252 IOWA STUDIES IN NATURAL HISTORY 
Porto Rican troops could be seen, with long rows of khaki col- 
ored tents and level parade grounds. Then substantial stone 
buildings, a huge wireless plant, pretty villas, and the fortifica- 
tions guarding the magnificent harbor, chief of which looms 
up the famous Castle Morro with its lighthouse. The whole sea- 
front here was exceedingly well fortified and the system of bas- 
tions, moats, battlements, etc. is still most picturesque and a 
fine illustration of the old style of city defenses in the time of 
Spanish glory. Doubtless the modern defensive system is ade- 
quate, although not in evidence. 
Soon the little pilot boat with the beautiful American colors 
comes dancing over the waves and the ‘‘Parima’’ passes cau- 
tiously through the narrow channel and into the famous harbor 
of our largest West Indian possession, steaming between the 
Morro and a little fortified island, Carmelo. 
The water-front as seen from the harbor is quite metropoli- 
tan in appearance. Many handsome stone buildings several 
stories in height make an imposing skyline in comparison with 
that of other cities visited during our cruise, and the extensive 
wharves and numerous vessels from various parts of the world 
attest the maritime importance of this great island port. 
All of which made us exceedingly anxious to land, and 
this anxiety grew momentarily more intense as the customs 
officials came aboard. The officer in charge, however, was a 
man of more experience and authority than those whom we had 
encountered in the Virgin Islands and actually took the time 
to consider our arguments instead of giving an abrupt a priori 
refusal, which was the method of the Virgin Island officials. 
After an inspection of passports, the much desired permission 
admitting a party of American citizens actually to step ashore 
in an American port was issued, and even Mr. Ricker was al- 
lowed to take his camera and put in a most successful day of 
photographic work. 
We found at once that San Juan is still a Spanish city in 
every way, but spurred on by American enterprise in the erec- 
tion of a number of modern and imposing buildings. Great 
warehouses on the wharves were piled to the roof with thou- 
sands of tons of sugar awaiting shipment to the United States. 
Here was the world erying for sugar, the American people put 
