A DAY IN THE DEEP WOODS. 145 
atory raids, always returning well rewarded. In one 
of these excursions the chief of the tribe captured 
the wife of the governor of Antigua, who lived in a 
secluded nook in that island, near the sea. She was 
brought a prisoner to this place, to this very cave, 
Meyong says, and held, contrary to their custom, for 
ransom. I will not try to depict the wrath and de- 
spair of the husband, nor the details of the pursuit he 
at once organized, but merely state that he sought her 
out, traced her to the Carib retreat by fragments of 
clothing torn from her by cruel thorns, and eventually 
succeeded in returning with her. She had been weeks 
in captivity, but had been well treated. 
This, then, was the cavern in which that delicate 
lady lay captive, nearly two centuries ago! Truly, it 
was a poor retreat for a tenderly nurtured woman, 
but a grand one for Meyong and myself. After the 
fire was well going, Meyong made a large torch, 
which he stuck in a crevice outside as a guide to 
Coryet in his ascent. The crabs, which the sly fel- 
low, with wise forethought, had deposited in a heap 
by the rock as we had ascended, were then brought 
in and some of them roasted; and these, with some 
cold boiled yam, made a grateful repast. We sat 
over the fire till late, then spread our blankets upon 
the earth and lay down to sleep. 
Several hours later I was awakened by a disturb- 
ance, and rolling over quickly, saw Coryet standing 
in the doorway. But it appeared more like his appa- 
rition than himself in flesh and blood, as he stood 
there shaking with cold. The dogs, which he held 
in leash, as soon as released slunk into a corner with 
their tails between their legs, uttering low whines. 
IO 
