New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-17

be answered by military and naval experts. lts
favorable situation, however, is apparent. IL Is
the northernmost Of the Lesser Antilles. 1t over
looks Porto Rico and has flayti and Santo
Domingo within a few days reach and Cupa
within two II would easily Offset st. LUCIA
1t is far distant from the mouth OF The CANAL
which would be better reached from New-Oreahe'
but il lies directly in the route OF all our oou."
Atlantic trade. If we ever should want D"
Thomas we should want it badly
So far as production is concerned st. CrolX, OF
Santa Cruz. as it is more popularity known Is 'ne
most mportant Of the Danish Islands 1t is wei
populated fairly well titled, and pretty, as IL lieS
low in the sea. II is tropical only as FLORIDA anu
Louisiana are tr0pical-that luXurance anu h'"e
nifcence of vegetation which the popular hiho 40
sociates with southern countries DO hoc "PP'
in the Lesser Antilles. Equatorial heat Is neces-
sary for their development. Still, the HUI" VI
Santa Cruz is impressive. The trees are grand
lofty and noble in all their proportions i"c
flowers are wonderfully rich in color. Such vel
lows and reds are never brought out Dy "a temper
ate climate Vegetable life is sustained under 'he
mast surprising conditions Immense vines grow
from roots in the cleft of rock that a Knlie-
hI.dc cannot enter 1t is said that there are
moro than 900 different varieties OF plants grow"
ing NJ natures call in the little island vi Santa
Cruz. In half an hours walk around frederlcKS'ao
I countrd over 200 common forms The GLORIOUS
h,nvan tree which the nations call evergreen,
for no reason that they could give or | imagine
since everything is evergreen here, towers aloit
and spreads around-the king of the forest. FROM
its great branches hang huge punches OF hDres-
Notwithstanding after the soil to take rOot
tbnre and start another tree Hundreds Of eX-
ouisitc orchide inconceivably rich in color nestle
in the bark wherever it is sufficiently indented to
give their roots hold. Ferns, green, sllNered
and qodcn, as tiny rs mustard seed and as big
as a house, spring up from every embankmehr
Indian Shot and Lady Of the Night, sweet potato
vines and cocIlspur, bachelors button cape Iasihlh
lilacs and four-o clocks, greet your eye wherever
il happens to turn. The palms, OF course, are
supremacy beautiful, but however pleasing the
STINT of a stately shaft crowned against the SKY,
there is something quite as impressive In the grand
proportions Of the hardwoods. The mahogany, Tor
instance growing like q hOrse-chestnut or llnden'
only with much greater spread OF foliage, Is neo
of the nobIest spectaclcs Of tropical nature.
As in all the other West India islands, so III
St Thomas and Santa Cruz, the negroes out
number the whites ten to one, and supply all
the really serious problems of government Their
intelligence and attachments differ considerably
according 70 political and social treatment they
receive In the French Islands where manhood
sufrrage obtains they supreme, and they nave
reached really high point in civilization. lhey
have done nearly as well in some OF the Brltlsb
Islands but in Santa Cruz they are held under
with some strictncss and they bear to the whites
= COMPARISON socially and intellectually no more
favorable than they do in Louisiana or Georgia