ARTICLE V.

CHARACTER OF EUSTACHE.

The above cuts are designed to present two different views of the head of a negro, by the name of Eustache, who was eminently distinguished for the qualities of virtue and benevolence. This individual died at Paris in the year 1835. Some years previously, the Paris Phrenological Society had obtained an accurate cast of his head, and forwarded specimens to the Edinburgh Phrenological Society, a copy of which was brought to this country by Mr. George Combe. Our object in introducing them in this article, is to show a remarkable developement of the coronal region of the head, and its corresponding manifestations in character. It is doubtful whether another such instance of pure virtue and disinterested benevolence can be found recorded in the annals of history. It is the more striking, inasmuch as the individual belonged to a race generally regarded as deficient in those qualities; and, besides, they were exhibited in the present case under circumstances of such ignorance and oppression, that we might naturally have expected traits of character directly the reverse. But we will let the facts speak for themselves.

The forty-second number of the Edinburgh Phrenological Journal gives the following account of Eustache, which is, in part, as indicated by quotation marks, copied from the Phrenological Journal of Paris:

"On the 9th of August, 1832, this negro, when sixty years of age, obtained the prize of virtue from the Institute, on account of the devoted attachment he had displayed, in St. Domingo, towards his

VOL II.-12

master, M. Belin. By his address, courage, and devotion, this gentleman, with upwards of four hundred other whites, were saved from the general massacre, and the fortune of M. Belin was several times preserved. The idea of murder,' says the reporter to the Institute, 'did not associate itself, in the mind of Eustache, with that of liberty. Placed among companions endeavouring to obtain, with the torch and the dagger, their bloody emancipation, and seeing his master in danger of being murdered amid the ruins of their burning dwellings, he hesitated not a moment. ** Incessantly occupied in warning the inhabitants of the conspiracies formed against them, (but without revealing the names of the conspirators,) and in devising a thousand stratagems to enable the proprietors to unite. and strengthen their position, so as to make the insurgents abandon the idea of attacking them, he consorted with the negroes during the day, and in the evening went to give warning to the whites.' While Eustache resided at Paris, he was always busy in doing good. 'He never wishes,' says Dr. Broussais, to keep any thing, for himself; the profits of his industry, and the rewards which he has obtained, being on all occasions employed in relieving the miserable.' He has always preferred to remain in the condition of a servant, in order that he might turn to account his skill in cookery, and enable himself to do good to his fellow-creatures. The following characteristic trait is quoted from the report to the Institute before referred to. 'At Port-au-Prince, Eustache often heard his master, who was an old man, bewailing the gradual weakening of his sight. Now, had Eustache been able to read, he might have whiled away his master's long and sleepless hours, by reading the journals to him. It was therefore a matter of deep regret with him that he had never been taught to read; but this regret did not long continue. He secretly applied himself to study; took lessons at four o'clock in the morning, in order that the time necessary for the performance of his regular duties might not be encroached upon; speedily acquired the wished-for knowledge; and, approaching the old man with a book in his hand, proved to him, that if nothing seems easy to ignorance, nothing is impossible to devotion.'

"The bust of Eustache exhibits a prodigious developement of the organ of Benevolence; and we entirely concur in the statement of Dr. Broussais, that there is in the collection no specimen which can be in this respect compared with it. The organ,' says he, 'is so large that, though I were unacquainted with Eustache, I should, at the sight of such a head, exclaim-here is monomania of Benevolence. But I am better pleased to sum up, with M. Brifant, his life and his character in two words-incorrigible generosity.'

"We have measured the cast, and subjoin a note of its dimensions. It is proper to notice, that there was no hair on the head when the cast was taken.

"It will be obvious to every phrenologist, from the foregoing table, that the head of Eustache was of very considerable size. In this respect, as well as in its form, it has quite the appearance of a European head. The organs of Veneration, Firmness, Philoprogenitiveness, Comparison, and Causality, are large, though not equal to Benevolence; Adhesiveness, Combativeness, Destructiveness, Secretiveness, Cautiousness, Conscientiousness, and Approbativeness, rather large, or large; Imitation and Wonder, where the head descends rapidly on both sides from Benevolence, moderate, or rather full. There seems to be a very fair developement of the organ of Language. And Benevolence, rising to a great height above Comparison, seems to tower above all the other organs."

The above account was published three years before the death of Eustache, when only a few facts were known concerning his life and character; and the regret was then expressed by the conductors of the Edinburgh Phrenological Journal, on finding so remarkable cerebral developements in the case of a negro, that a minute and extended history of Eustache had not been given. But since his death, this desideratum has been supplied, and, within the past year, the following history of Eustache has appeared in several papers in this country. We present it entire, as every phrenologist cannot fail, with the above data, to derive additional interest from the narrative.

"Eustache was born on the plantation of M. Belin de Villennue, situated in the northern part of St. Domingo, in the year 1773. In his youth, he was noted for avoiding light and vicious conversation, and for embracing every opportunity of listening to intelligent and respectable whites. Occupied in the labours of the sugar-house, in which he

became remarkably expert, he grew up respected by his master and fellow-slaves. It was near the time of his attaining the age of manhood, that the revolution of St. Domingo broke out. He might have been a chief among his comrades, but he preferred the saving to the destruction of his fellow-men. In the first massacre of St. Domingo, 1791, his knowledge, intrepidity, and the confidence of his countrymen, enabled him to save four hundred persons from death. Among these was his master.

"Eustache had arranged for the embarkation of M. Belin, and other fugitives, on board a vessel bound to Baltimore. In the midst of terror and confusion, he bethought himself that his master would soon be destitute of resources in the asylum to which he was about to be conveyed; and he prevailed upon upwards of a hundred of his comrades to accompany them to the vessel, each bearing under his arms two large loaves of sugar. These were stowed on board, and they set sail, but not to reach the United States without a new misfortune. They were captured by a British cruiser, and a prize crew put on board. Eustache, being a superior cook, soon rendered himself very useful and agreeable to the officers of the prize in this capacity. Having gained their confidence, he was permitted to enjoy entire liberty on board, and he determined to use it for rescuing himself, his companions, and their property, from their captors. Having acquainted the prisoners of his plan, and found the means of releasing them at the moment of action, he proceeded, with his usual skill and assiduity, to prepare the repast of the British officers; but soon after they were seated at the table, he rushed into the cabin at the head of his men, with a rusty sword in his hand. The officers were taken so completely by surprise, that they had no weapons within reach, and no time to move from their places. Eustache had got possession of the avenues and the arms, and he now told the mess, whom he had lately served in so different a capacity, that if they would surrender at once, no harm should be done to any of them. They did surrender, and the vessel arrived safely with its prisoners and passengers at Baltimore.

"At that city, Eustache devoted the resources which his industry and skill could command, to the relief of those whose lives he had saved. At length it was announced that peace was restored to St. Domingo, and thither Eustache returned with his master, who appears to have been worthy of the tender and faithful attachment with which this negro regarded him. But the peace of St. Domingo was only a prelude to a more bloody tragedy than had been before enacted. M. Belin was separated from his benefactor in the midst of a general massacre, executed by the Haytian chief, Jean François, at the city of Fort Dauphin. M. Belin effected his escape, while Eustache was employed collecting together his most valuable effects, and committing them to the care of the wife of this avenging chief. She was sick in his tent, and it was under her bed that the trunks of M. Belin were deposited. Having made this provident arrangement, Eustache set off to seek his master; first on the field of carnage, where he trembled as he examined, one after another, the bodies of the dead. At length he found the object of his search, alive and in a place of safety; and having again embarked with him, and the treasure he had so adroitly preserved, he reached St. Nicholas Mole. Here the fame of his humanity, his disinterestedness, and his extraordinary courage and address, preceded him, and on disembarking, he was received with distinction by the population, both white and coloured.

"On the return of peace and prosperity under the government of Toussaint l'Ouverture, M. Belin established himself at Port-au-Prince,

where he was appointed president of the privy council. At this time, he had arrived at the decline of life, and had the misfortune to lose his eyesight. He now regretted that he had not taught Eustache to read. He expressed himself with much emotion on that subject, saying, 'how many heavy and sleepless hours of a blind old man might Eustache have beguiled, if he could read the newspapers to me.' Eustache mourned his father's bereavement, and his incapacity to console him. In secret he sought a master, and by rising at four o'clock, and studying hard, though not to the neglect of his other duties, he was able in three months to present himself to his master with a book in his hand, and by reading in it with perfect propriety, to give a new and surprising proof of the constancy and tenderness of his attachment. Upon this, followed his enfranchisement. But freedom did not change-it only elevated and hallowed his friendship for his late master; rather let us say, his venerable and beloved companion.

"Soon afterward, M. Belin died, leaving to Eustache a fortune which would have supported him in ease during the rest of his life. But the legacies of his friend came to the hands of Eustache only to be passed by them to the needy and unfortunate. At that time there was a vast deal of misery, and but one Eustache in the island of St. Domingo. If a soldier was without clothing and pay, a family without bread, a cultivator or mechanic without tools, the new riches of Eustache were dispensed for their supply. Of course these could not last long, and from that time until his death, in 1835, a period of near forty years, he maintained himself and provided for numerous charities by serving as a domestic. He lived and laboured only to make others happy. Sometimes he was found defraying the expenses of nursing orphan infants; sometimes administering to the necessities of aged relations of his late master; sometimes paying for instructing, and placing as apprentices, youths who were destitute and unprotected; and often giving to his employers considerable arrears of wages which they found it difficult, by a vicissitude of fortune, to pay. His remarkable skill as a cook enabled him to provide for all these expenditures, as it secured him constant employment in all the wealthiest families. His own wants were few and small.

"The virtues of this humble and noble-hearted negro could not long be hidden by the obscurity of his calling. In 1832, the National Institute of France sought him out, to announce to him that that illustrious body had paid to his worth the highest homage in its power, by awarding to him the first prize of virtue, being the sum of $1000. To this announcement, made by a member of the Institute, he replied with nis habitual simplicity and piety, 'It is not, dear sir, for men that I have done this, but for my Master who is on high.""

We have another circumstance to relate on this subject, which will afford not only new evidence, aside from the above facts, in proof of phrenology, but may serve to show the correctness with which its principles, in the hands of an experienced and skilful phrenologist, can be applied to the delineation of character About a year since, the bust of Eustache was presented to Mr. L. N. Fowler, 135 Nassau street, New York, and his opinion requested, when, without the slightest knowledge of the subject, and in the presence of T. D. Weld, S. Southard, and W. M. Chase, he gave the following opinion. It should be remembered, in reading this