New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-12

plains to the north Of the hills tobacco. cotton,
maize and tropical fruits grow readily Rice
the principal food. is a mountain variety. need
ing little rain Much OF the tobacco is sent to
Havana FOR manufacture. The mountains are
covered with forests which yield valuable dyes
and hard woods FOR export.
Cattle raising is another profitable Industry
70 the inhabitants and the pasture lands In the
north and east superior TO any others IN the
West Indies A large traffic has been carried
on with the neighborng French. English and
Danish possessions Exports Of various kinds.
which in 1850 amounted 10 about Sll.OO,OOO.
had IN 1891 reached total Of nearly $1,000
900.
HOW THE ISLAND IS DIVIDED.
Seven departments each under the command
of a Spanish colonel. make up the island. Baya-
mon in which is San Juan, the capital Arecibo
and Aguadilla are on the northern side or the
range. Mayaguez covers the southwest part
Ponce and Guyana are on the southern side.
and the eastern part Is taken up with Humacao.
The island NJ Bieque. to the east. makes an
eighth department. which is used a military
penal station.
The population OF the island-which in 1880
was only 10000 numbered 754.313. OF whom
1924 $40 were colored. The total population at
present numbers about 100000. The people OF
European origin Spaniards. Germans
swedes. Danes Russians. Frenchmen and
Chuetas or descendants OF the Moorish Jews
OF MaJorca- There are also some Chinese. The
small landholders In the country districts are
called Gbaros. and are OF Spanish origin. modi-
fed by Indian blood.
THE PRINCIPAL TOWNS.
San Juan. the capital and chief seaport lies
on MORO Island, on the north coast and Is con-
nected with the mainland by bridges The
ground rises toward the ocean in low hills. and
the city lies directly behind the highest at
the harbors entrance. Fortihcations, some Of
them Of an obsolete type. protect the city from
an attack on the land side. while on the bluffs
fronting the ocean new batteries OF Krupp guns
said to have been placed. from which n
plungng fire lie directed approaching
vessels. The channel at the eastern end OF the
island has a depth of only one and one quarter
fathoms. but two batteries have been mounted
here to prevent the landing OF troops for a shore
attack The bay Is OF an oval shape and admits
ships of heavy tonnage Opposite Moro Castle.
where the new guns said to have been
mounted. lies Carras Island. but it is not known
whether this has also been fortified The chart
shows small fort apparently floating bat
terry. just behind Carras at the bays mouth
In the old fort Of Santa Catalina is the Gov
ernors palace. and cathedral town house.
a theatre. and an old palace built by Ponce de
Leon are among the sights of the town. II has
a population of about twenty six thousand.
Ponce on the south coast. has population Of
about forty thousand Private houses are built
OF wood. and only the Government buildings are
constructed Of brick and stone. There is n town
hail. n public hospital and an English Eplsco-
pal church in the city, which is lighted through
out by gas supplied by English company.
Mayaguez. on the west coast. is several miles
inland. Its population is about thirty thousand
and 1t has military barracks clubs and gas
works. Other towns are Guyana. on the south
coast and Aguadilla. the west. The only
safe harbors at all times of the year are San
Juan. Hovas and Guanica. English German and
American steamers make regular trips to these
three ports. and in 1901 800 vessels were re-
ported
EARLY INHABITANTS AND HISTORY.
Porto Rico. called Borinquen by the Aborig-
Ines. was discovered by Columbus on November
13 1893 Ponce de Leon was the first TO make
a settlement. when in 1910 he founded the town
OF Caparra which afterward was aban-
doned. In the following year he founded the
city Of San Juan The Carhs. whose number.
probably exaggerated. was put at six hundred
thousand. suffered so greatly from the cructies
OF their Spanish conquerors that they rebeled
against them ard were gradually exterminated
In consequence. Interesting relies OF their civil
izaton preserved In the Smithsonian InstI-
tuition and in the Berlin Pathological Museum. In
1895 Drake sacked the capital an exploit which
repeated three years later by the Earl OF
Cumberland In 1913 Baldwin Heinrich. a Dutch
man. killed in attack on the city, and
an attempt made by the English to capture the