426 



MEXICO, CENTRAL AMEEICA, WEST INDIES. 



Bayamon, the raost important place in its valley, capital of a department and 

 centre of a ricli and highly-cultivated agricultural district. 



Rio Piedras and Santurce, which are both situated in the same territorial 

 division, are the chief rural retreats in the neighbourhood of San Juan. Here 

 numerous suburban villas are scattered amid the shady groves which fringe the 

 banks of the running waters. 



Areciho, also a departmental capital, is one of the places that exceed San 

 Juan in population. Yet it stands some distance from the sea on an unnavigable 



Fig. 205. — San Jtjan Batjtista, Puerto Rico. 

 Scale ] : 600,000. 



otoie 



Feet. 



Depths. 



16 to 32 



Feet. 



32 Feet 

 and upwards. 



12 Miles. 



stream, which reaches the coast opposite an exposed roadstead dangerous to 

 shipping in rough weather. The Rio Grande d'Arecibo, as the river is called, 

 flows mainly north through the extremely fertile hilly districts, where the chief 

 centres of population are the towns of Adjnntas and TJtuado. In the department 

 of Arecibo occur numerous stalactite caves. 



AguadiUa, on the west coast, is a thriving seaport, possessing the advantage of 

 a spacious bay sheltered from the trade winds. Here are shipped the sugar and 

 coffee of Lares, Pejnno, Moca, and other agricultural centres in the Colubrinas 



