Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-06-02

as to the investigator of its scientific
character and resources.
In the interior valleys, plantations
Of tobacco are laid out. The plants
are protected by sheets of cheese
cloth which. with their sharply-defined
borders. seem like incongruous fields
Of snow upon the deep green Of the
hills. Even the steep slopes Of the
hills bear here and there their little
patches of tobacco or Of other crops.
centering about q native hut perched
precariously near the top. and set on
by the graceful royal palms. Higher up.
the character Of the ground or Of the
region il unsuitable for tobacco. yet
even here coffee and cocoa are grown
under the shade of specially planted
trees. Little remains Of the larger for
est. for wood becomes scarce when 20
many demand 1t daily for fires. Only
on the higher peaks Of the great CEN
trail mountains are there any relics OF
the primeval growth that once sx-
tended 80 widely.
On the TANKS of the main east-and-
west backbone of the island. composed
of igneous rocks, there are broken lev
els and hills Of limestone. fun Of
marine fossils and other indications Of
their origin at the border Of the ocean.
Since their formation the land has
risen 80 as to lift them many, hum
dreds Of feet above their former. level.
Where the rivers have worn against
them, they display stratified faces Of
especial interest to the geologist and
paleontologist
Passing the great divide from north
to south. the mountains drop more
rapidly to the foothills and to the
coastal plains. In the southeast the
ground is still suitable for sugar and
cocoanut groves; but coming west, the
effect of the heights in cutting Oh the
moisture Of the trades becomes more
marked. and . semiarid region with
its Characteristic cactus II encoun-
tered. Here the cane can be grown
only by extensive irrigation, which the
insular government has undertaken
with great success and profit Toward
the southwest. the land becomes .
typical desert, and about Lake Guani-
ca 1t supports little besides the assocl'
alton of cactus plants.
The corozal Cavern.
In the limestone regions, hundreds
of large and small caverns have been
excavated BY underground streams.
One Of these, near Corozal. II well
worthy Of description. The valley d
q beautiful wide basin. surrounded By
peculiar triangular white hills of lime
stone, and the cave mouth, about forty
feet in height, IL reached by means Of
creepers and lodges ON he worry bee oi
the cliff. Once 1t II gained. the down
ward view IL Q striking and character
istic panorama Of hill and Geld end
stream. On the sides Of the entrances
there are hundreds Of spider webs
each with the dried remains Of ~
casual collection of prey. Tre4dino
inward and upward. the way narrow
until after four hundred yards o. horl
Of walking and scrambling and creep
ing. one emerges into daylight through
small hole on the other side Of TIL
hill.
On account Of the. dominant Span
ish influence for % many centuries
the population naturally exhibits {
preponderance Of the characteristits d
that race. Only small section, how
ever. has retained its purity. Of whIo&
1t II justly proud: for the most poS|
the people are mixtures Of SpanlGA
negro and Indian characters. r q
strange that % few are found VIA
unmixed African features. although h
certain settlements. they too, hay(
preserved many Of the customs - VEL
| as the physique Of their ancestors