CH. xv.] BARBUDA CUB. 265 



emerging from the sea, its highest point being no more than one 

 hundred and twenty feet above the water. The horses, cattle, and 

 everything on the island are wild, save the manager and two over- 

 seers, its only white inhabitants. The former (I speak of the year 

 1835) was a splendidly built man, not very refined, but full of 

 energy, an excellent shot, and an indefatigable sportsman. No 

 Indian had a keener eye for a trail. A turned leaf or a broken 

 twig told him the path, and almost the distance, of the hog or deer 

 which he was pursuing through the dark intricacies of stunted trees, 

 cactus, and long grass, with which the island is, in a great measure, 

 covered. A small mangy-looking mongrel, with a long thin muzzle, 

 and lanky body, always accompanied him. The sagacity of this 

 brute, and his powers of scenting game, were most remarkable. 

 He generally walked about ten yards in front of his master, and 

 suddenly throwing his nose high in the air, would quicken his pace, 

 and trot up wind. Gradually again his pace would slacken, the 

 trot was changed to a walk, the walk to stealthy creeping, when he 

 would raise each foot with the greatest caution, putting it down as 

 noiselessly as though shod with velvet, most carefully avoiding the 

 crisp leaves and dry twigs, for fear of making the slightest sound. 

 Presently he would stand stock-still (the inclination to point is, I 

 think, more general among dogs than many men suppose) and look 

 at his master ; but he never did this unless the game was well 

 within shot. His master would now peer closely round, and his 

 eagle-eye never failed to detect the tip of a horn, or a dappled spot, 

 showing where a fallow-deer was feeding. If there was a flock of 

 Guinea-birds,* (which are numerous in Barbuda,) the sagacious 



* Guinea-birds beingmuch prized is seldom told him, and therein 



in such of the islands as possess lies the real secret, that, in ad- 



but little game, many are reared dition to such precautions, he 



at the farms of the planters. The never ought to rob a nest without 



negroes dig up ants' nests, which leaving at the least three eggs. It 



are disagreeably numerous, and on is surprising how many may in this 



bringing one into the yard, dash way be taken. I know of a single 



it violently upon the ground, when pair of guinea-birds being thus 



the chicks eagerly scramble for the robbed in one spring of no less 



contents, the insects and the than eighty-four, 

 eggs. By the bye, much is said Having got into a Creole's poul- 



about the difficulty of taking eggs try-yard, I am unwilling to quit 



from Guinea-birds without making it without observing, that few 



them abandon their nests. The better birds are reared than his 



would-be purloiner, in answer to cross between common ducks and 



his inquiries, is often recommended a Muscovy drake. It is found 



to keep as far as possible from the necessary carefully to guard against 



nest ; and, that it may in no way be the ungainly gentleman's having 



contaminated by his touch, to re- any rival of the ordinary breed 



move the eggs during the absence iu the neighbourhood, for if the 



of the birds with an iron or silver opportunity were afforded them, 



spoon, having a long stick at- the ladies would to a certainty 



tached to it as a handle ; but it forsake their cumbrous lord for 



