XAYMACA; THE ISLAND OF MANY RIVERS 325 



relating to the West Indies and to Jamaican 

 history in particular. Kingsley's " At Last " 

 marvellously pictures the rare beauty and delight 

 of a tropical winter, and though written of Trini- 

 dad, is alike descriptive of the other islands. 

 " Tom Cringle's Log " gave us glimpses of the 

 reckless, daredevil spirit that so long prevailed 

 in West India waters. Gardiner's " History of 

 Jamaica" sets forth in sober style the romantic 

 story of the island, the scene of desperate deeds, 

 the rendezvous of the pirate and the buccaneer; 

 at one time the richest spot on the face of the 

 earth, and the wickedest. Froude's later day 

 journeying, with his comments and forecasts, was 

 also of absorbing interest. 



The event of the day was the arrival of King, 

 a native hunter. While I was able, with the aid 

 of my assistant, to get representatives of the birds 

 of the neighborhood, the fastnesses of the deep 

 woods and high mountains were left largely to 

 the negro sportsmen familiar with them. William 

 King, a giant black, a very savage in looks and 

 breeding, was not only picturesque as a person, but 

 was preeminent among the blacks as a hunter. 

 He it was who generally appeared about dark, 

 scarcely less interesting than the birds in his 

 game-bag. He seemed always a wild creature 

 fresh from the forest glade, who deigned to lend 

 his aid in disclosing the mysteries of wood and 



