butthisfactevidentlyloosenedthecordsofthefather’sheart，andduringmystayatVegahewasdevotedtome;
givingmeinformationofthegreatestvalueregardingthepeople，theirhabits，theirdiseases，andthelike，muchofwhich，uptothatmoment，thecommissionanditssubordinateshadvainlyendeavoredtosecure。
AndhereIrecallonethingwhichstruckmeassignificant。ThisasceticFrenchpriestwasverysevereincondemnationoftheoldSpanishpriesthoodoftheisland。
WhenIaskedhimregardingthemoralsofthepeopleheanswered，``Howcanyouexpectgoodmoralsinthemwhentheirpastorssetsuchbadexamples？’’ItwasevidentthatthechurchauthoritiesatRomewereofhisopinion;forinnearlyeverytownIfoundnotonlyajolly，kindly，easy—goingoldSpanishpadre，surroundedby``nephews’’and``nieces，’’butamoreaustereecclesiasticrecentlyarrivedfromFranceorItaly。
Intheimpressionsmadeuponmebythislongandtediousjourneyacrosstheisland，pleasureandpainwereconstantlymingled。Ononehandwasthewonderfulbeautyofthescenery，theluxurianceofthevegetation，andthebracingwarmthoftheclimate，whiletheUnitedStatesweregoingthroughawintermorethanusuallybitter。
But，ontheotherhand，thewholeconditionofthecountryseemedtoindicatethattheearlySpanishrulershadleftacurseuponitfromwhichithadneverrecovered。
Itsinhabitants，inrevolutionafterrevolution，haddestroyedallindustryandindustrialappliances，andhadvirtuallyeatenupeachother;generationaftergenerationhadthusbeenalmostentirelydestroyed。
Finally，afternearlyafortnightofclamberingovermountains，pushingthroughtropicalthickets，fordingstreams，andnegotiatinginpalmhuts，weapproachedthesea;andsuddenly，onthenorthsideoftheisland，atthetopofthemountainbackofPuertoPlata，welookedfardownuponitsbeautifulharbor，inthemidstofwhich，likeaflyuponamirror，layourtrimlittlefrigateNantasket。
Thevice—presidentoftherepublic，surroundedbytherepresentativesofthecity，havingwelcomeduswiththeusualspeeches，wepushedforwardtothevice—presidentialvilla，whereIwastobelodged。
Havingnootherdresswithmethanmytraveler’soutfit，ofwhichthemainfeatureswereaflamingredflannelshirt，aponcho，andasombrero，andhavingbeeninvitedtodinethateveningatthehouseofmyhost，withthevariousconsulsandotherleadersoftheplace，Iorderedtwoofmymentohurrydownthemountain，andouttothefrigate，tobringinmyleathertrunkcontainingacostumemoreworthyoftheexpectedceremony;andhardlywerewecomfortablyestablishedundertheroofofthevice—president，whentwosailorscamein，bringingthepreciousburden。
Nowcameacatastrophe。Turningthekey，Inoticedthatthebrassfittingsofthelockwerecoveredwithverdigris，and，asthetrunkopened，Ishrankbackinhorror。Itwasfilled，apparently，withamassofmossywhite—and—
greenmoldfromwhichcockroachesofenormoussizedartedinalldirections。
Hastilypullingdownthecover，Icalledacouncilofwar;themainpersonagesinitbeingmyprivatesecretary，ProfessorCrane，sinceactingpresidentofCornellUniversity，andsundryofthemoreimportantmenintheexpedition。TotheseIexplainedthesituation。Itseemedbadenoughtoloseallmeansofpresentingasuitableappearanceattheapproachingfestivity，butthiswasnothingcomparedwiththeideathatIhadrequitedthehospitalityofmyhostbyspreadingthroughhishousethishideousentomologicalcollection。
ButasIexposedthislatterfeatureofthesituation，I
noticedasmilecomingoverthefacesofmyDominicanattendants，andpresentlyoneofthemremarkedthatthecockroachesIhadbroughtwouldfindplentyofcompanions;
thatthehousewasdoubtlessalreadyfullofthem。
Thiswasagreatrelieftomyconscience。Thetrunkwasremoved，andpresentlytheclothing，inwhichIwastobearrayedfortheevening，wasbroughtin。Itseemedinafearfulcondition，but，curiouslyenough，whileboots，shoes，and，aboveall，apackageofwhiteglovescarefullyreservedforgrandceremonies，hadbeennearlydevoured，thegarmentsofvarioussortshadescapedfairlywell。
Thenextthinginorderbeingthepreparationofmyapparelforuse，themenproceededfirsttodelugeitwithcarbolicacid;andthen，afterdryingitonthebalconiesinfrontofthevice—president’shouse，tomitigatetheinvinciblecarbolicodorbycopiousdrenchingsofFloridawater。Alldaylongtheywerethusatworkmakingreadyfortheeveningceremony。Induetimeitarrived;
and，finally，afterasumptuousentertainment，I
stoodbeforetheassembledconsulsandothermagnates。
Probablynooneofthemremembersawordofmydiscourse;butdoubtlesseverysurvivorwillagreethatnospeaker，beforeorsince，evermadetohimanappealofsuchpungency。Ipervadedthewholeatmosphereoftheplace;indeed，thetownitselfseemedtome，aslongasI
remainedinit，toreekofthatstrangemixtureofcarbolicacidandFloridawater;andassoonaspossibleafterreachingtheship，thecontentsofthetrunkwerethrownoverboard，andlifebecamelessaburden。
HavingbeendulyescortedtotheNantasket，andreceivedheartilybyCommanderMcCook，Iwasassignedhisowncabin，butsoonthoughtitexpedienttogetoutofitandsleepondeck。Thefactwasthatthecompanionsofmycockroacheshadpossessionoftheship，and，toallappearance，theirheadquarterswereinthecaptain’sroom。Ithereforeorderedmybedondeck;and，thoughitwasFebruary，passedtwodelightfulnightsinthatbalmyatmosphereofthetropicalseaswhileweskirtedthenorthsideoftheislanduntil，atPort—au—Prince，I
rejoinedtheothercommissioners，whohadcomeintheTennesseealongthesoutherncoast。
AttheHaitiancapitalourcommissionhadinterviewswiththepresident，hiscabinet，andothers，andafterwardwehadtimetolookaboutus。Fewthingscouldbemoredispiriting。Thecityhadbeenburnedagainandagain，andtherehadarisenatangleofstreetsdisplayingeverysortofcheapabsurdityinarchitecture。Theeffectsoftherecentrevolution——thelatestinalongseriesofcivicconvulsions，cruelandsterile——wereevidentonallsides。OntheslopeabovethecityhadstoodtheformerresidenceoftheFrenchgovernor:ithadbeenabeautifulpalace，and，beingsofarfromthesea，had，untiltherecentrevolution，escapedunharmed;butduringthatlasteffortasquadofmiscreants，howlingthepraisesofliberty，havinggotpossessionofasmallarmedvesselintheharborandfounduponitarifledcannonoflongrange，hadexercisedtheirmonkeyishpassionfordestructionbywantonlyfiringuponthisbeautifulstructure。Itnowlayinruins。Initsmainstaircaseanironringwaspointedouttous，andweweregiventhefollowingchronicle。
DuringtherecentrevolutionthefugitivePresidentSalnavehadbeencaptured，aleathernthonghadbeenrudelydrawnthroughagashinhishand，and，attachedbythistoacavalryman，hehadbeendraggedupthehilltothepalace，throughthecrowdwhichhadbutrecentlyhurrahedforhim，butwhichnowjeeredandpeltedhim。
Arrivinguponthesceneofhisformerglory，hewasattachedbythethongtothisironringandshot。
Oppositethepalacewastheruinofamausoleum，andinthestreetwerescatteredfragmentsofmarblesarcophagibeautifullysculptured:thesehadcontainedthebodiesofformerrulers，buttherevolutionistsofHaiti，imitatingthoseof1793inFrance，asapesimitatemen，hadtornthecorpsesoutofthemandhadthenscatteredthese，withthefragmentsoftheirmonuments，throughthestreets。
Inthemarketsofthecitywehadampleexperienceoftheadvantagearisingfromunlimitedpapermoney。
Successivegovernmentshadkeptthemselvesafloatbynewissuesofcurrency，untilitspurchasingpowerwasreducedalmosttonothing。Preposteroussumsweredemandedforthesimplestarticles:hundredsofdollarsforabasketoffruit，andthousandsofdollarsforastrawhat。
WithusasoneofoursecretarieswasFrederickDouglass，thegiftedsonofaneminentVirginianandaslavewoman，——oneofthetwoorthreemosttalentedmenofcolorI
haveeverknown。Uptothistimehehadcherishedmanyhopesthathisrace，ifsetfree，wouldimprove;butitwasevidentthatthisexperienceinSantoDomingodiscouragedanddepressedhim。Hesaidtooneofus，``Ifthisistheoutcomeofself—governmentbymyrace，Heavenhelpus！’’
AnothercuriousexamplebearingonthesamesubjectwasfurnishedusinJamaica，whitherwewentafterleav—
ingHaiti。Ourwishwastoconsult，onourwayhome，theformerpresidentoftheHaitianrepublic，Geffrard，——
whowasthenlivinginexilenearKingston。Wefoundhiminabeautifulapartment，elegantlyfurnished;andineverywayheseemedsuperiortotheofficialswhomwehadmetatPort—au—Prince。Hewasalightmulatto，intelligent，quiet，dignified，andabletostatehisviewswithoutundueemphasis。Hiswifewasveryagreeable，andhisdaughter，thoughclearlyofamelancholictemperament，oneofthemostbeautifulyoungwomenIhaveeverseen。Thereasonforhermelancholywasevidenttoanyonewhoknewherfather’shistory。HehadgonethroughmanypoliticalstormsbeforehehadfledfromHaiti，andinoneofthesehisenemieshadfiredthroughthewindowsofhishouseandkilledhisotherdaughter。
Hecalmlydiscussedwithustheconditionoftheisland，andevidentlybelievedthattheonlywaytosaveitfromutterbarbarismwastoputitunderthecontrolofsomecivilizedpower。
Interestingaswerehisopinions，heandhisfamily，aswesawthemintheirdailylife，werestillmoreso。Itwasarevelationtousallofwhatthecoloredracemightbecomeinalandwhereitisundernosocialban。ForgenerationsheandhishadbeentheequalsofthebestpeopletheyhadmetinFranceandinHaiti;theyhadbeenguestsatthedinnersofministersandatthesoiresofsavantsintheFrenchcapital;therewasnothingaboutthemofthatdeprecatorysortwhichoneseessoconstantlyinmenandwomenwithAfricanbloodintheirveinsinlandswheretheirracehasrecentlybeenheldinservitude。
AndhereImayagaincitethecaseofPresidentBaez——
amantowhomitprobablyneveroccurredthathewasnottheequalsociallyofthebestmenhemet，andwhoinanyEuropeancountrywouldbeatonceregardedasamanofmark，andwelcomedatanygatheringofnotables。
Amongourexcursions，whileinJamaica，wasonetoSpanishTown，theresidenceoftheBritishgovernor。
Inthedrawing—roomofHisExcellency’swifetherewasshownusonerathercuriousdetail。Notlongbeforeourvisit，thelegislaturehadbeenabolishedandtheislandhadbeenmadeacrowncolonyruledbyaroyalgovernorandcouncil;therefo...完整阅读请扫描二维码下载丁香书院APP免费看：