2l6 CAMPS IN THE CARIBBEES. 



were animated with the high resolve of saving the 

 colony the expense of paying their owners. 



At one time, having been driven from Owia, a 

 point on the north-east side of the island, the Caribs 

 executed a masterly retreat over the volcano, to the 

 Caribbean coast, and committed great ravages ; a 

 party sent against them there was defeated. In all 

 their battles they showed consummate skill and great 

 bravery, seizing upon the most advantageous posi- 

 tions, fortifying them and holding them to the last. 

 The English were at first unfortunate in their gen- 

 erals. One of them, "Sir Paulus ^Emilius Irving, 

 Bart.," who was pursuing the Caribs with a large 

 body of troops, became frightened by a six-pounder 

 ball passing near him, and ordered a retreat. Sub- 

 sequently the English were nearly cut off, and lost 

 several hundred men under this gallant general. 



The Indians understood and practiced the trick of 

 posting their best shots in the tall trees, for the purpose 

 of picking off the officers. At last there arrived the 

 famous General Abercrombie, fresh from his capture 

 of St. Lucia, who pushed the French and Caribs so 

 hard, with his army of four thousand men, that they 

 were obliged to surrender. The French and colored, 

 officers and soldiers, were released on parole, with 

 the privilege of returning to their own island ; but 

 the poor Caribs, thus abandoned, were allowed only 

 unconditional surrender. Refusing these terms, most 

 of them fled to the mountains, and in the dense forests 

 found shelter for a long time, defeating several de- 

 tachments of troops sent against them. 



Deprived of crops, and all provisions such as a 

 successful foray could obtain, they were gradually 



