on his honour, and when the prisoners arrived, and were arranged for adjudication, I stated to him my business. He conducted himself in a haughty and insolent manner, and after muttering some things about foutres Americains, dismissed the steward. The fellow however was arrested again on the following day, and kept at hard work. Another negro also belonging to an American vessel, was seized in the same manner, and though his captain applied repeatedly for his enlargement, he was detained upwards of a month.

A few days previous to the fifth of the present month, a proclamation was issued by Joysin, commanding, under penalty of imprisonment, all the women, except those who were old, sick, or infirm, to meet at the arsenal on that day before sunrise, for the purpose of carrying bullets to a fort in the country. In consequence of this order, about five thousand of all colours from white to black assembled at the appointed place. During the preceding night there had been a violent rain, and in consideration of that circumstance, Christophe sent a request to the colonel to postpone the ceremony, as the roads were scarcely passable. The inhuman wretch excused himself by replying that "the women were all assembled, and it was hardly worth while to put them to the trouble of coming again." Accordingly at about 8 o'clock, the procession moved, accompanied to the edge of the town by a band of martial music, to keep up their spirits. Each one carried about eighteen pounds weight, the distance of the fort was fifteen miles, (two or three of which were up a steep mountain) the heat of the sun excessive, and the mud very deep. The consequences to some of the poor creatures might easily have been predicted, many of them dropped down upon the way, with fatigue, and others actually died in consequence of it. The great body arrived at the end of their journey early in the afternoon; they were obliged to stay there the remainder of the day, and at night to lie down upon the miry ground in the open air. During their absence from town, scarcely a 'person was to be seen in the street except the patroling guards, for those of the inhabitants who had neglected to obey the colonel's orders, shut up their houses, and kept themselves closely confined. On the following day, the women returned in a deplorable state,muddy, hungry, worn down with fatigue, and scarcely able to drag one foot after another. The sight was enough to have melted the most obdurate heart to pity; a brute would have relented; but our gallant colonel was not so effeminate as to suffer his feelings to be moved by the complaints and groans of females suffering under severe and insulting hardships. He resolved to try it again, but not upon quite so brutal a plan. He ordered all the inhabitants, both male and female, to attend at the magazine and receive a certain number of bullets, which they were to deliver at the fort. 3¢

VOL. II.

Those only who could afford the expense of hiring others to do it for them, of consequence escaped the labour. The cause of this amelioration was, that the women had suffered so severely on the former occasion, they were unable to conduct business; their shops were shut, and the commerce of the whole city was suspended for several days.

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The colonel, with all his imperfections, deserves credit for his industry. He spends the chief part of his time at the arsenal, to see the soldiers perform their duty, and to set the vagrants at work, but he is so severe that he is dreaded by every one under his command. I one day saw an instance of his cruelty exercised towards a negro whom he met in the street whilst riding. He asked the man who he was?" the fellow very respectfully told him his name, and observed, colonel, you know me, I once lived with such a person," mentioning the name.. Whether Joysin took this for impudence, or presumption in the negro for using too much familiarity with him, I cannot pretend to say, but without any further ceremony, he attacked him with his whip, and beat him over the head and face in a most violent manner; for a considerable time. The poor devil bore this treatment patiently, without a single murmur, or even attempting to save his face from the blows, and finally by order of the colonel, was seized by a soldier standing by, and carried to prison. Such brutal severity as this, without any cause but the simplicity of an ignorant man, may serve to give some idea of Joysin's character. Certain it is that he is one of the greatest villains in the island, and what is not at all surprizing, is the bosom friends of citizen A. and Felix Farrier, with both of whom I have made you acquainted.

I have once mentioned that the French who remained in the Cape after its surrender to the Indigenes, were cordially invited so to do by Dessalines, under the most sacred assurances that they should be protected as his subjects, and should enjoy the same right and privileges as their fellow citizens, the Haytiens. This promise was soon violated, and with the exception of a very few who courted the friendship of the Grand Dignitaries, the following is the treatment they received, They were in the first place absolutely forbidden to leave the island; but no strict watch was then kept over them, and for the first two or three months they were not prohibited from going on board the vessels in the harbour, either on business or for the purpose of visiting. At this time it was no difficult matter for a person to have made his escape, and many who were courageous enough to hazard the attempt, succeeded in it. This however being discovered, precautions were resorted to, to prevent similar occurrences. Orders were issued, that no Frenchman should leave the shore, or be even permitted to go upon a wharf. Still some few escaped, principally by concealment on board

of American vessels whither they got in the night. New proclamations were then almost daily published by a crier at the corners of the streets accompanied by beat of drum, forbidding under pain of death in case of detection, any subject from leaving the island without a passport, and strictly enjoining all foreigners from carrying away the subjects of the Indigene government, under penalty of confiscation of vessel and cargo. That the possibility of escape by night might be removed, no boat was permitted to be at the shore after six o'clock in the evening, except those belonging to the town, which were locked to the wharf by an officer appointed for that purpose; guard boats also, were kept constantly rowing about among the vessels in the harbour, during the night.

Under these circumstances, you will perceive, at a single glance, that it was almost a matter of impracticability after the beginning of March, to convey a Frenchman on board of a vessel, without detection. But you may ask, why did not those who were disposed to attempt their escape, go out of town during the day and lie concealed until night, when a boat might be sent for them? I answer, that generally so close a watch was kept, that a man would be missed in an hour's absence, and as soldiers were stationed at all the passes that led from the town, it would have been impossible to get by them without suspicion. Still however some few did manage to get off, by bribing the guards, or by disguising themselves in the dress of American sailors, which gave rise to a new order, viz. that in case of a Frenchman's making his escape, his neighbours should be seized and punished for not giving information. This law was actually enforced, and a poor devil of a baker was cast into prison, and had all his property confiscated, because his partner had been so fortunate as to make his escape.

In the mean time they were insulted by the negroes upon all occasions; were called brigands, and were under the necessity of being subservient to the humours of their rulers, and servile in their conduct. They bowed to the great men as they passed along with the greatest humiliation, and frequently without receiving any return. If they had any property that was wanted by a grandee, he took it from them, under the pretence of paying for it at a future day, or perhaps by the right of requisition. If a dray was wanted for the public service, or even for an individual officer, one was taken into requisition; if a labourer was wanted, he must work for nothing, and in fact the great folks got what they pleased from the Frenchmen and paid them nothing. Simonet, a pastry cook, who formerly resided in Second street near Lombard in Philadelphia, is here, and is employed to prepare and furnish all the pastry and confectionary for most of the great entertainments. He has bills against the principal part of the nabobs, but never receives

a dollar, and yet he dare not refuse to supply his customers when cal led upon. A poor fellow by the name of Le Blanc had three or four drays, which were all taken into requisition and employed in conveying articles to the forts in the country, for a week. During this time, the owner was obliged to feed at his own expense the horses and drivers and as he had a family to maintain, which was dependent upon the earnings of his drays, he stated the hardness of his situation to Joysin. The scoundrel laughed at him and told him," he was glad they had so valuable a subject in their government, and would be much rejoiced if they had more like him."

Open violations at this time are not common; in fact the only instance I recollect is that of a mulatto officer's stabbing a Frenchman under the ear one morning, merely for coming upon the wharf; whether or no the wound was mortal I could not ascertain, but happening to dine that day at the house of an American, in company with that same officer, I heard him speak of what he had done in the most triumphant blood-thirsty language. Horrible transactions however of a secret nature have been almost nightly carried on,

"In the dead waste and middle of the night:"

As soon as it was suspected that a poor wretch wished to escape, perhaps he was overheard telling his friend, or looked pale and alarmed, or only appeared as if he was desirous of leaving the country, or rather, I may safely say, as soon as a miserable victim was suspected of having money, he was seized in his bed at midnight, and carried off. Various were the opinions respecting the fate of those unfortunate people; some imagined them to be sent to the forts in the country to work for life; others thought that they were shot, and others again supposed them to have been drowned. Be that as it may, nothing was afterwards heard of them by their friends, and not the least doubt remains, but that they were put to death in some manner or other. Instances of this kind have been very frequent, and in fact so accustomed have we become to accounts of such barbarity, that they are scarcely thought of after being once mentioned. On the morning following these inhuman transactions, a seal is put upon the door of the unfortunate Frenchman's house, a soldier stationed there to guard it, and all his property is advertized and sold by the ordonnateur, as confiscated to the government.

R.