American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-02-08
San Domingo.

1
The islanJ; of San domingo is little
short Of an earthly paradise. have dur
ing my life been considerable of a travel
er, especially in the tropics, but nothing
that ever Ihave seen approaches it in beau
ty CT scenery. The foliage is magnificent
and the mahogany cannot be equaled in
any part ofthe known world it also sup
| plies more lignum vitae to England and
| this country that can be obtained from
| every other source.
Fruits, especially the orange, iemofi, and
| citron, have not their equals under the
sun, aId sufficient ceald be produced in
a few Years to make them a very cheap
luxury On every table in the land.
The sugar cane grows larger than any
ing in a back gard in the city, three and
half inches In diameter and fifteen feet
high.
The whole of the eastern half of the
island is fiat, and is in consequence desig-
mated the SlanOs; it is covered with long
grass, and in some places brush, but there
is nothing to prevent its being easily
brought into cultivation.
SANTANA Bay is the third finest bay
have seen, Rio de JaneirO being first, and
Port jackson in Sydney harbor being
second; all the navies in the world could
anchor in it. and find room to swing at
their anchors, GeeP water even close to
the shore in some places; it abounds in
fish, and the SIanos with wild cattle,
brought there by the Spaniards three hun
dred years ago. Some of the bullSare said
to be magnificent animals, and awfully
fierce.
AS regards the political object of the
purchase. one can form very fair idea
but that [ leave to other pens than mine
to deal with. Certain it is, an enormous
trade is to be done by the establishment
of S,v,
of the country are very large, and, TAX
ing winds and currents into consideration.
it is splendidiy situated for that purpose,
being just about half way between the
windward islands and the shores of trop-
ical America, and directly in the north
east trade winds.
st. Domingo is city in ruins, situated
at the entrance of the river (Ozama) Oh
the south coast. 1t was no DOUBT, two
hundred years ago, in Spanish hands.
pretty strong place. being surrounded on
the south and west by Notifications, now
also in a state of ruin and useless for pur-
poses of defense. The sea breaks on the
eastern side against rocks so high and
jagged as to render them unapprOachable;
the north side abuts on the river.
The river itself is a mere ditch, and all
but useless except for small craft, there
being only nine feet of water over the bar
at the best of times. A tremendous surf
is continually breaking on 1t, and down.
ward current renders it by no means an
easy place to enter; once inside, and no
lOvelier spot on earth can be found.
The climate is different from anything
have experienced in any other part of
the tropics, inasmuch as you always have
cool nights. Towards sunset the sea
breeze dies away, and by O'Clock there
is cool, gentle land wind which, by
midnight, will allow of covering to the
extent of a sheet, and sometimes blan-
ket.
OF the people had rathe- not write,
for always find myself &c angry
when think. of them; a ere
Spaniard and negro, with
TIRES of both brought into
is not progressing, to s.
it. Lazy is no name for the.l
turbulent, braggarts. superstitious. 10
rant-there, there, I'll stop and finish my
letter by advising the new masters of San
Domingo to offer all and every one of its
present inhabitants an inducement to quit
for sooner or later there is bound to be a
row between men of such opposite ten
denotes and ideas as the American and
the Dominican.
Santo Domingo, in the hands of Il nod
erately thrifty race of people would soon
be place in which it would be desira BILE
to OWE little real estate. especially wa
ter frontage on SANTANA Baylor. Chi-
cago Tribune.