[360] For a general description and account of the Danish West Indies
see: H. W. Bates, "Central America and the West Indies," 176-178;
Susan De Forest Day, "The Cruise of the Scythian in the West Indies,"
pp. 52-57; Otto Delitsch, "Westindien und die Südpolar-Länder," Bd. I,
Abth. 4, Dänische Besitzungen, pp. 2106-2115; A. Von Dewitz, "In
Dänisch-Westindien," _passim_; H. M. W. Fischer, "Om Dansk
Vestindien," _passim_; A. Granier de Cassagnac, "Voyage aux Antiles,"
II, 161-184; Robert T. Hill, "Cuba and Porto Rico with other Islands
of the West Indies," pp. 25, 26, 306, 309-316; George Höst,
"Efterretninger on den Sanct Thomas og dens Gouverneurer, optegnede
der poa Landet fra 1769 indtil 1776," _passim_; John P. Knox, "An
Historical Account of St. Thomas, West Indies," _passim_; J. P. Labat,
"Nouveau Voyage aux îles de l'Ameríque," I, 73, 74, 78 and II, 12,
196, 197, 285-292; A. P. Ledru, "Voyage aux îles de Ténériffe, la
Trinité, Saint-Thomas, Sainte-Croix et Porto Rico," pp. 160-188; G.
Van Lennep Coster, "Aanterkeningen, gehonden gedurende mijn Verblijf
in de West-Indiën in de jaren 1837-1840"; W. C. Morris, "The History
of Colonization," II, 284-286; C. G. A. Oldendorp, "Geschichte der
Mission der Evangelischen Brüder auf den Caribischen Inseln St.
Thomas, St. Croix, und St. Jan," _passim_; P. L. Oxholm, "De Danske
Vestindiske Öers Tilsand i Henseende til Population, Cultur og
Finance-Forfotning i Anledning af nogle Breve fra St. Croix,"
_passim_; "The Present State of the West Indies," pp. 72-74 and 93-94;
J. J. Élisée, "Virgin Islands and Santa Cruz" (in The Earth and its
Inhabitants by the same author), Vol. XVII, pp. 430-436; J. Reinhardt
and C. F. Lülken, "Bidrag til det Vestindiske Öriges og namligen til
de Dansk-Vestindiske Öers Herpetologie," pp. 153-291; J. P. B. Von
Rohr, "Anmerkungen über den Cattunbau," Part I; Karl von Scherzer,
"Die Westindischen Inseln St. Thomas, Haiti, Porto Rico und Cuba," II,
467-495; Damian Schütz-Holzhausen und R. Springer, "Cuba und die
übrigen Inseln Westindiens"; Sir Hans Sloane, "A Voyage to the Islands
Madera, Barbados, Nieves, St. Christophers and Jamaica"; James Smith,
"The Winter of 1840 in St. Croix, with an Excursion to Tortola and St.
Thomas"; Stenzel, "Die Insel St. Thomas," _passim_; C. A. Stoddard,
"Cruising among the Caribbees," pp. 23-50; C. E. Taylor, "Leaflets
from the Danish West Indies," _passim_; Frederik Thaarup, "Verledning
til det Danske Monarkies Statistik," _passim_; C. W. Tooke, "The
Danish Colonial Fiscal System in the West Indies," _passim_; A.
Trollope, "The West Indies and the Spanish Main," pp. 8 and 235-241;
H. West, "Bidrag til Beskrivelse over Sta. Croix med kort Udsigt over
St. Thomas, St. Jean, Tortola, Spanishtown og Crabeneiland" and
"Beyträge zur Beschreibung von St. Croix," _passim_; F. Wharton, "A
Digest of the International Law of the United States"; "A Winter in
the West Indies and Florida," by an invalid, pp. 35-62.
[361] The Caribs who were kind to each other and hospitable to
strangers were made vindictive and cruel by the treatment received
from the Spaniards. With their cruel weapons they fought without
ceasing for the possession of their native land, but they, of course,
were no match for the invaders.
When missionaries from Europe attempted to convert them they haughtily
replied "You have stolen our lands and those of our neighbors; you
have massacred our people, desolated our homes, and committed
unheard-of cruelties for the sake of gold. How then can you expect
from what we have seen of the bad life of you Christians that we
should wish to be like you?" So fearful had been the barbarities
practiced upon them that the very name of Christian inspired them with
horror and to call them Christians never failed to excite them and to
make them grind their teeth with rage. A defenceless, subject people
who were so intelligent as to understand thoroughly the hypocrisy of
their conquerors and who were possessed of the courage to express
their contempt boldly were, in those times, inviting greater
cruelties, even possible extermination. Taylor, "Leaflets from the
West Indies," 108.
[362] Taylor, "Leaflets from the West Indies," 108.
[363] It is said that a relic of the Danish slave trade, the long
Danish gun, played an important part in the Ashanti War with England
and that up to the present these long-barrelled muskets are prized in
remote parts of West Africa.
[364] Knox, "St. Thomas, West Indies," 45, and Taylor, "Leaflets from
the Danish West Indies," 2 et seq.
[365] Taylor, "Leaflets from the Danish West Indies," 3.
[366] Sir Harry H. Johnson, "The Negro in the New World," p. 345.
[367] Knox, "St. Thomas, West Indies," 60 et seq.
[368] Labat, "Voyage dans l'Amerique," II, 285; _Annals of the
American Academy of Political and Social Science_, XXII, 101.
[369] Knox, "St. Thomas, West Indies," 35.
[370] We hear nothing of importance of St. Croix after its discovery
until 1625. We learn from Bryan Edwards that the Dutch then came to
St. Croix. Du Tertre says that for many years prior to 1645 it was in
the possession of the Dutch and English. A conflict between the two
ensued and by a series of attacks the English forced the Dutch to
leave. The Spaniards in Porto Rico, alarmed at this rising English
colony so near, exterminated the English in 1650. Soon afterwards the
French at St. Christopher took the island with an expedition. Then in
1653 Louis XIV transferred St. Croix with St. Christopher, St.
Bartholomew and St. Martin to the Knights of Malta. In 1665 a newly
formed West Indian Company purchased the island from the Order of
Malta, but the company being dissolved by royal edict, the island
again became annexed to the Crown. On account of destructive droughts
the island was practically abandoned and the forts were demolished in
1720. The French again took possession of the island in 1727 and held
it until 1733 when it was purchased by the Guinea Company and later
from that firm by the King of Denmark. See Taylor, "A Few Words about
St. Croix," 5-7; and Rochfort, "Histoire naturelle et morale des îles
Antilles," 45.
[371] These regulations were:
1. The leader of runaway slaves shall be pinched three times with
red-hot iron, and then hung.
2. Each other runaway slave shall lose one leg, or if the owner
pardon him, shall lose one ear, and receive one hundred and fifty
stripes.
3. Any slave being aware of the intention of others to run away,
and not giving information, shall be burned in the forehead and
receive one hundred stripes.
4. Those who inform of plots to run away shall receive $10 for
each slave engaged therein.
5. A slave who runs away for eight days, shall have one hundred
and fifty stripes, twelve weeks shall lose a leg, and six months
shall forfeit life, unless the owner pardon him with the loss of
one leg.
6. Slaves who steal to the value of four rix-dollars, shall be
pinched and hung; less than four rix-dollars, to be branded and
receive one hundred and fifty stripes.
7. Slaves who shall receive stolen goods, as such, or protect
runaways, shall be branded, and receive one hundred and fifty
stripes.
8. A slave who lifts his hand to strike a white person or
threaten him with violence, shall be pinched and hung, should the
white person demand it, if not to lose his right hand.
9. One white person shall be sufficient witness against a slave,
and if a slave be suspected of a crime, he can be tried by
torture.
10. A slave meeting a white person, shall step aside, and wait
until he passes; if not, he may be flogged.
11. No slave shall be permitted to come to town with clubs or
knives, nor fight with each other, under penalty of fifty
stripes.