SAINT-DOMINGUE. Manuscript, Registre des lettres communes ecrittes à Mgr le Duc de Praslin Ministre de la Marine, 1770-1771; an in-fol. volume (31.5 x 21.5 cm) of 204pages (plus blank ff.), bound in green parchment with ties (worn binding, broken spine). Very interesting register of joint correspondence between the governor and intendant of Saint-Domingue and the ministers, from February 20, 1770 to December 30, 1771. The governor was Count Pierre-Gédéon de Nolivos (1714-1794), the intendant Alexandre-Jacques de Bongard (until June 17, 1771), then Jean-François Vincent de Montarcher. The 93 letters in this register are addressed to the Minister of the Navy, César-Gabriel de Choiseul Duc de Praslin (until December 24, 1770), then to his successors Abbé Terray (until April 9, 1771) and the Marquis de Boynes. They were written almost daily from Port-au-Prince or Le Cap; the date of departure of the letter and the name of the ship carrying it were noted in the margin, followed by details of the duplicate sent the next day or a few days later. In addition to the day-to-day business of administering the colony, the letter discusses the installation of the new colony council; the trial of the rebels (April 1770); questions "par raport aux gens de couleur, ou par raport aux blancs mésalliés" (April 10) ; the establishment of a death certificate, in which "only whites will be mentioned, as the death of people of color can be of no interest to anyone in France" (May 6); trial grains and flours; the violent earthquake (June 3-5) that caused major damage, its aftermath and reconstruction; the arrest of a false Spanish monk who had come "to preach to the negroes about the aftermath of the earthquake [...] to persuade this kind of superstition [...]".] to persuade this superstitious species that we were approaching the end of the world" (June 13); the formation of a legion of dragoons (July 1 and 2); emigrants to Cayenne (October 16); the calculation of taxation (November 15); "the appearance of Spain's break with England", with the state of the island's defenses (November 18); English ships coming to "fish for whales and blowers" (August 16, 1771); the decision "not to favor under any pretext the alliances of whites with girls of mixed blood" (September 18-19); the installation of a public school (December 20)... Etc.