410 MEXICO, CENTEAL AMEEICA, WEST INDIES. 



The severance of the two states is sufficiently explained by the differences in speech, 

 traditions and race. While full-blood negroes dominate in Haiti, the people of 

 colour, that is, mulattoes, form the great majority in the neighbouring state. The 

 former speak French, or a créole patois of French origin, and their relations are 

 mainh' with France ; the latter are of Spanish speech, and their associations have 

 chiefly been with the Hispano-American republics. 



Of the two states the eastern has always been the weaker in population, trade 

 and military strength. Hence not only has its independence been more freqviently 

 threatened, but it has had to rej)el the attacks of its western neighbour ; its terri- 

 tory was even occupied by Spanish troops in 1861 and re-annexed to Spain till the 

 year 1865. In 1869 the United States made several attempts to attract San Domingo 

 within the orbit of its political sphere, and even for a time occupied Saman:i Bay. 



The limits of the conterminous French and Spanish colonies and, later, those of 

 the two republics have often been modified. At present the frontier follows a very 

 irregular line from north to south, and each state claims the upper basin of 

 the Artibonite The treaty of 1876 recognised the disputed territory as belonging 

 to San Domingo, allowing the Haitians to hold it for an indemnity of £30,000 

 and the free admission of produce by land from San Domingo. This state is 

 nearly double the size, but has only half the population, of Haiti. 



II. — Plepublic of Haiti. 



Scarcely a single town in Haiti but recalls some siege, battle, or butchery. 

 The very river marking the northern frontier is known by the name of Rivière du 

 Massacre, in memory of a sanguinary conflict between the natives and the Spaniards. 

 Since the war of independence the first town west of this river bears the name of 

 Povt-Liherté, which replaces that of Port-Dauphin. There is no better harbour in 

 Haiti than this extensive inlet, which is perfectly sheltered from all winds and 

 affords excellent anchorage in depths of from 26 to Qo feet ; but sailing vessels find 

 it somewhat inaccessible owing to the long winding entrance scarcely a mile wide. 

 Hence it is visited chiefly by steamers which here ship considerable quantities of 

 dye woods felled in the districts of Trou and Ouanaminthe, the Guanaminto of the 

 Arawak aborigines. 



On the north side the chief seaport is still Caj)-Fraiiçais, now Cap-Hdtt'icn, or 

 simply Cap, which before the war was known as the " Paris of San Domingo." 

 Having been several times burnt and overthrown by an earthquake in 1842, it has 

 no longer any fine monuments ; but its harbour, which is rather a bay sheltered 

 by reefs, does a flourishing trade in coffee and tafia. Near 21iIot, 9 miles south of 

 Cap-Haïtien, stands the ruined château of /Sr/^^-^S'o^yc/, built bj- Gfeneral Christophe, 

 who became " King of the Xorth " under the name of Henrj^ I. 



West of Cap-Haïtien follow the little havens of Pori-^Iargot and Port-de-Pair, 

 the Valparaiso of Columbus. This place lies due south of Tortuga Island, the 

 famous stronghold of the buccaneers, and starting-point of the French conquest of 

 Haiti. Farther west lies the estuary of the Trois-Rivières, which flows from the 



