An Historical Account of the Black Empire of Hayti - Softcover

Rainsford, Marcus

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0822352885 ISBN 13: 9780822352884

Publisher: Duke University Press Books, 2013

Synopsis

As the first complete narrative in English of the Haitian Revolution, Marcus Rainsford's An Historical Account of the Black Empire of Hayti was highly influential in establishing nineteenth-century world opinion of this momentous event. This new edition is the first to appear since the original publication in 1805. Rainsford, a career officer in the British army, went to Haiti to recruit black soldiers for the British. By publishing his observations of the prowess of black troops, and recounting his meetings with Toussaint Louverture, Rainsford offered eyewitness testimonial that acknowledged the intelligence and effectiveness of the Haitian rebels. Although not an abolitionist, Rainsford nonetheless was supportive of the independent state of Haiti, which he argued posed no threat to British colonial interests in the West Indies, an extremely unusual stance at the time. Rainsford's account made an immediate impact upon publication; it was widely reviewed, and translated twice in its first year. Paul Youngquist's and Grégory Pierrot's critical introduction to this new edition provides contextual and historical details, as well as new biographical information about Rainsford. Of particular interest is a newly discovered miniature painting of Louverture attributed to Rainsford, which is reproduced along with the twelve engravings that accompanied his original account.

About this title

About the Author

Marcus Rainsford (1758-1817) was a career officer in the British Army who fought in the Revolutionary War in the United States. He also wrote the epic poem The Revolution; Or, Britain Delivered, as well as a number of other poems and pamphlets.

Paul Youngquist is Professor of English at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is author of Cyberfiction: After the Future.

Grégory Pierrot is a Visiting Assistant Professor at Bucknell University.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

AN Historical Account OF THE BLACK EMPIRE OF HAYTI

By MARCUS RAINSFORD, PAUL YOUNGQUIST, GR, #201;GORY PIERROT

Duke University Press

Copyright © 2013 Duke University Press
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-8223-5288-4

Contents

Acknowledgments............................................................
ix
Chronology.................................................................
xi
Introduction...............................................................
xvii
A Note on the Text.........................................................
lvii
An Historical Account of the Black Empire of Hayti.........................
1
Editorial Notes............................................................
277
Bibliography...............................................................
321
Index......................................................................
331

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

From the Period of its Discovery, by Columbus, to its highestState of Prosperity in 1789.

HAYTI, Hispaniola, or St. Domingo, the largest and most valuable of the WestIndia Islands, is situated in the Atlantic ocean, between the island of PuertoRico on the east, and Jamaica and Cuba on the west; a small part of the rocksand shelves which form the Bahama islands lie at no great distance to thenorth; and it is bounded on the south by the Caribbean sea, and ultimately bythe continent of South America. It lies in the latitude of 18 deg. 20 min. north,and in 68 deg. 40 min. west longitude from Greenwich. It is in length, accordingto the best accounts, more than 450 miles from east to west, and 150in breadth.

This beautiful island was the sixth discovered by the enterprising and unfortunateColumbus in his progress towards the discovery of a new world,of the honor of which, in the appropriation of a name, he was to be deprivedby the caprice of his contemporaries, in favor of an obscure adventurer, ofno other merit in the discovery, than that of having trodden in his steps. Itwas the first on which he formed a settlement, or made any stay in his firstvoyage, and appears to have afterwards received the principal marks of hisconsideration. To it he was directed by the natives of Cuba, where he hadpreviously landed, as more rich in its mines of that fertile ore with which itwas necessary to bribe the avarice of the Spaniards, to prolong that ardour ofdiscovery which it had cost him so much labour to excite.

Columbus first arrived at Hayti, for so this country was called by its natives,on the 6th day of December, 1492. He landed at a small bay, which he calledSt. Nicholas, and then named the island Espagnola, in honor of the countryby whose king he was employed: from thence he sailed along the northerncoast till he found a more convenient harbour, which he named Conception,and where he first had access to the inhabitants, through the means ofa female whom his people overtook, and prepossessed in their favor, by theusual means of trifling presents and gentle behaviour.

It is our wish to pursue in this place a sober narrative of fact, rather than togive loose to the fascinations of romantic description, or else the early Spanishwriters have handed down such accounts of the aborigines of Cuba, Hispaniola,and Jamaica, as would warrant the most extravagant eulogy on theirpersonal appearance, manners, and ingenuity. It may, however, naturally besupposed possessing the necessaries of life without labour, on a soil the mostfertile, and in a benignant climate, in a state of the utmost simplicity, andconsequently free from the general enemies to beauty, they would have personaladvantages not to be expected in their descendants under the combinedevils of slavery in a voluptuous state. Even the rigidity of history has beensoftened into the most pleasing descriptions of them: "They appeared," saysRobertson, "in the simple innocence of nature, entirely naked, their blackhair, long and uncurled, floated upon their shoulders, or was bound in tressesaround their heads.—They had no beards, and every part of their bodies wasperfectly smooth. Their complexion was of a dusky copper colour; their featuressingular, rather than disagreeable; their aspect gentle and timid; thoughnot tall, they were well shaped and active." "The industry and ingenuity of thisrace," says another elegant writer, "must have exceeded the measure of theirwants. Placed in a medium between savage life, properly so called, and therefinement of polished society, they were perhaps equally exempt from thebodily distresses and sanguinary passions of the former conditions, and fromthe artificial necessities and solicitudes of the latter." They were unquestionablythe most unoffending, gentle, and benevolent of the human race.

That there were some grounds for a belief in the ingenuity ascribed to themby Peter Martyr and others, as far as it related to their simple agriculture,and some progress in the arts of ornament as well as utility, may, perhaps, beproved by a fact of another nature which tends to illustrate the character ofthis people, while it may afford a lesson to our own times;—would that wecould not say to our own country.

When, among the numerous disasters of Columbus, he was wrecked on theeastern coast of the island, and if he had before impressed the natives withadmiration of the superior nature of their visitors, was now placed in a situationthe best calculated to prove their natural equality, and even to tempt byan unlucky opportunity any inclination to their injury, instead of the smallesthostility. Guacanahari, the cazique, or king of this division of their island, ofwhich it appeared to be governed by seven, having been informed of his misfortune,expressed great grief for his loss, and immediately sent aboard allthe people in the place in many large canoes; they soon unloaded the ship ofevery thing that was upon deck, as the king gave them great assistance: "Hehimself," says Columbus, who records it, "with his brothers and relations,took all possible care that every thing should be properly done both aboardand on shore; and from time to time he sent some of his relations weeping, tobeg of me not to be dejected, for he would give me all that he had. I can assureyour Highnesses," he adds, "that so much care would not have been taken ofsecuring our effects in any part of Spain; as all our property was put togetherin one place near his palace, until the houses which he wanted to preparefor the custody of it were emptied; he immediately placed a guard of armedmen, who watched during the whole night, and those on shore lamented asmuch as if they had been interested in our loss. They are supposed to havemigrated originally from the neighbouring continent, and are ascribed by SirWalter Raleigh to the Arrowauk tribe of Guiana.

Thus far we have preserved the necessary sobriety in collecting a descriptionof the first inhabitants of St. Domingo; but when we come to speak of theterritory itself, this caution ceases, for, no description that we have yet seenis adequate to the appearance, even at the present day, of a country which requiresall the aid of romance to imagine, much less to describe.—Of fertility,which it requires but the fostering hand of man to guide to all the purposesof life, and of a climate the most salubrious among the Antilles, and in whichlongevity is general.—"In these delightful countries too," observes Robertson,"Nature seemed to assume another form; every tree and plant, and animal,was different from those of the ancient hemisphere;"—Columbus boastedof having discovered the original seat of Paradise.—"In these delightful vales,"exclaims the Abbé Raynal, "all the sweets of spring are enjoyed, withouteither winter or summer. There are but two seasons in the year, and they areequally fine. The ground always laden with fruit, and covered with flowers,realizes the delights and riches of poetical descriptions. Wherever we turnour eyes, we are enchanted with a variety of objects, coloured and reflectedby the clearest light. The air is temperate in the day time, and the nights areconstantly cool."—"In a country of such magnitude," says Edwards, "diversifiedwith plains of vast extent, and mountains of prodigious height, is probablyto be found every species of soil which nature has assigned to all thetropical parts of the earth. In general it is fertile in the highest degree, everywhere well watered, and producing almost every variety of vegetable natureand beauty for use, for food, and luxury, which the lavish hand of a bountifulprovidence has bestowed on the richest portion of the globe." "The possessionsof France in this noble island," he continues, "were considered as thegarden of the West Indies, and for beautiful scenery, richness of soil, salubrity,and variety of climate, might justly be deemed the paradise of the newworld."—"What you have said," replies De Charmilly, animadverting on thepreceding passage, "is nothing when it is known that the extent of the Frenchpart is but one half of that of the Spanish division, and that this is yet morefertile than the French part, requiring only cultivators, &c." Of even such anaccount, when contemplating the various parts of St. Domingo in which wehave been, with an eye well accustomed to tropical scenery, and satiated withthe luxury natural to its soil, we could be almost inclined to say too, this isnothing.

It is not to be wondered at, that the inhabitants should consider the Spaniards,on their first interview, as preternatural beings, a circumstance, however,very favorable to their intercourse, and which might have been turnedto more advantage in a better purpose than that to which it was applied. Theypossessed gold, which they found in the beds of the rivers, or washed by theheavy rains from the mountains, and which they gladly exchanged for bells,beads, or pins. A prince, or cazique of the country, who visited Columbus, wascarried in a sort of seat upon men's shoulders, and derived great respect fromhis attendants. He was extremely courteous, and presented the admiral withmany articles of curious workmanship, and received with complacency sometrifles in return.

They had no idea of the imaginary value attributed by their visitors to gold,and readily pointed out the mountains, which yet retain their original nameof Cibao, as the great repository of the ore they so much desired.

It was at this period that Columbus lost one of his ships through the carelessnessof a pilot, and experienced the tenderness which has been alreadymentioned. Of another of his vessels out of three, he had procured no intelligencesince his arrival, and suspected some treachery in the captain whocommanded it. The third was of course insufficient to receive the whole ofhis crew, and he was desirous to return to Spain. The simplicity of the natives,and their terror from the incursions of the people who inhabited severalislands to the south east, whom they called Caribbeans, and who were of avery opposite character to themselves, being fierce and warlike, and devouringthe flesh of their prisoners, gave confidence to Columbus, in the propositionof leaving a part of his crew behind, which would embrace the two advantagesof forming a settlement on the island, and enable him to return toSpain immediately. They agreed without a murmur, and even assisted in theerection of a fort which was to be afterwards used as a means of their ownsubjection.

Thirty-eight Spaniards were appointed to remain on the island, under thecommand of Diego de Arado, a gentleman of Cordova, to whom Columbuscommunicated his own powers, and every thing requisite for their establishment;having first endeavoured very successfully to impress the natives intheir behalf, by acts of beneficence and exhibitions of power. He promised torevisit them soon, and in the interim to make respectable mention of them totheir country. Columbus left the little colony on the 4th of January 1493, andarrived in Spain in the month of March following.

The departure of Columbus had not long taken place, when, as too oftenhappens, the garrison he had left behind grew impatient of restraint, andthrew off the command of their newly appointed governor. Regardless of theprudent instructions which had been given them, the men who composed itbecame insolently independent, and gratified their avaricious and licentiousdesires at the expence of the natives, making a wasteful prey of their gold,their women, and their provisions; thus, instead of supporting the estimationin which they were held; exhibiting themselves as the most depraved ofhuman beings. At length the cazique of Cibao,36 whose country the Spaniardschiefly infested, cut off a part of the colonists, surrounded the remainder, anddestroyed their fort.

Columbus having employed himself for six months at the court of Spain inreceiving the rewards of his distresses, and in interesting it in behalf of thesplendid enterprize of which he was the author, no sooner accomplished hisaim, and procured a sufficient fleet, under the papal sanction, on the partof the king of Spain, than he became impatient to revisit his colony. He accordinglydeparted on his second voyage, and after touching at several otherislands towards the north west of his route, arrived at Hispaniola on the 22dof November following.

His surprize may easily be conceived to find that his colony no longerexisted; and while the Spaniards in dismay were weeping over the fate oftheir countrymen, a brother of the friendly cazique Guacanahari arrived, andrelated to him the account of their fate.

Instead of wasting his time by a retaliation of injuries, Columbus set aboutthe erection of a town, of which he traced the site in a large plain, near a spaciousbay. He obliged every person in his suite, of whatever quality, to assist ina work so necessary to the common safety. This City, the first which obtainedthat appellation in the new world, was named Isabella, in honor of his patronessthe queen of Castile.

Columbus experienced all the difficulties attendant on an infant colony,and a timely excursion in great pomp to the mountains of Cibao, which theyfound to answer the description of the Indians, in the possession of gold inconsiderable quantities, perhaps only saved the establishment from finalruin. As soon as concord was restored by the prospect of the mines, Columbusagain purposed to leave his colony for the prosecution of new discoveries.He appointed his brother Diego, with a council of officers, to govern inhis absence; and a body of soldiers, under the command of Don Pedro Margarita,were sent to visit the different parts of the island, and to establishthe authority of the Spaniards. He then set sail on the 24th of April, but afteran absence of five months, during which time he had not been distant manyleagues, and had experienced the most disastrous circumstances, he returnedalmost dead to the colony, where he found a brother Bartholomew, whomhe had not seen for thirteen years, who had arrived in his absence, and whoseunexpected appearance, after sustaining distresses scarcely inferior to hisown, so much revived his spirits as to produce a speedy convalescence.

During the absence of Columbus, the soldiery under Margarita had repeatedthe conduct of the first colony, while the necessities even of abstemiousSpaniards rendered them unwelcome neighbours to a race who, requiringvery little food to support a life of indolence and innocence, madebut proportional provisions when any care was necessary. Maize, with a fewvegetables, and very little, if any animal food, formed their only necessarystock, and on this a body of men fortifying themselves in towns, must havemade a formidable inroad. Famine, and the success of their former revolt,with long repeated grievance, at length provoked other attempts to rid themselvesof the burthen, and Columbus was compelled to have recourse to arms,which he had hitherto with much solicitude avoided. The Indians were defeatedby their precipitance: instead of the mode natural to them, of drawingthe enemy into their fortresses, they rushed into an open plain, the VegaReal, and numbers being thrown into consternation by the first appearance ofEuropean warfare, the impetuosity of cavalry, (which they conceived, like theThessalonians, to be Centaurs,) and the fierce onset of the dogs, they yieldedto Columbus an easy victory; and those who were not taken prisoners, andreduced to servitude, resigned themselves entirely to despair. Such was thedisparity of power, that though near an hundred thousand Indians took thefield with missile weapons of their rude fashion, the victory was obtained bytwo hundred foot, twenty horse, and twenty large dogs, which formed thewhole disposable force of the Spaniards.

Columbus employed several months in passing through the island to completeits subjection, and impose a tribute on all the natives above the ageof fourteen, which was one of the first effects of a policy adopted againsthis own inclination to gratify the avarice of the Spanish court, at which hewas attempted to be undermined, and which proved afterwards, howevermoderately used by himself, a means of tyranny and cruelty in the hands ofothers. This taxation was an insurmountable infringement on the habits ofthe Indians, to whom restraint on labour was an intolerable evil. It inducedan attempt at another kind of hostility, that of starving the appetites of theSpaniards, on the gratification of whose voracity they conceived so much todepend. They pulled up the roots, and suspended all their simple agriculturaloperations, and retiring to inaccessible mountains, they produced in themselvesthe effects they vainly hoped to produce in their usurpers. Few as weretheir wants, they were soon totally unsupplied, and more than a third partbecame victims to their self-created famine.

(Continues...)

(Continues...)

Excerpted from AN Historical Account OF THE BLACK EMPIRE OF HAYTI by MARCUS RAINSFORD. Copyright © 2013 by Duke University Press. Excerpted by permission of DUKE UNIVERSITY PRESS.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: Duke University Press Books
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0822352885
• ISBN 13: 9780822352884
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 408
• Editor: Youngquist Paul, Pierrot Grégory