i30 



WEST INDIES. — BRITISH ISLANDS. 



The annual value of the exports is about 4,000,000 dollars, the principal article being coffee, 

 with mahogany, campeachy wood, cotton, tobacco, hides, cacao, tortoise-shell, wax, ginger. 

 &c. In 17S9, there were exported 141,000,000 pounds of sugar ; at present there is scarce- 

 ly any made in tlie island, and it is even smuggled in, in small quantities ; the export of coffee 

 at the former date was 76,835,219 pounds, of cotton 7,004,274 pounds, and of indigo 758,628 

 pounds ; at present a little more than one half that quantity of coffee, and about one tenth of 

 the quantity of cotton are exported, and no indigo is sent out of the island. 



Port au Prmce is the seat of government. It has a good harbor, and is a place of consid- 

 erable trade. The houses are small, principally built of wood, and are mostly one story high, 

 with piazzas in front. The situation of the town is somewhat unhealthy. Population, 20,000. 



St. Domingo is the oldest city built by Europeans in the New World. It was founded in 

 1498, by Bartholomew Columbus, and its site is near the mouth of the Ozama, on the south 

 coast. The city is enclosed by a wall, and some of the houses are of stone, and others of a 

 kind of earth, mixed with lime, which becomes hard and durable. The public buildings re- 

 semble those of other Spanish towns. Population, 12,000. Cape Haytien is a large town 

 with a safe and convenient harbor, and a population of 15,000. Its former name was Cape 

 Francois. The other principal towns are the Mole., Jacmel, Jlux Cayes, Leogane, and St. 

 Mark's. 



This island formerly consisted of 2 colonies, a French one, which occupied the western 

 part of the island, and a Spanish one, which occupied the eastern part. In 1792, the slaves 

 of the French colony who constituted eleven twelfths of the population, revolted against their 

 masters, and some years afterwards declared themselves an independent nation. In 1804, Des- 

 salines, one of the black chiefs was appointed governor for life, and he soon after took the title 

 of Emperor, imder the name of .Tames the First. He was assassinated in 1806, and succeed- 

 ed by Christophe, who took the name and title of King Henry the First. The seat of his gov- 

 ernment was at Cape Haytien, to which he gave the name of Cape Henry. In the mean time 

 the people of the southern part of the island, who refused to submit to this government, formed 

 a little republic, and made Petion, a colored chief. President. He was elected twice, for pe- 

 riods of 4 years, and afterwards for life. He died in 1818, and was succeeded by Boyer, as 

 President for life. Two years afterwards, the subjects of Christophe, disgusted with his tyran- 

 ny, revolted, and being deserted b}' his troops, he shot himself. Boyer imniedately marched 

 with an army to the north, and after a feeble resistance from a portion of the royalist chiefs, 

 was received as a deliverer by the people, and these two States were united under one repub- 

 lic. In 1822, Boyer took advantage of another event to unite the Spanish part of the island 

 to the republic. The people, who were principally colored, revolted against the Spanish au- 

 thorities, and Boyer, hastily marching to the city of St. Domingo with 12,000 men, was re- 

 ceived without opposition. The Spanish soldiers were sent away from the island, the repub- 

 lican flag was hoisted, and the slaves were emancipated. From that period, the Republic of 

 Hayti has been co-extensive with the island of St. Domingo. 



The government of Hayti is professedly republican, but practically a military monarchy. 

 The President holds the place for life, and has the right of naming his successor with the con- 

 sent of the Senate. He has also the sole right of proposing laws, the action of the legislature 

 being confined to subjects laid before them by the President. The Senate consists of 24 

 members, appointed for life by the House of Representatives, on the nomination of the Pres- 

 ident. The representatives are chosen for the term of 6 years. The revenue of the State is 

 about 1,500,000 dollars ; the expenditure is considerably more, and the treasury is burdened 

 with a heavy debt. The army, badly armed and disciplined, comprises 45,000 men, and there 

 is a national guard. About four fifths of the population are comprised in the part of the island 

 which belonged to the French, and speak a patois of mixed French and African languages, 

 without much resemblance to the dialect of Paris. The remainder employ a similarly cor- 

 rupted Spanish. The people are in general ignorant, superstitious, and lazy, but good-na- 

 tured and honest. The Roman Catholic is the established religion ; it is, however, mixed 

 with notions of African origin, and the priests are few. 



BRITISH ISLANDS. 



The British are now distinguished from the other islands, belonging to European powers, by 

 \he absence of slavery. In 183.3, Parliament passed an act prospectively abolishing slavery 



