shore, and only one sad parting in- 

 terview was permitted between him 

 and his unhappy family. On the deck 

 of the vessel, then, this sonowfiil 

 meeting took plaee ; and, as if con- 



48 Life of Toussaint VOuver lure. [Feb. I, 



Finding all these measures ineffectual, 

 L.e Cierc, who acted tliroughout the 

 whole of this afi'air as director-general, 

 meditated " one of the basest acts of 

 treachery that ever disgraced any 



age." As the treaty between this scious of the doom that awaited them, 

 general and Christophe permitted they took leave of one another for ever. 

 Toussaint to retire to any of his Toussaint was then hurried on-shore, 

 estates, he selected that called by his forced into a close carriage, and con- 

 own name, L'Ouvertv.re, situated at veyed, under a strong escort of ca- 

 Conaives, on the western coast of the valry, to the castle of Joux in Ncr- 

 islaud. Here he endeavoured to enjoy niaiidy. His wife and family were 

 that repose of which lie had been so detained at Brest for two months, and 

 long deprived, and to bear with be- then removctl to Eayonnc, from whence 

 coming fortitude tlie misfortunes whieli they speedily disappeared, and were 

 had befallen him. But the infernal heard of no moie. By what means 

 machinations of the rrench general they were taken away is not publicly 

 were now to be put into practice, known even to this day; but, if wc 

 and the persecutions and miseries of take into consideration all preceding 

 Toussaint L'Ouverture were drawing circumstances, we shall be at no loss 

 quickly to a close. About the middle to account for their disappearance, 

 of May, 1802, in tlie dead of the night. There was no scarcity of assassins in 

 a ship of the line and a frigate an- France at that time, and it required no 



chored bel'oic Gonaives, and landed a 

 body of (loops, which immediately 

 marched to L'Ouverture, surrounded 

 the house, while Toussaint and his 

 family were asleep, and totally uncon- 

 scious of their aj)proaching danger. 

 Brunet, a brigadier-general, and Vc\- 



wonderful degree of valour to murder 

 a helpless woman and her equally 

 helpless children. 



The last scene of this tragedy was 

 now rapidly approaching. From the 

 eastk of Joux, Toussaint, as the winter 

 drew near, was removed to Besancon, 



lari, aid-dc-camp to IjcClorc, entered and the same rigorous and disgraceful 



the hero's chamber with a file of grena- 

 diers, and demanded hi.s quiet and in- 

 stant surrender. This was no time for 

 resistance: the lion was in the toils, 

 and opposition was useless; and, be- 

 fore any ai<l could be prceiired, tlie 

 whole family, including the daughter 

 of a deceased brotlier, were under sail 

 for France. Two negro ciiiefs, who 

 Leroieally attempted to rescue their 

 governor, were l;.vkcn, and afterwards 

 •shot; while about a hundred of the 

 confidential friends of 'J'oussaint were 

 placed under arrest, and senton-buard 

 the diil'erent ships of the French squa- 

 dron, from wliieh they never returned, 

 being either sold as slaves on the 

 coast of JJarbary, or, what is more 

 probable, thrown overboard and 

 drowned. 



During the voyage Toussaint was 

 closely guarded, and unlceliugly re- 



treatment was adopted there, as that 

 which he had already experienced 

 elsewhere. Not content with the close 

 incarceration of this excellent man, 

 Ibey immured hinr in a dungeon, cold, 

 damp, and gloomy, the floor of which 

 was occasionally flooded with water. 

 Let the reader bear in recollection the 

 climate of the native country of Tous- 

 i-aint, and then let him impute what 

 motives he w ill to this cruel proceed- 

 ing of the republican government. It 

 was certainly mercil\il in one point of 

 view, for it most efi'ectnally released 

 the unhappy captive from the cruelties 

 v.hich were thus profusely heaped 

 upon his devoted licad, and secured to 

 him, eventually, that peace, which his 

 blood-thirsty persecutors denied him. 

 He lingered through the winter in this 

 living sepulchre, and then died, leav- 

 ing behind him no inheritors of his vir- 



fused all intercourse with his family, tues, nor even ofhis name; lor with him 

 On the arrival ol' the sliip at Brest, no expired, as it had commenced, the 

 lime was lost in hurrying him on- glory of his race. 



STEPHENSIANA. 



