New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-12-05

certainly less profitable than other pursuits.
The trade in hides, compared with other
products, is quite important, which arises
from the fact that majority OF the popuia-
lafion pursue grazing for livelihood, and the
rapidtv with which stock increases and the
little care required in preserving it. OWING
TO the heat and abundant oxygen which the
contains, the flesh OF the beef,
unless properly salted and cured, keeps but
a day or two, so that the inhabitants are
obliged to kill almost every other day. This
now keeps up and supplies the traffic. Per-
haps three-tiftlss of the population OF the IN
terror country and towns are now engaged in
grazing.
Compared also with other staples, the trade
in bees,caJ is considerable. The island pro
ducing the greatest quantity and variety OF
Towering plants, shrubs, and trees, bees exist
there in incalculablc and immense swarms.
The prairies of the West in June furnish no
parallel to the flowers that perpetually unfold
on these mountains, plains, and valleys.
In the valleys, here and there, some sugar
cane is cultivated, but instead of making
sugar, the juice of the cane is more generally
distilled into rum.
Coeoa-nuts, oranges, lemons, lines, and other
fruit. are both cultivated and grow wild in
vast abundance ON the island, and are not
eXcelled by any in the Antilles, or on the
Spanish main. The labor necessary to coll
lect them, prepare them for shipment, and
carry them to the ports is not there. From
this cause, indeed. the whole Spanish end of
the island lang,ishcs in sloth, and it's trans
cendent wealth goes year after year inconti-
nently to waste.
We called at house for dinner. The
largest "senorita" had a dress to make up.
1t was piece of light blue delaine, and to
her, no doubt, was "superb.'' She left of
assisting the old patriarch in dressing the
goat. walked to the pitcher, took the cocoa
nut dipper, and filled her mouth with water
until her cheeks swelled out like porpoise's
She then deliberately spirited it into her
hands and this was her mode of washing !.
She then spread out her dry goods, admired
them while. folded them again, and laid
them aside.
The four, and even six year old, running
about the place, were as innocent Of even a
shirt as anv son Of Adam at his coming into
the world.
We looked out into the open, slab-sided
Kitchen, and saw old and young sitting
around on the dirt floor, enjoying a meal Of
fresh goat, winter squash, and plantain
stewed together.
Our dinner was over; we babe those folks
goodbye, and pronouced them the most
easily contented mortals the sun ever shOne
upon. Man needs excitement he prays for
case.
Over the rocks we went, led on by Span
lard on little bay mule, that clin.ed over
the cliffs with an agility creditable even for a
elevated point; beheld the grand valleys
stretching away between the mountain chains
until lost in the green-blue sea which the
glass showed in the distance. Dodging I'M
der branches, going sometimes head-first
through the eternal verdure which, if posi-
BILE, grows even more luXuriant; and in this
way we ultimately reach
THE MAGNIFICENT BAY OF SANTANA.
1t is about fifty miles long, varying in width
from fifteen to twenty miles, and of great
depth. The entrance to it is about mile
wide; beyond this is shoal water, some
little Islands and bars appearing above the
surface. An old fort, erected long since on
the high bluff ON the north side, a few miles
above the mouth and before it widens out,
commands its entrance. The hills and mount
aims on either side of the bay rise back from
it to great height, their sides being covered
with beautiful slopes, plateaus, and benches.
The coasts are here and there indented with
minor BAYS and inlets, the most important
Of which is at the town Of SANTANA, about
twenty-five miles up the bay ON the north
side. 1t is land-locked harbor ard very
deep, as are all the inlets. The view of the bay
from either side across to the opposite slopes,
covered as it is with swarrns of ducks and
swans and other water fowl; and the coasts
and hills and mountains covered with flow
ers and verdure and fruit, is truly beautiful
and sublime, equaling, if not SURPRISING, in
beauty and magnificence the Bay Of Ma
pies, and is obviously the key 10 the Gulf OF
Mexico. "Here all the navies Of the world
could lie at anchor in safety"
That noble bay, as we were informed, has
been surveyed heretofore by a corps OF
American engineers, who pronounced it the
choicest point for a naval station on the
Caribbean coasts. 1t is also assumed, from
the rapid increase of the coral reefs in. the
Bahama channels, that this in time will fur
nish the only safe channel for California
steamers, and even for larger vessels bound
from the Northern States to New Orleans.
assumption, if we are to Judge from the num-
Der of wrecks which have recently occurred
between the Caicos and Florida reefs.
Surrounding the bay of SANTANA are beds OF
coal, as if on purpose to supply such steam
ers but they now lie unworked, useless, and
almost unknown. Into this bay emptes
the Yuma river, which takes its rise far back
in the northern and middle ranges of mount.
aims, and, fed by innumerable tributaries,
winds its course toward this magnificent har
Dor through the widest portion Of the ROYAL
Plains.
The question now is whether our Govern
ment should obtain possession of this grand
bay and eventually the entire Island. Pro-
badly nothing could be more wise or popular.
Certainly nothing is more needed by tine peo-
pie Of st. Domingo, and there are many peo-
pie on the neighboring islands who would
flock thither the moment a protected govern
ment were established. 1t is apparently the
only way by which peace could be perma.
nently established, which would give tone
and stability to the government there, and
turn the important commerce of the tropics
in this direction. There are now probably
ten European vessels in the harbor of st.
Domingo, where there is one belonging to
the United States, although the latter is the
natural market, from which they receive en-
tirely their -four and sailed pork.
We presume it would be difficult to find an
American merchant in any port of st. Do
mingo, who had not succeeded in making a
fortune by the great advantages of trade in
mahogany, dye-woods, hides, and tobacco,
almost immediately after commencing bust
ness, but who has not as invariably lost it,
in whole or in part, by the depression of cur