Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine April 2017 | Page 216

M
ore than one and a half million years ago
Grenada was formed as an underwater
volcano. The island has three lakes one
of which is the direct result of a volcano
erupting and we still have the active “KICK EM
JENNY” an underwater volcano off the northern tip of
Grenada.
We were first inhabited by the Arawaks, a peaceful
tribe of Indians, gatherers and farmers who were later
driven out by the more warlike Caribs. The name given
to Grenada by the native Indians was “Camerhogne
Island”.
In 1498, the first Europeans laid eyes on Grenada,
during Christopher Columbus’ third voyage to the
new world. He named it “Conception Island”. The name
Grenada most likeliest originates from the Spaniards
in the 1520’s who called the mainland “Granada”. The
French referred to our island as “la Grenade” and the
British, “Grenada”.
A bit of
Grenada’s
History
researched and submitted by
Neil Niles,
Vice President of the
Grenada Cultural Association of British Columbia
In June 1609, an English expedition of about 2 dozen
British settlers arrived in Grenada. The settlement was
attacked and destroyed by Caribs and many were
killed or tortured. The few survivors were evacuated
on December 15th 1609. Grenada remained
uncolonized for over 100 years partly because of the
fierce Carib warriors.
In March 1649, a French expedition of 203 men from
Martinique landed at St. George’s, built a fortified
settlement and called it “Fort Annunciation”. Jacques
Dyel Du Parquet, the expedition leader made a treaty
with Carib Chief Kairouane to peacefully partition the
island between the French and the Caribs. However
peace would not prevail and fighting broke out in
November 1649. The war lasted until 1654. Rather
than surrender, Chief Kairouane and his braves leaped
to their fate off a cliff on the northern tip of the island
now called “Leapers Hill” (in French, “Morne de
Sauteurs”. )The French continued to receive resistance
and raids from Carib warriors who came down from
the neighbouring island of St. Vincent.
In 1675, Dutch privateers captured Grenada from the
French, but a French man-of-war arrived unexpectedly