By the time Columbus discovered St Vincent on his third voyage
in 1498, the Caribs were occupying the island, which they called
Hairoun. They had overpowered the Arawaks, killing the men but
interbreeding with the women. The Caribs aggressively prevented
European settlement until the 18th century but were more
welcoming to Africans. In 1675 a passing Dutch ship laden with
settlers and their slaves was shipwrecked between St Vincent and
Bequia. Only the slaves survived and these settled and mixed
with the native population and their descendants still live in
Sandy Bay and a few places in the northwest. Escaped slaves from
St Lucia and Grenada later also sought refuge on St Vincent and
interbred with the Caribs. As they multiplied they became known
as ‘Black Caribs’. There was tension between the Caribs and the
Black Caribs and in 1700 there was civil war. In 1722 the
British attempted to colonize St Vincent but French settlers had
already arrived and were living peaceably with the Caribs
growing tobacco, indig