The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-02-23
ARRIVAL AT SANTANA BAY.

class-san Domingo Csty, skc. Z f
ARRIVAL AT SANTANA BAY.
The Samana correspondence of the New
York Herald, of the oath ultimo, gives the
following account OF the voyage of the
Tennessee:
After a run Of seven days, the frigate
Tennessee, with the United States commits
sioners on board, dropped her anchor In
SANTANA bay. The land (Cape Samana) was
seen at s O'Clock this morning, and the yoy-
age was finished at 2 O'Clock In the after.
noon. .......-...
THE VOYAGE.
The passage has been a fine one, ana
without storms or any mishap. me ZEN
nessee Is 8 good sailer, and the Wlnds nave
favored her, She has had the aid OF steam,
however. the greater part Of the way,
though her steam power docs not exceed
four or five miles an hour. One OF her
boilers has been taken out, and those re-
naming are only equal to this speed.
THE BAY OF SANTANA AND ITS APPROACHES.
The shores on approaching SANTANA bay
are bold and high. Hills rise up from the
waters edge. The entrance to the bay is
about half mile wide, and there is deep
water all the way. The little town OF Santa
Barbara de SANTANA, which is the only one
near here, contains 200 or 800 people,. 1t is
a collection Of miserable huts. This lies IN
the inner bay, in which large vessel like
the Tennessee could not ride. We are
living in the outer bay, about q mile from
the town, in sixteen fathoms of water. IL
Is 4 fine and safe harbor. The largest fleet
could lie IN it safely. The United States
sloop Nantasket, Commander McCook, is
lying here in the inner bay.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS.
The commission and press correspond
ents were delighted with the scene. Many
had not seen a tropical country before, and
thought this q primitive sort of paradise
They were much struck with the dense for.
ests Of palms and of other trees. and the
richness Of the vcrdure. Only tent here
and there could be seen amid the dense
tropical foliage, and there was no sign Oh
cultivation except in spots of u few yards IN
extent around these very sparse ana rudt
dwellings,
GOING on SHORE.
Soon after the anchor fell nearly all want
! ed to 20 ashore. The boats were soon low
cred, and the commission and correspond
ents went TO the little village mentioned
rhe people, nearly all colored. and Of many
shades and types of the colored races, ap
pearcd we'll pleased to see the visitors, bu
seemed incapable Of excitement. The Do
! mincan colonel in command Of the fort 0
| two rusty guns and three or four sad-look
| Ing specimens of soldiers appeared more
| intelligent than the rest.
| The same correspondent writes on TIT
10th:
RECEPTION OF DIGNITARIEs.
ta InH- nft Irnr anphnr-th0
! is, the 25lh-the dignitaries and principal
! citizens of Santa Barbara de SANTANA were
received on board by invitation. and with
| the honor of q salute. They were introduced
| to the commissioners and the other officers
attached to the commission in proper torn
! and after that were entertained with colo
collation. in the cabin. The party was com
, posed of the Colonel Commander, Abren
who is the highest officer Of the Dominican
Government here, except that Gen. Acosta
! Il full-blooded negro, is the. nominal Gov
ernor the Catholic priest, the Collector o!
the port, the Alcalde, or sort of village ma
gistrate, the man in charge of the flagstaff
and several others, both official and unotl
| cial. 1t was a motley assembly of men o
various nationalities, types. and colors
! from the light-eycd Caucasian race to the
pure negro, black as the ace of spades.
| ing fellow, well educated and intelligent
and has travelled in Europe. He is 4 native
Dominican, and seems to he of the Moor
| i>h.spaniSh stock, with touch, perhaps
o. the aboriginal native OF the Island IL
him. He earnestly hopes for annexation
| aud appears to comprehend the power ant
destiny Of the United States. He proposed
rs Il toast 1.-The great republic which rep
, rcSents The liberty Of the New World, ant
! to the early accomp lishment of the Monroe
doctrine over all Spanish Americt." Th'
! padre Is an Italian, and 4 middle aged
! jovial sort of man.
The correspondent writes on the 3Oth
when the Tennessee left SANTANA bay for jSaf
| Domingo:
THE SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATIONS.
The scientific exploring parties have re-
| turned, and make, on the whole, Favorable
reports. Professor w. p. Blake, the geolo
gst and mineralogist OF the commission
who has charge generally Of the scientific
! explorations, went up to the head Of thu
| bay or gulf and mouth Of the Yuma river
| in the ships cutter, with the special ohjec
| of examining the reported coal mines neal
there. He reports to the commission tina
he found outcrops of Ignite or tertiary
Brown coal, indicating beds of considers
Bile extent, and tayorably. Situated for work
ing and for transportation to the gulf. III
| does not regard it us of amy value for ocean
steamers, but as likely to prove Of SOM
economical value to this region as fuel TO
and, possibly, for use to locomotives in cas
| a railway should ever be laid along tn
great valley. No other valuable mineral
! have SO far been discovered. AL agree tina
| the soil is very rich and generally deep
even to the tops Of the hills or small noun
tains. The botanists and naturalists have
| found some interesting specimens new Il
them.
OPINION ABOUT "JoBs."
Though there may be no jobs, as far a
! our Government officials are concerned, il
| land speculations at the town aud innel
bay OF SANTANA, the lease of the little coal
ing island and privileges Of the bay tt
the United States for Sl50,000 q year
looks very much like job. This is AZ
enormous sum of money for such property
and privileges. Fifty thousand dollars {
year would be too much, and the Dumn
! lean Government probably would have
been glad to have got less. Others besides
Baez, there is reason to suspect, have theil
hands in this job. One years rent Of thi
| lease ought to be enough to buy up nearl,
| all the land around the harb0r.
A SPEECH By FRED. DOUGLASS.
Fred. Douglass made characteristic
speech in the little plaza yesterday to The
denizens of SANTANA. Notice had been giver
two or three days previously that he would
speak. About one hundred and thirty PEG
| ple--men and children-were there TO lister
to the colored orator, and about half o.
them understood what said. lie talked
about the glory and greatness Of the United
States, and dwelt especially on the deliver
ance OF the negroes from slavery. He ask