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The southern Haytians learned, warlike habits from these encroaching Caribs, and were less gentle than the natives whom Columbus first met along the northern coast. But they were all gentler, fairer, more graceful and simple than the Caribs, or the natives of the main. Their ambition found its limit when the necessaries of daily life were procured.
Could our worst fears have been realised? Another savage yell almost confirmed the thought. "Heavens!" exclaimed Colonel Vereker, rendered almost frantic with grief and excitement, and noticing the appalling evidences of the Haytians' triumph, while we stared aghast at each other. "My poor darling child, and those brave fellows I left behind, where are they all; where are they?
At this imperative summons the shrieking ceased, and we heard a feeble voice within, calling out in French "Mercy! for the love of God!" we could distinguish amidst a plentitude of sobs and violent groans in a deeper key. "Ah! brave Haytians! Have pity, and spare our lives!" "Hang it all, you cowards, we're not those cursed Haytians, and I wish you could have been left to their mercy!
Such appears to have been the procedure of the European powers in all similar cases, such as the revolt of the Anglo-American and Spanish-American colonies, of the Haytians and the Belgians.
When the French Revolution broke out, the Haytians managed to send two delegates to Paris. Nevertheless the planters maintained the upper hand, and one of the colored delegates, Oge, on returning, started a small rebellion. He and his companions were killed with great brutality.
'Tortuga, however, is only the old Spanish name; the Haytians speak French Creole French. Here is a French atlas: now see the name of that island." "La Tortue!" "La Tortue it is the tortoise. Tortuga means the same thing in Spanish. But that island is always spoken of in Hayti as La Tortue. Now, do you see the drift of that paper pinned to Rameau's breast?"
"Did you know what that signal meant, colonel?" said Captain Applegarth in an inquiring tone, "that you had a death aboard, eh?" "Si, senor. Oh yes, of course," repeated the colonel, correcting himself almost as soon as he spoke for his lapse again into the Spanish tongue. "There were half a dozen dead Haytians there, whom, by the way, Captain Alphonse and I presently pitched over the side!
They defer to this restraint, with motions more or less instinctive, but can never, in their wildest gambols, break entirely loose. It is not easy to separate the real beliefs of the Haytians from the conjectures of Catholic and Jewish observers.
The natives of Cuba preserved also the tradition of a great terrestrial disturbance, in which water played the chief part. This was probably held by the Haytians also, for we find it again among the Caribs beyond, especially in South America.
"They did not disclose their purpose, though, or `show their hand, as they say at the game of monte, all at once; for, moved by their voluntary offer to help work the ship, Captain Alphonse promised the `marquis, who when making this offer had urged a request to that effect, calculating on the captain's generosity to put in and leave the lot at Bermuda, should they make a fair passage up to the parallel of that island, but in the event of their being delayed by foul winds or the voyage appearing as if it must be a long one, the Haytians must be contented to cross the ocean.
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