The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-04-13

O1llCC CAlSbS III GuC ICHuD1lC.
The general political capacity of the
people is regarded favorably, there hav
ing been for years no slavery nor caste
spirit to deprive them of their manliness,
The courage and devotion wasted in in
surrection abundantly prove their capac-
ity for self-government and regular pc
litical action. The commissioners esti-
mate that the actual population Of the
republic is 10000, more than nineteen
twentieths being native Dominicans.
White blood preponderates largely, a
majority being mich nearer white than
black.
THE RESOURCES. OF THE COUNTRY
are vast and various, and its products may
be increased with scarcely any other limit
than the labor expended upon them.
There is evidence of mineral wealth in
several parts Of the island The geolog-
lists expedition reports the existence of
ores of iron, copper, and gold, with de-
posts of Ignite, rock salt and pretoleum.
Iron ore is abundant, of easy access, and
will doubtless be made availab BILE for the
cheap production of pig iron. The cop
per ores are OF a fair degree of richness,
and leads have been opened to slight
extent. The reported coal on SANTANA
peninsula aud in the neighborhood of
Pueto Prata was examined, and found to
be Ignite, of little value as fuel compar-
ed with Pennsylvania or English coal
The gold region is extensive, and though
worked anciently, is at present but little
known. 1t invites patient exploration by
practical miners. The salt deposits in
the mountains near Nebay are believed
to be extensive and valuable. The salt
can be quarried out in large transparent
blocks, and chemical analysis made for
the Commissioners shows it to be of suffi
cient purity for commercial purposes.
Summarliy and practically reviewed,
for agricultural purposes, there are five
classes of lands in Sspto Domingo, viz
1. Mountain slopes and valleys. These
are uniformly rich and productive. except
in limited regions where the rain is def
cient, as on the southern slope of the
coast range, northeast of Monte Christi
2. The extensive regions of Llanos,
lying east and north of San Domingo
City, south of the Cibra range. This is
all admirable pasture land. A large por
ton of it is capable of profitable cultiva-
ton. 1t is intersected by wooden val
legs and groves containing much excel
lent timber
3. The rolling plains of Vega, which
is generally wooded, and is the finest
body of agricultural g.ound on the is
land.
A. The Daglands like q portion of
the plain Of Azaoa and the valley of the
Yagin, where rain is partly or wholly
wanting, from typographical causes.
Thsse lands can be made fertile By arti-
fetal irrigation.
5. The red clay lands, mostly along
the coast, covered by corralian limestone
These are wholly covered with timber.
They are not generally very rich or
deep, but are susceptible of profitable
cultivation. The vicinity Of San Domin-
go city is fair average specimen of this
class. The soil of na-dly any portion of
this islard is not capable Of cultivation,
and taken as whole it is one of the
most fertile regions on the face of the
earth. The agricultural products include
all the tropical fruits and vegetables as
well as of numerous commercial staples
Sugar cane is grown most profitably on
the low lands, and the yield is much
greater than IN the islands of Jamaica
even though aided by artificial irriga-
ton. Fifteen annual cuttings from tie
original root is common, and the abund
ance of fuel gives San Domingo addi-
tional advantages over the neighboring
islands in this branch of industry The
mountain regions are especially adapted
to the culture of coffee and cocoa, and
valuable fibrous plants RS
The product of wax aud honey is very
large, thousands of hives of honey being
destroyed for the sake of the wax alone. |
Wild ginger and indigo grow every |
where in the greatest profusion, and cot |
raised on the higher noun
tains, and many vegetables and fruits of
the temperate zone are also produced in
abundance. The country everywhere
is adapted to the cultivation Of tobacco,
and three crops Of Indian corn are raised
annually though the most valuable nat
ural grain is a. species Of rice. More
than forty distinct varieties Of tropical
fruits are found growing wild, The
grasses of San Domingo furnishes abund-
ant forage of the best quality. Immense
herds of cattle feed on the great savan-
nas, and though they were multiplied
-enfold could not exhaust the abundant
Dasturage. They can be bought for a
cent pound on the hoof. Goats abound
n the more arid districts, and In the
iorests swine thrive in great numbers
Sheep are very few; poultry plenti-l
I'll, wild guinea fowl being seen in many
parts of the island. Horses are raised
n great numbers, and only 1naraudingI {
expeditions have prevented a great de-
Of the business Of stock /
'aisiug. fa@. ~, @e-.s - g II
One of the most remarkable agricultu-
ural features of San Domingo is the di-