THE REPUBLIC OF HAITI 27-J 



mule-paths. This is due partly to neglect and partly to 

 topographical conditions which expose them to the de- 

 structive influences of torrential rains. In the time of the 

 French occupation many of them were kept in excellent 

 condition, and as late as the empire of Soulouque, car- 

 riages and other vehicles could be freely used through quite 

 a number of localities where vehicular transportation is 

 not now practicable. The fact that the republic once had 

 good roads, and that in the island of Martinique, where the 

 conditions for maintaining them are quite as difficult as in 

 Haiti, French engineering has established and maintains 

 the best of highways, proves the possibilities in this respect 

 of the latter country. The present government appears to 

 be alive to the necessity of better transportation facilities. 



A coast service, maintained since 1863, is carried on by 

 four steamers. These are aided by the government, and 

 their regular trips are so arranged that they cover the 

 whole extent of the Haitian coast every ten days, taking 

 passengers and mails, and touching regularly at no less 

 than twenty-six ports. The northern route covers two 

 hundred and forty and the southern three hundred and 

 fifteen miles of the coast. 



The foreign communication is excellent, the country 

 being visited by more lines of foreign steamers than 

 any other West Indian island. Haiti has regular com- 

 munication with New York by the Atlas Steamship 

 Company and the Royal Dutch West India Mail Service 

 Company, and the William P. Clyde & Company line. The 

 Royal Mail Steamship Company's steamers call every sec- 

 ond week at Jacmel, affording connection with the Lesser 

 Antilles and England. The Compagnie Generate Trans- 

 atlantique's steamers, sailing from Havre and Bordeaux 

 to Vera Cruz, stop at Cape Haitien on the 7th, and at 

 Port-au-Prince on the 8th of each month, and on their 

 homeward run touch at those ports on the 27th of each 

 month. This company also has an annex steamer which, 

 starting from Fort-de-Francc, calls once or twice a month 



IS 



