Charles Mackenzie was a Scottish diplomat who worked in Mexico, Cuba and Haiti. This book is his account of Haiti in 1826-7, based on his time serving as British Consul in the country. It is a useful guide to the country during the presidency of Jean-Perre Boyer.
Boyer was president from 1818 to 1843 and was responsible for uniting both the French- and Spanish-speaking parts of the island of Hispaniola under the Haitian government. He also encouraged the migration of thousands of African Americans to the country. However, many soon returned to the United States after witnessing the widespread poverty that plagued the country following Boyer's 1826 decision to pay an enormous indemnity to France in return for their acknowledgement of Haiti's independence. This payment, initially set at 150 million francs, crippled the Haitian economy well into the twentieth century.