Port au Prince, August.
My voyage from the Mole to this place was attended with the usual
vexations and uncertainties of sea travelling. Wishing to proceed to
Port au Prince, I thought myself fortunate in learning that a small
fleet of American traders was about to sail for that place, and lost no
time in securing a passage on board the Lion, one of our armed ships,
which was going as convoy. Owing to erroneous information, respecting
the time of sailing, I was left on shore without my baggage, and was
under the necessity of pressing a boat with four negroes to carry me
after the fleet, which we overtook with much difficulty and exertion.
Two frigates, going upon a cruise, left the Mole at the same time as the
convoy: but they soon shot a-head of it, leaving nine American
merchantmen to the protection of the Lion. The breeze continued until
evening, when, as commonly occurs at this season, it was succeeded by a
calm, and we remained fixed upon the ocean, at only a short distance
from the land, and near to a post occupied by the brigands.
My sleeping-birth happened unluckily to be in a confined part of the
cabin, where I was not only deprived of air, but nauseated by the smell
of the ship, and cruelly bitten by swarms of cockroaches and musquitoes.
Rest was denied me, and from the extreme heat my whole surface was
immersed in a deep bath of perspiration. I had before passed many close
and oppressive nights; but it had never been my lot to feel any one so
entirely comfortless and distressing as this: to move was an exhausting
fatigue, and to lie still was equally insupportable.
I made my escape from this wretched birth early in the morning, and
removed all my uneasy feelings by the pleasant exchange of a hot bath
for a cold one. It was a calm, and we passed an idle day, lying with our
little fleet collected in a narrow circle upon the unmoved surface of
the ocean.
The cabin party consisted of Captain Lloyd, of the 66th regiment,
Messrs. Stewart, Hastie, and Claypole, three or four French gentlemen,
as many American masters of ships, and two French ladies. The Lion had
lately been employed to convoy some American vessels to the river
Delaware; and a number of convalescents from the hospitals had been
placed on board for the benefit of the passage. After lying six weeks at
Philadelphia, she returned to St. Domingo, with another convoy of
American traders, and reached the Mole only a day or two previous to my
arrival at that place from Jamaica. Including the six weeks passed at
anchor in the Delaware, they had been absent four months, during which
time three of the soldiers had died, and two had deserted. The others
being still on board, I took the opportunity, during the calm of the
first evening of our passage, of requesting Captain Lloyd to have them
mustered upon deck, in order that I might ascertain in what degree they
had benefited by the voyage. Mr. Beaumont, apothecary to the forces, who
had been appointed to attend them down to the coast of America,
furnished me with the history of their cases, and assisted in the
inspection; but I was sorry to discover that they had not experienced so
much advantage from the change of climate as might have been expected. A
few had recovered, but considerable numbers were still in only a feeble
state of convalescence.
When bed-time returned, I avoided the ills of the preceding night by
spreading my mattress upon the table, in the middle of the cabin,
directly under the open hatchway, and afterwards made that my place of
repose every night during the passage.
On the 22d the calm continued, and I had the mortification to learn, not
only that we were in the precise meridian (as well as the high season)
of heat and still water, but that, notwithstanding the distance is
barely thirty leagues, vessels were sometimes more than forty days
making the passage from the Mole to Port au Prince.
Unable to advance on our voyage, we spent the day in walking upon deck,
and looking over the popular works of an American author, who, at this
time, attracts much notice in Philadelphia and throughout the United
States. He publishes under the fictitious name of Peter Porcupine, and
is zealously occupied in shooting his quills against the abettors of the
French revolution, endeavouring to show the danger of Gallic influence
in America, and exposing the frightful horrors committed by the various
factions of republican France. Thus he may be regarded as pleading the
cause of Britain with that of the United States. Much acuteness and
discernment, with great boldness of expression, are displayed in these
publications; but they betray a coarseness of language and of personal
invective, which would not be tolerated in England[10].
Upon quitting my table couch on the morning of the 23d, I found the
convoy had made some way upon the passage, and was very near to the
shore, with the island of Gonave on the right, and the high land about
Port au Prince appearing far a-head. But the gentle wind of the night
had died away, and we were again becalmed. In this situation a brigand
boat came from the coast, and hovered round our little fleet, with the
design of cutting off any defenceless vessel that might be lying beyond
the reach of the armed ship; but the convoy being assembled close about
the protecting “Lion,” the enemy deemed it prudent not to hazard a
nearer approach.
In the afternoon a slight breeze enabled us to proceed; but it again
ceased, early in the evening, and we came to anchor for the night close
under the shore, not far from Arcahaye, a post possessed by our troops.
A fine valley or plain was seen near this place, as we drew towards the
land; and from appearing peculiarly fertile, afforded a striking
contrast to the rugged and uncultivated coast which had been constantly
before us, from the time of our first making the island of St. Domingo.
The many delays of this tranquil, but interrupted passage afforded me
repeated opportunities of hearing remarks upon the colony of St.
Domingo, and of witnessing traits of French character. The ladies, and
some of the gentlemen, were either natives, or residents of the
settlement; others were more recently from France; and by conversing
with them, and attending to their frequent debates with each other, I
was both amused and instructed, although at times exceedingly disgusted.
Our passengers of the fair sex proved themselves upon all occasions to
be truly French. They commented upon the figure, shape, and tournure of
the human body, its secretions and excretions, and the various functions
of its different organs, with a freedom that betrayed more of ease, than
delicacy; and, to the surprise of the English part of the company, they
conversed with the gentlemen upon these subjects, without the slightest
reserve.
The French pique themselves upon their refinement, and regard the
British as abrupt and unpolished; yet, I may venture to assert, that
there is not a decent female in England, however slightly educated, who
would not think her feelings outraged by the coarse expressions and
equivocal innuendoes which are used in the conversation of all orders of
the softer sex in France.
That amiable diffidence, which so eminently distinguishes the delicate
females of our island, and is too commonly termed mauvaise honte, is
often the genuine effect of modesty; and, whether it be the result of
education, or of natural feeling, no Englishman, I suspect, would wish
to see it removed from the minds of his fair countrywomen, or to have it
exchanged for the unblushing confidence of French familiarity: I am
Gothic enough to regard many of the refinements of our Gallic
neighbours, as indecent and unbecoming, and my English feelings often
lead me to think the conversation of French ladies such as ought never
to escape from female lips[11].
Among other topics, we were frequently amused with warm debates, between
the ladies and the French gentlemen, respecting the advantages possessed
by the coloured belles of Cape François, compared with those of Port au
Prince, from which it seemed that those of the Cape were most splendid
in their dress and equipage, and shared more of the riches of their
opulent lords; but that those of Port au Prince outrivalled them in
beauty and gracefulness of form; yet, it was allowed by all parties,
that with respect to person, the females of Guadaloupe and Martinique
were very superior to both.
Soon after we had come to anchor this evening, an officer was sent on
board from the port of Arcahaye, to ascertain what convoy it was, and to
learn the news from the Mole; and early on the morning of the 24th we
were hailed by the Kingston armed ship, which was stationed at Arcahaye,
for the purpose of cruising in the bight to protect the merchantmen
against the brigands of an adjoining port, whence boats are frequently
sent out to cut off any unarmed ships or stragglers from convoys; and so
adventurous are the crews of these hostile barks, particularly in calm
weather, that our traders maintain their safety only by the most strict
watchfulness; but notwithstanding every care, it sometimes happens that
a party of brigands will row up in an open boat, and board the outermost
vessel of a convoy, plunder her of every thing valuable, then take out
her hands and set fire to her, while the protecting ship is prevented by
the calm from getting within gunshot of the marauder.
About noon the wind came round from the west, and we were enabled to
stand on our course, seeing the town of Port au Prince directly a-head,
and expecting that we should complete our voyage at an early hour of the
evening; but when we had reached within two leagues of the town, and
were nearly under cover of our own batteries on the shore, a heavy storm
from the east drove us back, compelling us to stand away for the
opposite coast, where we came to anchor, near the spot whence we had
sailed in the morning. Two of the schooners beat against the storm, and
went into the harbour of Port au Prince. Our ship would likewise have
gone in, had it not been necessary to remain for the purpose of giving
protection to the heavy-sailing vessels of the convoy.
Previous to being driven back, we had advanced near enough to see
distinctly the houses of Port au Prince, with the ships in the harbour,
and one of the forts on the shore; we saw likewise, at only a short
distance from the town, the out-posts of our troops, and of the
brigands, within sight of each other, separated by a plain, which was
formerly planted with sugar, but has been converted by the flames of the
revolution into a barren waste.
On the 25th, soon after noon, we had a brisk wind from a favorable
point, and quickly sailed into harbour, when I most gladly hastened on
shore in the boat with the captain, without waiting for the ship to let
go her anchor.
After all my wanderings to find myself at the head-quarters of the army,
to which I had been originally appointed, was matter of sincere
gratification to me, particularly when I recollected the many perils and
dangers with which I had been menaced since the time of my embarkation
from Portsmouth. In coming from Demarara only, the passage had been made
in four hazardous divisions, and performed upon seas peculiarly infested
with hostile cruisers. Some of the voyages had been effected, likewise,
amidst the hurricane season of the year.
I proceeded without delay to the government-house, to pay my respects to
the commander in chief, General Whyte, who, by his cordial reception,
kindly evinced that his recollection of me was not impaired by a long
separation. After resting myself for some time, and being honored with
the friendly assurances of the General, he very obligingly desired his
nephew to conduct me to the quarters of Dr. Jackson, the acting director
of hospitals. The Doctor was from home, but on his return, I was
speedily provided, by his kind assistance, with excellent quarters for
the night, where I found a spacious room, an ample supply of provisions,
and a bathing-tub with plenty of cold water; which is always the
greatest luxury to a wearied traveller just escaped from the noisome
birth of a crowded ship.