The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-12-05
CORRESPONDENCE FROM PORTO RICO
ISLANDS ADJACENT 10 PORTO RICO
WHICH BELONG TO THE UNITED
STATES.
A Trip TO st. Thomas It's Spacious Land
Locked Harbor and Beautiful Environ
ments Bluebeard Castles-muni-
cipal Elections in Porto Rico.
To The Free Lance (:

Since the late Hispsnc-A mericau
war the insular possessions acquired
by the Uuited States as a result OF
me treaty of peace signed st Paris
D CEN DER 10, 1898, have been and
will continue to be q subj-ct of para
m, uut interest aud importance. Many
who have not read the treaty and
consul ed the map. will naturally b.
under the impression that the Island
Of Porto r co is the only lnsultr ter
rltorY 10 the waters near TO the Car
ribesu Sea which came under the
protecting folds of the Stars and
Stripes. There are, however, p nun
Der of small islands and two Of con
siderable ze which were a qulred
along with Porto K co as depe den
cies thereof the two referred 10 be-
irg the I,l,nd of Culebra (Snske
Island, according to the literal mean
ing Of the woro) aud the l-lsnd o.
Vleques. both lying east of the east
ern eud Of Porto K co, forty or fry
miles distant therefrom. TIE Island
OF Culeb a is the smaller of the two
aud is situSted north of Vitques L"
the west of Culebrs there is one small
island or hey and two to the east a. d
north. The Island of Vieques is
about double the siz OF Culebrs, and
comprises the Ninth Internal Revenue
District of Porto Rico, being the lsss'
important of the nine internal revenue
districts into which Porto Rico aud
ITS dependencies are divided. The
most iD portant port of the Island ti
Vieques IS the town Of sabell4 Se
guuda. The Office of collector of Gus
toms was maintained here from the
time Of the American occupancy up
10 the 10 Of September last, when
it Vas Discontinued by orders Of the
Governor General, aud made de-
pepdeDcy of the port OF Humacso'
with the view Of the consol datiOn OF
cfices and reduction of feXnenses The
islands of Culebrs and Vleques are
spsrsely populated, the main indus
Try and source of living being cattle
raising.
The voyage from San Juan to st.
Thomas Danish West Iudies). goiDg &
east, lies between Culebrs I-laDd on
the north apd the Isle OF Vleques on
the south. Your correspondent, with
his better half. recently made the
trIp from San Juan 10 ST Thomas, a
distance of about 85 miles. When
the weather IS prOpitious and the sea
not unduly bOisterous, more delight
full and interesting j 'urney OF short
duration is hard TO imagine. Tbe
ocean is intensely blue, it's air dell
cious aud invigOrstlDg, yet wlthal SO
mild that one may sleep on deck al
nlgnt On stes mer chair and suffer
20 incouveniences. About 80 miles
Of the journey from San Juan to St
Thomas is in full view of the coast
of Porto R co, presenting con
tinuOus chain of uDdul ttiDg bills
clad 10 green and FURNISHED with
gold wherever the suns rays f4ll
upon them; fioslly the m jestlc pro
mOntOry upon which rests the light.
house of f j.rdo appears upon the
right and south, while to the north
the Island of Culebra breaks upon
the VISION, and TO the southeast the
lie of VleQues may be dlmly seen
Emerging from the waters. Proceed
ing onward dark mass rises upon
the eastern horizon. which we learn
to be the Island Of st. Thomas, dis
iant more than three hours SAL be-
fore it's harbor is reached. AS VT
approach nearer the bold utllnes ol
its coast loom up. and nearer thar
all the rest may be seen small OBJ
ject, whitish in color, aud 10 the dis
lance not unlike small hsy.shocE
10 SIZE and appearance Tnis is the
"Sallor's Rock" or "Frenchmsn''
Cap" which W. fnd, at closer range
to b. several miles from the coast OF
st Tuomas, standing isolated amid
the waters and rising above then
like a huge edlfice, while the white
spray OF old ocean beats eternallJ
upon it's solid base The genial Capt
Thompson, of the "Slocum," (by tht
way Georgian by birth, who hal
followed the sea since early boyhood
and knows the West 1ndia waters
like a book,) informed us that th'
water is quite deep near to tb'
Sailors Rock" or "Frenchman'i
Cap" aud that ships might approach
quite near to it.
The entrance to the hsrbor OF st
Thomas is made from the Carribesr
Sea, and lies between two promon
tories. The town, usually known a.
st. Thomas, following the name o
the Island, but whose correct name Il
Charlotte Amalia, cannot be see'
on the approach from sea, until th'
harbor is entered. The panoram'