Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-04-01

stream are nearly or quite mile WIDE,
covered with boulders and gravel which
have been borne down from the noun
tains. After passing the Nizao, the
ground was parched with drouth, and
vegetation in all the openings completely
burned up by the tropical heat The
soil is hard, filled with gravel and boul-
ders. AS an exception, however, we
passed two or three miles through for
est of exceedingly rich soil, covered with
dense growth of chapparal. A large
business seems to be done in dyewoods,
campeachy being prominent. The sur.
face of the country is fair and undula
ting. When within some three or four
miles Of Balm, we emerged from the for
est upon a savanna, across which, and
before reaching the river Balm, we came
upon cluster of buildings, where the
principal trade is in gathering lignumvi-
tG for the market. The soil oi this sa-
wanna is apparently poor, though the ma
tlves say 1t is productive in the rainy
season--that is from May to October.
There are few gardens or orchards Of any
kind, except rude pens for corraling
goats. A little beyond this cluster of
buildings we passed the Balm river, a
small stream OF pure, swiIt-running wa
ter, and found beyond its banks an enor-
nous growth of cactus-some of the
plants throwing up from so to 100
stalks, IA TO 40 feet high. Two miles
beyond the river we reached the town.
THE nosPTTALiTIEs OF BA1N.
The town of Balm itself is also upon a
sandy savanna, and near the mountain
range. The Commandante, ST. Oriis,
read our letters, and received us with
every mark of respect. The white ele-
ment pre1ominates in Balm, as the color
ed does in San Christobal. Mons Grand
Girard, a French citizen, entertained us
in French style, aud with hearty French
politeness. The Puebla has about 1000
! inhabitants, and the Commune about
5000. There are two Catholic churches,
to which all the population belong, with
the exception of one Protestant and one
Jew. They have two schools and about
ID per cent of the population can read
and write. We met with more iutelli-
gence and refinement here than at any
other place we have seen on the Island,
the city of Santo Domingo not except
ed. Several copies of n paper published
at Santiago are taken, and that paper
has contributor here. The entire pop
ularion are enthusiastic on the subject
of annexation. Not man is known TO
be opposed to it. The annual products
Of the Commune are about 10000 quin-
tails of sugar, 10000 OF coffee, 1900 of
cotton, 500 of cocoa, 100 Of tobacco,
10000 tuns of dye woodS, 10000 of ma
hogany, {, 900 of lignumvit@, 400 quin-
and Of tortoise-shell. They have about
1000 head of cattle, $4,000 sheep aud
goats, aud 5000 horses and asses. There
are two mines of salt and one of gold,
all within three leagues. We saw fine
specimen of the coal, but, as the owner
was absent, we did not visit the mines.
II. E. Bahr, very Intelligent German,
has started a cotton plantation here he
is now harvesting his first crop, which is
a success. On the llth, accompanied
by two new guides, furnished by the
commandantc, we started for Savanna
Buoy.
Along the whole distance from Balm
to Savanna Buoy, of six leagues, VIC
|
poor, hard, rocky surface. The ground
is not hilly, though considerably broken.
We passed through the dry beds of sew
eral large rivers, one of them within
three miles OF Balm. The timber is a
stunted growth. The plans are small
and of new variety. The only water
on the route is found in wells 60 or 20
feet deep, and when procured is SO warm
that it is not agreeable to the palate
There are few houses, and no gardens on
this route, and no evidence of an attempt
to cultivate this apparently barren soil.
There are herds of cattle, sheep, goats,
and donkeys The cactus shows more
vigorous growth than anything else.
Among the small growth of timber is a
dense charparal, so close as to be almost
impenetrable. AT about ten miles from
Balm, upon little elevation, we had n
fine view of the ocean. Savanna Buoy
is situated in basin formed by hills
around the mouth of the Ocoa River.
From the hilltop, before descending into
the basin, the view is very fine. 1t
would be delightful were it not that veg
citation has been burned out by the sun.
There are about 20 families, and their
huts are as naked and desolate as the
sands of Sahara could make them. The
Commandante, Manuel Regla Baez, was
confined to his room from sickness, but
his wife and two daughters paid rs ev-
cry attention in their power. The pop
ulation is about 100. They live upon
their herds of cattle, sheep and goats.
Honey and wax are produced IN consid-
cradle quantities. They have neither
church nor school; there are few OF
the women who came from Santo Do
mingo who can read and write. All the
people are in favor of annexation, and
many are well informed concerning ON
Government. Leaving Savanna Buoy
on the 12th, we almost Immediately de-
scended the banks of Ocoa river; it has
a wide bottom, covered with boulders
trees, mahogany logs and immense piles
of gravel which have been borne down
from the mountain by the rapldity OF its
current during freshets. The river, in q
single channel, would have been toe
large To ford, but it was divided into