dy paving the way by their false
philosophy for that terrific outbreak of popular fury which deluged
their country in blood, and well-nigh rooted out all that was noble and
good and worthy in the land. At this time in Saint Domingo, and
probably in the other French dependencies, there was an ostentatious
show of religion which was sadly belied by the manners and customs of
the people. At all events, a person bearing his Britannic Majesty's
commission was entitled, as a prisoner of war according to the law of
nations, to all the respect due to his rank as an officer and a
gentleman.

We returned to our home, wondering who next among us would be carried
off to be put into that revolting receptacle of the dead. We had now
seriously to turn it in our minds how we should be able to exist. A
bright idea struck me--I would become a gardener. There was a
considerable portion of ground attached to our mansion. I had had some
little experience before in my life; others also knew something about
the art, and so we hoped that our united stock of knowledge would
produce us a good supply of vegetables. We had unfortunately but little
money to purchase tools, or seeds or plants, but we did not disdain to
turn beggars. We borrowed what tools we could, and manufactured spades
and hoes and rakes out of wood. They were not very neat, but they
answered our purpose. Seeds cost but very little; many were given us,
others we bought. The poor unsophisticated, ignorant blacks were very
kind-hearted, and gave us all they could spare. Thus our garden became
our greatest source of amusement, and at the same time a most profitable
employment.

Often for days together we had no other food but that which our garden
produced. We had yam, cassava, choco, ochro, tomatoes, Indian kale,
Lima beans, potatoes, peas, beans, calalue, beet-root, artichokes,
cucumbers, carrots, parsnips, radishes, celery and salads of all sorts;
nor must I forget the magnificent cabbage-trees some two hundred feet
high--not that we planted them, by-the-bye--or the fruits, the
cocoa-nut, plantain, banana, the alligator pear, the cashew, papaw,
custard apples, and others too numerous to mention; the recollection of
which even now makes my mouth water, as it did sometimes then, when we
saw but could not obtain them. If it had not been for our garden I
believe that we should one and all of us have succumbed to that fell
climate. In vain we endeavoured to learn how