Bainet's Precolumbian Past

While perusing Nicolson's Essai sur l'histoire naturelle de l'isle de Saint-Domingue , avec des figures en taille-douce on Gallica, we found an interesting allusion to the indigenous past in Bainet parish. According to Nicolson, in the Gris-Gris quarter of the parish, a cave site on one habitation indicated past use by the "Taino" to bury their dead. Nicolson himself visited the site in 1773 and brought back human remains while also noticing the larger number of bones. Supposedly, the area was used as a refuge by the Indian population to escape the Spanish. No source is given for this, but it is interesting to hear about the indigenous past in this part of the island. 

Bainet in 1730

Looking at ANOM's digitized collection of Saint Domingue census material brought our attention to this detailed 1730 census. Bainet's population in that year is enumerated separately from Jacmel, so one can see exactly who was living in the area in that year. Of course, some of the information must be interpreted carefully, as with all censuses. What is interesting is that only 12 free black and mulatto persons were enumerated, although there were likely additional free people of color who may have been counted as white in 1730 (besides, women seem to be excluded from that total). In total, Bainet had 700 slaves in this year, with 325 male adults and 138 enslaved women. Among the enslaved children, only 168 were counted while the infirm were about 69. Bainet also had the smallest slave population in the Jacmel quartier, which is not too surprising. For the entire quartier, only Jacmel possessed a sucrerie so indigoteries were the main type of plantation. However, Bainet did have more cotton than Cayes de Jacmel and, presumably, Jacmel. 

It is clear that Bainet at this stage was still a developing area in terms of the colony's slave-based plantation model. Indigo and cotton were profitable, but one can see that the white population, which reached a total of about 168 people, was not outnumbered by the slave population to the same extreme degree like in other parts of the colony. Of course, part of the "white" population were likely mixed-race people, but we are still talking about a region with a less "developed" plantation economy than Jacmel and Cayes de Jacmel, with only 57 indigoteries to 101 in Cayes de Jacmel or 147 in Jacmel. Of course, the adult enslaved laboring population in Bainet was lower than that of the other two parishes in the quarter, only 463 out of the total 2,263 (20.46%). 

Early Yaquimo

Although our beloved Bainet during the French colonial period and Haitian era is quite distinct from the earlier Spanish colonial period, we believe a holistic view of the history of our region must include the Spanish and precolonial periods. As part of this process, we would like to share some lists of caciques from the Yaquimo (Jacmel under the Spanish) area included in the Albuquerque Repartimiento of 1514. The tables are by Luis Arranz Marquez's Repartimientos y encomiendas en la Isla Española: el repartimiento de Albuquerque de 1514. Of course, a lengthy period of time between the eventual abandonment of Yaquimo during Spanish rule and the French establishment of Bainet in 1698 means there is likely no direct continuity from the earlier period. Indeed, some sources point to the depopulation of the town of Yaquimo by 1520 (along with that of Vera Paz) for the town founded at La Yagauana.

From the names of the caciques, the vast majority using Spanish names, it might be possible to explore, speculatively, of course, any possible toponyms that might be associated with the area of modern Bainet. We know brazilwood was one of the early exports exploited by the Spanish in Yaquimo, which may correspond with the section of Brésilienne. In addition, the area's population was also significantly impacted by forced relocations through the encomienda system. One Spanish source from 1515 enumerated 1039 Indians of service in Yaquimo but after relocating some mining or other parts of Hispaniola, Yaquimo was left with only 863 Indians. By the late 1500s, Yaquimo was also described in 1577 as including a hato owned by a resident of La Yaguana, but the only people living there were blacks and Indians. These residents apparently notified French and Portuguese traders about possible danger from Spanish ships and supported illegal trading. The town was already abandoned but a small population of mixed-race people, blacks, and Indians were still living in the region by the end of the 16th century. By the second half of the 17th century, and before the French establish a presence at Jacmel, Exquemelin referred to Jacmel and Jaquina (Aquin?) as ports on the coast of the island.  

Yaquimo's name seems to a reference to the large river that passed through the area to the Caribbean Sea. While the more famous Yaque rivers to the east (sometimes spelled Yaqui in 16th century Spanish sources) are rather distant from Jacmel, perhaps the name Yaquimo was a reference to the Grande Riviere de Jacmel? According to Granberry, mo alluded to rivers. Perhaps the Yaque or Yaqui referred specifically to large rivers? The name Iacchi was said to be in Bainoa by Peter Martyr d'Anghiera, who also identified the Yaque del Norte as Iaccha. It seems very likely that Yaquimo's name was given as Iacchi in the map of Morales which later became Jacmel to the French. According to Granberry and Vescelius, the Taino mo signified river. Thus, one can see how Iacchi plus mo became Yaquimo, a name retained by the Spanish (who initially referred to the area by Brazil due to the brazil wood from the forested region). Alternatively, the toponym Jaquimeyes in the Dominican Republic might suggest an etymology. That Dominican town's name comes from a local term for a type of bejuco. Perhaps the Iacchi or yaqui or jaqui reffered to this type of plant? It seems unlikely since the herb or plant identified by Descourtilz as very common in Jacmel was not the jaquimei, or Hippocrotea volubilis.