Star.
London, England, 1816-08-06 00:00:00

aimionn
STS DOMINGO OR YAM.

• ,
following interesting particulars respecting
Ibis Mind, ate taken from the letter of an intelligent
limner now there.dated 16th June, 1816:
' When a vessel arrives in the harbour of Cap'
Henry, no person is permitted to land until the ship ,
has'been visited by a boat from the shore. Short!:
atter ore coming to anchor, therefore, the visitinx
boat came off to its with a it Officer,'an inter-
preter, itc. Their appearance was by no means pre-
possessing : their dre.s consisted of • vide checked
trowsers, with boots &hove them, a long blue
faced with red and taut at elb3avt; while a huge
cocked hat, with a red feather at least two.teet long,
and a dragoon sabre by titbir sid-, gave to their black
faces a very formidable fipprartnct. They were,
however, very polite, inquired the news from Enrop',
stiallowcd cheese, ham. fcc. by the lamp, washing all
down with wine, gin and porter : they then cnnddeted
the Captain and all the passengers to the Governor,.
the Due de Marmalade, a black man, ablut ti() years
of age, a n..tive of Africa, mild in his ntattners and
exceedingly well liked hoth by natiets and .foreigners.
He merely inquired our names and business, took all
out letters, ptperv, &c. in order to have them trans- •
lated for his Majesty, and t' en ordered us to wait on
Baron Dunuy, a coloured man, about 40, Private
Secretary to the King, and reckoned a second 'Val-,
leyrand. He certainly looks a man of ,address. I
was afterwards introduced to Prince John. the King's
sonosho is a good young man, but has no abilities.
I was, however, much pleased with. him and ie.
ceived many kindnesses from him. On one who has
seen Negroes and et:lnured people only in the de-
frradtJ situation in which they are In the Colonies,
it hat a singular effect when he goes awing them
uthere they only have command and controul, and
although from' my short residence in this quarter of
the world, and from my general feelings towards
them, as a people sfho are and who have been cruelly
and unjustifiably anted. still I felt something like
an ill natured contempt for their assuming an autho.
rity over me. The desolation 'which surrounds you
in the town al Cape Henry serves to • keep alive this
feeling ; and is en first landing perhaps the most ins-
prenave scene I
.evcr vritnesse'd. It formerly contained',
60 or 70.000 inhabitants, built upon a plain in_the.
most regular order, all the streets intersecting each
each other at right angles, and running in straight.'
lines E. and W. and N. and S. The buildings hjtyea
been uniformly elegant. Picture to yourself such A.
place—the houses completely sacked, and only the
outward walls and balconits remaining7-treevand
ainubs growing within and upon the walls, and grass
glowing upon the • streets, and you have something,
almost as melancholy as the appearance of Cape
henry. To. complete the picture, however, you,
must conceive a climate uniformly serene, a kind of
splendour in the bright blazing sun. and the lively
verdure all around, and something so impressively
scd in' the apve.iraace of the partial occuptionof the
ruined Intusev, which here and there contain a family
M Blacks or Mulattoes, that words cannot convey any
adequate description of the scene. You are coati-
_

!malty reminded that others than those, you now see
in st. corner of what has been a princely mansion,
raisee it and dwelt in it, and, for ought you can tell,
the vt.; persons who now budd'e up in one corner
art, tr, t y have cut tut throats of the former owners.
The 11-iti,es ia the few English and Americans resit
(*tot there are receptions to this, as are also the lew
occupied by tie These have been com-
pletely repaired, and joist serve to skew how splendid
a place at •Inlht have been when all the others were
in the sane state. The-same descrietiors will apply
to the country. I had an opportunity of travelling
trim Gontives across to the Cape, a distance of 60
or 70 miles. On eves), side I could see the ruins of
fine .house.s and plantations; end, from the appeae-1
ance of the country, I have little d tobt but the asset.
Tian of the 'French is correct' that their possessions
in St. Domingo were'once worth all the Colonies via
the. West bidets.' I had no opportunity of seeing
Ciiristophe, winch I was sorry for I. but he •keeps
liitnsell.so aloof from the Cape, that I. triigl,t have,
continued them three months without his being once
•init ; and even then perhaps not visible. The AAP
lowing authentic particulars of his character may
coogry to you a livelier idea of him, than a mere de-
scription of his perion..which by the by. I havei
been told.is the elegant model :frf an Hercules:. lit
battle lie is brave to desperation; his courage rising'
with danger. He has been seen in . the heat. of .an
engagement, animated with the fury of 'a .tiger.!
raging and loaming tfuough ail his ranks.. He is.
revengeful beyond measure. He had a regiment
coeun.uidi d by a coloured man which went over nal
Petite). The moment he.was apprised of the circtim-
stance he ordered a Massacre of all the coloured wo-
into in his dominions; and not even to waste powder
on thew. -I was bilent several places where'numlsers
of show unfortunate fentalei were butchered ; many
V LTC hidlliere by relatives till the fury abated, ind I
Intite Had the particulars of their escape from the lips
Of twra..orthree. They still live in great dread;; and
some who are even wealthy would gladly abandon
all and go aay where to get out of his power. whom
they hate,bini never O&M!. He is extravagant ht his,
souring of grandeur. and proud, as Lucifer himself ;
severe as a tyrant towards those of his own colour, \
and who ate his subjects. at-the same time rigidly,
enfoecing the laws. and protecting strangers who re-
spect them. In no country in Europe are duties and
tustonas so rigidly exacted, or illicit trade .so com-
.pletely prevented. Add to this that I travelled in
*Osceola. of the country where not a white face is
to be Seen, with as much security. as I could haie
done in any part of Great Stitain. This is not to be
dale without' a passport signed by _himself. Np.
stranger. is permitted to go a hundred yards beyond
the barperrof the Cape without permission. Ido not
think, however. that his Gowenment will be oflong
duration. He it leo much. the tyrant, that-he 'must,
have many enemies among his seeming friends)
sides, being hinvelt a usurper, and engrossing all the'
riches at the cdentry, aiul applying them .often;
lnolishly, and without Alice, will naturagy inspire
!Imre about him Withoetions-dangetous to his safety.
His personal, character if so Wen known, that.nonk
will attettipt any thing against him till they are sure
they have been.. At au etanti4.c9nceive Petion must.
est-am:illy overcome him. His chamois is-so oppo.,
-01. it to Christephe's Ira all that is good, that his sfc-.
etas wall save the coubtry."