mingo was rapidly recovering; while the population also increased with astonishing rapidity.

In

In 1798, when the British forces evacuated the island, the military establishment of St. Domingo did not exceed forty thousand; but in two years it was more than double that number. Touissant was regarded as an extraordinary being by his soldiers, and no European army was ever subject to a more rigorous discipline. Every officer commanded, pistol in hand; and had the power of life and death over the subalterns. Sixty thousand men were frequently reviewed and exercised together; on which occasions two thousand officers were seen in the field, carrying arms, from the general to the ensign, yet with the utmost attention to rank, and without the smallest symptom of insubordination. In these reviews, says M. de la Croix, Touissant appeared like an inspired person, and became the fetiche or idol of the blacks who listened to him. order to make himself better understood, he frequently addressed them in parables, and often made use of the following:—In a glass vessel full of grains of black maize, he would mix a few grains of white maize, and say to those who surrounded him, "you are the black maize; the whites, who are desirous of enslaving you are the white maize." He would then shake the vessel, and presenting it to their fascinated eyes, exclaim," see the white here and there!" in other words," see how far the whites are apart in comparison to ourselves." The gleam of prosperity, however, which resulted from his wise administration, was but of short continuance. The independence of St. Domingo was proclaimed on the 1st of July, 1801; and while the inhabitants were indulging the hope of future happiness, a storm was gathering, which burst upon them with accumulated fury. Scarcely was the peace of Amiens concluded, when a formidable armament of twenty-six ships of war was equipped by order of the first consul, with the determination of reducing the revolted colony of St. Domingo. On board this fleet were embarked twenty-five thousand chosen troops, amply furnished with all the apparatus of military slaughter; and the chief command was confided to General Le Clerc, the brother-in-law of Bonaparte. Before proceeding to hostilities, however, recourse was had to various perfidious acts. Attempts were made to sow disunion among the free people of St. Domingo. Proclamations and letters, expressed in all the delusive jargon of the republic, were widely circulated. The chiefs of both colours then in France, and the two sons of Touissant himself, who had sent them thither for instruction, were pressed into the service of the expedition.

The French forces arrived in January, 1801; yet so little did Touissant expect to have any enemy to combat, that he was at the time making a tour round the eastern part of the island, and had given no order for resistance in case of attack. After the French troops had disembarked, and previously to commencing operations in the interior of the country, Le Clerc thought proper to try what effect the sight of his two sons, and a specious letter from Bonaparte, would have upon Touissant. Coisnon, their tutor, who had accompanied them from France, and was one of the chief confidential agents in this expedition, was accordingly deputed on this errand, with instructions to press Touissant's instant return to the Cape, and to bring back the children in case he should not succeed. On arriving at Touissant's country residence, and learning that its owner would not return from his excursion until the next day, the wily Frenchman availed himself of this delay to work upon the feelings of their mother, whose tears, and the solicitations of the children, when their father returned, for a while shook his resolutions. But being at length confirmed in his suspicions of the snare that was laid for him, by the conduct and language of Coisnon, Touissant suddenly composed his agitated countenance; and, gently disengaging himself from the embraces of his

wife and children, he took their preceptor into another apartment, and gave him this dignified decision:—"Take back my children; since it must be so, I will be faithful to my brethren and my God." Unwilling to prolong this painful scene, Touissant mounted his horse, and rode to the camp; and although a correspondence was afterwards opened between him and Le Clerc, it failed to produce his submission.

Hostilities now commenced. After several obstinate conflicts in the open field, and the burning of several towns, the blacks found themselves overpowered, and were compelled to retire into the inaccessible fortresses of the interior, whence they carried on, under their brave chieftain, Touissant, a desultory, but destructive warfare against detached parties of their enemies. At length, however, the negroes and cultivators were either subdued by the terror of the French army, or cajoled by the deceitful promises of the French general, who had published in his own name, and in that of the first consul, solemn declarations that the freedom of all the inhabitants of St Domingo, of all colours, should be preserved inviolate. But no sooner did Le Clerc find that his plans succeeded than he threw aside the mask, and issued an order restoring to the proprietors, or their attorneys, all their ancient authority over the negroes upon their estates. This order at once opened the eyes of the negro population; Touissant and Christophe united their forces; and such was the fierce and active nature of their attacks, that Le Clerc was obliged to abandon most of his former conquests, and seek refuge in the town of Cape François; where he again issued a proclamation, couched in such specious terms that the blacks and their leaders accepted the conditions of his proffered amnesty. This master-piece of deception having thus succeeded, and the French now having the dominion of the island, began to put in execution their meditated system of slavery and destruction; and, as a preliminary step towards this object, Le Clerc caused Touissant to be privately seized in the night, together with his family, and, putting him on board a fast-sailing frigate, he was conveyed to France, as a prisoner, (May, 1802). There, under a charge of exciting the negroes to rebel, he was committed to close custody, and was no more heard of by his sorrowing countrymen, till his death was announced in the following year as having taken place in the fortress of Joux.

Aroused by the treachery of Le Clerc, the black chieftains, Dessalines, Christophe, and Clervaux, again raised their standards, and were soon found at the head of considerable bodies of troops, ready to renew the struggle for liberty, and determined to succeed or perish in the attempt. Many and desperate were the contests which ensued; Le Clerc died, and was succeeded in the command of the French army by Rochambaud; but the losses they sustained by disease as well as by this harrassing warfare rendered any escape from Hayti preferable to a continuance there; and, as war had then recommenced between Great Britain and France, the French gladly surrendered themselves prisoners of war to a British squadron, and were conveyed to England. The independence of Hayti, which had been first proclaimed in 1800, was thus consolidated, and Dessalines erected the west or French part of the island into an empire, of which he became emperor, with the title of Jacques I. (January 1, 1804). But his reign was of short duration; the cruelties he perpetrated caused a conspiracy to be formed against him; and, two years after his coronation, be was surrounded by the conspirators at his head-quarters, and, struggling to escape, received his death-blow.

The assassination of Dessalines caused another division of the island, and another civil war. In the north, Christophe assumed the government, with the modest designation of chief of the government of Hayti; while Pétion, a mulatto, asserted his claim to sovereign power. For several years these rival chieftains carried on a sanguinary contest, with various

cess, until the year 1810, when hostilities were suspended; and, though n0 formal treaty was concluded, the country enjoyed the blessings of peace. Christophe was crowned king of Hayti in March, 1811, by the title of Henry I.; and Pétion, as president of the republic of Hayti, governed the southern part until 1818, when he died, and was succeeded by General Boyer, whom he was allowed to nominate his successor. Both governments evinced a praiseworthy solicitude for the encouragement of agriculture, as the basis of their national prosperity; and both were persevering in their endeavours to promote the intellectual instruction of the rising generation. Christophe, in imitation of other monarchs, created various orders of nobility, together with numerous officers of state, &c. His dynasty, however, was like his predecessor's, short-lived. In 1820, a successful conspiracy was formed against him; and, finding himself completely surrounded by an overwhelming force, he committed suicide. Boyer now took possession of his dominions; and, the Spanish portion of the island having, in 1821, voluntarily placed itself under his government, he became master of the whole of Hayti.

Though nominally republican, the government of Hayti is in reality an elective military monarchy; vested ostensibly in a president, senate, and chamber of representatives; but the whole efficient authority is wielded by the chief officer. The president is charged with all the executive duties; commands the army and navy; makes war, peace, and treaties, subject to the sanction of the senate; appoints all public functionaries, &c. In 1825, Boyer concluded a treaty with France, by the provisions of which the independence of Hayti was fully recognized, and its ports thrown open to all nations, but with certain exclusive advantages to the French. The Haytians also agreed to pay one hundred and fifty millions of francs to France, in five annual payments, as an indemnity for the losses of the colonists during the revolution. The first instalment of thirty millions was paid in 1836; but it being evident that the annual exaction was beyond the ability of Hayti to repeat, it was agreed, in 1838, to reduce the original sum to sixty millions of francs, to be paid in six instalments, by

1867.

PORTO-RICO.

Porto-rico was discovered by Columbus in 1493; it is about one hun1red miles in length, from east to west, and forty from north to south. The Spaniards neglected it till 1509, when thirst of gold brought them thither from St. Domingo, under Ponce de Leon, to make a conquest, which afterwards cost them dear. Ambition, revenge, and love of gold prompted the Spaniards to the most atrocious outrages. They found the inhabitants brave and fond of liberty; and as they looked up to the European visitants as a superior order of beings, to their authority they voluntarily submitted. It was not long, however, before they wished to shake off the intolerable yoke under which they groaned, and postponed the enterpise only till they could assure themselves that they were not immortal. A cacique, named Broyo, was entrusted with this commission; and chance soon favoured the design, by bringing to him Salzedo, a young Spaniard, who was travelling. Broyo received him with the greatest respect, and, at his departure, sent some Indians to attend him on his way, in quality of guides. When they came to the bank of the river, which they were to pass, one of them took him on his shoulders to carry him across; but no sooner had he got into the middle of the stream, than he threw the Spaniard into it, and, with the assistance of his companions, he kept him there till no signs of life remained. They then dragged him to the bank, but, as they were still in doubt whether he was dead or livin

they begged pardon many times for the accident that had happened. The farce lasted three days; till at length being convinced, by the putridity of the body, that it was possible for Spaniards to die, the Indians rose on all sides upon their oppressors, and massacred upwards of one hundred of them.

Ponce de Leon immediately assembled all the Castilians who had escaped, and fell upon the Indians, who, as historians relate, had the extreme folly to suppose that these Spaniards were the same that had been killed and were come to life again to fight them. Under this ridiculous and almost incredible persuasion, dreading to continue a war with men who revived after death, they submitted again to the yoke of a cruel foe; and being condemned to the mines, six hundred thousand are said to have fallen martyrs to the sword or the toils of slavery.

Under the old colonial system of Spain, in 1788. the population was little more than eighty thousand; whereas it amounted, in 1836, to three hundred and fifty-seven thousand, and it was supposed to contain near four hundred thousand, of whom an eighth are slaves. Previously to 1815, Porto-Rico being excluded from all direct intercouse with other countries excepting Spain, was but slowy progressive. At that period, however, a royal decree appeared, which exempted the trade between Spain and the Spanish colonies and Porto-Rico from all duties for fifteen years; and she was then also permitted to carry on a free trade, under reasonable duties, with other countries. These wise and liberal measures have wonderfully contributed to the prosperity of the island; and their coffee, sugar, and tobacco plantations are now in a thriving condition. In the latter part of the 17th century, Porto-Rico was taken possession of by the English; but they did not long retain it, owing to the prevalence of disease among the troops. The government, laws, and institutions are nearly similar to those established in the other transatlantic colonies of Spain.

BARBADOES.

This is the most easterly island of the West Indies. It is twenty-two miles in length, from north to south, and fifteen in breath, from east to west. The time of its discovery is not certain, nor by whom; but it is generally attributed to the Portuguese, on their way to Brazil. However, the English touched there in 16J5, and, landing some men in 1625, made their first permanent settlement. In 1627, the earl of embroke obtained a grant of the island in trust for Sir William Courteen, unknown to the earl of Carlisle, who had before obtained a grant of all the Caribbee islands from James I. The first planters were gentlemen of Devonshire and Cornwall, principally of the parliamentary party.

The country bore not the least appearance of having ever been peopled; there was no kind of beast of pasture or of prey; no fruit, herb, or root, fit for the support of human life; but the soil was good, and soon began to submit to cultivation. Population increased through a variety of adventures, and the civil wars of England added prodigiously thereto; Barbadoes, in twenty-five years from its first settlement, containing upwards of fifty thousand whites, and a much greater number of negroes and Indian slaves. The former of these they bought, and the latter they seized upon without any pretence. In 1676, the population and trade were at their highest pitch; four hundred ships, averaging about one hundred and fifty tons each, were employed; since which the island has been much on the decline.

Barbadoes has been frequently visited by hurricanes, of which those of August 10, 1674, October 10, 1780, and August 11, 1831, have been the

most destructive in their effects; but the fury and violence of the last hurricane far exceeded that of either of the former; in it twenty-five hundred persons were killed, and the loss of property amounted to two millions and a half sterling. By the munificent aid of the British parliament, and the industry of the inhabitants, the planters have now recovered from these losses. The population, as in the adjoining islands, may properly be divided into four classes Creole or native whites; European whites; Creoles of mixed blood; and native blacks. Barbadoes has all along remained in possession of the English. It is the residence of the bishop of Barbadoes and the Leeward Islands; and the clerical establishment is on a very respectable and effective scale.

ST. CHRISTOPHER'S, OR ST. KITT'S.

This island, which belongs to Great Britain, was discovered in 1493, by Columbus, who gave it the name it bears. It was the mother country of all the English and French settlements in the West Indies. Both nations arrived there on the same day in 1625; they shared the island between them; signed a perpetual neutrality; and entered into a mutual engagement to assist each other against their common enemy, the Spaniards. War commenced between England and France in 1666, and St. Christopher's became a scene of carnage for nearly half a century, terminating only with the total expulsion of the French in 1703. This island is about fifteen miles long, by four broad. There is no harbour in the country, nor the appearance of one.

NEVIS.

This small island, now belonging to the British, was originally discov ered by Columbus; and the English, under Sir Thomas Warner, settled on it in 1628. It is separated from St. Christopher's by a narrow channel; and is properly only one very high mountain, about seven miles over each way. It was ravaged by the French in 1706, and the next year almost destroyed by the most violent hurricane ever recorded.

ANTIGUA.

Antigua, a West Indian island, belonging to Great Britain, is one of those denominated the Windward Islands. It was called by the natives Xaymaca, but Columbus gave it the name of Santa Maria de la Antigua. The island is about twenty-five miles long, by eighteen broad- Columbus discovered it in 1492, but it was found totally uninhabited by those few Frenchmen who fled thither in 1629, upon being driven from St. Christopher's by the Spaniards. The want of fresh water induced the fugitives to return as soon as they could. It appears that in 1640 there were about thirty English families settled in this island; and the number was not much increased when Charles II. granted the property to Lord Willough by, of Parham. His lordship sent over a considerable number of inhabitants in 1666; but, from that time till 1680, it grew nothing but indigo and tobacco; when the island being restored again to the state, Colonel Codrington introduced the culture of sugar. The harbours of the island, particularly that called English Harbour, are the best belonging to the British government in these seas; and the whole is so much encom