accessions were continually made to the side of the rebels,
until their overpowering numbers compelled the whites to retreat, and do
their best to save the town. The revolt had been continually spreading,
and now extended over the whole country, coloured people joining the
negroes in their work of destruction. One planter was nailed to a gate,
and then had his limbs cut off, one after another; a carpenter was sawn
asunder, on the ground that this mode of execution suited his trade; and
two mulatto sons killed their white father, notwithstanding his prayers
and promises. White, and even coloured children, were killed without
mercy at the breasts of their mothers, and young women were violated
before the eyes of their parents. Here and there the horror was relieved
by kind actions on the part of faithful slaves, who, while joining in
the revolt for their own safety, saved their masters and mistresses.

The inhabitants of the town did all they could by sorties, but this was
very little. The rebels would run away at the first onset, but only to
return in overpowering numbers. A few were taken and broken on the
wheel, others fell in the skirmishes, but the insurrection still went
on. It spread to the neighbourhood of Port au Prince, but, on the
inhabitants of that town agreeing to enforce the obnoxious decree, the
rebels retired. This action was at last followed by those of Cape
Francois, and a partial truce ensued. In two months, it was said, a
thousand plantations were destroyed, and ten thousand blacks and two
thousand whites killed.

The news of this great disaster caused a revulsion of feeling in Paris,
and the decree which had caused so much trouble was annulled on the 24th
of September, before the results of the insurrection and the truces were
known. The arrangement had been come to at Port au Prince on the 11th of
the same month, and on the 20th at Cape Francois. Thus almost at the
time when it was being repealed the colonists were promising to see it
enforced.

It is hardly necessary to say what could be the only result of the
arrival of this revocation. The struggle was renewed, and all hopes of
reconciliation were at an end. The coloured party charged the whites
with treachery and duplicity; now they would fight until one or the
other was exterminated. They captured Port St. Louis, but got a severe
repulse from Port au Prince. Both sides were desperate, and although
there were fewer massacres in cold blood the