S TOUSSAINT L'O TURVE. 188

 entailed deep disgrace; and in which victory was
 by intolerable endurance, and defeat was made
 .by contempt for the fix, and disastrous by the revenge
 foe could on his own soil so easily take. In quitting
 phi, Rochambeau traversed the country called Oua-
 Spassed round the north of La Grande RiriBrc,
 te black mountain of Gonaives, and descended to-
 savannas of La Desolee.
 division commanded by Desfourneaux took possession of
 t of Plaisaure, whic h was treacherously delivered to
 lta commander with.-.ut striking a blow.
 fivision under Hardly .ALaled and captured the formida-
 tion at Boispin. and carried at the point of the bayo-
 inelade, which was dlef-ind:d by Christophe.
theatre of the war lay accordingly on the chain of the
 hia whiLh separate the North from the West, and which
 the heights of Dondon, Villier., and the black moun-
f Gonaires. In those places Tousiaint had concentrated
frior army in order to prevent the French, who had
lmon three points of the coast, from concerting their oper-
Siand from surrounding his own troops, overwhelming him
ib with all their sea and land forces.
. situation of To:usaint had become perilous, environed as
su on all sid.- by advan' ing foes. The peril, however,
either unexpected nor unprovided for. Rochambeau was
aLwroix, lying in the mountaiu- in a line between Esther
Gonaives. In order to dels.:nd into the plain-, he must
trough the ravine Couleuvrc. This ra'ine was a narrow
lkflanked by preCiplitoui mountains, covered with wood,
"iich swanned with armed black laborers.
bhambeau. by a movement in this direction, seemed likely
et great re-ult.. II- might render hmimelf master of the
bl of Madame Tour-aint. of her sister and her two nieces,
%ad just arrivrd'at La. raise. He might also cut off Tous-
cs connection with )Desalines and Belair, and so bring the
at to an end by one blow. It was then necessary for