THE BLACK CARIBS. 



narrow and steep path-way which led down to the stream) sprang up 

 and caught the child from the wounded Indian. Scarcely had the Caribs 

 time to rush on the Mandingo before the latter, with the courage of 

 despair, leaped down into the awful dell, and with the child sunk into 

 the stream. The fierce feelings of the combatants were stayed for a mo- 

 ment by the intense interest of the circumstance. They gazed in breath- 

 less suspense on the place where he disappeared ; it was but a few 

 seconds, for they beheld the gallant Mustapha rise to the surface, 

 and, struggling his way to the opposite bank, hold up the infant in 

 triumph. A loud huzza from the rangers greeted the deliverer, 

 while at the same moment a volley in the rear of the Caribs 

 announced the arrival of the grenadiers. The rangers from the 

 elevated situation fired down upon them until the few survivors from 

 the carnage called for quarters. 



All this time Belgrave was embracing his child, and caressing its 

 bold and faithful deliverer ; but it was for the last time ; his minutes 

 were numbered. A shot had entered his side, and his face, now 

 deadly pale, and his faltering accents, told its mortal effect. The 

 dying man again embraced his child, and wringing Mustapha by the 

 hand, said, " Protect my poor infant." He fainted, and expired 

 without a groan. 



This war was not brought to a close till March 1790, when Sir 

 R. Abercrombie took St. Lucia, and thus cut off the barbarous 

 enemy's supplies ; after this he brought such a force that the greater 

 part of the black Caribs, after maintaining the war until October 

 following, surrendered, and were banished to the island Hollar, in 

 the bay of Honduras. 



I must now pass over nearly sixteen years in my narrative, during 

 which time the proprietor of the estate near the souffriere, on which 

 the attack was made the night previous to the death of Belgrave, 

 humanely reared and educated the orphan Rosetta. The once ample 

 fortune of Belgrave had been cruelly reduced by the Carib war ; the 

 chest containing gold, jewels, and, it was suspected, valuable papers, 

 that was brought to the plantation by Mustapha, had disappeared ; 

 it was supposed to have been taken off by the brigands ; the buildings 

 and cultivation of the fine estate of Belgrave' s were burnt; the 

 greater part of his negroes had been butchered in cold blood by the 

 Caribs ; of the remainder some had been forced into the service of 

 the brigands and slain, some few had deserted to St. Lucia and Gua- 

 daloupe ; eighteen able slaves and some children only remained ; with 

 these it was useless to attempt cultivating the ruined plantation, so 

 that the faithful Mustapha proposed to the orphan's guardian to work 

 them, whereon he could find advantageous employ, and rent her land 

 to neighbouring estates. To this prudent project the latter consented, 

 and entered into arrangements with the Mahometan to employ them 

 principally on the estate where Rosetta was educated. Mustapha 

 managed matters so prudently that he soon augmented the number 

 of the slaves considerably by applying their gains and the emolu- 

 ments derived from lands to new purchases; so that in 1812 Rosetta 

 possessed above fifty able negroes, when her faithful African pro- 

 tector ineditated the resumption of her lands, and the repairing of the 



