The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-06-25


1 have chosen the subject of Puerto Ri
CO because 1 believe it is and ought to be
interesting to all Americans, and espe-
cially to the citizens of Hawaii. Puerto
Ricans are being brought to these ISL
ands in large numbers to work On the
sugar plantations. Many coming in
the next few months, and they will
eventually become a numerous and pow
erfuI class in this Territory. Some will
soon be seeking positions in our homes
as cooks, yardmen and nurses. 1t will
be much easier to deal with them II we
know something about their customs and
character.
In this essay, l Will use Puerto Rico
because it is the original and local name.
1t has been sanctioned by the Board on
Geographical Names of the United
States. Nevertheless, Porto Rico will
probably remain as the popular pronun-
citation because it seems to be easier and
shorter.
Puerto Rico the easternmost and small
est of the Greater Antilles, lies between
ATTITUDES II degrees 50 minutes and H de-
grees 80 minutes north, and longitude 70
degrees 80 minutes and 81 degrees Is min
utes west; that is, in the same latitude
as Hawaii, Bombay, the Sahara desert,
and the northern end of the Philippines.
1t is rudely rectangular in shape, three
times as long as 1t wide, its longer axis
being directly east and west, and has an
area of about 1900 square miles, which
makes it somewhat smaller than the
Island of Hawaii which was 4,210 square
miles. Near by lie the Islands Of Vie
ques, Culebra, Gaia de Muertos, Mona,
Monte and a few islets, belonging to
Puerto Rico
A range of mountains lies east and
west. somewhat south of the middle,
with an average altitude of about 900
feet 1t is highest in the northeast,
where it eliminates in FL Yunkue de Lu-
quilla, 3.67s feet in altitude. This forms
the water divide and, from its crests,
flow north and south about 200 streams.
The slope on the north is much more
gradual than on the south side, where
the rivers plunge from an altitude of
5000 feet to sea level within five to ten
miles. There are twenty-eight streams
of considerable magnitude, the largest
of which are the Rios, Lola, Bayamon,
Morovis, Arecibo and Blanco. all on the
north of the divide. The reason is that
the rainfall is greater on the north, for
the trade-winds bring clouds which pre-
cipitate before they can pass the bar
rier. This does not mean that the south
side is very dry; it has less rain In COM
parison with the north.
There is a very small littoral plain on
the east and west ends of the island On
the north coast there is almost no beach,
the land rising abruptly out of the wa
ter. Less than a hundred miles off
shore is the Brownson Deep, where
soundings of 1850 fathoms have been Ia
KEN On the south there is a fringe OF
mangroye swamps and coral islets There
is about $50 miles of coast, which is in
dented by fourteen harbors, of which,
at present, the best is San Juan The
bay is shallow, and it has a very intri-
cate channel with bar, covered by
twenty-seven feet of water at low tide.
The United States Geodetfc Survey has
recommended the excellent natural har-
Dor of Jobos, which is well protected and
needs only to have an entrance dredged
This would serve as port for Ponce
instead of the open roadstead at La Pla-
va, which Is dangerous in stormy wealth
er.