New-York tribune., 1871-04-07


At nine o'clock next day, we came to an innocent
looking savanna with some little creeks travcrsng it,
into the first of which we all gallantly plunged and
stuck Pack horses with our baggage and camp
equipage fell and wallowed in the mre, aud worse
than all, Mr.. Wright's bundle of dried plants was
soaked in the muddy water. In vain the poems en-
couraged the struggling animals with cries of Malo
oalTcj0 oabqllo dIritdl" In vain we spurred our
painting horses, only sank deeper and deeper. So
we disInounted then and there, unpacked partially
the train, and after an hours work all got safely
across, though in fearful condition. short ride
brought us 10 the first crossing Of the Jana, here
WIDE deep river, through which we rode with our
legs crossed on horses necs to avoid the water
Our rmiseIies ended late in the afternoon when we
arrived at Savanna Puerta beautiful little plain,
with a clump of woods. on the edge of which some
proudent travellers had erected several rude sheds,
thatched with palm leaves. AT sunset we had beau
tiful view Of the mountains which shut us in on all
sides. As the abrupt twilight ended and the stars
came out in the yellow western sky, saw young
woman enter the hut which were sitting,
with burning torch in her hand, and pausing be-
fore a rude cross lied to the wall, recite the vesper
prayer, while two barelegced children came
whisling up the hill with bamboo joints filed with
water, over their shoulders.
WOMEN THAT SMOKE, AND Ours WITH SWEET SAMEs
We sat with the family around a lamp made of
pitch-pine sticks having captivated tho female
hearts by tie offer of cigars. We soon became inti-
mate with che bright-eyed children who cOnfdcd
to us the names Of the half-starved ours which tor
mented us day and night Think of calling the
most wrctchcd of all, Marposa (butte1ly), or Re-
galita" pretty little pTes.sntj, or "Carinoso7
(belovedl TIE little hoy shouted in great gee as
wrote the names down, together with lis own,
Stanislaus, or, as he pronounced it, "tania0o" We
slept in the house, but little Barbina had eaten too
many dnOnGS and was dTeadfully sick all night, and
the starving ours generously bestowed on Us all they
had to give, viz. innmerable leas. So went ont
and swung my hammock under the trees, and slept
until early in the morning, when l heard what l
supposed the rain dripping from the leaves but
| it was only the heavy dew. The moon and stars,
and beautiful Southern Cross shining brightly.
From Savanna Guayaba the road led over steep hills
and worse descents with two deep fOrdS of our old
| Madrigal friend the Jania. The woods vocal
with green parrots, which swung themselves con-
tentedly on the vines hanging in fcstoons from the
| trees curious feature was presented by pines and
palms growing side by side-a happy realization OF
the longing exqusitely expressed by Hcine i'll his
poem of "Tho Firtree and the Palm" Ten miles
from our last camp We struck the Canine Real-the
kings highway So far we had been on side road,
which Prof. Blake had chosen in order to see the
gold mines Of the Bonao.
Wewere now fairly on the great Vega Real but did
not realize it, for the road was shut in by dense
forest, which did not permit us to see rod in any
direction. We saw frequently gigantic seiba trees,
from which the coast the great Cugouts are lash
ioned-a curious tree with four regular buttTesses.
reaching up Is feet. As we advanced, the country
| showed some signs of civillzation-an occasional
sugar plantation and trains Of loaded mules carry
ing produce to La Vega. We met we-dressed riders
galoping their beautiful horses through swamps and
over hills, and droves of cattle and pigs blocking
up the way; and at 81 rode into the once-impor-
art town Of La Vega. La Vega is a quiet town Of
twenty-five hundred inhabitants; il is built in the
usual STYLE but is more clcany and thrifty than the
southern towns. The streets show some attempt at
paving and regularity, aud, in the center OF the
town, is a large square or Plaza, surrounded
bv the cuard-house, the COmGpGGH id and the
church-the latter of which il a high, unfinished
structure of brick and concrete thatched with palm
leaves In the center of the PG:ais the usual Altar Of
Liberty and the symbOlical palm, introduced during
the Haytian domination. La Vega has suffered the
usual fate of tropical towns. which, if spared by the
invader has suffered from tie fury Of torIadOes or
earthquakes
THE INHABITANTS or THE INTERIOR.
One curious fact strikes the traveller the moment
he has crossed the mountain range which separates
La VEGA from the soutll-thorc is q sudden change
in everything climate and people. The atmosphere
is drer cooler and less oppressive: the soil is more
fertile, and the people peculiar race. in the
south, the blacks idle, ignorant, and not very at
tractive, predominant; but in the great interior the
proportion Of whites is greater. They have
carefully taught their children to speak pure
Spanish and, although the Haytians endeavored,
;,fr aYph Ig
people clung TO their mother-tongue, so that the
traveller can easily imagine himself in one Of the
better class of Andausian towns. The lower classes
although without considerable means Of education.
are we-informed and are orderly in their dress and
habits In the school are 10 bright boys, who would
do honor TO any American academy. The common
people are gentle and pacific than those OF
either the North OF South their honesty proyefbal,
and we experienced it in many ways. Having
considerable sum Of money with Us in our saddle
baps at night when we arrived Mt some wayside hut
we would give the saddc-bags TO the proprietor,
telling him they valuable, and We never lost
cent The only things we lost on the entire journey
were stolen at Puerto Plata by some iiaytian gem
erals, who hOnorcd us with a visit and stole our
sardiues and sugar.
The people are remarkably sober and temperate IN
their living only saw one case Of intoXication
from Santo Domingo to Puerto Plata, distance "f
10 miles. II the lower glasses drink ANYTHING ID i
the native tafia, or ruIn; the upper class drink rs
great luxury, English pale ale which is found all
over The Island; the highestpoint Of luxury and dis
sipation is reached in imbibing a cocktail, which
they have translated with amusing fidelity into rdLO
de gallo. We visited the school and made the ac-
quantauce of the principal men in the town. and
everywhere heard but desire. and that for
annexation. All have formula for expressing their
- W. d.eirp oupeyatfo bpccurp II viii