27-1 THE LIFE OF

days, with all their artillery, ammunition, and magazine
they should withdraw to their vessels with the honors
and the guarantee of their private property ; that they
leave their sick and wounded in the hospitals, whom the
should take care of until th-y were well, and that then.
should be sent to France in neutral vessels. These eondi
were more favorable than the invading army hAd a right
expert. The day on which this convention was signed":4
Fren.h ge'nrral sent two otlliers to treat with the commnl
of the English squadron for the evacuation of the Cape. I
oftrcr:-d conditions were r-jet ted. Others were proposed, whM
Rochainbeau tluiud iuadmissible. Iis refusal haA Ibr its grae
the hope that the nc-ason would son compel the English.'
retire front the vi..inity of the Cape, and so rr-nder his eseC
possible. Vain expectation. On the 30th of November, (
standard of the blacks waved over the Cape. Rochambem
felt compelled to throw limsell' on the mer:-y of the Engli
At the moment when the ship in which he had taken refi
were about to be sunk by red-hot balls prepared by the negat
the a-gis of Britain was thrown before them, and a frighUt
massa,'re was prevented. A short agreement having be.
hastily drawn up, De.salines was inlfrmed that the vessels ha
surrendered to the arms of His Britannic lMajiety. Not wit
out dilliulty did the \engeiul and firoeious Deasalines conase
to allow his prey to be thus plucked out ofl' his handn Short
a favorable brte-ez having sprung up, the three frigates at
seventeen icnall crall that formed the Frenub fleet at the Cap
set sail, according to the convention, under the French fla
then having talked, they struck their colors and surrendered
The prisoners of war amounted to right thousand.
 Saint Marc, Cayes, JRrcmie, Saint Nioholas, the Spanish te
ritoyv, were sucLe sively abandoned by their Frenih. The di
parture of the troops in the differ:ut cities was a painful seen
Families of the c(lonniits and many other persons lacked vese.
to fly irorn the fury of the irritated blarkei. Wives and chi
dren were separated from their husband and their fathenr