Evening star., 1925-04-27

The top picture shows the coast rang
Bottom picture is that of a
their ''off- season" baroness, with last
years great brown pods swinging
aloft. But later they become the glory
of the island. They are everywhere
in abundance, so that the vision of
Porto Rico's roads in the Summer
months must be one of unspeakdble
beauty.
The very rocks contribute to the va
riety of the scene in point of color. Now
they are dark gray, almost black in
places; again, they are reddish, and
yet again they are white, even yellow.
For there are many kinds of rocks
here in Porto Rico--volcanic, coral,
granite. Now the road winds through
a cutting the walls of which are richly
amber in tone, with the mosses and
ferns giving greenish veining.
Again, it twists along queer-shaped
cones of coral formation that have
been thrust sharply UP from the level
fields. deeply indented by the weather,
with gaunt eyes peering forth to
watch the new life that is pulsing
past. Some of them are bare to the
tops and others are covered with
plants and trees. One wonders why
the thrifty tillers of the soil do not
plant things in the cups and hollows
and cavelike holes. Perhaps they do.
One never knows just what is doing
there in the fields and the hills.
Soil Is Tenacious.
There is little terracing of the land.
as in some other hilly islands where
space Is precious-in the Canaries, for
a Thnt Sc haa In, he
main. the soil in Porto Rico is tena-
cious and does not wash readily. 1t
clings to the rock bases, save as
against the most furious storms. A
pineapple plantation may climb almost
to the top of a ridge in smooth Sc
quence of rows, with channel lines
left for the flow of the rains. Some
think that there is too much planting
of tobacco in the hills, for tobacco,
being a true weed. has but slight root
age and will not hold the soil against
very heavy rains. and there is in some
sections much loss of hill soil on this
account.
Surprises, I have said, are common.
But perhaps the most surprising thing
in Porto Rico, so far as my own ex-
perience has gone, is the sudden ap-
pearance of a great gorge cut by the
Manati River through a ridge of
the town of Manati and a short dis
tance north of the smaller town of
Gales. This is in about the exact
center of the island, as between east
and west, though somewhat north of
the true center.
Rock Cutting of Past.
Going north from Manati, and hence
from the Atlantic. the road has been
winding about as usual, rising stead
lily above a fertile, thickly cultivated
valley plain. Suddenly, without the
least warning, one more turn brings
one into view of a titanic example of
hill sliciDg. The river, now a modest
stream. incapable of any such heavy
work, has at some time in the very
remote past cut straight down through
the heart of three good sized eleva-
tions, from submits to bases, leaving
them exposed to the scrutiny of geol-
ogists in all their structure. These
three triangular surfaces of gray, al
most white, rock show two remarkable
cleavage lines, parallel, about 40 feet
apart, as even as though the huge
blocks of masonry had been laid by
giant master hand. The SUBMITS are
about 200 feet above the placid stream,
which flows in innocent calmness, with
an air of utter irresponsibility for the
rock cutting done in past ages.
The spectacle is utterly unexpected.
The beholder is astonished. On every
hand are other evidences of the huge
scale slicing work-walls of sheer,
white rock looming up to great
heights, sometimes in unbroken planes
of many acres, again in rounded for
nations, like immense bow windows
thrust over the edge of the cliff, hon.
eycombed with cave mouths high from
the possibility of access. One of these
pinnacleS exposes a giant human pro-
file to view.
Eating Into Cliff.
Mst beyond the main view of the
gorge the river makes a sharp turn,
coming squarely against a tall cliff,
into the base of which it is undoubt-
edly eating an undermining hole.
Some day that cliff will fall and choke
the river, and then the scene will be
changed again.
Half a mile away the traveller turns
and looks back, but there is no sign
of the gorge. The surprise lies await
ing the next conner, to arouse his as
tonishment in this island of constant
variety-this Switzerland of America.
Porto Ricos towns and cities are
mostly built on a standard pattern.
There iS/ always a plaza, or central
square, facing which is invariably the
largest, or in the case of the smaller
places, the only. church. Some of
these plazas are beautiful parks; others
are simply broad, paved spaces. The
plaza at San Juan is one of the least
attractive in Porto Rico. That at
Ponce is celebrated for its trees and
payilions. Ponce's plaza has a dis
tinctive feature in the ornate home of
the "bombera - or firemen. These red
shirted public servants add to the pic
turesoueness of this old town.
Statues of Patriot.
Nearly every town and city in Porto
Rico has it's statue of Munoz Rivera,
the islands hero. He is depicted in a
great variety of sculptured forms, now
sitting, now standing. The Ponce
statue of Munoz Rivera does not fiat
ter him. The statue standing on the
grounds of the university at Rio
Piedras shows the patriot faithfully in
an attitude of attention, with his silk
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