HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
mosity. However, there existed 
several circumstances which tended 
to counteract these impressions. 
The negroes had long fostered hopes 
of deliverance from slavery, though 
hitherto) in» vain... The only. pro- 
spect of seeing these realized, 
seemed to be in abandoning their 
masters at/once, aud joining them- 
selves: with the mulattoes. The 
exertions of the society of the Amis 
de Noirs, had familiarized the idea 
to their minds: they were ripe 
for revolt. Accordingly, when the 
commissaries of the gens de couleur 
with anxiety sounded the disposi- 
tions of the Africans, they found 
them by no means averse to their 
wishes. By assuring them that they 
themselves were supported by the 
supreme legislature of the mother 
country ; by asserting that with their 
assistance they could not fail of suc- 
cess ; by promising them the speedy 
possession:of the estates’ of their 
masters ; and by filling their minds 
with visions of future happiness, 
they completely conquered all re- 
maining reluctance, and engaged to 
their views nine-tenths of all the 
_ slaves in the northern province of 
St. Domingo. Both parties laid 
aside or suspended their ancient 
8, and swore eternal friendship 
and fidelity. A plan was concerted 
fora general insurrection through- 
out all thevisland. The 23d of. 
August was fixed upon as the fatal 
ita vs. 
- Soon after midnight the revolt 
began in the parish of Arcmul, and 
in a few hours became general 
throughout the province. The 
of proceeding was bloody 
and systematic. The negroes on 
_ each plantation first butchered the 
white people, who lay sleeping un- 
Saspicious of harm. ! They Mies 
fe 
[79 
marched on to join their confede- 
rates. Their numbers.were com- 
puted by some to amount to little 
less than a hundred thousand. Eve- 
ry white that they could find, they 
indiscriminately murdered.. They 
made no distinction betwixt the 
old and the young, the strong and 
the weak, the father and the daugh- 
ter; their former benefactors and 
oppressorsall shared a common fate; 
all were put to death with eve- 
vy circumstance of savage atrocity, 
The only exception that was made, 
was in the case of sume unfortu- 
nate females who were reserved 
for a more lamentable fate. . Fire 
accomplished the ruin: of what the 
sword was unable to destroy. The 
torch was applied to the buildings 
and plantations; and. in a few 
hours the country presented to the 
eye of the beholder one vast con- 
flagration. 
In Cape Frangois all. was: confu- 
sion, consternation, and horror. Vast 
volumes of smoke all around the 
horizon, ascended to the sky. Eve- 
ry moment fugitives with ghastly 
looks:arrived) from the country to 
relate new disasters. It was expect- 
ed that the savages would instantly 
make: an attempt upon the city it- 
self; the city was nearly defence- 
less: thus. inevitable death seemed 
to await the wretched inhabitants. 
Happily the negroes, intoxicated 
with the success of theirenterprize, 
and rioting in the slaughter of inno- 
cence, neglected to take this step 
which would have completed their 
triumph, The white people had 
thus time to recover from their pa- 
nic, and to take measures for their 
safety. ‘They sent the women and 
children on board the ships in the 
harbour :—they raised fortifications 
about the city, they seized) some 
strong 
