The True Story of the Jackaranda Tree on Barbados

As told by Anie Kaiabi at Deadmen Tales. 

I pursued the last circuit of my voyage, plundering two months in Barbados with nothing much to show, a few small vessels and barks, but little of value in them. So I stood away to port in the north island where I learned of the return of the great Kaiabi chief’s daughter, on a flotilla of three ships.
This was a booty worth watching for, my men and I waited, with great patience, for we knew the prize would be immensely rich.

At length we spied two ships coming right up to us with the wind. We could easily see they were not Europeans by their sails and began to prepare ourselves for a prize, not for a fight; but were a little disappointed when we found the first ship filled with guns and gunners. Accordingly when we came near them we fired a gun with shot as a challenge. They fired again three or four guns, but fired them so confusedly we could easily see they could not understand their business. In a word, we presently took the ship and having secured her, chased the second ship which was primarily filled with women, coffee, and lumber.

But the first was the main prize. I immediately went to the inner cabin door and caused it to be opened. Such a sight of glory and misery was never seen by buccaneer before. The native queen, for surely she appeared to be such, was wearing much gold and silver. She sat upon a richly woven tribal blanket on a couch, but frightened, and at the sight of me was trembling. She was, in a manner, covered with gems, and I, as a true pirate, soon let her see that I had more mind to the jewels than the lady. The lady was young and I suppose, in their country esteem very handsome, but she was not very much so in my thoughts. Her fright, and the danger she thought she was in, of being killed or worse, compelled her to do everything she thought might interpose between her and danger, and she took off her gems and handed them to me.

I noticed a fine Indian cabinet and when I gestured menacingly at it, she opened up a private drawer and gave me a box filled with invaluable jewels, with a few of the most resplendent and light-catching amethysts so prized by the Kaiabi. There was fear in her eyes still and upon meeting my steely gaze, correctly read my strong gestures to the other drawers. She handed me the key to the whole, and I opened up a tenfold store of gems strung and loose. Like a water starved old salt at a mountain spring, I dipped my hands into the amethysts, bringing them to face and chest.

After a short council we concluded to carry away the great ship loaded with stolen weapons and the caskets of riches, and put all the prisoners in the lesser vessel and let them sail away. Ahh now to bathe in these gems! Pour me another tankard my good man. We had here wealth enough not only to make us rich, but, almost to have made a nation rich. We revelled all day and part of the next day in a bottomless sea of riches, saw the women sail off and loaded full drink and meat to carry us the long trip back to our homeland..

We sailed a day after the women left, for the trade with the Poukai was lengthy and tiring. They may have roads paved with pearls and rubies, but still had need for corn and the stuff of life. We loaded lumber, and most of our coffee stash, with the women and sent them off. The next day caskets with Poukai pearls were safely stowed on our ship, and we hoisted sail. The seas were calm, the sky clear and we knew we would catch up with the women handily before our return to Barbados, returning to the tribe with our three vessels in formation. And we did make good time, skilled sailors all, and chewing a few coffee beans as is our custom. My spyglass trained on the horizon, I felt my blood coursing when I saw our two ships surrounded by two ships with the sails of the white devils. I called out to lower the sails and throw the anchor. We sent our smallest elder to paddle at dusk, to peer into the scene, and bring us news of how they were outfitted, so we could plan our attack. All eyes and ears were intently trained onto the distant blue shadows, hoping for any wafting voice over the waves, any glimpse of our people.

My elder returned just before sunrise with his well observed report, the pirate captain, who was ensconced with his retinue on our larger ship, was drunk not only on rum, but also the shimmer of the gems, which had clouded every last sense he had. The crew in quite a state did hurl fistfuls of purple gemstones at one another, spilling onto the cabin floorboards, whilst affecting exaggerated bows and calling each other 'gov'nor' and other names that caused them to laugh raucously. Our women were safe and resting, having been stowed on the smaller ship, as though they were planning to sail the next day. He noted nary a one was wearing her tribal jewelry.

We stood ready that day, but watched in surprise, then, as the smaller ship did hoist sail and set off on the course we all know by heart. What folly filled these pirate heads! Evening fell as they took on provisions for a long journey. Did a one of them note the night's clouded over crescent moon? Their stupor after days of drinking and considering their new positions with the wealth of ages gave perfect cover, and no man did hear us steal aboard with silent blowguns and lethal shot to dispatch each soul to his maker. The first body hurled to the waves woke the men in the cabin, in an instant, but it was too late. The fight was quiet and the darts were dispatched with precision of the wild jaguar's attack.

We could not know if other pirates in the flotilla would awaken, so we hurriedly collected as many of the gems as we could grab and stuff into pouches hanging from our loincloths. But the stealth could not last, and, with warring whoops we set the vessel afire, sending our violated ship to her watery grave, sunken with thieves and stray gems. The paddle back by ink black sky back to our ship set our hearts beating thunder, we set immediate course for our forest home, the burning embers providing good light..

Epilogue:
Many have heard the Kaiabi stories of this attack over the years since. Some even say that if you travel to north Barbados, just ashore from where the violated native ship was set afire and downed, a most amazing tree has grown. It stands next to a pool said to be filled with the tears of the Kaiabi, of joy for survival, or of sadness for the lost amethyst, depending on which version of the story you have heard.