144 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 



drew out from a corner of the cave a manufactured 

 flambeau and lighted it. By the glare it shed around 

 I could see that I was in a smoke-blackened chamber 

 large enough to contain fifty men, with high vaulted 

 roof and rude seats hollowed out of the rock near the 

 floor, which latter was covered with a thin coating of 

 earth. There was a large heap of dry wood near the 

 entrance, from which Meyong drew enough for a fire, 

 which was soon blazing cheerily, the smoke escaping 

 through some crevices in the roof. 



My first care was for my beloved gun ; and having 

 taken off the barrels and inverted them near the fire, 

 I oiled the locks and steel parts of the stock, and, 

 later, the barrels themselves ; then stripping myself 

 of clothing, I drew a blanket over my shoulders and 

 waited for my garments to dry. Huge bats, disturbed 

 by the unwonted light, flapped above us with regular 

 beats of their broad wings, some of them large as 

 pigeons, known as vampires, true blood-suckers. A 

 small variety also flew softly about, hundreds of them 

 playing in the space above our heads and darting 

 at us. 



"Zis old Charaib caverne," said Meyong. 



" What, the one to which the chief carried the gov- 

 ernor's wife?" demanded I quickly. 



"6W, ze rock veritable." 



A long time ago, — nearly or quite two hundred 

 years, — when the Carib was known only as the 

 cruel, untamable cannibal, these Indians made long 

 cruises in their canoes to procure victims for sacrifice 

 at their feasts. One hundred miles north of Dominica 

 lies the lovely island of Antigua, at that time thinly 

 settled. To this island the Caribs made frequent pred- 



