemies or to keep off
Satan, in which all believe.
But the life and history of these human rene
gadeS is not the only evidence to prove that
their home is real pirate island and not the sort
of which the novelists SO fond of describing
At its north end rises rocky plateau covering
half dozen acres Really it is another island,
but separated from Old Providence by chan
mel hundred yards in width and so shallow
that one can easily wade across it. The highest
point on this plateau bears slight resemblance
to mans face, and the native says that it is
"Morgans Head" The fifty-foot precipice
which extends from the waters edge to the top
of the plateau is steep to be almost
inaccessible except in two three places where
the storms of years have away the stone.
Remains of Old Ordnance
THE top is so covered with vines, shrubs, and
l. other growth that not until one has pene-
trated into their midst does he find the remains of
wall evidently the work of human hands. Most
of it is hidden by the rank vegetation; but
enough of the massive masonry can be seen to
indicate that it was intended for fortifcation,
with it's openings through which to sight the
cannon and its narrow Sits for the musketeers.
A strange sight are the dozen more pieces of
artillery mounted upon plateau at the north
end Some of them are of brass. but long since
thickly coated with verdigris, which gives them
the appearance of fallen trees green with mold.
Others are of iron; but all of them still bear
aces of the artistic imagery with which the gun
akers of the seventeenth century decorated their
,rk. Lying inside of the wall, the guns were evil
ntly part of the armament of Santa Theresa,
e castle which the Spanards built for the main de-
Use of St. Catherine, but which they surrendered
Morgan in 1910 with eight smaller forts and
tterieS.
Contagious diseases frequently ravage the land
d kill scores in visitation. Ignorant of sanitation,
owing little or nothing of medicine, and depend
chiefly on the charms they get from the voodoo
ctors ward off disease, the people often die from
ments which in other conditions might be cured.
From the accounts of the old men there is doubt
at fifty years ago the number of inhabitants was
lch greater than at present. half century hence
" see the descendants of the pirates of this
1thern ocean reduced to a mere handful if not
tirely extinct.