National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-03-10

ply ventilated, though il has neither door
nor windows. There il neither dark cell
nor gallows but SANTANA has a fine SET
of mahogany stocks, whereof one oi
the correspondents in our party will
long preserve pleasant recollection.
Like Dr. Ricabocca, this inquisitive gen.
tleman wanted to see chow the thing
worked, and the guards were delighted
to show him. He sat down on the
ground and carefully placed his ankles
in the holes; the upper bar was let
down and then all the young gentle
mans companions sat on it, to the un-
speakable amusement of the spectators,
until the prisoner had found out great
deal more about stocks than he had any
desire to know.
THE PEOPLE.
Where the earth Yields so freely of her
store, and the artificial wants OF civilized
life are unknown. it wQnld be unreason-
able to look for very industrious pOpu-
lation but l must say that the people
OF Samana impress me as being an un-
commonly lazy set of vagabonds. They
are irresistibly good-humored, and GER
tainly intelligent beyond their station.
They hive capacity for improvement
and more general information than one
would naturally expect. But where
property is insecure and fruit is al ways
in season, and even pantaloons, not an
absolute necessity, what is the use of
work? The women are more indnstri
ous than the men, and what little labor
there is performed is nearly all done by
them. I made little journey inland,
Yesterday, in company with one of my
fellowtravelers leach of us IN Junted on
"a bull, according to the custom of the
country, and everywhere we were struck
by the inversion of the sexes. Near
the top of long hill we met man and
woman returning from town. They had
evidently been to barter their produce
for some family necessaries, and the wife
was staggering under the load of two
heavy bags while the husband walked
gaily ahead empty handed. We met
several women leading bulls to and from
the town, and children carrying burdens,
but not man doing anything. The
lords of creation lounge about the shops, ,,
suck oranges and look at strangers but
during our stay at this portland have l
been constantly ashore-I have seen
hardly man at work. except six or eight ]
handy negroes kept busy on the Metho- t
list Church. I
WHAT THE ISLAND PRODUCES. {
The reports of the value and variety of
timber on the island are probably not ]
The kinds most used for c
purposes are mahogany, log c
vood lignumvite, iron wood, and satin Il
wood, and these are said by the botanists
# the expedition, as well as intelligent h
with whom have talked, to t.
'e of great abundance and large growth. a
Or. Burr, who was Union soldier and e
as lived here three years, says that the
Mahogany tree in this part of the island D.,
J from foot to feet IN diameter lig -
to 6 inches satinwood, 6 to '.
5 inches logwood, to 1S inches iron
'ood, IL to 30 inches. SO far as have - :.
armed, there are no saw mills though ~
le water power is abundant-and sawn
mber is consequently imported. Indeed M
0 use at all is made of any of the mill -
reams The climate and soil seem to be an
suited to the sugar-cane, but vi
e processes Of extracting the juice are ra
bad that the crop is not valuable as it
lght to be. The cane grows very rich in
ID hardy, and | hear of plantation do
lich has been running 40 years without SIN
planting, yet is still strong and healthy. fun
Ice in five years the stubble was cut vii
d the land burnt over, but the soil has
yer been stirred. Plows are unheard eyi
The tobacco raised near SANTANA is eli,
~ good-much better than our own- ke,
t it is esteemed inferior to that of the III,
lthern side of the island / am an old mo
| fastidious smoker, but | have no ;,
station in pronouncing the one cent
N of Samana better than you can get ny
10 or Is cents in New York, and the slnt
'ent cigar Of Santo Domingo equal to IN
25 cent Regalia or Partagas. The te
)king tobacco would sell in the States ing
S1.50 or 81 pound here it brings p
cents. 1t is too strong for the ordi. fasl
y smoker, but its flavor is very fine. fort
, inhabitants of both sexes, chew to- fror
co a great deal, but do Aot manufac- and
2 the leaf for chewing purposes as We fror
They have highly sociable way of will
king, passing about cigar from one :,
as the calumet is passed =,
md at an Indian council Indeed it Mr'
considered grossly extravagant and ia,l
figate to smoke the whole of cigan asks
lie there are any ships in port, the ing
inc mn. stnmps =" 1t e
ing