The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-08-21
THE PASSAGE ISLANDS.
Rico That Seems Destined to BE
Part of the United States.
From the New York Herald.

fart OF the. bnIteu STATES
From the New York Herald
In the terms proposing a cessation of
hostilities and a settlement of a sausfac-
tory peace, occurs the stipulation that not
only shall Porto Rico be coded to the
United States, but also that all the other
islands situated in West Indian waters
now belonging to Spain shall likewise be
forfeited TO the government at Washing
ton.
There are two or three of these ISL
ands, small and unimportant, but yet of
some account and several islets and Gays
perhaps a dozen all told, which are ad-
jacent to Porto Rico. They are collect
lively known as the Passage Islands, and
comprise all the islands and Gays lying
between the Virgin Passage and the east
end of Porto Rico.
The second largest of these is Culebra
Island, about sixteen miles to the east
ward of Cape San Juan, as the northeast
point of Porto Rico is called. 1t is six
miles long by three broad. Culebra ISL
and, sometimes called Carlit or Serpent
Island is of an irregular outline. The
northern shores is steep and bald. On all
the other sides there are small islets and
reefs, which shelter good anchorages. The
island is uninhabited. 1t is of moderate
elevation broken and rugged and thickly
wooded, with scarcely a level spot on the
surface. Near the center 1t rises TO a
hight of $50 feet.
Near Culebra is Northeast Cay, small
oval-shaped, $40 feet high and thickly
wooded.
Bird Cay a trife larger, lies 800 yards
from Northeast City. Bird Cay is a small
rock islet. sixty feet high. About a mile
from it are two rock islets, 10 feet or so
high, and 800 yards southeast are two
more about eighty feet high.
Culebra Islet, or Little Culebra, lies
about mile from Culebra. 1t, too Is of
irregular shape, is 800 feet high and thick
ly wooded. From the highest part of
the islet fixed white light is exhibited
at an elevation of 500 feet and is visible
in clear weather nearly fifteen miles.
There are only a few inhabitants on the
island.
Excellent anchorage can be found with
i'm the GAYS and islands just described,
but the best. called the Sound, is toward
their southern end, under the lee of the
reef
Great Harbor, in the southern part of
Culebra is one of the most secure ba-
sins in the West Indies. 1t is mile long
and half a mile wide of irregular shape,
but there are no inhabitants or villages
here and no facilities of any kind.
Crab Island. called also Nieques ISL
and. six miles to the eastward of Porto
Rico. is the largest and most important
of the Passage group, being seventeen
miles long by five broad. ridge of
small hills runs nearly Its whole length
along the middle of the island and rises
to a moderate hight at the southwest ex-
tremity. The south coast of the island is
indented by several small bays one of
which called Sound or Settlement bay,
is defended by a small fort. There is a
small village settlement here.
on the northern shore of Crab Island is
Port Mula. at the mouth of a little
stream. IL contains about 1000 inhabi-
tants. and is the residence of the govern
or. who is nominated by the captain gem
eral of Porto Rico.
There is a lighthouse erected at Mula
Point, from which a fixed red light is ex-
hibted There Is comparatively no trade
except in fruits and fish In this archi-
pelago, but undoubtedly these Islands are
capable of development, and will pay
a fair revenue after they have become a
portion OF the United States. Their nat
ural beauty is unsurpassed, and over
them the trade wind ia continually blow
ing. giving them a warm, delightful eli
mate