COSTA IlICA. 



COSTA RICA. 



bordered by a narrow plain, i little indented \>j cre.-k or ban, and 

 affords no large or secure harbour. Port Matina (10- 20' N. Ut.) at 

 the mouth of the river of the same name, though small and far 

 from eafe, i the beet harbour on thin ooait : it serves as the port of 

 Cartago, mid U occasionally visited by vew-ls from the West Indies. 

 The western coa.it ia much more broken. At itt southern extremity 

 is the wide open Qolfo Dulce, the low shores of which arc much 

 indented by the nuuirrotia stream* which fall into it Farther north 

 is Port Manias, and beyond that is the bay formed by the Itio 

 Kutrella: neither of these appears to be used by shipping. More 

 important is the Gulf of Nicoya, which is some distance northward. 

 It has a wide open entrance turned to the south-south-west, but 

 becomes narrower inland. It affords good shelter for chipping, is 

 about TO miles in length, and contains several islands. Punta de 

 Armas, on the eastern side of the gulf, is one of the best harbonn 

 on this part of the Paci&c for vessels not drawing more than 10 feet 

 of water. The Punta de Arenas is the port of San Jose", the present 

 capital of Costa Rica. One other good harbour occurs on this coast, 

 Punta Culebra, which U formed by the rocky headland called Punta 

 Catalina. 



The surface of Costa Rica comprises for the most part a table-land 

 with an elevation of upwards of 2000 feet above the level of the 

 sea. From the range of the Cabecares Mountains in Veragui, cast of 

 the plain of Chiriqui, which connects the table-lands of Vcragim 

 [Niw GRANADA] and Costa Rica, there stretches a consider.iblc 

 number of mountain peaks, many of them of considerable height, and 

 a large part of them volcanic. Some of them attain an elevation of 

 10,000 feet; the Volcano of Cartago is said to be 11,480 feet high. 

 Towards the Caribbean Sea the descent is for the most part abrupt, 

 but terminating from 20 to 30 miles from the sea, between which and 

 the bases of the hills is a low, level, and marshy tract, covered 

 with forests and subject to floods. Towards the Pacific the dcxc.'iit 

 U more gradual ; while the high land advances much nearer to the 

 sea and descends to it in a scries of terraces. A continuous range of 

 volcanic hills extends from the north-western corner of the table- 

 land of Costa Rica around the western side of the Lake of Nicaragua. 

 The north-eastern extremity of the country subsides gradually into 

 the plain of Nicaragua. 



The only important river of Costa Rica is the San Juan, which is 

 common to it and Nicaragua. It issues from the south-eastern 

 extremity of the Lake of Nicaragua, and from that point to its outlet 

 in the Caribbean Sea forms the boundary between the republics of 

 Costa Rica and Nicaragua. It is a considerable stream and N 

 navigable for some distance, but a large portion of its course is 

 shallow or obstructed by sand-bank* and ropidx. From its commence- 

 in. :it in Lake Nicaragua to iU mouth, the distance following the 

 windings of the river is 70 geographical miles. The width varies from 

 100 to 400 feet The difference uf level between the Lake of Nicaragua 

 ami the Caribbean Sea in 121 feet. It is by mean* of this river and the 

 Lake of Nicaragua, with a canal from the lake to the Pacific Ocean, that 

 it has been proposed to form the Nicaragua line of communication 

 between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. At present the Son Juan is 

 only navigated by flat-bottomed barges. [NICARAGUA.] 



The other rivers which enter the Caribbean Sea are very numerous, 

 but all have very short courses, and none of them is navigable. 

 The principal are the Matina, the Purissima, and the Tortugo. The 

 great want of the state in a ready communication with the Atlantic, 

 and thii it is said might bo met by forming a road about (iii mil' * 

 long, from San Juxf to the Sarapequi, a feeder of the San Juan, 

 and by improving the navigation of those rivers, thus enabling the 

 produce of the republic to be shipped at the port of San Juan de 

 Nicaragua. The river* which fall into the Pacific have all a short 

 course. The Estrella, the Arena, and the Baranca are among the 

 more important Several small lakei occur on the table-land. 



CUmalt, Soil, and Production*. The climate of Costa Rica is on the 

 whole mon regular and healthy than in other parts of Central 

 America. There are a dry season, which commences in November 

 and UwU until April, and a wet season which occupies the remainder 

 of ^the year. The UiermomeUr rarely riws above 85* or falls below 

 5 . In the rainy season thunderstorms of a very severe description 

 are frequent 



Th soil U of varied quality, but in many parts very fertile. On 

 UM mots elevated district* there are few forests, but on the lower 

 declivities, and especially along the eastern coast they are rery 

 abundant A good deal of timber, especially Bracil wood, mahogany, 

 and cedar is exported. 



Around the town of Cartago and on the western and north-western 

 pert* of the country, wheat is cultivated to some extent Maize is 

 frown much more extensively, and is exported somewhat largely to 

 Chili and Pent Cofce U however the staple : it is of fine quality, 

 and meets with a rrady sale. Tobacco is raised to some ex 

 the table-land tmth for home consumption and exportation. Sugar 

 is an important article in th agriculture of Costa Rica : it i- rhi.-lly 

 grown on the western aide of the country, and exported from I'nntii 

 de Arenas. Cacao, indigo, Ac. are aim grown. All the article* 

 peculiar to intortropical regions are produced abundantly except cotton, 

 the vine, and cochineal, which are destroyed by the heavy rains. 

 Agriculture however, though it is upon iU agricultural produce that 



Costa Rica is chiefly dependent, is in a very backward stata, and the 

 capabilities of the soil are very far from having been made fully 

 available. The most common fruits are apples, pears, peaches, 4e. 

 Of vegetables tho leguminous kinds, as peas, beans, lentils, ftc., are 

 the most common. There are some good pasture lands, and along 

 the San Juan cattle forms an important part of the wealth of the 

 country. Horses and mules are bred, but not in large numbers. 

 Swine are raised in the low district*. Sheep are tolerably abundant 

 <n tho table-land. Poultry are bred in great numbers. 



Fish are very plentiful along the coast* and in the rivers. In the 

 Gulf of Nicoya pearls and the pearl-shells are obtained ; also a shell- 

 fish which yields a purple dye. 



Several metals are said to exist, but gold is the only one which is 

 worked. The most important gold mines are those of Aquacte not 

 far from the Oulf of Nicoya and Real del Monte. Coal ia reported 

 to have been found, but it is not worked. 



The manufactures are confined to the coaraer articles of home con- 

 sumption. They consist chiefly of coarse cotton goods, common hats, 

 coarse earthenware, furniture, wooden utensiln, Ac. The commerce 

 appears to be steadily increasing. The exports consist of coffee, of 

 which 150,000 cwts. were exported in 1848 ; hides, about 10,000 

 annually ; with mahogany, cedar, Nicaragua wood, narsaparilla, mother- 

 of-pearl, and a small quantity of pearls. Grain, fruit, drugs, cattle, 

 and poultry, and various miscellaneous articles likewise form a part 

 of the exports. The total annual value ia estimated at upward* of 

 a million dollars. The import." amount in value to about three-fourths 

 of the exports. The exports are chiefly made in llritiidi vessels. All 

 the shipments are made from the Pacific port*, and mostly from Punta 

 de Arenas. Tho exports are chiefly to the northern states of ' 

 America, Chili, Peru, and the West Indies. The imports from Great 

 Britain consist principally of cotton goods, woollens, hardware, and 

 other dry goocLi. Crapes and other China goods ::re brought largely 

 in American vessels, as well as coarse stuffs. Silk*, brandies, and 

 trinkets are brought from France ; wines from Spain. A commercial 

 treaty was made with England in 1850. 



Diritiotu, Tomu, Ac. Costa Rica in divided into six departments 

 San JoB<5, Cartago, Herodia, Alajuela, Guanaceute, and Punta de Arenas. 

 The only towns of any importance are the capital, San Jose'; Cartago, 

 the former capital ; and Alajuela and Villa Vii-ja on the western coast 

 San Jute, the capital of the republic, population about 16,000, 

 stands on the elevated table-laud, 9" 46' N. lat, 84 W. long. Its site 

 is said to be 4500 feet above the level of the sea. It is a modern city, 

 having grown up since the declaration of independence ; and though 

 the seat of the government, legislature, and court* of justice, as 

 well as of tho bishop, it has no buildings of any beauty or importance. 

 It is however a busy commercial town. It communicates by a cart- 

 road 72 miles long with its port, Punta de Arena*, which is also a 

 thriving place, being the principal port of Costa Rica. 



Cartago stands at the base of tho Volcano of Cartago, about 10 miles 

 K. by 8. from San Jo<5 : population about 5000. It was once the 

 capital of Costa Rica, and a place of some commercial as well as 

 political consequence, but in both respects it has given way to San 

 Jose. In 1841 it was almost entirely ruined by an earthquake, which 

 destroyed seven out of its eight churches and nearly 3000 houses. It 

 has never recovered from the calamity. 



Alajuela, population, including the surrounding district, about 

 10,000, stands nearly midway between San Jose" and Punta de Arenas, 

 and is a place of some trade. A good deal of sugar is raised in the 

 vicinity. Villa Vieja, about 7 miles W. from San Josf, is likewise a 

 place of some trade. Curridabat, Assari, Paraiso, Heredia, Barba, 

 and Esporza are other towns of more or less consequence. 



Gorrrnment, Ac. The government is in the hands of a president 

 elected for six years, and a legislative assembly consisting of 12 depu- 

 ties elected for three years. The revenue, derived principally from 

 a duty on tobacco and spirits, land sales, stamps, Ac., amounts to 

 about 120,000 dollars. The state has no debt either foreign or 

 domestic, and it has happily enjoyed internal and external peace for 

 several years. The chief court of justice, is the Tribunal of Son Josrf, 

 which is presided over by seven judges. The militia consists of 

 5000 men, of whom 200 are called u|K>n at a timu t<> form the nrmy 

 on duty. 



The white inha'iitant-i of the republic are relatively more numerous 

 in Costa Rica than in tho other republics of Central America: tho 

 ladinoa, or mulattoes, are also numerous. They are chiefly settled on 

 the western side of tho table-land. The eastern side of the country 

 is occupied by the Indian*, who number about 10,000. The Roman 

 Catholic i* the established religion, but other forms of worship 

 i. The church is presided over by the Bishop of San Jose. 

 During the Spanish o !' this part of America, Costa Rica 



formed a part of the kingdom of Guatemala. After the declaration 

 of independence by the i-pam h American colonies, September 1821, 

 it remained for a short time united to the Mexican kingdom of 

 Iturlie ; but when the now federal union uf the I'nitcd .states of 

 Central America was established in 1 823 after the model of the United 

 States of North America, it formed one of the united states. On the 

 dissolution of thi. L ' - ni>>n, Costa Rica became an independent 



republic, and has so continued .. T since, 

 (Hacf kins, Central Amenta ; Byam ; Baily, Central America, ic.) 



