The road to Marchand. Independence feast at which Christophe mocked Dessalines.

Meanwhile a table was being laid in a vast and richly decorated room. The emperor reappeared in the reception hall and invited all the officials to follow him. He led them into the banqueting room and sat at the north end of the table, having at his sides Their Excellencies Generals Christophe, Bazelais (chief of staff to His Majesty), Romain, Martial Besse, Capoix and Yayou. Capoix had come from Port-de-Paix to Le Cap as soon as he learned that the emperor had arrived there. Yayou had left Marchand, where he had been summoned, and was accompanying the emperor on his tour. The officers of the court, those of the staff of the division of the North, the officials of the administration and the foreign merchants attended the banquet. At dessert the following toasts were drunk. By the emperor: To the Liberty and Independence of Haiti! By General Christophe: To the Emperor, and to our august Empress! By General Bazelais: To General Christophe and to all the generals of the army! By Adjutant-General Mentor: To the United States and to the American merchants, friends of our independence! By a special deputation of the American merchants: To the free Peoples of the universe, and to the preservation of the Government and of the Independence of Haiti. The feast ended with several verses suited to the occasion, sung by Chanlatte, the secretary general. The meal had lasted until nightfall. The palace was magnificently illuminated with lights of various colors. Numerous ladies arrived, escorted by officers of the emperor’s staff and of General Christophe’s. An orchestra made up of many young men of Le Cap, whom Christophe fired with the brilliance of his imagination, filled the apartments with harmonious and brilliant music, and His Majesty the emperor opened the ball with a rond de carabinier. Our young women aroused the liveliest admiration of the foreigners by their beauty, their grace and their elegant dress. The emperor, who loved dancing passionately, gave himself up to it with a kind of frenzy; he held his left hand in his waistcoat and hopped on one foot. General Christophe, who took no part in the pleasures of the dance, stood apart, grave, wearing a sky-blue coat trimmed with gold, with a handsome and proud bearing. Not one of the generals was as brilliant as he. He cast severe looks over the whole leaping company. All at once the emperor made a leap and then stretched himself almost on the floor at the knees of his partner. The music repeated the refrain: L’empereur vini voir Couloute danser. Dessalines, his eyes sparkling, was drunk with pleasure. Christophe said, loudly enough to be heard by a general standing near him: Look at His Majesty! Is it not shameful that we should have such a jumper at our head? These words, which some of the emperor’s favorites overheard, were reported to him after the ball. Already, at the feast of Independence on 1 January 1805 at Marchand, Christophe had said the same words about Dessalines to Pétion. Dessalines, containing his fury, exclaimed: I am not unaware of Monsieur Christophe’s remarks; no doubt he believes that his Ferrière can shelter him from my blows! Very well! I will cover him with honors, I will let him grow great! Let him rise! My arm will be long enough to reach him anywhere.