witness to whom I shall appeal is the estimable General
Vincent, who now lives at Paris, though at an advanced age. He was a
Colonel, and afterwards a General of Brigade of Artillery in Saint
Domingo. He was detained there during the time both of Santhonax and
Toussaint. He was also a proprietor of estates in the island. He was
the man who planned the renovation of its agriculture after the
abolition of slavery, and one of the great instruments in bringing it to
the perfection mentioned by La Croix. In the year 1801 he was called
upon by Toussaint to repair to Paris, to lay before the Directory the
new Constitution, which had been agreed on in Saint Domingo. He obeyed
the summons. It happened that he arrived in France just at the moment
of the Peace of Amiens. Here he found, to his inexpressible surprise
and grief, that Bonaparte was preparing an immense armament, under
Leclerc, to restore slavery in Saint Domingo. He remonstrated against
the expedition: he told him to his face that though the army destined
for this purpose was composed of the brilliant conquerors of Europe,
they could do nothing in the Antilles. He stated, as another argument
against the expedition, that it was totally unnecessary, and, therefore,
criminal; for that everything was going on well in Saint Domingo; the
proprietors in peaceable possession of their estates, cultivation making
rapid progress, the Blacks industrious, and beyond example happy."

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

L'ETOILE AND ITS PEOPLE.

One radiant day of the succeeding spring, a party was seen in the plain
of Cul-de-Sac, moving with such a train as showed that one of the
principal families of the island was travelling. Rigaud and his forces
were so safely engaged in the south, that the plain was considered
secure from their incursions. Port-au-Prince, surrounded on three sides
by hills, was now becoming so hot, that such of its inhabitants as had
estates in the country were glad to retire to them, as soon as the roads
were declared safe; and among these were the family of the
Commander-in-Chief, who, with tutors, visitors, and attendants, formed
the group seen in the Cul-de-Sac this day. They were removing to their
estate of Pongaudin, on the shores of the bay of Gonaves, a little to
the north of the junction of the Artibonite with the sea; but instead of
travelling straight and fast, they intended to make a three days'
journey of what might have been accomplished in less