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Andromeda, and Other Poems
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Hung at last, with happy humming,
Round some flower he fancied best.
Up then went the rusty muzzle,
’Dat de tenth I shot to-day:’
But out sprang the Indian shouting,
Balked the negro of his prey.
‘Eh, you Señor Trinidada!
What dis new ondacent plan?
Spoil a genl’man’s chance ob shooting?
I as good as any man.
‘Dese not your woods; dese de Queen’s woods:
You seem not know whar you ar,
Gibbin’ yuself dese buckra airs here,
You black Indian Papist! Dar!’
Stately, courteous, stood the Indian;
Pointed through the palm-tree shade:
‘Does the gentleman of colour
Know how yon Pitch Lake was made?’
Grinned the negro, grinned and trembled—
Through his nerves a shudder ran—
Saw a snake-like eye that held him;
Saw—he’d met an Obeah man.
Saw a fêtish—such a bottle—
Buried at his cottage door;
Toad and spider, dirty water,
Rusty nails, and nine charms more.
Saw in vision such a cock’s head
In the path—and it was white!
Saw Brinvilliers[17 - Spigelia anthelmia, a too-well-known poison-plant.] in his pottage:
Faltered, cold and damp with fright.
Fearful is the chance of poison:
Fearful, too, the great unknown:
Magic brings some positivists
Humbly on their marrow-bone.
Like the wedding-guest enchanted,
There he stood, a trembling cur;
While the Indian told his story,
Like the Ancient Mariner.
Told how—‘Once that loathly Pitch Lake
Was a garden bright and fair;
How the Chaymas off the mainland
Built their palm ajoupas there.
‘How they throve, and how they fattened,
Hale and happy, safe and strong;
Passed the livelong days in feasting;
Passed the nights in dance and song.
‘Till they cruel grew, and wanton:
Till they killed the colibris.
Then outspake the great Good Spirit,
Who can see through all the trees,
‘Said—“And what have I not sent you,
Wanton Chaymas, many a year?
Lapp,[18 - Cœlogenys Paca.] agouti,[19 - Wild cavy.] cachicame,[20 - Armadillo.]
Quenc[21 - Peccary hog.] and guazu-pita deer.
‘“Fish I sent you, sent you turtle,
Chip-chip,[22 - Trigonia.] conch, flamingo red,
Woodland paui,[23 - Penelope.] horned screamer,[24 - Palamedea.]
And blue ramier[25 - Dove.] overhead.
‘“Plums from balata[26 - Mimusops.] and mombin,[27 - Spondias.]
Tania,[28 - An esculent Arum.] manioc,[29 - Jatropha manihot, ‘Cassava.’] water-vine;[30 - Vitis Caribæa.]
Let you fell my slim manacques,[31 - Euterpe, ‘mountain cabbage’ palm.]
Tap my sweet morichè wine.[32 - Mauritia palm.]
‘“Sent rich plantains,[33 - Musa.] food of angels;
Rich ananas,[34 - Pine-apple.] food of kings;
Grudged you none of all my treasures:
Save these lovely useless things.”
‘But the Chaymas’ ears were deafened;
Blind their eyes, and could not see
How a blissful Indian’s spirit
Lived in every colibri.
‘Lived, forgetting toil and sorrow,
Ever fair and ever new;
Whirring round the dear old woodland,
Feeding on the honey-dew.
‘Till one evening roared the earthquake:
Monkeys howled, and parrots screamed:
And the Guaraons at morning
Gathered here, as men who dreamed.
‘Sunk were gardens, sunk ajoupas;
Hut and hammock, man and hound:
Round some flower he fancied best.
Up then went the rusty muzzle,
’Dat de tenth I shot to-day:’
But out sprang the Indian shouting,
Balked the negro of his prey.
‘Eh, you Señor Trinidada!
What dis new ondacent plan?
Spoil a genl’man’s chance ob shooting?
I as good as any man.
‘Dese not your woods; dese de Queen’s woods:
You seem not know whar you ar,
Gibbin’ yuself dese buckra airs here,
You black Indian Papist! Dar!’
Stately, courteous, stood the Indian;
Pointed through the palm-tree shade:
‘Does the gentleman of colour
Know how yon Pitch Lake was made?’
Grinned the negro, grinned and trembled—
Through his nerves a shudder ran—
Saw a snake-like eye that held him;
Saw—he’d met an Obeah man.
Saw a fêtish—such a bottle—
Buried at his cottage door;
Toad and spider, dirty water,
Rusty nails, and nine charms more.
Saw in vision such a cock’s head
In the path—and it was white!
Saw Brinvilliers[17 - Spigelia anthelmia, a too-well-known poison-plant.] in his pottage:
Faltered, cold and damp with fright.
Fearful is the chance of poison:
Fearful, too, the great unknown:
Magic brings some positivists
Humbly on their marrow-bone.
Like the wedding-guest enchanted,
There he stood, a trembling cur;
While the Indian told his story,
Like the Ancient Mariner.
Told how—‘Once that loathly Pitch Lake
Was a garden bright and fair;
How the Chaymas off the mainland
Built their palm ajoupas there.
‘How they throve, and how they fattened,
Hale and happy, safe and strong;
Passed the livelong days in feasting;
Passed the nights in dance and song.
‘Till they cruel grew, and wanton:
Till they killed the colibris.
Then outspake the great Good Spirit,
Who can see through all the trees,
‘Said—“And what have I not sent you,
Wanton Chaymas, many a year?
Lapp,[18 - Cœlogenys Paca.] agouti,[19 - Wild cavy.] cachicame,[20 - Armadillo.]
Quenc[21 - Peccary hog.] and guazu-pita deer.
‘“Fish I sent you, sent you turtle,
Chip-chip,[22 - Trigonia.] conch, flamingo red,
Woodland paui,[23 - Penelope.] horned screamer,[24 - Palamedea.]
And blue ramier[25 - Dove.] overhead.
‘“Plums from balata[26 - Mimusops.] and mombin,[27 - Spondias.]
Tania,[28 - An esculent Arum.] manioc,[29 - Jatropha manihot, ‘Cassava.’] water-vine;[30 - Vitis Caribæa.]
Let you fell my slim manacques,[31 - Euterpe, ‘mountain cabbage’ palm.]
Tap my sweet morichè wine.[32 - Mauritia palm.]
‘“Sent rich plantains,[33 - Musa.] food of angels;
Rich ananas,[34 - Pine-apple.] food of kings;
Grudged you none of all my treasures:
Save these lovely useless things.”
‘But the Chaymas’ ears were deafened;
Blind their eyes, and could not see
How a blissful Indian’s spirit
Lived in every colibri.
‘Lived, forgetting toil and sorrow,
Ever fair and ever new;
Whirring round the dear old woodland,
Feeding on the honey-dew.
‘Till one evening roared the earthquake:
Monkeys howled, and parrots screamed:
And the Guaraons at morning
Gathered here, as men who dreamed.
‘Sunk were gardens, sunk ajoupas;
Hut and hammock, man and hound:
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