Carib Bible History (3)

**List: Carib Ministry the Bible ( the Bible ) Carib... KARIF, OR CARIB. "THE Karif language is spoken by a black and woolly-haired race, whose small settlements are scattered along the shores of the Bay of Honduras, the Mosquito shore, and even along the northern coast of South America, as far as the mouths of the Orinoco.   This people differ in personal appearance and in intellectual constitution from all the neighbouring tribes: they are athletic and well proportioned, active and energetic, adroit and intelligent, cheerful and highly excitable.   They are descended from the brave and warlike aborigines of the Caribbean Islands, and are hence known to Europeans by the name of Karifs or Caribs.   They retain all their ancient customs and manners, among which is the practice of polygamy; but they never appear to have possessed any definite system of religion: Roman Catholicism has been partially adopted in some of their settlements, but none of the Caribs are under its dominion.   All legislative power is vested in the hands of certain elders, called captains, elected by the people.   The Carib women perform the labours of agriculture, the men occupying themselves exclusively in fishing, hunting, and smoking.    Some Wesleyan mies. have, during the last quarter of a century, preached the Gospel to this people; but their efforts have been attended with few, if any, results.   This want of success has been partly attributed to their adopting the English language as the medium of communication with the people,--a language unknown to the Caribs in general, with the exception of those who may have acquired a smattering of Spanish and English for purposes of traffic.   The Rev. Mr. Henderson, of Belize, a Baptist my., is the first and only individual who has attempted to give this people the Word of God in their own vernacular language.   Considerable difficulties beset his path when he first entered upon the undertaking.   Karif was then an unwritten language, so that no aid could be derived from books: he therefore endeavoured to glean instruction in the language from every Carib within his reach; but the impatience evidenced by these people under his manifold questionings greatly impeded his progress.   Yet he was not discouraged, for, as he afterwards stated, these words were forcibly impressed on his mind:--"Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed[.]"   At length, a Carib, who had hired himself as servant to a gentleman at Belize, was converted to Christianity, through the instrumentality of Mr. Henderson's preaching, and became willing, and even anxious, to assist in the preparation of a version of the Scriptures for the spiritual enlighten- ment of his countrymen.   He instructed Mr. Henderson in the language of his nation; and after the labour of years in reducing the language to rule, and in translating, correcting, and revising, a version of the Gospel of St. Matthew was completed.   In 1847 Mr. Henderson visited England and Scotland, during which period he again revised and transcribed this Gospel.   The church at Edinburgh under the pastoral care of Mr. Christopher Anderson undertook the expense of publishing the work, and a small edition was printed.   No account has yet been received concerning the result of the distribution of this edition among the Caribs.    The Lord's Prayer, Creed, etc., have been recently translated into the Carib language by the Rev. Mr. Brett (the able translator of the Arawack Scriptures), and have at his request been printed on thick paper, for use among the native Indians of this race."--The Bible of Every Land. (1860, Second Edition)   Samuel Bagster   [Info only] KARIF, OR CARIB.--1860   S. Bagster   [Info only: n.d. Matthew 5:1-12 unknown.]

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