The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-27

renewal Of the negro race by i,np,{.
grafton. The $4,000 people " Africa,
descent. one-half OF whom are m%ulattos. rorra.
sent the survivors Of over n million Africa,
slaves hat have been imported during tho
present century. The Spaniards have had m,
utmost difficulty in acclimnting the black man
While Jamaica and other West India island,
are prolific breeders of negroes. the black r,co
could not be made TO thrive in Cuba. II il.
further TO DO kent in mind that the Cuhan
negro. unlike his conEener in all the rest al tbs
West Indies with the exception of Porto Rico
is willing TO work. As a laborer he is fully IN,
equal OF his brother in our Southern stntes
In Cuba he tills the canefields, loads the ships.
carries burdens and performs all the harder
tasks OF manual LABOR which are monopoIized
by women in the other West Indies.
Nv.
Porto Rico Ia described as "one Of the mos,
lovely Of all those regions OF loneliness which
are washed by the Caribbean Sea; even in thai
archipelago It is distinguished by the luxuri.
ance Of its vegetation and the soft variety nj,
its scenery" Situated at the eastern extrcm,
OF the Antillian chain. a Thousand miles from
Havana. II presents many points OF unlikeness
to Cuba. 1t is only one-twelfth the area Of tho
latter island. and hardly equal in dimension,
to its smallest province, vet it is six times NOR.
NSAfp III WIN va s'N'Il iltU ne
In the character and condition OF the peopIs.
there are even stronger contrasts, Cubn
having been a despotically ruled copntrv
whose children hate the race from which
they spranR. whereas Porto Rico has been
treated as an integral part Of Spain
whose people rejoice in the name ~
Spaniard. Again. the Cubans have been lons
fired with the spirit Of progress. and infected
with American ideas. while the Porto Ricans
lo,-o ,InIIa1 oAnta,tnll, nIn. I.l-
hitting serious thoughts OF revolution to bring
insomnia to a land where sleepiness is not a
crime. Although the smallest OF the Greater An
titles. Porto Rico Is not only the most densely
settled and the most permanently organized AZ
regards customs and institutions. but also tina
most productive in proportion TO area. II ia
also exceptional among the entire West Indian
group for the reason thatit preponderant pop.
ulation is Of the white race. and that il pro-
duces sufficient foodstuffs to supply its own in
habitants. as we'll as those Of some neighbor.
ing islands.
Porto Rico is ninety five miles long and thirty
five miles wide: the coast line. II we do not take
account OF It's meanderings. Is about 800 miles
in length. The area ofthe island is 1888 square
miles, that Is to say, 1t Ia 300 square miles
larger than that of Delaware. Rhode Island and
the District of Columbia combined. and 800
less than that of Connecticut. The general
aspect OF the island is that of q picturesque,
billy landscape. Its beautiful and fertile
plains. the abundance of gently flowing streams
and the variety Of vegetation give the country
an engaging aspect. The configuration Of tho
land Is that OF a low. central mountain range.
extending through its greatest length. with
low and broken slopes. The elimination of
these mountains is found toward tho east
ern end the highest peak is 5000 feet In alti-
tude. The principal mountain system has
ramif1cations toward the west and a branch
toward the south. On the higher levels OF
these sierras are remnants OF the virgin forests
which once clad the whole island; the slopes
are gently rolling divides. until they approach
the littoral. where they give place to wide and
attractive plains. well drained and mostly de-
void OF marsh land. We add that. apart from
the natural wealth of her soil. Porto Rico has
the advantage Of being we'll supplied with wa
ter. which 10 generally scarce in the islands to
the There are more than 1.200
streams; the facilities for internal navigation,
for driving machinery by water and steam
power and for irrigation are extraordinary for
an island Of the size. There is. likewise. an al.
most total absence Of the stagnant water which
50 o!ten yie!stes the atmosphere ~ tropical
countries. Travellers assert that the climate
Of Porto Rico. although warm. is moD
agreeable and healthful than that oil
the other Antilles. The average daily temper.
AZURE is 800 Fahrenheit. but 1t is ameliorated
by a cooling north breeze. which generally pre-
walls during the hottest days. The mean monthly
temperature OF San Juan. as determined by
observations extending through twenty years.
is 1882 Fahrenheit. The maximum heat. at
tanned only three times during this period. was
99o. the minimum 57.2o. The interior high
lands are cooler. and the nights are sometimes
disagreeably so. although snow never falls.
and hail but rarely. So far as temperature is
concerned. Porto Rico enjoys perpetual sum-
mer. the mean monthly temperature hardly
varying 50 throughout the year and tho
extreme limits ever reached being within
40e Of each other. The disagreeahle land
winds are seldom felt. though tropical hur-
ricanes are frequent between July and 0cto-
Der. The forest-covered central mountains
produce a marked difference in the climate be-
tween the opposite declivities. The northern
side is frequently visited by showers. while thu
southern district is often without rain for
months at a time. The dryest month is Feb.
ruary, when less than 2 inches fall. The aver
age rainfall for the past twenty years has been
800 inches. or about the same as that ot
New Orleans. It rains very hard and album
dainty during the hottest m onths. that Is
to say. from June to September. The precipi-
tation comes in heavy gusts. with strong winds.
and. as a rule. between noon and P. NJ. u
seldom rains at night.
The agricultural properties OF the island. ao-
cording to the last census. were distributed as
follows: mall fruit farms. 1898: farms de-
voted to miscellaneous cultivation. 1876; small
coffee farms. 4,1S4; sugar estates. 1913: large
coffee estates. 361 cattle farms. 240 tobacco
farms, So: sugar-grinding factories. 3, The
cocoa and cotton. Sugar cane is cultivated
mostly on the loWer slopes and plains. where i
is grown on the highlands. peculiar variety
Of upland rice. requiring no form Of irriGa-
ton or inundation, is raised on the hills
OF the central sierra, This, with
yauchia and p%lantain. which are grown
lq5orers. The principal articles o. export n
sugar. So 1881 tobacco. S648.566 honey;
$517.746 There is no reason why there Shouts
not be. also a very large export OF fruits 10 ths
United States. In the year Just mentioned The
chief imports were appraised as follows, Rice
b. 1S0.004: fish. $1.591 .41S; meat and lard.
$l,32s.164: ,dnsgIT. $Ss3'35I;' soap sa38525i
$305. 85e; vegetables. .$192.o1s; other p%royi7-
ions. III .322. The industries other than aGrl-