152 THE WOODLANDS ORCHIDS 



them presently and return whilst the timber is drying ; 

 or amuse themselves in the bush, hunting and gathering 

 miscellaneous produce. Then they float the raft down to 

 Belize. 



These Caribs are more or less descended from the 

 Indians of Jamaica. Early in the last century the British 

 Government collected the survivors of that hapless race, and 

 planted them out of harm's way in the Island of St. Vincent, 

 uninhabited at the time. They did not thrive, however, 

 and in 1796 the Government transported them once more to 

 the Island of Roatan, in the Bay of Honduras. 



But an extraordinary change had come over the poor 

 creatures. We are to suppose that when landed at St. 

 Vincent their type was mostly if not wholly Indian ; when 

 taken away it was to all appearance negro. Probably a 

 slave ship had been wrecked there, and the blacks, escaping, 

 killed all the male Indians, taking the women to wife ; such 

 is the theory, but there is no record. A transformation so 

 sudden and complete in such brief time is striking evidence 

 of the African vigour, for in hair, features, complexion, and 

 build the Carib is a negro. 



But not in character. He has virtues to which neither 

 red man nor black lay claim— industry, honesty, truthfulness, 

 staunch fidelity to his engagements and readiness to combine. 

 The mahogany cutters have a Guild, which holds itself 

 responsible for the failure of any member to execute work 

 for which he has been paid ; it cannot be called a Trade 

 Union, because, so far as I learn, it has no other purpose — 

 except jollification. In brief, the Carib of Honduras is one 

 of the best fellows on earth in his way. He looks down on 

 all about him, negro and Indian and ' poor white.' If a 

 stranger suspect him of trickery, he thinks it defence 

 enough to exclaim — ' Um Carib man, sah ! ' And so it is, 

 as a rule. 



