THE INDIANS OF BARBADOS. 



Bv E. G. SlXCKLER. 



In his English in the West Indies, published in 1S88, Mr. Jarnea 

 Anthonj- Froude, the historian, writing of Barbados, states (page S3) : 



" Little is known of the island before we took possession of it — so 

 little that the origin of the name is still uncertain. Barbados, if not a 

 corruption of some older word, is Spanish or Portuguese, and means 

 ' bearded.' The local opinion is that the word refers to a banyan or fig- 

 tree which is common there, and which sends down from its branches 

 long hairs or fibres supposed to resemble beards. I disbelieve in this 

 derivation. Every Spaniard whom I have consulted confirms my own 

 impression that ' Barbados ' standing alone could no more refer to trees 

 than ' barbati ' standing alone could refer to trees in Latin. The name 

 is a century older than the English occupation, for I have seen it in a 

 Spanish chart of 1525. The question is of some interest, since it perhaps 

 implies that at the first discovery there was a race of Bearded Caribs 

 there." 



As the English when they took possession of the island in 1605, and 

 again when they settled in it in 1627, are stated to have found no 

 inhabitants in it (if we exclude the fact of the bay called "Six men's 

 bay" in St. Peters) the question arises ivas (he island ever inhabited? 



The Bev. Griffith Hughes, Bector of St. Lucy's Parish, in his 

 "Natural History of Barbados" (published in 1750) proves that it was 

 inhabited (" for at least certain seasons of the year.") He states : — 



" Former descriptions of this island begin with barely mentioning 

 its discovery by the Portuguese, and the settlement of the English there 

 in the reign of King James the First in the year 1625,* with ut the least 

 enquiry, whether it had ever been before inhabited, and by whom. It is, 

 indeed, said that some of the first discoverers of this island found no in- 

 habitants upon their arrival. However we ought not to conclude too 

 hastily, that there never were any, until what is offered to prove the 

 contrary, be fully considered. I was, indeed, once partly inclined to that 

 opinion, induced to it from the remoteness of this, from the whole cluster 

 of islands, viz., St. Lucia, Dominico, Marygalaut, Guardaloup, St. Chris- 

 topher's, Antigua, and St. Vincent ; which last, though nearest, is about 

 100 miles distant. And as most of these are in sight of one another, they 

 are more convenient for mutual commerce in time of peace, and embarka- 

 tion in time of war. And what gives several of these the advantage over 

 this island with regard to an Indian settlement, is their Ear greater num- 

 ber of open buys and rivers, stored with tortoises, and almost an incredi- 

 ble plenty of fish. But as wo have had late instances of their coining 



*The late Mr. N. Darnell Davis C.M.G.. proved this date to be incorrect — the correct 

 dato being- 1627. 



