Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-01-20
THE ISLAND OF DOMINICA.
A Few Facts for the Information O
the Members of the Commission.

A Few Facts for the Information OF
the Members of the Commission.
I Had we hereditary peerage, the
title by whk:ah our present President
would 90 down to prosperity would be
Grant of San Domingo" very much
for the same reason that our late Secre-
tary of State will be known to fame, if
not to readers of the peerage, as Sew
ard of Alaska. " The future Sir Ber-
nard Burke, in describing the place
which gives the noble and ancient
family of Grant" this well-worn title of
San Domingo, might proceed to describe
it at the time of its acquisition in the
following strain: San Domingois one Of
the WestIndian Islands, extending from
the sixty-seventh meridian on the east, to
the seventy-fourth meridian on the west,
of an average breadth of 40 miles. 1t
containsnearly 28, 900 square miles. tits
separated from Cuba on the east by the
windward passage, over sixty miles wide
TITS l30 miles east Of Jamaica, IS miles
west from Porto Rico, $50 miles north
from the nearest point on the coast Of
South America, about 600 miles from
Florida, and the same distance from the
nearest point of Central America, Cape
Gracios. Before annexation it was d.
vided into two political divisions-Hayti
and San Domingo Of these, that on
the west was known as Hayti, occupying
two-fifths of the island, or about 10000
square miles, Itismountainous broken
up with richvalieys, wellwatered, having
fertile soil, and abounding in lumber,
dye-woods, indigo, coffee, sugar, cocoa,
tobacco and cotton 1t has no manufac-
lures worthy the name. Before annexa-
tion, which the distinguished President
labored so enterprisingly to accom-
plish it had population of about 600,-
900, and its exports at periods reached
annually $5,000,000. It's army was 30
600 men; its school-children, 5000; its
schools, 675 Its laws were drawn from
the Code Napoleon, and so far as its
President permitted its religion was Ro-
man Catholic. Its six principal towns
were Port au Prince, with 10000 inhabi-
tants; Cape Haytien, with 1000; Jacmel !
with 5000; Gonaives, 1000; Cages and |
St. Nicholas, with about 5000. Its ex-
ports have reached 100000 pounds of
cotton, 100000 pounds of coffee in one
year, in addition to drugs dyes and tim
per. Its imports include French wines,
hardware from Birmingham, and other
British manufactures; naval stores and
provisions from America. The eastern
division, which first attracted Mr.. Grants
attention, San Domingo, occupied three
ifths of the island, $4,000 miles square,
With nearly eight Inhabitants to each
square mile. The white inhabitants
we're Spanish Creoles, but the larger por-
ion of the population was African. The
chief towns were Santo Domingo, with
10000 inhabitants; Azua, 1000; Seyba,
I300I Santiago, 1000; San Vega, 5000.
The city of San Domingo is well-known
n history; its mausoleum of Colnm-
nus was world-famous; its cathedral,
is bombardment by Drake, and
Is periodical earthquakes, are al
most equally as famous. Also its
eligion is Roman Catholic. Education
vas neglected, as the inhabitants were
90 much engaged in revolutions and
vars with the neighboring State of Hayti
rhe agriculture of the republic was neg
eeted. 1t was fertile, and contained
Inc forests of hgnumyita, mahogany,
Brazil wood, and of various ornamental
md dye-woods They exported hides,
obacco fruits, and coarse textile fabrics
L imported merchandise from Europe,
lnd large quantities of provisions from
America. 1t had navy of six vessels
md an army of 10000 men.