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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph by Harriet Chalmers Adams 



DANCING TO THE MUSIC OF THE TOM-TOM IN HAITI 



The tom-tom is one of the weirdest of musical instruments. It sounds far away when 

 close at hand, and close at hand when far away. The voodoo worshipers make great use of 

 it in their frenzied orgies. 



The drummer sits beneath the tree. 



of Limonade the tourist is regaled with 

 the story that, as the king remained in the 

 town several days in an effort to conquer 

 his affliction, all roosters, burros, and 

 other noisy domestic creatures within a 

 radius of many miles were killed, while 

 children were not allowed to play, traftic 

 was stopped, and every precaution taken 

 to preserve absolute tranquillity. 



lie was eventually removed to Sans 

 Souci, hut news of his illness spread 

 rapidly and he began to be deserted at 

 once by his more distant but embittered 

 followers. 



DESERTED BY HIS TROOPS, I'HK KING 



COM Mll'S SUICIDE 



In October of the same year 11820). 

 the towns of Saint Marc and Cape 

 Haitien having deserted his cause. Chris- 

 tophe resolved to punish the rebels. On 

 1 )ctober 8 he tried to recover the use of 

 his limbs by having them vigorously 

 rubbed for a considerable period with a 

 mixture of rum and pepper, hut this ex- 



pedient failed and he was obliged to be 

 carried out in an armchair to review his 

 departing troops, whom he charged with 

 carrying out his mission. 



The king's army was scarcely out of 

 sight when it went over to the other side. 



Upon receiving reports of this calamity 

 Christophe realized at once that the time 

 of retribution had arrived and that his 

 only escape was suicide. It is related 

 that he went about bis preparations most 

 methodically, calling in his wife and 

 family and making provision for their 

 safety and welfare. Then, after bathing 

 and arraying himself in a spotless suit 

 of white, he grasped a pistol and fired a 

 shot through his heart. 



His remains were carried that night to 

 the citadel on Bonnet a L'fiveque, which 

 stands today as the most impressive 

 monument to a tyrant in our hemisphere, 

 and which will serve to preserve his name 

 for generations to come, while those of 

 his more illustrious contemporaries and 

 successor- sink into oblivion. 



