Evening star., 1898-11-18

fifty genuine bridges along the road. and
half a dozen Of them were large and i'm
pertant structures. There We're besides
innumerable culverts and outlets for water
coming down from the mountain. These
were all very soidIy made. and very cred
ltabie as works of engineering.
During the war the Spaniards had at
tempted to destroy some of these struc-
lures but had not succeeded except in one
case Here they had blown out the arch
over deep ravine. 1t had already been re-
paired by our engineers
This road is a very honest and creditable
piece OF work and must have taken long
to build. We were told that it had been
done by convict labor. We found road
houses or prisons every few kilometers-
every two miles or so-where the convicts
were kept who cared for the road Its con-
dition is excellent. and ii has now enough
broken stone scattered along it to keep II
In repairs for years. 1t is to he hoped that
the Americans will keep IL in as good re-
pair as the Spaniards did.
This road would. except for the three or
four streams to be forded at the southern
end, be wonderful road for bicyclers 1t
crosses three ranges of low mountains but
is so cleverly engineered that the grades
are never more than moderate, and / can
imagine nothing more attractive than
long spin through this lovely mountainous
country. 1t is not grand, but picturesque
ana beautiful One passes through planta-
tons of sugar cane and other tropical prod
uctS, some unknown to u.s. with coffee and
tohacco Plantations in the distance. Tree
ferns palm trees, bread fruit trees cocoa
nuts and bambooS abound, and one skirts
the mountain side from which the broad
valleys are well seen, or crosses the pass
from which he can see either the northern
Or southern oceans.
Ihere are half a dozen little towns or
cities on the road, ten or fifteen meters
apart, where one can get meals and re-
lresh shments, and where he can see and talk
TO American soldiers. The food is better
1nan we expected Eggs and 0Or5 hoe
can be got anywhere, though they are
usually fried in oil. The coffee is excel
lent, and the fresh, young cocoanuts fur
nish safe and refreshing drink The peo-
pie are friendly. curious and simple-and it
Will give rule which one will remember
for the rest of his life. From the outskirts
OF san Juan to the boundaries of Ponce
almost from steamer to steamer-it will
hardly be necessary to get off ones wheel
except to ford the few unbridged streams
IN the south. And then another similar
road extending out into the island in vari-
Gus directions which those can take who
wish variety.
Patches Of Railroads.
There are patches of railroad a few miles
long, especially toward the western end
The Spanish government had given sub
vention per kilometer for the railroads,
which was the same whether they were
easy or hard to build. The result is some
fragments of a continuous road around the
island built where easy, but unbuilt where
hard. By alternate railroading and wheel
ing one can go around the western end of
the island from San Juan to Ponce.
The best month for northerners here is
January, and next to that December and
February. November is said to have the
greatest rainfall of any, and March to be
the driest month. We find October both
hot and somewhat wet.
The accommodations for travellers are
not very good, even in San Juan. The fur
niture is scanty, windows few and glazing
nCne In the rooms. The beds are iron but
the mattresses and springs are usually re-
placed by canvas. stretched across the
frame. We pay from 80 cents to l peso for
our lodging, and for our meals from 10
cents for coffee and bread in the morning
TO % or 80 cents for a really good dinner
The money is Porto Rcan silver of which
an American dollar buys anywhere from
40 to s.. This money is becoming dearer
ana appfox1mating par in American money,
ana the Porto Ricans show a tendency to
put up prices. NJ w IL