In such a contest the party- most plentifully stocked
with numbers must in the end be triumphant, and Chris-
tophe, by pouring in fresh troops to supply the places of
thoee jrho had perished, at last obliged his opponent to
evacuate his position and retire upon Jean Rabel.
Christophe now lefl his army, to watch the movements
of Lamarre, and retired to his capital to indemnify him-
self for the inconsiderable success he had as yet obtained
in his attempts to conquer -the republic, by employing
measures to extend his. territory in another direction.
Agents had already been sent by Petion to persuade the
blacks of the Spanish part, of the island to transfer their
allegiance to the republic, and to unite in an alliance
against his warlike opponent. But from want of capacity
in the persons employed in this measure, though perhaps
chiefly from the ^eater activity of Christophe, whose
communications with that territory were more direct, Po-
tion's mission had entirely failed, and his agent had fallen
a sacrifice to the vengeance of Christophe. Spain having
transferred that part of St. Domingo to France by the
treaty of Basle, had now for many years ceased to exer-
cise any official control in its government, -though the
moiattoes and blacks of that part still retained a sympathy
and affection for the parent state, such as to cause them
Co view with discontented feelings the introduction of a

VOL. II. 15*



174 HISTORY OF ST. DOmNOO.
