The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-12-24
REOALLIEGs TO MEMORY,
OVER NOTES TAKEN IN THE TROPICS.
BY n. T. WILLIS.

The foremost inhabitants Of Hayti to vel
come our boat 8 approach Was negro clad in
a suit Of black--the suit he was born in
standing erect shiny and unconscious on the
end OF the pier. He seemed quite iudepen-
dent OF our observation, and was taking his
morning swim. The wator-side Of tho har-
Dor was beach, with the exception OF the
tumbling- down wooden wharf towards which
We we were heading: and a few stranded
boats, some dead animals of various kinds,
and prodigi0us heaps Of rubbish, formed the
seabbard line Of the city oil JaCmCl. All
eenld see in the way Of buildings, looked to
me like the weather beaten hOOths OF some
long deserted fair. There was nothing that
would elsewhere be called hoase--nOthing
that had ever been clap boarded painted or
fenced in--littlc to indicate that this was the
principal port and town Of the 'Quecn of the
Antilles an island as large as Ireland, aud
whose Emperor, SoulOuquC, was to be crowli-
ed on the following Sunday. Our anticipa-
tions had been little 0Yer-cOlored, perhaps
from the description which one OF tae passen :
gers had given Of the coronation boots oil bis
future Majesty. kle had seen them in New
York where they were made. The cost was
three hundred dollars, and described fhGm as
sumptuously embroidered with gold and hung
with Jewels in tho tassels.
We climbed mp the broken timbers Of the
half fallen wharf with some difficulty, aud
were Immediately surrounded and addressed
very volubly in French, by the most ragged
rabble had ever fallen ameDg. | was in
ehned to think, at first, that it was some pan
and strangely confused costumes were but the
fun Of the day. There was a sentinel on duty
at the end OF the pier, and a shauty near by,
which seemed to serve MS guard house, with
a dozen soldiers around the door. These mil :
itary negroes were even needlessly tatterod
aud rggged. No two Of them were armed or
dressed alike. II looked us IL it might boa
frolic masquerade, got up with the discarded
robes Of company OF itinerant playCrs--an
infantry cap, that might have been used for a
fire.bucket, on Que head; hussar cap that
may have served for years as an ash-pan, OH
another: one full dressed grcnadier down to
his chin, and the rest Of him complete rag
amuffin; the fourth in generals epaulCttes,
but barefOOted: this one with only bayOnet
stuck through his trowseF's pocket, that one
with ashab6y old court sword, the next with
a rusty musket-the whole apparelling and
equipmenta q caricature vi east.Off finery aud
uniform. was prepared to laugh at them for
civility's sake. It was scarcely possible that
they did not expect it. But the savage fierce
ness with which they surveyed us from head
to foot, fortunately kept me grave, and ma
lattO, to whose politeness was afterwards in
debted, informed me that it would have been
a dangerous blunder. The whites are only
tolerated there, he earnestly assured me, and
as my skin was OF the Objectionable color,
inferred from his friendly caution that had
better know my place and be civil.
The access from the wharf to the main
street Of the town was between the rear cor
NJ all Aka
houses Of the place, indeed, conveying the
impression that they had been lifted BY aflood
and dropped again, pell-m with confused
fronts and anglos-and, passing through this
opening, we entered upon aa Irregular avenue
OF shabby shops. These were structures Of
rough boards, one story high, the single vim
dow consisting of wooden shutter, hung on
hinge; aud displaying the goods within BY
being raised and hoOked 10 sort Of she'd
roof in front. The shop-keeping seemed to
be the employment OF the women only, and a
very full. dressed and self -pOssesscd class they
seemed 10 be, a pair OF bare shoulders, q Ycry
CAV colorcd turhau, a necklace and ear-rinps.
and something like a fall ball dress, waited
for tho customer at every door. She sat in q
chair, with all her gay goods hanging around
her and two or more naked children PLAYED
in the dirta her feet--but there was none ~
the surly gravity Of the male inhabitants in
this other gender of citizens. DESTROYS Of
purchasing some memento OF The place, in the
way Of an article manufactured there, Iwent
into shop after shop, ranspcking their various
assortments Of things for sale, and endeavor-
ing in vain TO find something Hagttaii. There
were only the brighter colored portions Of
London oxford street, or OF the New York
Bowery. The snowy danes were all smiles
and accommodation, however, every one with
manners which would have been called fr0lie-
some elsewhere, and whether because, their
answers we're in French, cannot say, but Il
seemed to ma that they We're all unusually
witty and ready. After taxing for some time
the patisace Of one Of them, plump dame OF
tweaty or twenty-five, in a a-green eaaze afess
aud yellow tarbah, ! asked, with some impa-
tienee, What oil earth they did make III that
island. Ilef reply was instant aud expressed
with look of mischieyoaA srchness OF which
] should have we'll likeda dpgperrootype by
way of tho mement0 was seeking:--r' Rie8
eiis les cafaas, M0nsie8f; Es g0Ales toaS?''
With ms chance companion, Gan English
passenger who had Genie ashore with me in
the .hoat) atrolled through oil that
we could find il tho way Of streets, the other
principal ono leading up 9 rather precipitOus
hill Both bad traces pf being fayaged 1t
times b5 powerful torrents. Large aud loose
stones ~ i the centre. and theiower street,
which Ms more closely populated, seemed