Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1871-03-16
Correspondence of the Globe.I


After voyage of a week, the Tennessee
brought us into the Bay of SANTANA. The
view of Santo Domingo from the sea is
very grand. Long mountain-chains as a
ckground-very high and bold-covered
with dark green foliage, and in the fore
ground q vast mat of bright green tree
tops, waving as the shadows Of the clouds
Ey over them, stretch down to he surf
which fringes a SEA as blue as the Rhone
at Geneva. 1t seemed almost a dream,
as we steamed in within stones throw
of cocoa-nut palms, banana groves, orange
groves, royal palms, plaptains, all loaded
with fruit.
At Samana we stayed week, examiu-
ing everybody and everything; the Com
mandant, the Alcade, the jolly padre, the
local preacher of the African Methodist
church, the fishermen, the merchants, the
soldiers, all were put into our orucibles.
The answers of tie pleasant old priest to
our questions regarding;annexatio anus
ed Us somewhat. Said be, Il am for it.
l have seen the Yankees in California,
and know what they can do to make the
country amount to something" We took
careful copies of registers of births, deaths
and marriages, leases of municipal pro-
perty on SANTANA Bay, examining the Of
fcials fully regarding that interesting
matter. Some of the excursions we made
were very interesting-among them one
to tho plantation of Madame Dischma-
rone," one of the old African colony of
forty years ago. Her answers to ques-
tions were very shrewd. In response to
the query, what the Amerioo-African i'm
migrants thought of annexation, she an
swered that "They had longed for it, and
longel for it, until they didn't dare think
of it any more" The self-reliance and
intelligence of these people seem remark
ably developed here.
SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITIONS.
Meantime scientific expeditions were
set on foot. Professor Blake, with large
boat, explored the coast of the SANTANA
peninsula for thirty miles, including a
careful! examination of the veins of sup
posed coal, reported on vaguely at various
periods, and visited by General Mcclellan
years ago, but only looked at in those
DAYS, with some rather curious deduc-
tions. Professor Ward with his party
were sent across and around the outer
end Of the peninsula to Investigate its
mineral and botanical characteristics DIR.
Neweomb examined and reported on the
sanitary character, and the possible i'm
provement of the town in this respect,
and General Sigel reported on the capaci-
tv Of the harbor for defence.
DIFFERENCE IN WEATHER.
1t now appears that while we were sun
ming ourselves on these warm days You
were very nearly freezing. On the day
when the thermometer stood at zero in
New York we were carrying sun umbrel.
las. But fierce as the suns heat is, it is
never so oppressive, think, as in our hot
days of July and August. There is, al
most every day in the year, delightful
sea breeze in the morning, and a land
breeze at night The night is always in
motion, apparently. Among our pleasant
experiences were our visits to Mr.. and
Mrs. Burr Mr.. B. is an active "Down-
Easter" all the way from Maine. He has
built him a pleasant roomy house in a
delightful spot, and is cnltivating tropical
fruits with great SUCCESS, thus aiding to
solve the question as to the possibility Of
white labor in the tropics.
sANTo DOMINGO CITY.
After a week in SANTANA we came on
here by the Mona passage and around
Cape Eugano, and, after the usual slam
bang of salutes from ship and shore, land
ed. The old forts were very much the
worse for wear, and very picturesque, and
among them doomed up the old square
tower in which, according to tradition,
Columbus was confined in chains. But
the striking feature is the wonderful lux
ur:ance of vegetation. There are multi.
tudes of rocks ard bold headlanas, but not
bare rock is to be seen, all is covered
witt the richest foliage Of every sort. On
our own coast, as you know, the salt spray
S'ls nearly ali vegetable life for some
k.- &c inland, here the green moss and
olstaL: - and plants extend to the very
mat OF . .So r~aw beach,
eds Hrp pi ed in town, the Governors palace
+. ar Alli buildins overlooking the harbo.r,,
w ass assigned us, but for reasons you VIII
read;lv understand we preferred to take a
bonse for ourselves, renting and hitting II
ma az independently as any private par.ies
could do. Our honse ia massive DUNG
inc Of stone, with inner court. From our
dining room balconies we have noble
view Of the sea, with the two American
frioates lust in front of us. Around US
are all sorts of houses and shops, while
iust opposite, diagonally, is agreat church
attached to little college, and every