The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1871-04-08
THE RESOURCES OF TIE COUNTRY

0SA &AAACAAtAOua
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 biologists expe-
dition reports the existence OF ores OF IRON,
copper and gold, with deposits OF rock salt
aud petroleum. Iron ore Is abundant, easy
of access, and will doubtless be made avail
able for the cheap production Of pig iron.-
The copper ores Of fair degree OF
richness, and mines have been opened to
slight extent. The reported coal at SANTANA
Peninsula, Peurto Prata, WAS examined Ano
found 20 be Ignite, Of little value as fuel,
compared with Pennsy lvAuiA or English
coal. The gold region is extensive, and
though worked anoienily, is at present but
little known. Ii invites patient exploration
By practical miners. The salt deposits in
the mountains near NeybA are believed to
be extensive and valuable. The salt can
be quarried out in large transparent blocks,
and chemical anal ysis made for the Com
missioners shows it to be- of sufficient purity
for commercial purposes. Summsrily ana
practically viewed, for agricultural purposes
there are 1ve classes of lands in SAnto Do
mingo, viz: First, mountain slopes and
valleys. These are uniformly rich aud pro
ductive, except in limited regions, where
rain is deficient, as on the southern slope OF
the coast range northeast of Monte Christi,
Second, the extensive region of Llanos lying
north and east of San Domingo city, South
Zebra range, which is all admirable pasture
land. A large portion of it is capable
of profitable cultivation. II is inter
sected by wooded valleys and groves
containing much excellent timber. Third,
the rolling plain OF Vega, which is generally
wooded. and is the finest body OF sgricul.
tural ground on the island. Fourth, the
highlands, like portion OF the plain OF AzsS
and the valley of the Ysgin, where rain is
partly or wholly wanting from Typographical
causes these lands can be made fertile by
artificial irrigation. FVih, the red clay
lands, mostly along the coast, covered BY
Carrlllon limestone. These are wholly GOV.
cred with timber. They are not generally
very rich OF deep, put are susceptible of pro
6tAble cultivation. The vicinity Of san Do
mingo city is fair average specimen OF
this class. Hardly any portion of the island
is capable Of cultivation, and, taken as
whole is one Of the most fertile regions on
the face of the earth. The agricultural pro
ducts include all the tropical fruits and veg
etaoles, as well as commercial staples
Sugarcane is grown most prodsAbly on the
low lands, and they yield much greater than
IN the island OF Jamaica, even though aided
by artificial Irritation. Fifteen annual cut
ungs from the original root are common,
and an abundance Of fuel gives Santo Do
/ L L 1
ing Islands In this branch of ind ustry, the
mountain regions are especially adapted to
the culture of coffee and cuaco, md valua
bic tibrous plants. The product Of wax and
honey is very large, thousands of hives o
honey being destroyed for the sake of tn,
WAX alone, Wild ginger and indigo grow
everywhere in the greatest profusiOn, anC
cotton is raised near Aqua CinchonR, on IN,
higher mountains, and many vegetables snc
fruits Of the temperate zone are blso pro
duced in abundance. The country every
where adapted TO the cultivation OF tobacco
and three crops of Indian corn are raiseC
annually, though the most valuable nationa
grain is Il species of rice. More than fort
distinct varieties of tropical fruits are fouut
growing. The wild grasses of San Domingo
furnish abundant forage OF the best quality
Immense herds of cattle feed on the greA
ssvannas. They can be bought for q cent a
pound on the hoof. Goats abound in the
more arid districts, and in the forests swim
thrive IN great numbers sheep are very few
poultry plentiful, wild Guinea fowl bein
seen IN many parts of the island horses ar
raised in great numbers, and only maraud
ing expeditions have prevented the grea
development of the, business ofstock raising
One OF the most remarkable agriculture
features Of SAnto Domingo is tn,
diversity of natural growshs IN differen
localities which will give rise to extensive
local commerce. Insects and noxious rep
tiles are not found more abundant than il
the interior OF our old States. In foreL
prod ucts there is an astonishing variety, il
Guiding Choisest cabinet wood oak, pitcE
pine, hgnumvita, aud immense stocks
medical and commercial woods, man
houses being built of mahogany The fish
cries, once hourishing, have during lRttt
years fallen to neglect. At an earlier periC
In the history Of this island more attento
was paid to marine resources, and tun1
fishery was carried on around all shores
the island, supplying home want for SO
fish, and allowing an export to other col
Islands are well stocked with fishes of man
kinds, the black fish or grampus, q sms
member of the whale family somewhr
abundant on the northern shore, wheI
several score are caught every year, an
their blubber Is tried down for oil. tt
turtle, both the green edible species, al
hawks bill, are abundant in the deep sea
few miles from land.
San Domingo, accorning to all testimon
is generally healthy country, especially
the interior among the mountains, whe
white men labor safely and successful
The acclimAton of strangers presents l
greater obstacle to immigration than in sc
eral Of our new States. The eastern pc
ton of the island is constantly swept
trade winds, and they are much mo
healthy than Hayti, to which TIE ravages
yellow fever are chiefly confined. Losses
the Spanish army from illness is large
due to lack OF sanitary regulations al
care, and the Commissioners are sstis6t
that their losses have been largely exaggt
Ated.
HEALTH.
The Commissioners have given speci
attention to the matter of health, and besld
they have charged two medical gentiemI
TO report specially upon it, and their rePor
are appended. Their conclusion ID this =
The popular idea that Dominican territo
is particularly unhealthy, aud that peraoI
visiting it are peculiarly liable to yelio
fever is entirely erroneous. The averag
general health and longevity is quite equ
10, and probably greater than in the Unite
States, upon the whole.
Immigrants are noe liable to any moi
disturbance of general health than pei
sons who pass from the old to the ne
States of the United States. Taking Il
year through, as much agricultural work ca
be done without affecting health as can /
done in our Middle and Western State
and without greater results. Persons in a
circumstances can here, by selectir
their locality, enjoy delicio
climate and abundance of fruit, With {