Bequia
Given that most Caribbean islands were given Spanish names by Columbus on his several expeditions, it is salutary to visit an island that still bears its pre-Columbian name. Bequia (locally pronounced Beck-way, by today's inhabitants) means Island of Clouds. The Amerindians navigating over Caribbean waters from the mainland of central America must have found many new island homes by sighting that tell-tale cloud on the horizon that indicates a rise if land is in a tropical sea. We were thus reminded that when Columbus arrived in the Caribbean these islands were peopled by the Arawak. This peace-loving people died out from a fatal combination of European diseases and exploitation. Relatively benign Old World ailments like measles or influenza turned into killer pandemics in the New World and Columbus hunted down the Arawak with dogs thinking that they were hiding from him the true wealth of the islands he believed to be there.
The successors of the Arawak in Bequia were the British and the French, the two great maritime powers that in the eighteenth century struggled for possession of the plantation wealth of the West Indies. On Bequia, these two nations are responsible for introducing the tradition of whaling which gives this island unique status in the contemporary Caribbean. The hunting of whales using traditional longboats is still carried on, under strict international controls, with two families (one of French origin and the other Scottish) receiving annual whaling licenses. Only two whales can be caught annually, and these are usually a mother and her calf - since they remain inseparable during the hunt - and not a bull whose aggression is feared by the whalers. It is a tradition that seems on the point of transformation. There is opposition to whaling among the younger generation linked to a new awareness of the value of whale-watching and hence conservation to tourism, the mainstay of the island's economy. The most skillful whaler, a legendary figure on the island, has recently passed away and some believe that this traditional activity will die with him.
An interesting by-product of the island's boat-building tradition are the workshops selling replica models of famous ships and yachts sold to individuals who now visit Bequia for the sole purpose of augmenting their collections. These we saw in the afternoon at Port Elizabeth, our point of departure for a tour of the island and an inspiring visit to Brother King's Turtle Sanctuary. The morning had spent relaxing on nearby Princess Margaret Beach. These names testify to the strong element of British heritage in St Vincent and the Grenadines, to which Bequia belongs.
Given that most Caribbean islands were given Spanish names by Columbus on his several expeditions, it is salutary to visit an island that still bears its pre-Columbian name. Bequia (locally pronounced Beck-way, by today's inhabitants) means Island of Clouds. The Amerindians navigating over Caribbean waters from the mainland of central America must have found many new island homes by sighting that tell-tale cloud on the horizon that indicates a rise if land is in a tropical sea. We were thus reminded that when Columbus arrived in the Caribbean these islands were peopled by the Arawak. This peace-loving people died out from a fatal combination of European diseases and exploitation. Relatively benign Old World ailments like measles or influenza turned into killer pandemics in the New World and Columbus hunted down the Arawak with dogs thinking that they were hiding from him the true wealth of the islands he believed to be there.
The successors of the Arawak in Bequia were the British and the French, the two great maritime powers that in the eighteenth century struggled for possession of the plantation wealth of the West Indies. On Bequia, these two nations are responsible for introducing the tradition of whaling which gives this island unique status in the contemporary Caribbean. The hunting of whales using traditional longboats is still carried on, under strict international controls, with two families (one of French origin and the other Scottish) receiving annual whaling licenses. Only two whales can be caught annually, and these are usually a mother and her calf - since they remain inseparable during the hunt - and not a bull whose aggression is feared by the whalers. It is a tradition that seems on the point of transformation. There is opposition to whaling among the younger generation linked to a new awareness of the value of whale-watching and hence conservation to tourism, the mainstay of the island's economy. The most skillful whaler, a legendary figure on the island, has recently passed away and some believe that this traditional activity will die with him.
An interesting by-product of the island's boat-building tradition are the workshops selling replica models of famous ships and yachts sold to individuals who now visit Bequia for the sole purpose of augmenting their collections. These we saw in the afternoon at Port Elizabeth, our point of departure for a tour of the island and an inspiring visit to Brother King's Turtle Sanctuary. The morning had spent relaxing on nearby Princess Margaret Beach. These names testify to the strong element of British heritage in St Vincent and the Grenadines, to which Bequia belongs.
