The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1871-04-14

uneducated appear equal to the same
class In any country with which we are
acquainted. They seem to be practical.
ly destitute of prejudice of class, race or
color.
The judicial officers stated that high
crimes, such as murder, arson, burglary
and the like are nearly unknown among
them. They are all Roman Catholics
except the American emigrants sent
out in 1924 and succeeding years, who,
with their descendants, now form
number Of settlements, and amount to
several thousand persons. These are
mostly Methodists and Baptists. They
live among the Catholics in peace and
harmony. No intolerance or religious
persecution can be discovered among
them. The people are generally poor,
living in cheap and humble dwellings.
In the country almost every family
possesses all the land they desire to cul-
tivate. The reason they unanimously
assign for not cutivating more is that
amid constantly recurring revolutions,
it is very uncertain who may reap the
crop. Besides, there is no market here
for surplus produce.
The Commissioners, after a careful
comparison of data, estimated that the
actual population of the Island does not
exceed 100000.
The resources of the country are vast
and various, and products may be in
creased with scarcely any other limit
than the labor expended upon them.
There is evidence of mineral wealth in
various parts of the Island. The geoo.
gists of the expedition report the exis-
tencc Of the ores of iron, of copper and
of gold, the deposites of Ignite, rock
salt and petroleum. Iron ore is abund-
ant, easy of access, and will, donbtless
in time be made available for the cheap
production of pig iron. The copper
ores are of Il fair degree of richness, and
the beds have been opened to slight
extent.
The reported coal of Nanova penin-
sula and in the neighborhood of Puerta
quite of little value AS fuel, COM
pared with Pennsylvania or English
coal. The gold region is extensive, and
though worked anciently, is at present
but little known, and invites patient
exploration and 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 a
chemical analysis made for the Com
mission shows it to be of sufficient pu,
rity for commercial purposes.
Summarily and practically viewed
for agricultural purposes there are five
classes of lands in Santo Domingo
viz:
First. The mountain slopes and val
leys; these are uniformly rich and pro
ductive, except in limited region.
where rain is deficient, or on the south
ern slopes of coast range north. east o
Monte Cristie.
Second. The extensive prairie region
of the lands lying east and north oi
Santo Domingo City, south ofthe Cibao
range. This is all admirable pasture
| land, Il large portion of it is capable Of
profitable cultivation. 1t is intersected
by wooded valleys and groves contain
ing much excellent timber.
Third. The rolling plain of the We.
ga, which Is generally wooded, and is
the finest body of agricultural land on
the island.
Fourth. The dry lands are like a
portion of the plain of Azua and the
valley of the Taquie, where rain is
partly or wholly wanting from topo.
graphical causes. These lands can be
made fertile by artificial irrigation.
Fifth. The red clay lands are mostly
along the coast and underlaid by caral-
line limestone. These are usually COW
cred with timber.
The Commissioners here devote con.
siderable space to setting forth the
richness of the soil, an q the varieties of
tropical products-sugar cane, coffee,
cocoa, cotton, ginger, indigo, dc. On
the mountains many Of the vegetables
and fruits Of the temperate regions can
be cultivated. Cattle and poultry are
numerous.
The forests aboud in II variety of tim
Der valuable for cabinet purposes and
for house and ship building. The ma
hogany, satin wood, Dominican oak
and a hard pitch pine are abundant, ALSO,
lignum-vitn, logwood and aloes.
The climate on the uplands is well
suited to emigrants from the temperate
zones. On the west side of the island
the coast is unhealthy, but elsewhere
the sanitary condition is very good
The popular idea that the island is
periodically liable to yellow fever is en-.
lirely erroneous. Earthquakes are rare
but hurricanes not unfrequent.
There are several rivers, navigable by
light draft vessels to considerable dis
tance in the interior. Besides the splen
did Bay of Samana there are numerous
harbers, generally accessible by vessels
of light draft.
The public debt, including all claims
Is in round numbers, little over ST.,
100000. The official statement of re-
ceipts of the Government for 1870
shows total of S772,000, the import
dues alone being 100000,
The Dominican Government has madt
no grant or concession of land to any
foreign Government or nation excep
the United States.
The history of grants and concession
given by the Commission is about tn,
same as already widely published in tn
North. The report is strong in condem
nation of the stories that governmen
officials Of the United States have beel
privately interested in them.
The Conn mission find no foundation
for the statement that Dominica /
bound to Hayti for an indemnity sun
to France. No treatss of any conse