Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-04-13
EAR RrsouRcrs or ruE coUNrRY

Dor expended upon them. There is evidence Of
mineral wealth In several parts Of the island. The
Of iron, copper and gold, with deposits Of lignit
rock salt and petroleum. Iron ore is abundant, OF
easy access, and will doubtless be made available
70, the cheap q R ana
been opened to a slight extent The reported
coal on SANTANA Peninsula and in the neigh6of-
hood Of Puerto Prata was examined and found 70 q
be Ignite, of little value a. fuel compared with
Pennsylvania or English coal. The gold region !.
extensive, and though worked anciently, Is, al
present, but little known. II invitespatient ex'
In the mountains Nebay are believed to be ex.
tensive and valuable. The salt can be quarried
out in large transparent blocks, and chemical
analysis made for the Commissioners shows 1t to
be of sufficient purity for commercial purposes.
Summarily and practically reviewed, for agricui-
tural purposes, there are i've classes Of lands In
/. Mountain slopes and valleys. These are uni
formly rich and productive, except In limited
regions where the rain is deficient, as on the
sSusss1n slope Of the coast range
2. The extensive region of Llanos, lying east and
north Of San Domingo City, south of the Cibra
range This L. al admirable pass.arse land ;,,s
ton. 1t is intersected by wooded valleys, and
groves containing much excellent timber.
8. The rolling plain OF Vega which u generally
4. The Daglands, like portion OF the plain Of
Aqua and the valley Of the Yagin, where rain is
partly or wholly wanting, from Typographical
causes. These lands can be made fertile by arti-
fcia irrigation.
s. The red clay lands, mostly along the coast,
very rich or deep but are susceptible o. profitable
cultivation. The vicinity of San Domingo City Is
. fair average specimen OF this class OF SOIL:
Hardly any portion of the island 10 not capable Of
cultivation, and taken a. whole, is one OF the
most fertile regions on the face Of the earth. :.
The agricultural products include all the tropi-
cal fruits and vegetables, ~ well a. commercial
staples. Sugar cane Is grown most prontably
on the low lands, and the yield is much greater
than In the island Of Jamaica, even though
cuttings from the original root are common,
and the abundance of fuel gives San Domingo
additional advantages over the neighboring L.
lands In this branch OF industry. The mountain IN
coffee and cocoa, and valuable fbrous plants The
product of wax and honey is very large, thousands
OF hives OF honey being destroyed for the sake Of
the wax alone. Wild ginger and indigo grow ey-
rywhere in the greatest .profusion, and cotton Is
raised near Aqua. Cinchona is successfully raised
on the higher mountains, and many vegetables
duced in abundance. The country everywhere IL
adapted to the cultivation of tobacco, and three
crops Of Indian corn are raised annually, though
the most valuable natural Grain aspeces 81 rice
are found growing wild. The grasses of San Do
mingo furnish abundant forage OF the best
quality. Immense herds Of cattle feed on the
great savannas, and though they were multiplied
tenfold could not exhaust the abundant pasturage.
They can be bought for cent pound on the
hoof. Goats abound in the more arid districts;
and in the forests swine thrive In great numbers.
Sheep are very few; poultry plentiful, wfldguinea
fowl being seen in many parts Of the Island.
Horses are raised In great numbers, and only ma
rauding expeditions have prevented great devel-
opment of the business of stock raising.
One of the most remarkable agricultural features
OF Santo Domingo is the diversity Of natural
growths In different localities which VIII give rise
to extensive internal commerce. Insects and
noxious reptiles are not found more abundant
than In the interior of our old States. In forest
products there Ii astonishing variety, including
the choicest cabinet wood, oak, pitch pine, llgnum-
vita, and an immense stock of medical and com
mercial woods, many houses being built of ma
hogany.
ter years. fallen into neglect At an earlier period
in the history Of the island more attention was
paid to marine resources and funny fishery was
carried around all the shores OF the Island, sup
plying the home want for salt fish, and allowing
an export to other colonies. Both the surround.
ing and rivers OF the islands are well stocked
with fish OF many kinds. The black hsh, or
grampus, u small member OF the whale family, Ii
somewhat abundant on the northern shore, where
several scores are caught every year, and their
blubber tried down for oil. The turtle, both the
green edible species and the hawksbill, are album
dant in the deep sea, few miles from land.
SANITARY.
Santo Domingo, according to all testimony liz gen.
orally healthy country, especially IN the Interior
safely and successfully. The acclimation OF
strangers presents no greater obstacle 10 lmmigra-
ton than IN several Of our new States The east
ern portion Of the island is constantly swept by
the trade winds, and they are much more healthy
than in Hayti, to which the ravages OF the yellow
fever are chiefly confined. The losses of the Span
ish army from Illness, were largely due TO the lack
of sanitary care, and the Commissioners are salts
fed that their losses have been largely exagger-
ated. The Commissioners have given special at
tention to the matter Of health, and, besides get
ting information from other quarters, they have
charged two medical gentlemen to report specially
upon 1t, and their reports are appended. Their
conclusion is this: The popular idea that lie Do.
minican territory Is particularly unhealthy, and
that persons visiting Il peculiarly liable to yell
low fever, is entirely erroneous. ~ the average
general health and longevity 10 equal to, and
whole. Immigrants are not liable To- any
more disturbance OF general health
as to s, xss Of un on s. ss
and, saving upon the sea coast the process s 30
simple as to escape notice. Taking the year
through, as much agricultural work can be done
without affecting the health can be done In Our
Middle and Western States, and with greater re-
suits. Persons in all circumstances can here, by
selecting their locality, enjoy q delicious climate
and abundance Of fruit, with far less liability to
fearful epidcmics, and without any liability to yell
low fever. The Commission, its attaches, and gen.
tlemen OF the press, numbered 81, and the oficer1
aiiti tfCW Oi tuc nISAto uumDefeu 4oD. AhAS COui
pany of 52s sOjourned In the harbors, supposed 70
be the most unhealthy part Of the country, or In
the interior Of the island, about two months.
Few, II any, had been acclimated; nevertheless,
there was but one OF mortal disease, and that
from causes unconnected with the climate. There
was no case of malignant fever and none of severe
sickness among them. The steamer Nantasket,
with Its full complement Of officers and seamen,
has been In the harbOrs OF the island for about ff
teen months, and has not had single case of gel
low fever Earthquakes have done no serious
damage In the island since 1s46 and though slight
shocks occur almost every year, they are incOn-
tants is aware of them. Hurricanes are not nm
frequent, and sometimes are attended with consid-
cradle damage. SOD. sia
IMAGINABLE WATERS.
The island has seyefa! rivers sighbiefor short
distance into the interior, while three great bays
SANTANA, Acoa, and Maaze villa admit vessels OF
the largest draft though only the first has any Inn.
portance in military point OF view.
The Commissioners state the advantages OF the
acquisition Of SANTANA. 1t would be . powerful
portant city thst portion Of the waterfront which
has already been acquired by q citizen OF the Uni
ted States being but small part OF what would BE-
occupied by the site Of great commercial city In
San Domingo. Inland Communication by water
and rail would Be easy, and the future Of Banana
bay, under the authority Of the Uuited Ststes,
could not fail to be Of national importance.
THE DEBT OF THE GOVERNMENT.
The following statement exhibits briefly the re-
suit OF inquiries - to the debt OF the government
and its obligations whether funded and ascef.
tanned and admitted, or nnadjusted and under dis
cussiOn: t'"H