ch at once put a stop
to all extensions, either in the way of new plantations or of the
acreage under cultivation. This was the first great check, and with the
fall in prices, which ensued when Britain became the consignee of almost
every settlement, caused a cry of "Ruin!" to arise, which has continued
with short intermissions down to the present day.

[Illustration]

XII.

DOWNFALL OF HISPANIOLA.

Before the abolition of the slave-trade had affected the British islands
the French colonies were distracted by the results of their great
revolution. Hispaniola, or rather that portion now known as Hayti, had
become, as we before said, the most important colony; we must now give
the story of its downfall. If this had happened by the fortune of war it
would perhaps not have been so deplorable, but to be utterly ruined as
it was, until even now, after the lapse of a century, it is behind its
neighbours, is very sad.

But, in the struggle for existence the straining after liberty has to be
reckoned with, and although the process causes intense suffering to both
lord and serf--master and slave--the fight is sure to come at some time
or other. Miss Martineau uses the title, "The hour and the man," for her
romance of the liberation of this once flourishing island. The hour had
come, but we are afraid _the man_ has not yet appeared on Hispaniola.

When the French people took the government from the hands of their king
and summoned the States General, revolutionary ideas had already come
to a head, and the matter of slavery received much consideration. In all
the colonies were numbers of free coloured persons, who had been
manumitted by their fathers, and in many cases sent to Europe for their
education. In Paris they were brought into communication with a kind of
anti-slavery society, called _L'Amis des noirs_, before which they had
opportunities of ventilating their grievances. These consisted of civil
disabilities which kept mulattoes in the background, and prevented their
taking what they believed to be their proper positions in society. The
time was fitted for such an agitation, the people were there, and it was
only to be expected that their complaints would come in the long
catalogue of charges against the aristocrats, among whom were included
the West Indian planters. However, although there was little sympathy
with the colonists, nothing particular was done as yet, except the issue
of the celebrated declarat