The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-09-23

| 1893, and was SO impressed with the
| beauty Of the scene that he called the
| island the Erich Port" Due south lies
| the city of Mayaguez, with 1000
| inhabitants but $4,000 within it's
| jurisdiction the third city of the ISL
| and in Importance, and one that eX-
ports vast quantities of sugar and cof-
| fee, pineapples and cecoanuts and i'm
ports -four, etc, from the United States.
| 1t is the second port for coffee, its
average annual export being about
| II 100000 pounds. The temperature is
said rarely to exceed 80 degrees, and
the mountains are not far away, where
the cool breezes always blow, and from
which pour down the rivers, notably
the Mayaguez, from which in olden
times much gold was obtained.
To the south and east of Mayaguez
lies the handsome town of San Ger
man, which is contemporary with San
Juan, and was founded in 1911. 1t is
built on a long, uneven hill, at the foot
of which lies the beautiful valley Of
two united rivers, where every tropical
fruit and vegetable is grown. South
east Of this town lies Yauco 80 feet
above the sea, with a fine climate and
a cart road with the port of Guanica,
where there is a playa" or shore set
tlement, of about 1000 people This
port was the initial point in the
strategic plans Of General Miles in his
| recent military occupation Of Porto
Rico.
East of Yauco and connected with
it by rail lies Ponce, the chief city of
the south coast and second only to
San Juan in commercial Importance.
1t was founded about 1900 and lies
two or three miles from its port, the
spacious harbor of which will admit
vessels of twenty-five feet draft. There
are about 27,000 people in Ponce and
it's playa" and within its Jurisdiction
about 1900, making this city the
largest, as it is in some respects the
finest, in the island. 1t has thirty-four
streets, several plazas, a fine old
church, hospitals, three theaters, a
municipal library, markets, casinos,
park and gas works. In fact, it has
the entire equipment of a first-class
city, with the finest theater, the Pearl
to be found in Porto Rico, built of
iron and marble at cost of 10000
pesos. The climate is hot, but rather
dry, and the land and sea breezes make
the city endurable, even desirable, as
place of residence, particularly in the
winter season. Just outside the city
are the thermal baths of La Quintana,
efficaciouS in many diseases and en-
powered in a lovely garden. The TAX
ing of Ponce by our troops and their
enthusiastic welcome by the inhabi-
tantS must be still fresh in the mind
of the reader
About fifty miles eastward from
Ponce lies the town of Guayama, with
4,5OO inhabitants, which was founded
in 1876, and has one of the richest
churches in the island. Twelve miles
west of it is Salinas, on a good but
small harbor, and five miles east the
port of Arroyo, which, though founded
SO recently as 1885, already has large
export trade with the United States.
Near the port are the wonderful caves
of Aguas Buenas, which run under the
river of Caguiras and are over 1,20O
feet in extent
The chief town of the east coast is
Humacao, on the river of that name,
with about 6,0OO inhabitants. founded
in 1898. Ten miles south of it lies va
bucoa, with 1000 people, half the num-
Der, as In the case of nearly all the
towns and smaller cities, being black
or colored. Ten miles northeast of HUI
macao is the town Of Naguabo, with
1900 people, said to be near the site
where Columbus first landed in Porto
Rico, and sixteen miles distant is Fa-
tardo, In the extreme northeast Of the