My voyage from the Mole to this place was attended with the usual vexations and uncertainties of sea travelling. Wishing to proceed to Port au Prince, I thought myself fortunate in learning that a small fleet of American traders was about to sail for that place, and lost no time in securing a passage on board the Lion, one of our armed ships, which was going as convoy. Owing to erroneous information, respecting the time of sailing, I was left on shore without my baggage, and was under the necessity of pressing a boat with four negroes to carry me after the fleet, which we overtook with much difficulty and exertion. Two frigates, going upon a cruise, left the Mole at the same time as the convoy: but they soon shot a-head of it, leaving nine American merchantmen to the protection of the Lion. The breeze continued until evening, when, as commonly occurs at this season, it was succeeded by a calm, and we remained fixed upon the ocean, at only a short distance from the land, and near to a post occupied by the brigands.
My sleeping-birth happened unluckily to be in a confined part of the cabin, where I was not only deprived of air, but nauseated by the smell of the ship, and cruelly bitten by swarms of cockroaches and musquitoes. Rest was denied me, and from the extreme heat my whole surface was immersed in a deep bath of perspiration. I had before passed many close and oppressive nights; but it had never been my lot to feel any one so entirely comfortless and distressing as this: to move was an exhausting fatigue, and to lie still was equally insupportable.
I made my escape from this wretched birth early in the morning, and removed all my uneasy feelings by the pleasant exchange of a hot bath for a cold one. It was a calm, and we passed an idle day, lying with our little fleet collected in a narrow circle upon the unmoved surface of the ocean.
The cabin party consisted of Captain Lloyd, of the 66th regiment, Messrs. Stewart, Hastie, and Claypole, three or four French gentlemen, as many American masters of ships, and two French ladies. The Lion had lately been employed to convoy some American vessels to the river Delaware; and a number of convalescents from the hospitals had been placed on board for the benefit of the passage. After lying six weeks at Philadelphia, she returned to St. Domingo, with another convoy of American traders, and reached the Mole only a day or two previous to my arrival at that place from Jamaica. Including the six weeks passed at anchor in the Delaware, they had been absent four months, during which time three of the soldiers had died, and two had deserted. The others being still on board, I took the opportunity, during the calm of the first evening of our passage, of requesting Captain Lloyd to have them mustered upon deck, in order that I might ascertain in what degree they had benefited by the voyage. Mr. Beaumont, apothecary to the forces, who had been appointed to attend them down to the coast of America, furnished me with the history of their cases, and assisted in the inspection; but I was sorry to discover that they had not experienced so much advantage from the change of climate as might have been expected. A few had recovered, but considerable numbers were still in only a feeble state of convalescence.
When bed-time returned, I avoided the ills of the preceding night by spreading my mattress upon the table, in the middle of the cabin, directly under the open hatchway, and afterwards made that my place of repose every night during the passage.
On the 22d the calm continued, and I had the mortification to learn, not only that we were in the precise meridian (as well as the high season) of heat and still water, but that, notwithstanding the distance is barely thirty leagues, vessels were sometimes more than forty days making the passage from the Mole to Port au Prince.
Unable to advance on our voyage, we spent the day in walking upon deck, and looking over the popular works of an American author, who, at this time, attracts much notice in Philadelphia and throughout the United States. He publishes under the fictitious name of Peter Porcupine, and is zealously occupied in shooting his quills against the abettors of the French revolution, endeavouring to show the danger of Gallic influence in America, and exposing the frightful horrors committed by the various factions of republican France. Thus he may be regarded as pleading the cause of Britain with that of the United States. Much acuteness and discernment, with great boldness of expression, are displayed in these publications; but they betray a coarseness of language and of personal invective, which would not be tolerated in England[10].
Upon quitting my table couch on the morning of the 23d, I found the convoy had made some way upon the passage, and was very near to the shore, with the island of Gonave on the right, and the high land about Port au Prince appearing far a-head. But the gentle wind of the night had died away, and we were again becalmed. In this situation a brigand boat came from the coast, and hovered round our little fleet, with the design of cutting off any defenceless vessel that might be lying beyond the reach of the armed ship; but the convoy being assembled close about the protecting “Lion,” the enemy deemed it prudent not to hazard a nearer approach.
In the afternoon a slight breeze enabled us to proceed; but it again ceased, early in the evening, and we came to anchor for the night close under the shore, not far from Arcahaye, a post possessed by our troops. A fine valley or plain was seen near this place, as we drew towards the land; and from appearing peculiarly fertile, afforded a striking contrast to the rugged and uncultivated coast which had been constantly before us, from the time of our first making the island of St. Domingo.
The many delays of this tranquil, but interrupted passage afforded me repeated opportunities of hearing remarks upon the colony of St. Domingo, and of witnessing traits of French character. The ladies, and some of the gentlemen, were either natives, or residents of the settlement; others were more recently from France; and by conversing with them, and attending to their frequent debates with each other, I was both amused and instructed, although at times exceedingly disgusted.
Our passengers of the fair sex proved themselves upon all occasions to be truly French. They commented upon the figure, shape, and tournure of the human body, its secretions and excretions, and the various functions of its different organs, with a freedom that betrayed more of ease, than delicacy; and, to the surprise of the English part of the company, they conversed with the gentlemen upon these subjects, without the slightest reserve.
The French pique themselves upon their refinement, and regard the British as abrupt and unpolished; yet, I may venture to assert, that there is not a decent female in England, however slightly educated, who would not think her feelings outraged by the coarse expressions and equivocal innuendoes which are used in the conversation of all orders of the softer sex in France.
That amiable diffidence, which so eminently distinguishes the delicate females of our island, and is too commonly termed mauvaise honte, is often the genuine effect of modesty; and, whether it be the result of education, or of natural feeling, no Englishman, I suspect, would wish to see it removed from the minds of his fair countrywomen, or to have it exchanged for the unblushing confidence of French familiarity: I am Gothic enough to regard many of the refinements of our Gallic neighbours, as indecent and unbecoming, and my English feelings often lead me to think the conversation of French ladies such as ought never to escape from female lips[11].
Among other topics, we were frequently amused with warm debates, between the ladies and the French gentlemen, respecting the advantages possessed by the coloured belles of Cape François, compared with those of Port au Prince, from which it seemed that those of the Cape were most splendid in their dress and equipage, and shared more of the riches of their opulent lords; but that those of Port au Prince outrivalled them in beauty and gracefulness of form; yet, it was allowed by all parties, that with respect to person, the females of Guadaloupe and Martinique were very superior to both.
Soon after we had come to anchor this evening, an officer was sent on board from the port of Arcahaye, to ascertain what convoy it was, and to learn the news from the Mole; and early on the morning of the 24th we were hailed by the Kingston armed ship, which was stationed at Arcahaye, for the purpose of cruising in the bight to protect the merchantmen against the brigands of an adjoining port, whence boats are frequently sent out to cut off any unarmed ships or stragglers from convoys; and so adventurous are the crews of these hostile barks, particularly in calm weather, that our traders maintain their safety only by the most strict watchfulness; but notwithstanding every care, it sometimes happens that a party of brigands will row up in an open boat, and board the outermost vessel of a convoy, plunder her of every thing valuable, then take out her hands and set fire to her, while the protecting ship is prevented by the calm from getting within gunshot of the marauder.
About noon the wind came round from the west, and we were enabled to stand on our course, seeing the town of Port au Prince directly a-head, and expecting that we should complete our voyage at an early hour of the evening; but when we had reached within two leagues of the town, and were nearly under cover of our own batteries on the shore, a heavy storm from the east drove us back, compelling us to stand away for the opposite coast, where we came to anchor, near the spot whence we had sailed in the morning. Two of the schooners beat against the storm, and went into the harbour of Port au Prince. Our ship would likewise have gone in, had it not been necessary to remain for the purpose of giving protection to the heavy-sailing vessels of the convoy.
Previous to being driven back, we had advanced near enough to see distinctly the houses of Port au Prince, with the ships in the harbour, and one of the forts on the shore; we saw likewise, at only a short distance from the town, the out-posts of our troops, and of the brigands, within sight of each other, separated by a plain, which was formerly planted with sugar, but has been converted by the flames of the revolution into a barren waste.
On the 25th, soon after noon, we had a brisk wind from a favorable point, and quickly sailed into harbour, when I most gladly hastened on shore in the boat with the captain, without waiting for the ship to let go her anchor.
After all my wanderings to find myself at the head-quarters of the army, to which I had been originally appointed, was matter of sincere gratification to me, particularly when I recollected the many perils and dangers with which I had been menaced since the time of my embarkation from Portsmouth. In coming from Demarara only, the passage had been made in four hazardous divisions, and performed upon seas peculiarly infested with hostile cruisers. Some of the voyages had been effected, likewise, amidst the hurricane season of the year.
I proceeded without delay to the government-house, to pay my respects to the commander in chief, General Whyte, who, by his cordial reception, kindly evinced that his recollection of me was not impaired by a long separation. After resting myself for some time, and being honored with the friendly assurances of the General, he very obligingly desired his nephew to conduct me to the quarters of Dr. Jackson, the acting director of hospitals. The Doctor was from home, but on his return, I was speedily provided, by his kind assistance, with excellent quarters for the night, where I found a spacious room, an ample supply of provisions, and a bathing-tub with plenty of cold water; which is always the greatest luxury to a wearied traveller just escaped from the noisome birth of a crowded ship.