New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-21
THE SMALLER SPANISH ISLayn.
MANY IN THE WEST INDIES WILL. co...
INTO THE POSSESSION OF THE
UNITED STATES

only of Porto Rico, but OF all the other ~
Indian Islands except Cuba. The average
knows Of but the two great Spanish is,.!s
Cuba and Porto Rico. but there are abo.s
dozen others. some of them unimportant
others regarded as quite valuable
These islands are off the coasts OF Cuba -.
Porto Rico. The great number OF them Arr ~ ~
Cubas shore. and it will be a question N.
cision whether they shall belong to the T,,ss.
States by the terms Of the treaty or whasSl
they shall be considered as part Of Cuba
the most part these islands are like the ~
OF Florida and the Bahamas. Some are ~ s
careOus origin being the creation Of the So
coral builders that may be seen throueh ~
transparent waters still at work on the MAJ
bed These keys vary greatly in size Soma !.
them are islands large enough to be hahts.w
with fresh water for the consumption OF ~
who choose to make them their dwelling -nI..S
The largest Of these reefs on the northern 49,
is the Cayo Romano, with an estimated 'sAt
of $50 SQUARE miles, and its surface broksr =
three hilocks. The chief industry there a.!
indeed. the only that will thrive r. ,ss
of gathering salt. The island is filled with A.
nressions of from one to two feet deep Dur;n
the storms the waves dash over the KEYS ana
ie.ve the depressions filled with water WV
summer comes with its burning sun the h Sss
dr;os the water and a deposit OF salt Ia I.s
II 10 believed that the Cayo Romano could ana
nlv the salt needed for the use Of all Cuba.
Reefs and islets are even more numerous On
the south coast OF Nupa IMAM IN the north
| Here they are further from the shore and Ia
| regular. , OK n,>,,,
Tho most extensive island Of the thirteen hu.
| drod that are strewn around the Cuban 49,
| hoard Is the Isla de PinOs isle OF Pines) which
| indeed is nearly as large as all Of the other,
| nut together In the statements Of Spain's
possessions made by official sources. 1t alwau
| nos n Mace to itself. The island. which Iies
| no
| ists reaIly of two islands. separated by
| tortuous passage. half channel, half-swamp
which winds at nearly UNIFORM width for
| about three miles from west 10 east From eat
IN west the Isla de Pnos is sixty miles n
| Innoth and from north 10 south its breadth d
! Gftv-0ve miles the area being COo square niles
+, is a beautiful island. with excellent harbon
! lofty mountains. fertile plains ana many ryen
In the centre is a mountain known as the Stern
DIS la Canada. rising ABOUT lpVo feet above
the level of the sea- ana WIN precipices 10
foot in height There are also Dagulla Noun.
,oin -pD feet in height, the Sierra de lN
C,LelIos 1914 feet high. and several other
: smaller peaks. At the base Of these mountains
arc 1uarries from which beautiful marble may
ha extracted although they have been worked
TO but a slight extent lhoush the rivers afs
shallow. several are navgaDle for four or five
,niIss their main advantage being that thy
| k.an the island well watered The principal
products are cattle. tobacco. mahogany cedar
| and other woods. sulphur. pitch and tar; but
| there are also mines from whlch silver quick
| silver and iron are extracted.
The climate Of the island is mild and healthy
| all the wear. and few present a better chance
for settlers and yet il has only a population o.
about 1000 The Isla de Pinos has Away
been regarded as a dependency 81 Havana and
would probably be claimed by the Cuban Gov
| eminent. go .
Between Porto Rico and the Virgin Island
there is a group called the Passage Island
which will come into our possession TN
largest and most important OF me group
Vieoues or Crab Island. lying nine miles d
Porto Rico and which is eighteen miles iod(
by four miles broad. The soil is not good. then
! being indeed but little dirt on the barren rocu
A ridge of small hills runs through the mddk
rising 10 a good height a. the southwest END q
the island Isabel Segunda. on the norm soc
is tie solitary village, and there i've hshelmea
| The harbor is good for there are numefou
| hoys and NJ one time Vieques was the resof
| Of p,rates who preyed upon the rich commeFu
OF the West Indies.
CTLEBRA THE SECOND LARGEST.
Fishermen and woodcutters to The numoe
OF about five hundred make their home on Cu
! I.bra tho second largest island in the Passae
group Cuebra lies about sixteen miles TO ID
/ eastward Of Cape San Juan Because OF u
] irregular outline and broken steep shore Ia
! island is also sometimes known as serpent Isl
/ and Like NieQues. its coast l. lndented VIII
/ many bays. which afford excellent harDo!
There are many small hills that are covere
with scrub timber. but the soil Is 50 sterile com
pared with the fertility of Porto Rico ina
no attempt is made To cultivate" IL on an q
tensiva scale and the .5D inhabitants supper
themselves by fishing and gathering wood
The principal village on Vielues Is Port Mu'
where live 1000 inhabitants. under the dlrectio
Of a Governor appointed by the Governor-Gel
cral { Porto Rico \ lighthouse sands at tnl
port.
The other islands in this group are OF eve
/ less Importance. They are small Keys 'k
/ those off the Florida coast and few are n'ao
/ tied Northeast Key is small. oval shaped u
! feet high and its two square miles 81 area ~
thickly wooded Byrd Key. near Nor,heas
Key. is four square miles in area and remark