CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



crops of grain have been cut annually. The island 

 is very rich in minerals, particularly copper and 

 iron ; and mines of gold and silver have also been 

 worked. Coal-mines have likewise been opened, 

 but it does not appear that they have been worked 

 to any extent. The position of Cuba, command- 

 ing the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico, gives it 

 great commercial importance ; and after the ports 

 were opened to foreigners, the productions and 

 trade of the island for some years greatly increased. 

 The chief exports are sugar, coffee, and tobacco, 

 which, manufactured into cigars, is in high esti- 

 mation. The capital is Havana, situated on the 

 north side of the island, and the finest city in the 

 West Indies. It possesses a splendid harbour, 

 which, although narrow at the entrance, is without 

 bar, and inside is capable of containing icoo ships. 

 The population of Cuba in 1877 was 1,394,516, 

 and the number of slaves in 1872 was 269,000. 

 In 1868, a civil war broke out in Cuba, which was 

 not brought to an end till 1878; and in conse- 

 quence, the commercial prosperity of the island, 

 which was on the decline before, has been greatly 

 diminished. 



Puerto Rico, the only other island belonging to 

 Spain, is situated about twenty-five leagues to the 

 eastward of San Domingo. It is intersected by a 

 chain of lofty mountains, which run through it 

 lengthwise, and possesses table-lands and valleys 

 of great fertility. The climate of this island is 

 somewhat peculiar; on the north coast, it often 

 rains during the whole year, while on the south 

 coast an entire want of rain for twelve months is 

 no uncommon phenomenon. The chief produc- 

 tions are sugar, coffee, indigo, rice, and live-stock. 

 The chief town is San Juan. The population of 

 the island is 760,000, of whom about half are 

 white. The coloured people were formerly slaves ; 

 but in 1873 a bill for the total abolition of slavery 

 was passed. 



Dutch. 



Holland possesses the islands of Curagoa, 

 Bonaire, and Oruba, on the coast of Venezuela ; 

 and St Eustatius, Saba, and the southern part of 

 St Martin (the northern part belonging to France), 

 in the leeward group, between St Christopher and 

 Anguilla. The three first-mentioned islands were 

 taken from the Spaniards in 1632. The three 

 latter were colonised by the Dutch about 1635, 

 and were finally secured to them by the peace 

 of 1814. The principal productions of all these 

 islands are sugar and tobacco. 



The Danish settlements, all belonging to the 

 Virgin group, are three in number St Croix, 

 St Thomas, and St John. St Thomas is the 

 meeting-place and general depot of all the West 

 India mail steam-packets. All the three islands 

 are well cultivated, and produce sugar and tobacco. 

 The imports from Great Britain vary in annual 

 amount from ; 15 0,000 to over .200,000 (mainly 

 cotton and coals); the exports from the three 

 islands to Great Britain, from ,40,000 to ; 100,000 

 (mainly sugar). 



336 



INDEPENDENT ISLAND. 

 Haiti, San Domingo, or Hispaniolsu 



This island, lying between Puerto Rico on the 

 east, and Jamaica and Cuba on the west, was dis- 

 covered by Columbus, and called by him His- 

 paniola ; but the native name is Haiti. In 1650,. 

 the French and the Spaniards took possession of 

 it, and divided it between them. At the French 

 Revolution, the negroes rose in a body, massacred 

 the whites, and asserted their independence. After 

 various vicissitudes of government under negro- 

 chiefs (Toussaint 1'Ouverture, Christophe, Sou- 

 louque, &c.), the western or French part of the 

 island is now the republic of Haiti, with an area 

 of 10,204 square miles, and a population variously 

 estimated at from 572,000 to 800,000. The capital 

 of this republic is Port-au-Prince, situated on a 

 large bay, with an excellent harbour, and a popula- 

 tion of 22,000. The Spanish or eastern part of 

 the island is now the republic of San Domingo- 

 (area 18,045 square miles, pop. 136,500), founded 

 in 1844, and reconstructed in 1865, after a revolu- 

 tion, in which the Spanish troops, who had held 

 possession for two years, were expelled. The 

 capital, San Domingo, at the mouth of the river 

 Ozama, founded in 1494 (pop. 15,000), is the oldest 

 European city in the Western Hemisphere. The 

 population of both states consists chiefly of negroes 

 and mulattoes ; but in San Domingo there are 

 also many white inhabitants. The exports and 

 imports of Haiti amount respectively to ,1,820,000 

 and .1,250,000 yearly, and those of San Domingo 

 to 140,000 and ,134,000. The exports are r.iw 

 cotton from Haiti ; and from both states, coffee, 

 mahogany, dye-woods, guano, &c. ; and the im- 

 ports consist chiefly of cotton and linen fabrics. 

 Trade is carried on principally with Great Britain 

 and the United States. 



The greater part of the coast of San Domingo- 

 is rocky and dangerous ; but the Bays of Samana 

 and Neyba afford secure anchorage for large ships. 

 There are also many ports in which small vessels 

 can anchor with safety. The rivers are numerous, 

 the principal being the Haina, the Nigua, the 

 Neyba, and the Yima, which are navigable for 

 some leagues from their entrance. The country 

 is mountainous, but interspersed with fine plains- 

 of great fertility. The mountains intersect the 

 island from east to west, some of them reaching 

 the height of 9000 feet above the level of the sea. 

 The soil is of the finest description, and is distin- 

 guished by the variety of its productions. The 

 French and Spaniards introduced breeds of horned 

 cattle, hogs, sheep, horses, mules, and asses, which 

 have multiplied exceedingly, and are of great 

 value to the inhabitants. Mines of gold, silver,, 

 iron, and copper were formerly found, but it does 

 not appear that they are worked to any extent at 

 present. 



San Domingo was formerly considered one of 

 the most important islands in the West Indies, 

 and it is evident, from its size and the fertility of 

 the soil, that it might be made so again. But the 

 present inhabitants being averse to all labour but 

 what suffices to supply their few wants, produce 

 little for exportation. Commerce is also fettered 

 by vexatious restrictions. The chief articles are 

 mahogany, dye-woods, coffee, tobacco, and cotton. 





