in, exercises great power over his subjects, who have
only the shadow of a Senate and Assembly, as they are subservient to his
will. The soil of the Island is very fertile, producing sugar-cane,
coffee, cocoa, and three crops of corn in one year; also, beans,
cabbages, water-mellons, and most kinds of garden vegetables: plantains,
yams, and every variety of tropical fruits in abundance. The Island at
this time was divided into three departments; the northern part was held
by a black royal Emperor, who styled himself Christoff, and exercised as
much power over his subjects as does the Emperor of Russia over his. The
southern part was owned by the Spaniards, as a Republic; the western by
the Republicans called Haytians, who were then at war with the Royalists
under the command of the black emperor. The war between those two
parties had been carried on for many years, and ended in the total
overthrow of the Royalists; the emperor blowing his brains out with his
pistol.

The president of this Republic lays heavy export duties on the produce
of the Island. The stamp duties on paper are said to amount to over two
millions per annum. All merchants and mechanics pay a heavy tax for
licenses to carry on their business. Whites are excluded from carrying
on their trades in their own names, or from purchasing real estate in
this Republic. A white can take a black partner, male or female, and do
business in his or her name. Most of the white men settled here prefer
the latter. This government has a mint, and coin their own money, which
contains ten per cent of silver mixed with other metal. They coin no
pieces larger than twenty-five cents, none smaller than six and a
quarter. This coin is considered a lawful tender, and the laws strictly
prohibit the carrying of any foreign gold or silver out of the country,
on penalty of forfeiting it. This compels any person selling a cargo
there to lay the returns out in some of the produce of the Island, which
is consequently the cause of heavy losses to the shippers. The
inhabitants are a mixed race of black and white, varying in color from
the blackness of charcoal to almost the whiteness of a snow-ball, and
hundreds of them have to take hard oaths to satisfy the authorities that
they have some black blood running through their veins, which entitles
them to the rights of citizenship in the Island. I have seen many
red-whiskered fair complexioned men pass themselves off for men of
color. Their