The evening times., 1898-10-19

Ponce counts about 40 000 inhabitants The
chief occupations of the people are the
cultivation of sugar, cocoa tobacco and
oranges and the breeding Of cattle Com
mercially, Ponce Is the second city of i'm
portance on the island. A fine road leads
TO the port Playa), where all the i'm
port and export trade is transacted. Playa
has about 5000 inhabitants, and here are
situated the custom-house. the office of
the captain of the port and all the con-
sular offices. The port is spacious and
will hold vessels of % feet draft The cli-
mate, on. account of the sea breezes dur
ing the day and land breezes at night. is
not oppressive. though warm; and as
water for all purposes. including the fire
department, is amply supplied by an ac-
queduct. it may be said that the city of
Ponce Is perhaps the healthiest place in
the whole island.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, the third city in
Importance Of the island, is situated in the
west part. facing what is generally known
as the Mona Channel OF industries
there is little 10 be said, except that there
are three manufactures of chocolate
which is for local consumption. Sugar.
coffee, oranges, pineapples and cocoanuts
are exported largely-all, except coffee
principally to the United States. OF sugar
the muscOvadO goes to the United States
IL.
Is the second port for coffee, the average
annual export being 10000 cwts. The
quality Is OF the best, ranging in price
with Java and other frst-rate brands.
Inc lower grades are sent to Cuba about
$1,000 bags Of flour are imported into This
port every year from the United States.
out of the 10000 bags that are consumed
in the whole island. The population is
nearly 20,0oO, the majority white. The
a fc oil
er exceeding 80 degrees F. The CITY is
connected by train with the neighboring
town OF Aguadilla, and railroad is being
constructed to Lares, one of the large
interior towns
Aguadilla.-The city, which is the prin-
clpal town and the port of Aguadilla dis
trict. in the northwest portion of the is
land, has 5000 inha bitants Industries in
the vicinity consist of the cultivation of
sugar cane, coffee, tobacco and cocoanuts
and the distillation of rum from molasses
In the town are three establishments for
preparing coffee for expectation. The eli
mate is hot, but healthy; there is hardly
ever yellow fever
Arecibo.-The town, of from 5000 to 1000
inhabitants, is situated on the north
coast of Porto Rico facing the Atlantic
Ocean and some so miles distant by rail
from San Juan. 1t is similar to all Span
lsh towns, with plaza surrounded by
the church and other public buildings in
the center, and streets running from it in
right angles forming regular squares The
buildings are constructed of wood and
brick. The harbor is poor, being nothing
more than an open roadstead exposed to
the full force of the ocean, in which YES
sells during northerly winds can hardly
lie in safety. Close in shore, on one side.
dangerous reefs stretch, a constant men
ace to vessels If the anchor does not hold
into this harbor empties narrow and
shallow stream called the Rio Grande de
Arecibo- Goods are conveyed on this riv-
er to and from the town in fiat-bottomed
boats, with the aid of long poles and by
dint of much pushing and patience At
the bar of the river everything is again
the bar of the river everything
is again transferred into lighters.
and thence to vessels. 1t is a tedious and
expensive process. However, Arecib69 Is
quite an important port. and has tribu-
tary to it a large district of some $1,000
inhabitants. The want of good roads in
the island makes such a place as Arecibo
far more important than it would natu-
rally be.
Fajardo-The town, on the east coast
OF the island, has a population of S779.
according to the last official statistics
December, 1880. The port is handsome.
with a third-class lighthouse at the en-
trance at the point called Cabezas de
San Juan, and custom house open to
universal commerce. The town is about
one and a quarter miles from the bay.
The only important industry of the dis
trict is the manufacture of muscovado
sugar, to which most of the planters de-
vote themselves. Shocks, hickory hoops,
pine boards and provisions come from
ties. Sugar and molasses are exported
and occasionally tortoise shell. The cli-
mate is temperate and healthy.
aguabo.-Naguabo (on the east side.
is a town Of only about 1000 inhabitants.
and in the harbor there is another small
er place, called Playa de Naguabo, or
Ucares, with about 1,5oO. The capital of
the department. Humacao, is nine miles
from Naguabo and has 1000 inhabitants
the district comprising more than 5000
Arroyo-Arroyo, in the district of
Guayama (southeast portion), is a small
seaport of about 1,200 inhabitants The
annual exports to the United States av-
erage 1000 to 10000 heads of sugar, 1000
to 5000 casks of molasses and so to $50
casks and barrels of bay rum.
The island of Vieque, situated thirteen
miles east of Porto Rico, is twenty-one
miles long and six miles wide Its land
is very fertile and adapted to the culti-
walton of almost all the fruits and yege-
tables that grow in the West Indies cat
tie are raised and sugar cultivated 1t