, 1874-01-31

remedy been universally adopted in time
there might be a more hopeful future for
Santa Cruz. But the final depopulation Of
this beautiful island seems now to be writ
ten indelibiy among the DEGREES of fate.
St. Thomas, an island lying thirty miles dis
tant, is similarly affected. This island, how
ever, being %loftier, and having scarcely any
level land, seems to attract to itself a rather
more liberal amount of moisture from the
clouds.
About fifty miles westward of these islands,
and in the same parallel, lies the large island
of Porto Rico. The land here is almost
wholly mountainous, the eastern ridges rising
to 5000 feet A large portion Of the interior
is still covered with primitive forest, a tangled
tropical vegetation of vivid perennial verdure.
The rainfall in those parts is abundant, and
the soil yields bountiful crops of coffee and
sugar, with a great variety of fruits.
The contrast between neighboring islands
so similarly situated is most striking. The
sad change which has befaIlen the smaller
ones is, without any doubt to be ascribed to
human agency alone. 1t is recorded of these
tat in former times they were clothed with
dense forests, and their oldest inhabitants re-
member when the rains were abundant and
the hills and all uncultivated places were shad-
ell by extensive groves. The rem0val of the
trees was certainly the cause of the present
evil. The opening Of the sell to the vertical
san rapidly dries up the moisture, and prevents
the rain from sinking to the roots Of plants.
The rainy seasons in these climates are not
continuous cloudy days, but SUGGESTIONS Of
sudden showers, with the sun shining hot in
the interyaa4. without shade upon tie sur
face the water is rapidly exhaled, and springs
and streams diminish. There is also, as many
believe, an electrical action produced by the
points of leaves upon the atmosphere, com
polling it to yield up its moisture. However
feeble may be this effect from a single tree,
the myriad spears of a whole forest presented
to the sky undoubtedly do exert a marked and
powerful influence. 1t is probably from such
a combined action that the drying up of the
soil from the removal Of the trees, destroying
the balance of nature, goes on with ever i%noreas-
ing rapidity.
An equally marked example Of the effect
we are considering is seen in the small isl
and of Curacao, lying in latitude l2o north.
sixty miles from the coast of Venezuela. I
visited this island in 1915, and found an al
most perfect desert, where, according to the
testimony Of the inhabitants, had once been a
garden Of fertility. Abandoned plantations,
the recent ruins of beautiful villas and terraCed
gardens, and broad arid wastes without a blade
of grass, showed how sudden and complete a
destruction had fallen upon this unfortunate
little island. The cause was the cutting Town
the trees for the export of their valuable timber.
The effect followed even more rapidly than at
Santa Cruz, as the island lies five degrees
farther to the south, and the heat is more in
tense. The rains have almost entirely ceased,
and fresh water is among the Injuries. AL
most within sight of Curacao is the coast of
the Spanish Main, covered with the rankest
vegetation, over which the burdened clouds
shower down abundant blessings.