Evening star., 1898-08-27
We Shall Come Into the Possession
of a Large Number.
SITUATED IN THE WEST INDIES
Some of Them VIII Doubtless
Prove to Be Very Valuable.
T HE ISLE OF PINES
From the Chicago Times Herald.

Spain calls for the cession to the United
| States not only of Porto Rico, but of all
the other West Indian Islands except
| Cuba, The average man knows Of but the
| two great Spanish islands Cuba and Porto
| Rico. but there are about dozen others,
| some of them unirnportant but others re-
| garded as quite valuable.
| These islands are off the coasts of Cuba
and Porto Rico. The great number OF
| them are Cuba's shore and IL will
| be question for decision whether they
| shall belong to the United States by the
| Terms of the treaty or whether they shall
| be considered as a part of Cuba For the
| most part these islands are like the reefs
| of Florida and the Bahamas. Some are
! of calcareous origin, being the creation OF
! the same coral builders that may be seen
| through the transparent waters stni at
| work on the marine bed These keys vary
greatly in size. Some of them are islands
| large enough to be habitable. with fresh
| water for the consumption OF those who
choose to make them their dwelling place.
The largest of these reefs on the north
ern shore is the Ceyo Romano, with an
estimated area OF 1S0 square miles, and
! Its surface broken by three hiIIocks. The
] chief industry there and indeed the only
| one that will thrive, is that of gathering
SAT-. The island is filled with depressions
| OF from one to two feet deep. During the
storms the waves dash over the keys and
leave the depressions filed with water
| When summer comes, with its burning sun
| the neat dries the water and a deposit OF
| salt is left. 1t is believed that the Cayo
Romano could supply the salt needed for
the use OF ali Cuba.
Reefs ana islets are even more numer-
| Gus on the south coast of Cuba than in
| the north. Here they are further from the
| sECre and less regular.
The Isle of Pines
| The most extensive island of the thirtoen
| hundred that are strewn around the Cuban
| seaboard is the Isla de Pinos Qele OF
P-nest, which, indeed, is nearly as large as
all OF the others put together In the
statements of Spain's possessions, made by
Official sources, it always has a plac. to
itself. The island which lies fifty miles off
the southwest coast Of Cuba, CONSISTS really
Oh TWO islands, separated Ivy a tortuol1s
passage, half channel, half swamp, which
winds at nearly uniform width Tor about
three miles from west to east. From east
to west thu Isla de Pinos is sixty miles in
length. and from north TO south its breadth
Is nIty-f1ve miles, the area being GOO square
miles. IL Is beautiful island with excel
lent harDors, lofty mountains fertile plains
ana many rivers In the center is a noun
tain known the Sierra Ies la Canada
rlsiEg about LOO feet above the level OF the
sea, and with precipices 100 feet in height.
There are also DasuiIla mountain 1900
feet in height; the Sierra ds los Cabelios,
l,o'l leet high, and several other smaller
peaks. At the base of these mountains
are quarries from wnicn beautiful marbla
Iray BE- extracted, although they ave been
worked To but slight extent. ThouEh the
rivers are shallow, several are naNigable
LOT lour OF hNe miles, their main ADVANTAGE
being that they keep the island well wa
tered. The principal products are cattle,
TOBACCO, mahogany, cedar, and other
WOODS, sulphur, pitch and tar; but ere ara
| also mines from which silver, quicksilver
and iron are extracted.
The climate of the island is mild and
healthy all the year, and few present a
md IL
only a population of about 1000 The Isla
de Pinos has always been regarded as a
dependency Of Havana. and would probably
De Claimed by the Cuban government.
The Passage Islands.
Between Porto Rico and the Virgin Is
lands there is a group called the Passage
Islands, which will come into our possess
sion. The largest and most important of
the group is Vieques or Crab Island, lying
nine miles off Porto Rico, and which is
eighteen miles long by four miles broad
The soil is not good, there being, indeed,
but little dirt on the barren rocks. A ridge
Of small hills runs through the middle ris-
ing to a good height at the southwest end
of the island. Isabel Segunda- on the north
side, is the solitary village and there live
hshermen. The harbor is good, for there
are numerous bays, and at one time We
ques was the resort of pirates who proved
upon the rich commerce of the West In
dies.
Der or about 500 make their home on Gu
Zebra, the second largest island in the
fassage group. Culebra lies about sixteen
miles 10 the eastward of Cape San Juan
Because Of its irregular outline and broken
steep shore, the island is also sometimes
known as Serpent Island. Like Viedues
It's coast is fndented with many bays,
which afford excellent harbors There are
many small hills that are covered with
scrub timber, but the soil is so sterile conn
pared with the fertility of Porto Rico
that no attempt is made to cultivate IT on
an extensive scale, and the 500 inhabitanfs
support themselves by fishing and gather
ing wood.
The principal village on Vieques is Por,
Mula, where live i 900 inhabitants under
the direction of governor appointed by
the governor general of Porto Rico A
lighthouse stands at this port
Smaller Islands Not Hrnportaaf
The other Islands in this group are of
even less Importance. They are small KEYS
like those of the Florida coast. and few
are inhabited. Northeast Key is small.
oVal-shaped, $40 feet high, and fits two
square miles of area are thickly wooded.
Byrd Key, near Northeast Key, is four
square miles in area and remarkably rocky
Near by are other small islets that are also
wooded, but the dwelling place of fisher
men.
On Culebrita Island. or Little Culebra-
which lies about mile from Culebra Is "A
lighthouse whose light, at an elevation OF
more than 800 feet, can be seen for fifteen
miles.
Two other Islands worthy of mention are
at the western extremity of Porto Rico
These are Mona and Monita islands Mona
is near the Mayaguez inlet, and gives its
name to the broad channels flowing be-
tween Porto Rico and San Domingo Mona
that is Monkey" Passage terminates on
the west in a bold headland topped by
huge, overhanging rock known TO seameu
by the suggestive name of "Caigo o No
Caigog lShaH fan or not?) Near Mona
is the islet known as Monita, or Little
Monkey.
Suit for Water in Kentucky
From the Louisville Times.
An Iat