Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-06

cal capacity of the people is regarded favorably,
there having been, for years, neither slavery nor
caste spirit to deprive them Of manliness. The
courage and devotion wasted in instruction
abundantly prove the capacity for set-govern-
ment and regular political action. The eom-
missloners estimate ne actual population OF the
republic at 10000, more than nineteen-twen-
tieths being native DOminicans. White blood
preponderates largely, a majority being much
nearer white than black. Iron ores are abundant,
easy of access and will, doubtless, be made
available for cheap production of pig iron. The
copper ores are of fair degree of richness and
beds have been opened to slight extent. 1t is re-
ported that coal in the SANTANA peninsula and
the neighborhOod Of Puerto Plata, is found. 1t
is ofittle value as fuel, compared with the Penn
sylvaua or English coal. The gold REGION is
extensive, and, though worked auciently, at
present is but little known Salt deposits, in
the mountains, near Neyba, are believed to be
extensive and valuable.
There are five classes of lands In San DOmin-
go. The mountain slopes and valleys are uni
formly rich and productive. The extensive
prairie region of the llanos is admirable pasture
land. The rolling plain of the Vega is general
ly wooded, and the finest agricultural land on
the island. The dry lands, where the rain is
partially or wholly wanting, can be made fertile
by artificial irrigation. Hardly any portion of
the island IS not capable of cultivation, and,
taken as a whole, is one of the most fertile re-
gions on the face of the earth. The agricul-
I'LL Ille ITOpCill fruits anu
vegetables, as well rs commercial staples.
Fifteen annual cuttings of sugar cane, from
the original root, are common, and abundance
of fuel gives San Domingo an additional advan-
tage over the neighboring islands in this branch
OF industry. The mountain region is especially
adapted for the culture of coffee and cocoa and
valuable tibrous plants. The product of wax
and honey is surprisingly large. Thousands of
hives of honey being destroyed for
the sake of the wax alone. Wild ginger and in-
digo grow everywhere, in the greatest profusion,
and cotton is raised near Aqua. Cinchona is
successfully raised on the higher mountains, and
many vegetables and fruits of the temperate
| zone are also produced in abundance. As an
| evidence of the present undevel0ped condition
| of Dominican agriculture, may be cited the fact
| that the commission, during their expeditions
| through the interior of the island, often met
with beet sugar raised and refined in France;
butter and cheese, imported from Denmark;
| and milk, condensed in the United States but
| seldom with similar articles manufactured on
| the island.
The country is everywhere adapted to the cul-
| tivation of tobacco, and three crops of Indian
corn are raised annually, though the most valus
| able natural grain is species of rice, in more
than forty distinct varieties. Goats abound i'll the
more arid districts, and in the forests swine
| thrive in great numbers. Sheep are very few.
| Poultry are plentiful. Horses are raised in
| great numbers, and only marauding expeditions
have prevented great development of the bust
| ness of stock raising. Insects and noXious rep
| tiles are not found more abundant than in the
interior of our old states. In the forest the pro-
| ducts are in astonishing variety, including the
choicest cabinet woods. The fisheries of the
| island, which were once tlOurishlng, have lately
fallen into neglect, through great schools of
tenny fish are still abundant on the southern
| shore. Small oysters are very abundant in GER
tain localities, but are not SO palatabe as oys-
| tiers of the more northern latitudes. San Do
dine oil
a healthy country, especially in the interior
among the mountains.
The eastern portion of the island is constantly
swept by trade winds, and is, therefore, much
| more healthy than Hayti, to which the raVages
of yellow fever are chiefly confined. The COM
missionerS have given special attention to the
matter of health, and besides getting iuforma-
ton from other quarters, have charged two
medical gentlemen to report specially upon it,
and their conclusions are that the popular idea
that the Dominican territory is particularly un
| healthy, and that persons visiting are peculiar
" liable to fever, is entirely erroneous. The
general health and longevity are quite equal to
and probably greater than, that of the United
States, as a whole.
Taking the year through, as much agriculture
work can be done, without affecting health, as
in cur middle and western states and with greater
results. Earthquakes have done no serious
damage in the island since 1886, and though
slight shocks occur almost every year, they art
| so inconSderabe that scarce one in a dozen Of
the inhabitants is aware of them. Hurricanes
| are, not intrequent, sometimes attended with
| considerable damage. The island has several
rlvers navigable for short distance into the in
terror, while the great bays, SANTANA Ocoa aud
Manzanilla, admit vessels OF the largest draft
though only the first has any importance in q
military point of view. The commissioners
state that the advantages of the acquisition Of
SANTANA bay would be a powerful military and
naval station, and, doubtless, the ultimate
| growth of an important city.
The commissioners find the sum total of all
the debts and outstanding claims against the
republic to be S1,565,S31. The receipts of the
| government for 1870 were S7726S4. The extent
OF the undisputed Dominican territory is % 212
| square miles.
The commission, in the concluding portion OF
the report, show that Dominican independence
never has been, and probably never will be, a
fact Under stable government, San Domin-
go might be developed into powerful state.