The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-01-13
sEWiRD AND WEST INDIES REAL ESTATE,

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As the matter OF securing buttress for republic
10 the West Indies is brought prominently before
the American people and government In tho shap, OF
the Danish treaty ceding ST. Thomas and ST. John
isiands--which treaty has still TO DO ratified by tho
senate-and tho mission OF Senor Pujo TO offer
samani, the following description OF the three places
Will be read with interest has been asceraned that
when Mr. Fred W Seward visited tho West Indies
last year he offered TO tho Dominican government
$1,000, 900 cash and 100000 annually for 9
ffy years. lease Of samand. This was refused,
owing to The brough. bear upon the Cabra
government through English and French agency.
Since that time British schoonors landed
arms and ammunition on the north coast OF 81. Do
mngo for the patsans OF President Baez, while the
Haytien government has almost made common cause
With them This leaves the Dominican government in
a strait financially ana mihsarly. AT tie same timo
that Senior Puol left homo for the United States another
diplomatic agent, Senior Fiao sent to Jamaica for
the purpose OF buying arms and ammunition. Tho
United States being acknowledged having offered to
buy SANTANA. having failed to secure II and having
qurod 81 Thomas instead, they find fault II st. Do.
mngo now after proposing to sell that bay and penin
sua for what was offered last year by Mr. Fred. W. Sew
ard at length lease the real estate England France
or 10 boh in order to relieve present
necessites' We're Secretary Seward to show the cold
offered BY that republic so much In favor Of the
United States, 1t would be in keeping with his past
diplomacy as regards sister republics and American
teress on this continent
Snmnnn.
Tho pennsula OF SANTANA Is situated on the north.
east coast OF ST. Domingo and stretches from west to
cast distance Of thirtytwo miles Its greatest breadth
Is eovsn miles The highest elevations the peninsula
Sugar Loaf HILL one thousand nine hundred and
thirty six feet and the Morne du Diabls thousand
three hundred and nine feet above the level There
formerly existed water communication across the
end Of Sanand, separating from the island Of St.
Domingo Though now silted up, this communica-
ton could easily BE- reopened, so that what
island The sol! Is extremely fertile, TO great extent
covered with timber suited both TOR shipbuldng and
cabinet work. and contains m ines Of r0n lead cop
per and gold as wei! oitumnous COAL which in that
latitude Is stll valuable On Its southern shore
lies the small town Of Santa Barbara In . blight OF q
land locked bay. Santa Barbara has excellent natural
facilities for repairing or careenng vessels contains
q dapdatsd Roman Catholic church, q neat Wesleyan
chapel and custom house Tho Dominican govern
ment maintains here q small garrison OF about two hun
dred and ffy men, under colonel. who possesses the
chief authority Of the peninsula The town has popu
lation Of about seventeen hundred Inhabitants
Tho port OF Savannah. Mar, on the north coast Of
dred souls Il was founded in the eightssnth century
by some Canary Islanders Savannah Mar Is about
fifteen miles southwest Of Santa Barbara Dc SANTANA
and abou, bs way up tho Samana Bay Besides these
towns there arc the villages 0! Honduras and Los Cacos
There 80 two snaa colonies Cd the Peninsula one
founded by French negroes .he last century and the
second by negroes from south Carolina transported TO
the Pen nsu.a by an Amer can assoc alton.
On he northern coast o. Samans there are some very
deep caves where o. Indian dos yet to DO
found They are a. carved ous o. stone and The exscu-
ton Is quito cred'tab.e
The bay or Samans is on the south side Of the above
peninsula and extends from east 10 west about forty.
three miles II Is about eight miles wide Several
rivers low Into H. and on its vast end receives the
river Yuma o' Yuma as II 10 sometimes called. This
is the largest river Of the Dominican republic !, rses
IN tho mouna ms Of Cioao and lows north northeast
then east-southeast falling into SANTANA Bay by
broad estuary after course OF seventy miles. Il Is
evidences OF coal This bay Is no. only one Of the
finest largest and safest harbors in the world, but,
lance IN the Antilles and surrounding waters Indeed
Is lies to the wndward o. 81 Dom ngo. Cuba, Jamaica
and the Gull OF Mexoo, TO which last access be had
TO enter either the difficult channel between
Cuba and Ss,ws ns gSrda . The
Yucaan The largest heess can anchor ,hcrc in per-
feet safety from ihs weather Or an enemy, as the
wide which can be sss:iy defended By batteries on
both shores The french govsrnmen' in 1915 tired TO
@ am T had nssssa snouSa r.psassay urged
by eminent French rA,osmsn Tho British Cabinet
however. successfully opposed The scheme OF French
purchase. The press France ast spr'ng boosted that
their Consul Gepera. At pori ~ p-nce, N. Maxine
Reybaud, had prevented ms acquisition by the United
defeat Mr. FREDERICK W. sewards N. aston 10 the PENN
suls In the beg ming OF 1857.
The Bay Of Samana sbounds In nsh, from the sardino
to the whale. There several nlsA in the bay. viz,
Lcvaniados. Pascal. Arena, Carenero Chico, Carenero
Grande, Pa.omA, Carozos and Flower Pot isle There
are three very One smaller bays within Saman8-
French Por, Puerto Escondido ana Gran Estero They
are all very deep, spacious and well sheltered
We have account that the hurricanes earth.
qnakes OF October and November last felt al
mAn6. The OF 0ctobsr 20 slightly felt at
Cape Hayden, about two hundred miles wesi Of Santa
Barbara
ST. Thomas.
The island OF st. Thomas has area Of about twenty
square miles; It's greatest length Is seventeen mies
the average breath about three miles In 1855 the
population amounted TO IL. 500 Inhabitants 1t has
rugged and elevated surface which stains greatest
gradually, but oftcnsr abruptly 70 the shore Al
period tho island well wooded but the cutting down
OF the trees has laid open to the force OF the suns
rays and It suffers much from frequent and
droughta The soil Is sandy, by means fer.
te tho far greater part OF IT remains productive
Only about two thousand I've hundred acres--half
planted with sugar cane-s mado TO yield little cot
ton some sugar and vegetables the only produc-
tons large number OF soss and keys lie around st.
Thomaa Previous 10 1853 the harbor OF st. Thomas
INSTRUCTED by the narrownoss OF It's channel but In
that ship was sent out from Copenhagen with a
dredging machine clear and deepen the harbor and
open passage TO the west, and I, believed that II
channel OF clear water could DO obtained impurities
would DO removed II also proposed at the same
time establish gas works In the town and TO furnish
its inhabitants with supply OF water, the people
being before dependent upon rain water But
with these improvements ST. Thomas. even
under Mr. Stewards manpulations will never be-
come q commercial place Of much Importance In fact,
owes is present value In that respect 70 tho liberal
policy OF tho Danish government at time whom
nj In