New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-05-01

AS to the mineral resources these are great but
as yet little las been done toward developing them
on scale commensurate with their importance In
many parts of the Island Of Jamaica there are I'M
misakable indications of largo deposits of copper
ore The mountains in the southeastern part of
IuDa are flcn IN copper, as has been satisfactorily
proved by the large quantities of valuable every
year taken out of the famous Cobre Mines Of that
island. But in point of mineral wealth the palm be-
longs to the Island of Hayi of which it has been
said that if may give full credence to the uni
yesal statements of writer's upon this branch, (min
era resources 1t presents itself before with the
aspect of another California" During the period of
the early Spanish possession, the island yielded
an abundance OF the precious metals. Ac-
cordlng to the historian HeTaTa there was
at that time a mint at Buenaventura,
which coined from $4,000 to $4,000 per
annum and Oviedo testifes that the Coy
eminent royalty of one-ffth yielded annually
S6OOO,OOO TO the National treasury This refers to
gold but specimens of rich silver have also been
found in several parts of the island and in the South
Eastern Division there is an extensive copper region
which has been pronounced by competent scientific
authority, AFTER careful survey equally rch IN
promise with the celebrated copper district of the
south side OF Cuba Immense beds of coal have been
discovered in the Bay of SANTANA; rock salt is found
in large quantities on the south coast; marble is
plentiful, and native iron, lead, nickel, anthony
bsmuth, Znc cinnabar, and cobalt must be added
to the list There can be no doubt that when stable
government shall have succeeded in Hayt to the
of ncessant political revolutions thus aOTding free
scope TO enterprise and security to capital this island
will yield an amount of mineral treasures far exceed
ing the returns II gave to the rude and ftu mining
operations of its first European masters.
POPULATION.
The Aboriginal inhabitants Of the West Indies,
amounting at the period of the discovery, to about
100000 have all disappeared with the exception of
handful of Carbs in the Island of st. Vincent,
descendants of the tribe that was found living i'll
that island and some of tho neighborng ones when
they were first visited 10y the Spaniards. Spanish
oppression and cruelty did their work so eectually
that in less than a century from the time when
Europeans began to settle IN the islands, the aborg
inees had been virtually exterminated. The present
population of the West Indies according TO the most
il N
this Cuba and Porto Rico have between them 1,4s0,
0OO Jamaica has 10000; Hayti; 100000 and the Ba-
hamas and the lesser Antilles number 10000.
The Island of Barbados is the most populOus
of all the Antilles; beng indeed quite as denscly
peopled as China Only q miles long by ii IN
breadth 1t has population according to the census
of 1861 of 1872 ~ or about one thousand inhabitants
TO the square mile From 1851 TO 1861 after allowing
for losses from epidemic of cholera the population
Increased by nearly 40 600 souls This little island
affords perhaps the most remarkable instance in the
world of population pressing upon the means of sub
does to its utmost limits, almost every acre of land
in the island being under cultivation, while of I'D,
ditiOnal mouths to feed the cry still they come"
The population in all the islands is made up Of !
whites browns Tor people of mixed blood, and blacks
With the exception of Cuba and Porto Rico,
the blacks everywhere greatly Outnumber the
other two classes the average proportion being as
follows: Whites per cent; cOlored, 10 per cent;
blacks, a per cent. Thus, in the island of jamaica
the last taken in 1861 gives 1900 whites, and
50 GOO cOored people, against 34 600 blacks In Cuba
the is different the whites preponderatng over
of that island taken in 1861 the total population was
100000 of which number 74 900 whites 235 600
free persons OF color ana ouVG saves Inc lay tla9
mulattOes, the only whites in the country being
foreigners and the consular representatives, OF foreign
powers and here the proportion Of the cOlored |
people to the blacks IS even smaller than in the
island of Jamaica. This is, however, reversed in the
neighboring Republic of Santo Domingo, in which |
there are still many of Spanish descent, and the
people of mixed blood largely exceed the blacks in
number. 1t is indeed n fact worthy of note that
while in the West India colonies OF England, France
Holland Denmark, and,Sweden, the whites are IN q
small minority, in the Spanish islands Of Cuba and
Porto Rico the white population is much more nq-
meTous than the cOored, and that while
in the French part of Hayt the African
element predominatcs, an the Spanish part
Of the island the Caucasian element IS IN the as
cendant This fact is attributable to the radical diff
ference in the systems of colonization pursued re-
spectvely by Spain and the other powers in question
In colonizing, the Spanard, a rule, settles per
manently, adopting the colony of his choice as
home for himself and his children after him.. Other
Europeans, especially the English ana the French,
pursue an opposite course iesoIthg 10 Inc colonies
not for the purpose of settling IN them bat OF max
ing money rapidly as possible and after fortune
has been gained, returning to the mother country TO
Within the last quarter of century new element
has been added to the population OF the West Indies
by the introduction OF large numbers Of Coolies
from India and China agricultural labOreTs Tens
of thousands Of Orientals are now nj work on the
sugar plantations OF Cuba and Jamaica, and IN lew
of the smaller islands. likewise, the planters have
availed themselves of their services 10 some extent
The great recommendation OF the JOOlc III inc eyes
OF the West India planters Is that he works az very
low rate of wages added TO which, he is willing TO
enter into contract with the planter to serve him
for term of years, varying from 1--WE to seven years
These people in general 1--we apart from the rest Of
the community. and fully nine-tenths OF those who
survive return to their native country after having
completed their term Of service, taking with them
their savings which often considerable their few
wants and primitive habits enabling them TO live at
a very thrilling cost
With the exception of Hayti and few islets the
West India Islands are owned by European powers.
Spain holds the magnificent island Of Cuba and
Porto Rico England is mistress Of Jamaica, Irinl-
dad Barbados, Grenada, TObagO ST. Vincent, ~.
Lucia Dominica, MontseTrat. st. ChrstOphers. An
tigua and Nevis. besides numerous smaller islands,
including the Bahamas, the Calcos group, and the
Virgin Islands. France OWNS Martinique, Guada-
loupe. a part Of St. Martins. and three other small
islands adjacent to these Holland possesses Curacao,
ST. Eustatius, and three OF four other islands OF
smaller SIZE Denmark has st. Thomas, Santa Cruz,
and ST John: and the little island Of st. Bar
thOlOmew belongs to Sweden. The possessions OF
Spain are the most extensive being 5lOOOsquare
miles. Those OF England are most numerous but
their united does not exceed lGOOO square miles
The area of the French islands IS loo square miles
that of the Dutch, about 400 that OF the DANISH
127 and the Swedish island Just mentioned has an
area of not more than % square miles. Hayt has an
area of 1905 square miles.
The Government OF the Spanish colonies of Cuba
and Porto Rico has been all along despOtism pure
and simple. The Governors are appointed from
Spain beng invariably nOblemen soldiers of high
rank The principle Of popular representation is
COMPLETELY ignored in these colonies, there being
legislative assembly elected by the people muni-
cipa bodies Of any kind chosen by the citizens, and
the viceroys being responsible only 70 the Crown,
from which they receive their appointment direct.
Up to the period of the late revolution in Spain
freedom of speech, the liberty Of the press, aud
igiOUs liberation were unknown in Cuba and
Porto Rico All offices and faYOrs in the gift
of the Government have been engossed
by the Spaniards to the complete exclusion Of the
CreOles who have been burdened with heavy taxes