Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-02-22

The leading New York papers have letters
many columns long from their correspondents
with the San Domingo expedition, not differing
in the substantial facts from the intelligent and
candid report contained in our dispatches yes
day, but of course with much more minuteness
OF detail. The general interest in the commits
sion and its work prompts us to make some ex-
tracts from these letters, chiefly from the
Tribune's. Of the town of Santa Barbara de
SANTANA this correspondent says:
SANTANA is poor little dirty place enough, for
all its romantic aud picturesque appearance. Ii
is built in random hap-hazard sort of way
along half-a-mile of eurving shore at the foot oil
O rid ye Of hi gh wooded hills, and what with its
rambling lanes and grotesque huts, think it is
one of the most absurd places 1 ever saw. There
are eighty ninety buildings, all told, consist
Ing for the most part of a light frame work of
scaufliu.s brought from the states, and clap
boarded with bamboos split in half and pressed
fat by pihng stones upon them while wet The
rude planking made in this primitive manner
is from four to six inches wide and half quar-
ter Of an inch thick. PANT is almost unknown,
bul most Of the butts are whitewashed. The
r0Ofug is Of cocoa leaves bolnd together with
vines The flooring, when there is any, which
Is not often, consists of rough-hewn wood, OF
bark, or boughs, or the same leaves that art
used for thatch. None Of the houses-or, pei
haps, should say cablns-have more than ONT
stor few have more than one, or, perhaps, two
rooms. Doors and windows are luxuries which
the majority Of the people have learned to dc
without; but there are two or three houses in the
village rooted with shingles and supplied with
ali such modern conveniences as plank floors,
partitions and doors and windows. In the CEN
ter OF the settlement is the plaza, or square,
without which no Spanish-builT town is thought
10 b. complete, and here is liberty tree, OF the
royal palm spte1s, planted by the villagers five
or SIX years ago 10 replace one cut down by
the Spaniards before they were d ,iven awav.
We landed from the ships boat on wretched
wharf which runs out about 100 feet into the
Shallow water; and if the village looked conical
from the trigate, what shall l say of the nearer
view The platform swarmed with men, women
and children, Of all shades of color gaZinr omen.
eyed and opeu- nouthed upon the strange arriv.
al At least half the children under eight years
of age were as naked as when they first came
int0 this wicked world. The offspring of this
innocent population usually BEGIN to toddle
about the streets when they are little above The
size of a large sweet potato, and ii is not Gus
tomary TO clothe Them in so much as a ig-lea
until they are at least five years old. Clothing
even al that age, is looked upon as superfiunus
as often as not, and ! hive seen some pretty
well advanced children with nothing on worth
mentioning.
The only wheeled vehicle on the island is
wheelbaTow imported from the United States
There are few horses, but the animals gener
ally used for riding or carrying burdens are
bulls. The rider Sits on a straw saddle, and
manages his sized by means of a rope attached
10 ring in the animals nose. Thus mounted
one may be called taurestran. The correspon.
dent says:
believe that DR.. Howe is the only member Of
the commission who has thus far induIged IN
TINS Injury, and the sight was worth the trip to
cept Fred. Douglass, perhaps, in the party. an,
the bulls are very low. Curling up his feet an,
legs 70 keep them from the ground, guiding III
ball with one hand by a rope attached TO rim
through the animals nose, and applying Ia
whip with the other, the doctors picture wit
bis linen coat streaming IN the air and his broaC
brimmsd hat covering his magnificent head
was novel and instructive. Mr.. Wade promise
TO sit In the same way tor his picture at SAINT
Domingo.
All the colored people at SANTANA spea
Spanish, many Of them French, also, aud
majority Of them English. OF the money an
provision market, the following is told;
1hecuuency issued by Blez and bis predeee
sors can be bought by the busbel at the value
waste paper. Gen. Boynton obtained for OF
good dollar about $1,000 10 Haytien and Domiu
can paper currency He bought a few cOpp
COINS, also, as euriosities, and the shop keep,
wrapped them up In 30 bills Of Slnto Dominp
Anotnef man said be mad possessed about SIS
WV 70 Dhlsi Dar be had used a good deal Of
toF wrapping paper. so you see whatever eli
The people may expect from the United State