474                          APPENDATORY.
On the other hand, the west end of the island, occupied
by Hayti, is walled in on its eastern or leeward side by
chains of high mountains running in irregular curves
from north to south. It would appear that these act to
some extent as barriers to the trade winds ; and to this fact,
coupled with the influence of neighbouring marshes and
mangrove swamps, it is due in a great measure that Port-
au-Prince and the country about it have so bad a reputa-
tion in regard to health.
As to the large towns, there can be no doubt that the
want at present of any practical application of sanitary
knowledge causes them to rank far lower in regard to
health than they otherwise would. Among the leading
historical events connected with Hayti and St Domingo
which have stamped themselves upon the public mind
are the dreadful epidemics, principally yellow fever,
which ravaged the English, the French, and the Spanish
armies successively landed upon the coast.
The victims were Europeans, and their sad fate inter-
ested millions, so that in the public mind St Domingo
and" yellow fever became almost synonymous. It is a
matter of history that the most fatal expedition—that of
the French at the beginning of this century—conducted
its operations mainly in the Haytian part of the island.
But this may be accounted for by the manner in which
these troops were used. Where actively employed, they
committed many indiscretions, and were devoid of many of
the necessary comforts to which even the soldier is accus-
tomed; especially was their clothing utterly unfitted for
the climate in which they served.
Add to this, operations were carried on without regard
to the peculiarities of a climate which seems to demand
that every one shall avoid for a few hours all labour under
a tropic mid-day sun.
But the greatest loss of the French was experienced
while cooped up in the towns, or on shipboard, while being