Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-04-01
From the Tribune Correspondent.
Santo Domil go.
A TRIP ACROSS TIE IsLASD.

AzuA Feb. 2l.-Op the 9th o. 'Fehru-
arv, a party of six persons, including
guide and Interpreter, left San,o Domin-
90 City for an overland trip to this
place No one officially at a'ched to the
Commission accompanied us, the expe-
dtion being due to the enterprise Of GER
tain newspapers. A report of the trip,
however, will be furnished to the Com
mission, Mt the request of one of its mem
bers, by Mr.. Fulton, of the BaLjm0re
AmeTjcdn. Passing out of Santo De-
mingo by the western gate, and thence
along the coast road, We found many
private residences which gave evidence
of luxury in some past age, but now pre-
sented an appearance of dilapidated ar
istocracy. The buildings are chiefly con
structed in the style ot the country
with palm boards and matched roof
but with more ample porches and out
buildings. The yards are large, and
well filled with fruit, shrubbery and flow
ers. The Enclosures are protected by
evergreen hedges, with gates at the en-
frances. Our road was lined with the
sabea-hedge, and lying back were the
small plantations, of few acres each,
inclosing plantains, bananas, oranges,
figs. Indian corn, yams and other fruits
and vegetables. Some three miles out,
on the sea-shore, are the walls of an old
abandoned fort, in good state of pre-
servation. The soil is thin, of reddish
color, on a substratum of coral rock,
which often comes to the surface. Eight
miles from Santo Domingo City we
crossed an inlet from the sea, by ferry,
at tie mouth of the river Hine. Some
five or six miles further we passed the
Nigra Church, and half mile further
crossed the river Nigra by a ford. Az
ter passing the Nigra, the soil appeared
to be better, and gave abundant evil
dence of fertility. But small portions
of it were improved, the plantations be-
ing small, few in number, and far be-
tween. The forests were large, the tim
Der comprising all the varieties of heavy
growth. There are no savannas between
the Hine and the Nigra. Large num-
bers of cattle and goats were ranging
the forest. The cattle, for size and col
or, are almost the exact representation
of our Alderney stock, but the hons
are longer, and in that respect they re-
semble the Cherokee cattle of the Uni
ted States
After crossing the Nigra, we travelled
in the general direction of its source to
the town of San Christobal, which is but
a little distance from its banks, and on
handsome savanna. We were kindly re-
ceived by the commandante, Barnabel
Polmeke, a stout colored man, to whom
we had letters from the Governor. We
spent the night with the Commandante,
and were visited by number of the cit
izens who paid us every attention, and
manifested the greatest anxiety tor an
nexation. The population of the Puebla
is about 800; Of the Commune about
$4,000. There is one Catholic Church,
of which the whole population but two
are members. There is school with 30
male pupils. The teacher is also making
an effort to establish school for girls
There are in the Commune 400 TO 500
who can read and write-or, as the
llteacher expressed it,scribble little. The
people raise cattle, sheep, horses, don
keys and hogs, and cultivate coffee, rice,
sugar-cane, corn and tobacco. They es-
A'lhhtt NV hhiudl Pi''"S'o VI VIC SN''
at G,000 quintals of sugar, 600 of coffee,
and 10000 lbs. OF tobacco. The hand
belongs to the Commune, and cannot be
sold. Eacl, person, resident Of the Com
mune, has as much land set eff 10 him
hy the public Administrator as he may
wish 10 cultivate. This officer is elected
by the people, and holds Tor three years.
No one is known in this Commune as
opposed to annexation. They seem Ia
understand that the United States has a
civil government, and that by annexa.
tion they will rid themselves of the bur.
dens OF war.
On the 10th we left San Christobal al
an early bour, accompanied by two dra
goons, and passed through rich, andu,
lating country, chiefly covered with for.
ests and but little cultivated, till We
reached the river Nizao. This is the
largest river We have yet seen in the is