Diario las Américas., 1958-08-01
Knox thy
Neighboti
By ANTONIO RUIZ

TALL Sdp-E1dltlcH IL Tic
second city in size and Importance
in the Republic of Haiti, but first
in the great interest and many at
fractions for the tourist, since it
is a sightseeing center for visits
to the country'S greatest land.
marks, the palace of Sans-Souci
and the Citadelle Laferriere.
Earthquakes and numerous fires
have destroyed most of the origi.
nal colonial buildings of the city,
once known as the Paris of Saint
Dominique because Of its wealth
and luxurious living.
To the west of the city, the
first Europeans to arrive in the
New World sailed into Acul Bay in
the Santa Maria and the Nina,
followed later by the Pinta. Co.
lumbuS sailed in the Santa Maria
past Point Picolet which guards
Cap-Haitien's harbor, when he was
about to spend his first Christmas
in the New World as guest of the
Indian chief, Guacanagaric. On the
fringe of the coral reefs, where the
waves can be seen breaking, the
Santa Maria met her fate on Christ
mas Eve in 1892.
Looking inland from the harbor,
the visitor can see the breath
taking panorama of the plains and
mountains, unchanged since the
Great Admiral described it, in elo-
quent words, in his diary, as fol-
lows: "The high and rocky noun
tains on either side of the harbor
rose from among noble forests and
swept down into luxuriant plains
and cultivated fields, and the rich
and smiling valley between the two
mountains ran far into the inte-
rior".
In the nearby islands, more than
a century later, English, French,
and Dutch corsairs lay in wait to
pounce on richly laden Spanish
galleons en- route across the Allan
tic. From their island hiding place,
lie de la Tortue, French buccaneers
came to the larger island and
founded Cap Francois, later re-
named p-Haitien, in 1870. By
the middle of the 18th century it
had become Frances wealthiest
colonial capital and Saint Domin-
que was counted the richest colo
NAL possession in the world, The
exuberant, productive Plain-du-
Nord and the Artibonite Valley
supplied half of Europe with sugar
and cocoa. On their vast planta-
tons of cotton, indigo, sugar, CO.
Goa and coffee cultivated by
myriads of slaves French Creole
planters lived like kings. Their
display of wealth on sojourns in
Paris gave rise to the expression
las rich as a Creole.
When the French Revolution
came, the Paris of Saint Domin-
que" overnight became a stage
alike for heroic events and for
barbaric excuses in the great
struggle for human liberty. The
old French fountain. which still
stands in the Place d Armes, was
a silent witness to the execution
of Haiti's first martyrs: the mulat-
to Lacombe, hanged for daring to
present a petition claiming the
rights of Man" for his country
men: Oge and ChavanneS, barbar-
ously put to death for demanding
the political rights Of the "af-
franchis'.
One stormy night in the forest
of Bots Caiman, outside Cap-Hai-
tien, three negro leaders met in
1871 to plan the rebellion of the
slaves, taking the "oath OF blood.
A week later the ominous beat OF
native drums was heard, and their
followers d descended from the
mountains and swept through the
PLANE du horde with fire and
sword, avenging the deaths of Oge
and Chavannes and of untold num-
bers of slaves during three agoniz-
ing centuries Of bondage. In a
weeks time they had reduced the
luxuriant plain to one vast GENE
terry and had destroyed 900 coffee
plantations, 200 sugar refineries,
and the fine mansions of the
owners. MercilesS retaliation was
meted out to rebels and non-rebels
alike by the French at Cap-Haitien,
who kept five gallows constantly
in use. Continued tomorrow.
Spanish version page g..