Schooner Combine.--Second Voyage.
About the middle of May, 1822, we commenced loading at Catskill, and
finished in about ten days, when we sailed for New-York, where I shipped
a crew and left for Cape Francios, in the Island of St. Domingo. We met
with light winds and strong currents on the passage, which carried us
some distance to the leeward of our course, and obliged me to put into
the harbor of Port-au-Prince, where we arrived without any material
incident. I landed my horses, and having procured a stable for them, was
advised to select ten or twelve of the handsomest and proceed with them
to the president's country seat, about six miles from the city, where
he was confined by ill health. This I consented to as a matter of
courtesy, and a black colonel, named Burblong, volunteered to accompany
me. I took my hostler and an interpreter and proceeded to his house. At
his residence there was an extensive park enclosed by a high brick wall,
which we entered after passing two armed sentries, when we drew near to
a large wooden building fitted up in good style, having a piazza all
round it, and six or eight sentries walking on it, well armed and
uniformed. As we approached the outside door of the house we found a
sentry stationed there, who conducted us into the hall, where we found
another who conducted us into the president's room, which was splendidly
furnished, where I was introduced to his excellency by Colonel Burblong.
After the introduction was over, he invited us to take a glass of wine
with him. The horses were then brought near the door, which, having
examined, he said were worth two hundred dollars apiece; but since I had
been so polite as to call on him, he would give me two hundred and fifty
for as many as his groom should select. The president is about six feet
in height, of a mulatto color, rather thin in flesh, and makes a good
appearance on horseback, particularly in reviewing his army, who perform
their evolutions in the most graceful and soldier-like manner. I sold
the president one pair of horses, and disposed of a few to individuals
at a fair profit; the remainder sold at a loss, after deducting
expenses. The slow sale of horses detained me nearly two months, during
which time the yellow fever made its appearance, and raged with unabated
violence until our departure, particularly among the shipping. By the
laws of the country a ship-master is obliged to land all persons seized
with sickness on board of his vessel, and place them under the care of
the nurses of the city, who receive them into their houses at a charge
of two dollars and fifty cents per day for seamen, and three dollars per
day for masters and mates. If a seaman dies on board, the master is
fined five hundred dollars.
About three weeks after our arrival here my cook and one sailor were
attacked by the yellow fever, I took them ashore and placed them under
the care of nurses; the hostler was next landed with the same complaint,
and the third day after I put on shore another seaman in like condition.
During this day, after a long walk in the hot sun, I retired to the
house of one of the nurses, where I was taken down with the same fever;
my cook dying about the time I became fairly sick. The next day one of
the seamen died. The seamen, hostler, and myself were put under the care
of different nurses, and in a few days such of us as were spared
returned to duty.
After the death of my cook I hired an English negro, (who had deserted
from Turks Island and taken refuge here,) on condition that he should
serve a few days on trial, and if both parties were suited he was to act
as cook until the voyage was ended, and to receive the same wages I had
given his predecessor. After remaining on board a few days, the mate
sent a message to me on shore, informing me that the cook had threatened
the lives of some of the sailors by attacking them with an axe. I sent a
note to the mate requesting him to send the cook on shore. He soon made
his appearance, when I took him to the store of my consignees and made
out an account of his time, allowing him wages at the rate of fourteen
dollars per month, according to agreement. I read the statement to him
and he appeared well satisfied. I then asked one of the firm to pay the
bill. He said his partner had stepped out with the key of the money
drawer in his pocket, but as soon as he returned it would be paid, and
asked the cook to take a seat; he walked out of the door and was missing
for some time, when he entered the store in company with a black man,
dressed in a sergeant's uniform, with a sword and bayonet hanging by his
side, who introduced himself by saying he had a warrant for me. I was a
little surprised, and asked him if he wanted me to go with him, or
required any security for my appearance. He said he did not, and told me
I must appear in the third ward, No. ----, to-morrow, at 11 o'clock. The
next day I called at the store of my consignees and got the clerk to
accompany me to the court. On our way we met a genteel looking, well
dressed mulatto man, who asked the clerk where we were going. The clerk
related the story to him, and he volunteered his service to defend my
cause, and accompanied us to the court room. After we got inside of the
door I discovered a sentry dressed in full uniform, with side arms,
walking in front of the door. As I entered the court room I took off my
hat to show some respect to the honorable black justice. Soon after, my
antagonist, the cook, entered the door with his hat on his head, when
the sentry approached him without uttering a word and struck him a heavy
blow with his flat hand on the side of his head, which knocked his hat
across the room; this caused the poor fellow to look amazed for a few
moments, when he picked up his hat very carefully. The trial was soon
called on. I related the whole story by my interpreter, and the judge,
without calling a witness on either side, decided that I should pay him
the same amount of money I had offered him, and that he should pay the
costs, which was one dollar and fifty cents, being one-half the sum he
recovered from me.
When I returned to the wharf to go on board my vessel I found the poor
fellow had been impressed, and sentenced to go on board of a man-of-war,
and was then lodged in the guard house. He sent a message to me
imploring my pardon, and begging my assistance to obtain his release.
About this time there was a very great excitement raised in the city in
consequence of the circulation of counterfeit coin, in imitation of the
government silver, and a story had been circulated that a considerable
quantity of this spurious silver was expected from Baltimore. As
several vessels arrived from that place soon after, they were strictly
searched, by boring barrels of flour, breaking open boxes and packages
of goods, by custom house officers, and otherwise searching them. After
some days it was discovered that the counterfeit coin was brought from
Jamaica by a Jew, who had been lurking about the city. He was arrested
and brought before the president for trial, and a report circulated that
he would certainly be hanged. The president sent for a silver-smith to
examine the coin, who pronounced it to be one-half pure silver, while
the government coin was only one-tenth part silver: upon which the
president said, "Damn him, let him go, for his money is better than
ours."
The laws of this country are very arbitrary, although they help to
encourage industry and suppress idleness and dissipation. The president
makes donations from the public lands to all poor individuals who will
cultivate them. After they take possession of a lot he obliges them to
cultivate it. To accomplish this, he sends a small military guard
through the new settlements, accompanied by an officer, who stops at
every house, where he makes the following inquiries: "Is this your house
and plantation?" which being answered in the affirmative, he proceeds,
"How large is your family?" The man answers, a wife and ---- children.
The officer then compels him to go and show him the plantation, and to
point out the number of coffee trees he has planted, &c. If, on
examining the premises the officer finds only a few trees, and is
convinced of the indolence of the occupant, he says, "You cannot
maintain your family by this, and must be a cheat, or steal, you must
therefore go with me," and he is obliged to join the army or navy.
The farmers being out of the cities and villages, are not allowed to
come to market except two days in each week, say Sundays and Wednesdays,
without a special permit. All persons found drinking or rioting about
public places or grog shops are immediately taken up under the vagrant
act, sent to prison, and then transported to the army or navy as a
punishment. The authorities of cities and villages license a limited
number of butchers in each town, and compel them to keep the market
supplied with meat every day, and limit the price to twelve and a half
cents per pound.
Since my last voyage to this Island the president, at the head of his
army, had many engagements with the royalists under the emperor
Christophe, whom he conquered, and had obtained possession of all his
dominions. The emperor, fearing he should be taken prisoner, committed
suicide by blowing his own brains out with his pistol. The president
took possession of his castle, where they found about seven millions of
dollars. By their wars with the French, and their internal wars among
themselves, they have reduced the male inhabitants so much that they now
estimate there is eleven females to one male, throughout all their
dominions.
Having disposed of my cargo and got a return freight on board, I sailed
for the port of Jerimie, where we arrived the twenty-fourth of July.
Here I collected about eight hundred dollars in coffee, which was due
from my last voyage. I sailed for New-York on the twenty-eighth, and
arrived at Staten Island after a passage of twenty-two days, where we
were compelled to perform a quarantine of thirty days, at the expiration
of which time we proceeded to the city, where I disposed of my cargo and
then returned with the schooner to Catskill, when we refitted her
previous to the next voyage.