PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



663 



ket in limited amount. A small oyster is very abun- 

 dant in certain localities, growing attached to the 

 mangrove-bushes. They are eaten by the natives, 

 but are not so palatable as the oyster of more north- 

 ern localities. While an enumeration of the sea and 

 river animals of the island, known to naturalists, 

 would show a large number of kinds of great im- 

 portance for food, little can be told of their distri- 

 bution or abundance. The prostrate condition of 

 industry is as marked in the neglect of the fisheries 

 as in the decay of agriculture. 



The testimony of witnesses, the observation of the 

 commissioners, the reports of special investigations, 

 show that it is generally a healthy country. Immi- 

 grants easily become accustomed to the climate ; but, 

 on the coast, where hot weather prevails, care must 

 be taken. Individuals from the Northern States, now 

 residing on the coast, and engaged in cultivating 

 plantations there, say they can labor there with their 

 own hands, and that white men may work there, 

 under certain regulations, as safely as* in the United 

 States. The interior of the island consists chiefly 

 of elevated land. The mountain slopes and valleys, 

 overlooked or surrounded by lofty ridges, are com- 

 paratively cool, and are favorable to northern consti- 

 tutions. "Within a few hours' ride, inland farms 

 were visited, where the temperature, cooled by the 

 neighboring peaks, was bracing, and, in the same 

 fields, could be seen growing cabbages and bananas, 

 potatoes and plantains, Indian-corn and sugar-cane, 

 etc. In effect, labor can be prosecuted by white men 

 in such regions, and general good health maintained. 

 The process of acclimation to strangers coming in 

 was so slight as to be scarcely an inconvenience. It 

 may be said, generally, that this process presents no 

 greater obstacle to immigration than does the similar 

 process in several of pur new States. The physical 

 configuration of the island is such that a decided 

 difference exists between its eastern and western 

 ends in regard to health. In the eastern or wind- 

 ward portion of the island, occupied by the Domini- 

 can Eepublic, the principal mountain-chains run in 

 lines approaching an east and west direction. The 

 valleys between them are, therefore, swept during a 

 great portion of the year by the trade-winds, which, 

 in that latitude, come from directions east and north- 

 east. These valleys are thus constantly supplied 

 with pure air from the sea, and malarious influences 

 are rapidly disappearing. On the other hand, the 

 west end of the island, occupied by Hayti, is walled 

 in on its western or leeward side by chains of high 

 mountains, running in irregular curves from north to 

 south. It would appear that these act to some extent 

 as barriers to the trade-winds, and to this fact, 

 coupled with the influence of neighboring marshes 

 and mangrove-swamps, it is due, in great measure, 

 that Port-au-Prince and the country about it have so 

 bad a reputation in regard to health. As to the large 

 towns, there can be no doubt that the want at pres- 

 ent of any practical application of sanitary knowl- 

 edge causes them to rank far lower in regard to health 

 than they otherwise would. Among the leading 

 historical events connected with the island of Hayti 

 and St. Domingo, which have stamped themselves 

 upon the public mind, are the dreadful epidemics, 

 principally yellow fever, which ravaged the English 

 and French and the Spanish armies successively 

 landed upon the coast. The victims were Europeans, 

 and their sad fate interested millions, so that, in the 

 public mind, St. Domingo and yellow fever became 

 almost synonymous. It is a matter of history that 

 the most fatal of these, that of the French, at the 

 beginning of this century, conducted its operations 

 mainly on the llaytian part of the island. The 

 English expedition to St. Domingo, which is some- 

 times referred to, so far as can be ascertained, was 

 not attended by any greater loss of life from disease 

 than might have been expected, with the imperfect 

 sanitary regulations of military forces which have 

 existed down to a very recent period. The losses 



of the Spanish army from illness were largely due to 

 the utter lack of sanitary care, and the commissioners 

 are satisfied that those losses have been enormously 

 exaggerated. 



The commissioners have given special attention to 

 the matter of health ; arid, besides getting informa- 

 tion from other quarters, they have charged two 

 medical gentlemen to report specially upon it, and 

 their reports are appended. Their conclusion is this : 

 The popular idea, that the Dominican territory is 

 particularly unhealthy, and that persons visiting it 

 are peculiarly liable to yellow fever, is entirely erro- 

 neous. The average general health and longevity are 

 quite equal to, and probably greater than, those of the 

 United States, as a whole. Immigrants are not 

 liable to any more disturbance of general health in 

 the process of acclimation than are persons who 

 pass from the old to the new States of the United 

 States, and, saving upon the sea-coast, the process is 

 so simple as to escape notice. Taking the year 

 through, as much agricultural work can be done, 

 without affecting health, as can be done in our Middle 

 and Western States, and with greater results. Per- 

 sons in all circumstances can here, by selecting their 

 locality, enjoy a delicious climate and abundance of 

 fruit, with far less liability to diseases of the lungs, 

 to scarlet fever, and other fearful epidemics, and 

 without any liability to yellow fever. The commis- 

 sion, its attache's, and the gentlemen of the press, 

 numbered 32 ; the officers and crew of the frigate num- 

 bered 496. This company of 528 sojourned in the 

 harbors, supposed to be the most unhealthy parts of 

 the country, or in the interior of the island, about 

 two months. Few, if any, had been acclimated. 

 Nevertheless, there was but one case of mortal dis- 

 ease, and that from causes unconnected with climate. 

 There was no case of malignant fever and none of 

 severe sickness among them. The steamer Nan- 

 tucket, with its full complement of officers and sea- 

 men, has been in the harbor of the island for about 

 fifteen months, and has not had a single case of yel- 

 low fever. 



In 1842 there was a severe earthquake, which did 

 considerable damage in some portions of the island. 

 Several similar shocks had previously occurred in 

 the course of three and a half centuries. Since that 

 time none has been experienced which, according to 

 the accounts of the people, did any serious damage 

 to life and property. Almost every year very slight 

 shocks occur, so inconsiderable that scarce one in a 

 dozen of the inhabitants is aware of them. About 

 the time of the autumnal equinox, hurricanes are not 

 unfrequentj and are sometimes attended with dam- 

 ages, especially to shipping along the coast, and even 

 to trees and crops on land. 



There are several rivers, as the Yuna, Yaqui, and 

 Ozama, which, during the greater part of the year, 

 can be navigated by vessels of light draught to a 

 considerable distance into the interior. At present, 

 they simplify and afford facilities for floating down 

 the timber which grows within easy distance of their 

 banks. 



The territory of the Dominican Eepublic is in- 

 dented with numerous harbors, generally accessible 

 only by vessels of light draught. The -three great 

 bays of Samana, Ocoa, and Manzanilla, admit vessels 

 of the largest draught and are important as outlets 

 of the commerce of the country surrounding them, 

 especially the Bay of Manzanilla, which lies at the 

 entrance of the great valley of the Yaqui, but neither 

 of the two last named has any great importance in a 

 militarv point of view. 



The "Bay of Samana, however, deserves more care- 

 ful attention, as on many accounts it is the most im- 

 portant in the West Indies. It is on the northeastern 

 extremity of the island, is thirty miles long by about 

 ten miles broad, and is sufficiently commodious for 

 the largest fleets. It is well protected from the winds, 

 especially those of the northeast, by the moun- 

 tains of the peninsula. Its entrance presents no ob- 



