062 



PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



They are tomatoes, sweet-potatoes, corn, peas, beans, 

 lettuces, radishes, kidney-beans, squashes, egg- 

 plants, peppers, etc. ; also yams, cassava, plantains, 

 and many other products unknown in the North. 

 St. Domingo has always been noted for the compara- 

 tive variety and abundance of its grasses, which add 

 greatly to its agricultural capabilities. The grama, 

 as it is commonly called, a broad-leaved grass which 

 takes root at every jointj grows abundantly, and be- 

 comes thicker in proportion as it is cropped. A still 

 more valuable grasSj called grama del pais, or grass 

 of the country, furnishes forage. The guesea-grass, 

 which has proved 8p precious in South America, 

 does well. The prairie-grass of the savannas is said 

 not to bear close, but gives place to others. To the 

 abundance of these grasses is owing the preeminence 

 of St. Domingo over the adjacent islands in the rais- 

 ing of cattle. For centuries the neighboring agricul- 

 tural colonies have depended upon the Spanish por- 

 tion of this island for their supplies of horses, cattle, 

 and hogs. The vast savannas, called Llanos, on the 

 eastern end of the island, are intersected in all direc- 

 tions by belts of timber, with a luxurious under- 

 growth. Travelling over these savannas at mid-day, 

 the Commission found what seemed to be a solitary 

 prairie, with no signs of human habitation or animal 

 life ; but, as the sun declined, there came out from 

 the groves, on all sides, thousands of cattle, spread- 

 ing themselves over the plain. These cattle are in 

 size a little less than a good grade in our country. 

 They are mostly of a tawny or Alderney color, well 

 made up and long-horned. As their food is peren- 

 nial, and as they require no shelter in winter, the 

 chief business of the herdsman is to brand and count 

 them. They can be bought for about a cent a pound 

 on the hoof. Vast as ar3 the herds on the eastern 

 Llanos, they do not exceed in number or quality those 

 in other parts of the island ; but, were they multiplied 

 tenfold, they could not exhaust the abundant pas- 

 turage. In the more arid districts goats abound, and 

 in the forests swine thrive in great numbers. Sheep 

 are now very few ; poultry is plentiful ; flocks of 

 wild Guinea-fowls may be seen in many parts of the 

 island. For travelling and transportation, horses are 

 generally used ; they are raised in great numbers ; 

 they are smaller than those common in our own 

 country, but are strong and docile, of great endur- 

 ance, and thrive upon a scanty subsistence. The 

 great drawback to stock-raising has arisen from ma- 

 rauding expeditions during various insurrections and 

 revolutions ; only the frequency of these has pre- 

 vented an immense development of this branch of 

 national wealth. 



One of the most remarkable agricultural features 

 of St. Domingo is the diversity of natural growths 

 in different localities. This arises from differences of 

 soil, humidity, and temperature ; the landscapes of 

 Maine and Louisiana scarcely differ more widely to 

 the eye than the lower portions of the adjoining 

 valleys of the Yuna and the Yaqui, flowing respec- 

 tively into the bays of Samaria and Manzanilla, be- 

 tween the same ranges of mountains. The palms 

 and plantains of the one bear little resemblance to 

 the cactus and acacias of the other ; the high moun- 

 tain-slopes and plateaus of the interior differ equally 

 from both of these, and have a flora of their own. 

 It is safe to predict that, when culture and civilization 

 have developed the various capabilities of each, 

 these contrasts of climate and productions will be still 

 more pronounced. This diversity will give rise to an 

 active internal commerce, and will prove beneficial 

 to the health, comfort, and material interests of the 

 inhabitants. The commissioners expected to find an 

 abundance of the insects and reptile pests which 

 constitute such a serious drawback to comfort in 

 rnost tropical countries, but they were agreeably dis- 

 appointed. Snakes seemed to "be about as common 

 as in the interior of our old States, but no venomous 

 ones were heard of. Scorpions and tarantulas are 

 found, but they are not common, and the effects of 



their bite are seldom serious. The testimony of thj 

 head of_ a thrifty New-England family, who had 

 resided in the neighborhood of Samana Bay nearly 

 two years, was to the effect that there was as little 

 difficulty in keeping a house clear from troublesome 

 insects as in our Northern States. 



The most striking characteristic of St. Domingo, 

 at first sight, is the wonderful luxuriance of its for- 

 ests. In many parts, and especially in the neighbor- 

 hood of the Bay of Samana, although there are 

 abrupt ridges, perpendicular cliffs, and bold head- 

 lands, no bare rocks can be seen, being hidden by a 

 mass of strong vegetation. But, on close observa- 

 tion, another and not less striking characteristic is 

 revealed an astonishing variety in forest-products. 

 The cause of^this variety is to be found, doubtless, 

 in the great difference in elevation of the surface ex- 

 posure and character of the soil. Near the coast 

 various species of palm are abundant, and very valu- 

 able in constructing such houses as have been gener- 

 ally found best suited to the climate. On the moun- 

 tain-slopes, at different heights, grow in abundance, 

 both the choicest cabinet woods, as mahogany, satin- 

 wood, etc., and a great variety of timber especially 

 valuable in house-building. The roble, or Dominican 

 oak, and a hard pitch-pine were found in abundance 

 in various parts of the country. In the more dry 

 districts flourish several valuable woods, the best 

 known of which, perhaps, is the lignum-vitee, of 

 which the quantity is very great. There is also an 

 apparently inexhaustible supply of the most valuable 

 woods which enter into manufactures, or which have 

 medical value, as logwood, fustic, aloes, etc. Great 

 as are the quantities of the woods that have been 

 already cut, there remains an abundance. The ma- 

 hogany-trees have been cut off to some extent along 

 the coast and the navigable streams, where they^wero 

 accessible, but, in the interior, even the simple 

 methods of transportation in use were insufficient ; 

 wide forests, still untouched, await the construction 

 of roads to render them available. In various places, 

 the commissioners saw houses constructed chiefly of 

 mahogany. The want of roads has prevented any 

 approach to the exhaustion of the products of the 

 forests. A striking proof of this was noted by those 

 who crossed the island. Within thirty miles of the 

 principal northern seaport were frequently seen largo 

 logs of mahogany, of the best qualities, evidently 

 left to decay by the road-side for lack of means 

 of transportation. The main transportation of these 

 woods noted in these expeditions was by means of 

 panniers, slung upon the backs of horses and mules. 

 Hence, only small pieces could be brought out. Not- 

 withstanding the abundance of valuable timber, no 

 saw-mill was found in the country. The details of 

 forest-products and botanical distribution will be 

 found in the special accompanying reports. 



The fisheries, once flourishing, have during these 

 latter years fallen into neglect. At an earlier period 

 in the history of the island, more attention was paid 

 to the marine resources, and the tunny-fishery was 

 carried on all around the shores of the island, sup- 

 plying the home wants for salt fish, and allowing an 

 export to the other colonies. This fishery is now dis- 

 continued, although great schools of fish are still 

 abundant on the southern shore. The efforts of the 

 fishermen are confined to meagrely supplying the 

 markets of the seaports, and their produce is brought 

 in on two days in the week, although both the sur- 

 rounding seas and the rivers of the island are well 

 stocked with fishes of many kinds. The blackfish, 

 or the grampus, a small member of the whale family, 

 is somewhat abundant on the northern shore, where 

 several score are caught every year, and their blub- 

 ber tried down for oil. The turtle, both the green 

 edible species and the hawksbill, whose^chief com- 

 mercial value is in its shell, are abundant in the deep 

 sea ; a few miles from open land, quite around the 

 island, both are caught in moderate quantities. Sev- 

 eral varieties of shell-fish are brought into the mar- 



