The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-12-24
CINCINNATI, o, FR ". DEcEMBEB. % 1852.


t,i .iuilS ~ \ e5l6li5o sewer.
oitithy as weil as rough was its whole extent.
We saw no marks Of wheels. Probably there
is no vehicle Oh the island. Ten or twelve
black hOrselneh passed lls---COuntry gentle
men, We were told, who had come for tlieir
letters by their steamer. Their shabby rags
were partly coycsCd BY leather leggins, aud
they had long spurs and pistols in their belts
aud h0stlers, No man rides safely in the
island, they say, unlCss armed to the teeth
Broad -brimmcd straw hats and all, however,
these horscmen were not uDpicturesgue OBJ
jects. .a.
The iuhabiLant with whom wc have had the
most conversation was female hen merchant,
whose importantly might have been partly
curiosity, but il exceeded even that OF a an
kce pedlar. With her basket OH her head,
and her chickens trying apparently to talk her
down, she followed rs from shop 20 shop, Civ
ing us torrent oil French peTs uasion be-
tween every two doors, till sho brought us to
regular parlcy. Hkg we wanted no chick
ems was to be distinctly stated. u was not
reasonable that she should have nothing to
sell u.s. "But what would You take for goar.
ScL?" asked my companion, rather impcrti.
nently. "P0Rr CON bte8 Grt6MpS, gOalSifl'r3''
was her ready and nisChCTiOus reply.
Having come On shore without nay break
fast, aud feeling the want Of "summat" / Sc
lectod the most arniable-faced colored gentle
man could sec in tire street. aud inquired my
way to OH eating house. He was q yoRng
man very well drosscg, and seemed promenade
ing at his leisure. Taking his cigar from his
mouth with very deliberate grace and self
possession, he said thcro was no hotel nor
eating. .honse in the place-hut, il we wonld
honor him so far, his breakfast should be
nearly ready at his lodgings at that hour,
and we should be most welcome to share it.
| This prompt and frank invitation was given
| with grave snd cOnrtly politeness that
| thought quite model Of good taste, and no.
! thing but our limited time prevented my &C
crpting it, with quito his own freedom from
prejudice as TO difference OF color. My two
/ or three hours OF conyersanee with the col
| Orcd .0Cracy uf the Island had somehow in-
sehsibly giyeu sort OF level TO my notions on
the subject Of complexion. That | should
! have any hesitation in returning the eOmpliI
| ment Of this polite ilaytian, and inviting him
to breakfast in New York, were he TO meet me
there, seemed, at the time, q very improbable
! illibernlty. y
Our friend had directed us to a shop where
| he thought VIC might get banana and bot
! le OF claret, on our way to the water side.--
! We climbed mp three OF four crazy steps, and
made our entrance into the diugy front apart
mcnt Of the Onc-stDry house he had indicated
"a shop lighted by the small swung-up win
| dow shnttcf, and something like a narrow
wine closet IN its accommodations. On the
rloof, however, were twOvery interesting OBJ
hiccts--a baby quite white, and baby quite
| black. / mention them for tue purpose OF re-
cording new experience. Taking up the two
| children, | was Immediately struck with thu
| difference ia the feel Of their skins. 1t had
never happened to me before to pass my hand
over live negro surface, and, to my surprise,
/ the black child felt like quite different fa-
| brio from the white one. lt was like warm
bundle OF Uncut velvet, singularly rich and
agreeable to the touch. Could II have been
peculiar to that ono tropical child, or is it the
| feel OF the race, common to them in all eli
matesI / ask it as a question in natural his
| tory.
A look into the back room Of our winedeal-
err premises showed that there was French
| taste prevalent ia the island as well as the
| French language. 1t was q large, roughly
boarded apartment, with rude rafters overhead
and no sign Of any attempt beyond mere shell
ter from the weather yet the three beds in
| three Of the corners would have looked tempt
| ing even in Parisian hotcl-the sheets snowy
white, the ample pillows edged with lace, and
| the cOvcrlids Of the best quality. She un-
corked our bottle of claret, and pointed ont O
! heap Of pine-apples in dark corner; but it
| Was evidently against the custom OF the house
/ to have wine drank on the premises, and she
| obliged us reluctantly with tumblers aud room
| to stand. While we were enjoying the deli
eious fruit, aud the wine, (Which seemed 70 me
the best claret had ever tasted a lHulatto
came in who had been slave and was brought
| upi Charleston, South CarOliua. lie spoke
| the first English we had heard on the island.
| l|y his account, the coronation Of SORlouqpe,
which was 10 have taken place OH the follow
| ing Sunday, was deferred by the disaffecti0n
OF some vi the more important persOnages
Df the capital, and the Governor OF JaCmel
I particularly was opposed TO tho would be Em-
peror, and had gone TO Port au Prince to pre-
vent the ceremony. The mulatt0es were the
| opposing parties, and they were strongest
| hereabouts. In the other cities oil the island,
| the uudilutcd black blood was in the majority,
aud Soulouqne hadsworn tho extinction or ul-
innate expulsion OF every shatio OF white
1 10 be the ebon Emperor Of realm all negro,
| is his ambitionp pud resolve. With GircUgl-
ference OF Thousand miles, 650,000 iuhabi-
tants, scenery, soil and productions unsur-
/ passed, an Eden OF climate, and ports TINT
| arc on the worlds most ffequented highway,
4 TINS coming Cotfeedonmay yet be au impor-
tant powers f1 cL
/ While lettering, as VIC thought rather ven
| turesomely over our fruit aud wine, we hailed
the coekswain Of our boat, passing the door
and found We had still and houlsof waiting for
tho mail. They takeit leisurely, in these seas
/ ri was eyeryHhere happy 10 discover. Her
Majesty 5 steamers seldom making more than
five miles in the hour, and the stoppages N
I ports being more ruled by Southern luxurious
ness than Northern expeditiousness. l did
bnOtcoinplain, oven Of the five days, beyond
her time, which this steamer had kept rs wait
! ing for her at st. Thon.ae. Hurry seems no
more natural to that latitude than ice.
/ The enc whsrf was nows crowded with the
Fgentlemen Of Jaelnel, assembled TO SEQ the de.
lparture Of the packet Two very elegant voting
mnlattoes were the only exceptions 10 the uni-
versal raggedness and shabbiness, and these
two youths. | was told, we're the sons Of the
weqlthiest merchant in tho place, and had been
| educatedin paris--inst returned. Thcy look
ed anything hutamHsed OF ut homo. | en-
deavOred TO stroll lahout, on the warf, and lool.
i on, Rhobserved; out / found that every man
| whom Looked at without addressing seemed
~ resent II as an impertipenee, and my friend