Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1898-08-07
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A fact made plainly apparent in the progress Of our war with Spain IS that the United States, by manifast des tiny, must become a great naval power. 1t is some thing more than question of national expansion; it is essential to our preservation as nation that we possess a navy powerful enough to up- hold the rights of Americans and to make the American flag respected in all lands and seas. To make such a navy effective implies the possession of naval stations in the eastern and vest ern hemispheres, which shall serve as rendezvous and bases of supply for our warships in distant waters.
 Since the beginning of the war sev- eral out-of-the-way parts of the world colonial island possessions of Spain, little known to Americans in general before have come into prominence. Through the brilliant exploits of the American navy, acting in cooperation with the army, our flag has been raised, 10 remain, at the Philippines and the Ladrone islands, while the islands still held by Spain in the Pa eific, the Carolines and the Pelews. lie ready to our hands when we can spare the time to take them. These islands, with Hawaii, solve for us the problem of naval stations in the Pacific. With the conquest of Puerto Rico we have secured our Caribbean station. The sailing of Commodore Watsons squad ron eastward means, as q first result, the seizing of the Canary islands. With the taking of these we shall have naval base, available for American warships operating in the Mediter- ranean and off the Atlantic coast of southern Europe and northern Africa.
 It is not a new feature in the worlds geography the Canary group of islands, which lie west of the Morocco coast, 60 mics from Cape Juby on the African mainland. They were the Hesperidcs, the fortunate islands of the ancient Greeks. Herodotus had heard of them and their vines and olives, and "gold dust" found in lakes, Hanno, the Carthaginian admiral, Yis tied these islands and reported their volcanoes then in lively condition. His visit resulted in the opening up of trade there for his eountrymea, in which the islanders exchanged skins, fecces and ivory with the Garthagin- fans for various Egyptian products. Juba, prince of Mauritania, landed at the islands and from his account of the large dogs that he saw on one of the islands came it's name, Grand Canary, afterwards extended in part 10 the island group. Then in the Dark Ages the Canary islands fell out of sight of the civilized world, to be lost to his tory until they were rediseoyered by the Genoese near the end of the thir teenth century. In 1404, Jean de Bethencourt, Norman adyeuturer, undertook to conquer the Canary islands for Don Juan of Castile, and he brought four of the smaller ones under subiection to the Spanish crown. Between 14S3 and 1500 the Spaniards, after hard fighting, completed the con quest of the islands, which have re- mained part of their dominion since.
 The principal islands of the Canary group are seven in number. They are: Lauzarote. Furteyentura, Grand Ca maria (Grand Canary), Teneriife, Go- mera, Palma and Hierro. Besides these 1 there are four islets, and some exposed rocks. All of these islands, about 5000 square miles, lie within two degrees of latitude and five degrees of longitude, l the northernmost, the Lauzarote, ly- l ing near the 3oth parallel north. They are mountainous, containing many ex- l tinct volcanoes, the loftiest of these being the famous peak of Teneriffe, over 12,o00 feet high. Much of the country is covered with calcined rock, l pumice stone and volcanic ashes, but the remainder is very fertile and pro 1 ductiye.
 In some places two crops of corn and one crop of potatoes can be raised on | the same ground in one year. The eli mate is dry, equable and salubrious. In the low lands it is hot, resembling the climate of Egypt. On the peak of | Teneriffe the snow remains for nearly half the year. From April to October, when the northerly winds blow, a stratum of sea cloud about 1,000 feet in | thickness hangs over the islands, at q height of $500 feet above the sea. In winter the Leyante sometimes blows from the African mainland, dry, hot wind, which at times brings with it swarms of locusts. The rainy season is about the same as that in southern Europe.
 The primitive inhabitants of the islands, the Guanches, were 8 race | probably of the same stock with the Berbers, and perhaps others of the 1 dark-skinned races which have peo- l pied northern Africa. They embalmed their dead, and in warfare used flint and stone weapons, and wooden spears hardened by fire. They were fond of 1 liberty and fought brayely against the Spanish invaders. They ceased more than two centuries ago to exist as a distinct people. becoming completely
 amalgamated with the conquering race. The present inhabitants, slight ly darker than the people of Spain, are
 of medium height, well formed, and quick of intelligence. They talk the Spanish language. They are temper