ESCAPE OF THE EEPUBLICAN EXILES. 137 



The governor was civil, but cautious. He sent them 

 some workmen to repair their boat, and then ordered 

 them to make their way to sea as fast as possible. 



They next tried Mont Krick, where the governor 

 had either less caution or more benevolence. They 

 found a clear and spacious room opened for them at 

 the water-side, and some fowls, bread, and rice, their 

 first civilised meal for many a month, and were all 

 delighted. They now appeared before the officer 

 commanding the fort. It was sufficiently clear that 

 he did not believe their story of their being ruined 

 merchants. He even told them that he had a descrip- 

 tion of the persons of the French fugitives from Sina- 

 mary behind the mirror in his room, which Jeannet 

 had actively spread through all the stations, and 

 showed it to them, but without exhibiting any undue 

 suspicion that they were the individuals. He made 

 a vague inquiry for Pichegru, Barthelemy, and the 

 " rest of those unfortunate persons," and was con- 

 tented with the vague answer, that " they had been 

 in great misery, but now hoped for a change of for- 

 tune." The Dutchman bore his office meekly. 



This good-natured and sensible man, in the con- 

 versation which followed, assigned the cause of the 

 severe vigilance which the government was forced 

 to exert. " The French colonies had all been turned 

 into scenes of massacre or bankruptcy, by the repub- 

 lican folly of telling the negroes that they were as 

 good as their masters. The planters were butchered 



