Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-08-12
lE PASSAGE: ISLANDS.
y Group That Seems Determines, !,
owned biz l's

Group That Seems Determined ~ Sc
owned by Us
IN ne terms progressing n ceS-a ri,n
~ Institutes and Il settlement of !, sat
!SlactorE peace. says the New York
Herald. occurs the stipulation TIA, n i
nniS snail Porto Rico he cedc, ~ III.
hlttd states. hut also that all tn,. ,;E
ef islands situated in the West indian
waters now belonging to Spain shan
likewise be forfeited to thu. yov..rnrlan,
ut Washington.
There are two or three of these H.
lands, small and uninlnortant but 70,
Oh some account, ana several islets ana
Gays. PEI! haps a dozen all told. Which
are adjacent to Porto Rico rhsv are
collectively known as the Passage Is
iah"s, ana comprise all the islands and
'aSS iSlnS between the Virgin Passage
ana the east end of Porto Iiiro.
IN" second largest of these is ,'u,an 4
island, about sixteen miles Il, ma,
eastward Of Cape san Juan. as T. {,
northeast point of Porto ltico is can, 4,
IL is SIN miles long ana three broad
chiebra Island. sometimes called. C,,,it
or Serpent Island. is Of an irregular
outline The northern shore is s4e.i
ana paid On all the other sides tn 10
are small isleis ANA reefs. which sh,-,-
ter good ;inch"rag"s. The island i. an
inhabited. It is of moderate elevation.
broken and rugged ana thickly wood
ed. with scarcely a level s,,nt on NE.
surface Near the center ii rises 10 n,
height of $50 feet
Near Culebra is Northeast cav. Sr II
"v;tl-shapc,l. 300 feet high and ,hi.lxy
wooded.
blrd Cay. triile larger. lies @Go yards
from Northeast Cay. l:irl CAV is q,
small rocky !s.et. sixty feet high. Aluut
mile from ii are two rocky isl,,s l..
feet or 5" high and 500 yards southw, ST
are wv" more about eighty feet high.
Sulcbrita lSlet, or Little Culcbru lies
about a mile from Culebra. It, too. IS If
irregular shape. is 800 feet high and
thickly wooded. From the h ghe.l ,.art
81 the iSltt a fixed white light is eNi,ih-
lted AT an elevation of :D3 feet an! Is
visible in clear weather nearly fifteen
miles. There are only I: few inh bi;int
on the island
Excellent anchorage can be found
WITHIN the Gays and islands ju.l de
scribed. but the best. called the sound.
is. toward their southern end. under The
lee of the reef
Great flarbor. in the southern rar; Il
Culebra. is one of the most secure. VA
sins in the West Indies 1t is mill. 10 g
ana half II mile wide, of irregular siiai {.
hut there are no inhabitants Or villages
here and no facilities of any kind.
Card island. called also Eieuu,s Is
land. six miles to the westward of p r.
TO Rico. is the largest and most impnrt-
ant OF the Passage group. bein. seven
teen miles long by five broad. \ r..lg.
Of small hills runs nearly it's Whole
length along the middle Of the :sllnt!
and rises 10 a moderate height nj the
southwest extremity. The south coast
of the island is indented by several
small bays. one of which called Sound
or Settlemeht Bay. is defended hy a
small village settlement
ON the northern shore of Crab Island
is Port Mula. at the mouth of a little.
stream. it contains about 900 innani
tants. and is the residence Of the GOV
ernor. who is nominated by the. cap.ain
genera! of Porto Rico.
There is lighthouse erected 1T NJ ala
Point. from which Il fixed red igat is
exhibited. There is comparatively 80
trade except in fruits and fish in this
archipelago: but undoubtedly th"S. is
lands are capable of development and
Will pay a fair revenue after they have
become a portion of the United Si.i:nS
Their natural beauty is unSurpassa ID
and over them the trade wind is con-
tinua!ly blowing, giving them warm
delightful climate.