WEST INDIES. — REPUBLIC OF HAYTl. 



429 



ts narrow, winding, and filthy streets. On the southern coast is Santiago, a flourisliing place 

 with an extensive commerce ; its harbor is excellent, but the town is unhealthy. Population, 

 26,73S. Trinidad is a well-built place, on the southern coast, with 13,000 inliabitants. Ba- 

 yamo or St. Salvador, about 20 miles from the coast, is a thriving town, with 7,4S6 inhabi- 

 tants. 



Population at different Periods. 





Whites. 



Free 

 Blncks. 



Free Mu- 

 lattoes. 



Total 

 Free. 



Slaves. 



Total. 



1774 

 1792 - 

 1817 

 1827 - 



96,441) 

 13.3,559 

 239,831) 

 311,051 



11,640 

 20,206 

 54,376 

 48,980 



19,207 

 33,880 

 59,682 

 57,514 



97,287 

 187 711 

 353,888 

 4]7,.545 



44,333 

 84,590 

 199,145 

 286,942 



171,620 

 272,.30l 

 553,033 

 704,487 



The annual value of the imports amounts to 20,000,000 dollars , of exports to 18,000,000 

 dollars. The principal quantity of the articles of export for several years was as below : 





Sugar. 

 Arrobas. 



Coffee. 

 Arrobas. 



Molasses. 

 Hluls. 



Kurn. 

 Pipes. 



Wa,x. 

 Arrobas. 



Leaf Tobacco. 

 Arrobas. 



Cigars. 

 Arrobas. 



1827 - 

 1830 - 

 1833 - 



0,237,390 

 7,868,881 

 7,624,553 



2,001 ,583 

 1 ,798,598 

 2,566,359 



74,083 

 66,219 

 95,708 



2,4.57 

 5,595 

 3,227 



22,403 

 38,741 

 41,536 



79.106 

 160,358 

 92,475 



107,361 

 41)7,152 

 617,713 



Cuba was discovered by Columbus in his first voyage, who did not ascertain whether it was 

 an island or part of the continent ; nor was this question determined till 1 503, when it was 

 circumnavigated by Ocampo. It was conquered by the Spaniards under Velasquez, in' 1511. 



2. Porto Rico. This island is 120 miles in length and 40 in breadth, and contains 4,500 

 square miles. The surface is greatly diversified, rising in some places to mountains, and in 

 others sinking into valleys, watered by beautiful streams, which descend from the higher parts. 

 The chmate differs little from that of the adjacent islands ; and the productions are similar. 

 The woods are said to contain a breed of wild dogs, which the Spaniards imported to hunt the 

 defenceless natives. The northern parts are supposed to contain gold and silver, but no mines 

 are worked. 



St. Juan., a town of 30,000 inhabitants, with a convenient harbor on the north coast, is the 

 capital. The other principal towns are Jlgiiadilla, Guayama, Faxardo., and Ponce. 



Porto Rico has 350,000 inhabitants, of whom 32,000 are slaves. This island was discov- 

 ered by Columbus in 1493, and conquered by the Spaniards under Ponce de Leon, about 

 1509. It was taken by the English under the Earl of Cumberland, towards the close of the 

 17th century, but they found the climate so unhealthy, that they soon abandoned the conquest. 

 It is now, with Cuba, under the government of a Captain General, who resides at Havana, 

 and is in a very flourishing condition. 



REPUBLIC OF HAYTI. 



Hayti, Hispaniola, or St. Domingo, is the second in size of the West India Islands.* Its 

 extreme length is about 400 miles, and its utmost breadth 1 50, and it has an area of about 

 30,000 square miles. The mountains chiefly form 2 chains, running from east to west, with 

 several collateral branches, that pour their accumulated streams upon the plains. Most of the 

 principal rivers originate in the mountains of Cibao, and pursue different directions towards the 

 sea. One of the largest of these is the J^eybe, which enters the Carribean sea. The Ozama 

 bathes the western part of Hayti. The Artibonite is a still larger stream, and flows from the 

 centre of the island to the sea on the west. Alhgators abound in most of the larger rivers, 

 and turtles are very common in their estuaries. Besides the tropical fruits and vegetables, 

 which this region affords, St. Domingo abounds with many valuable kinds of wood. Mahoga- 

 ny grows to a great size, and is of an excellent quality. A species of oak aftbrds planks 60 

 or 70 feet long. The pine is also abundant on the mountains. Few native quadrupeds are 

 found in St. Domingo, and all the domestic kinds were introduced from Europe. Birds are 

 numerous. Noxious reptiles and insects infest the island. 



' Columbus named the island Hispaniola, or Little olution. The European powers, however, applied the 

 Spain, but learned that the native name was Hayti, which, name of the chief city to the whole of the island, anc 

 after a lapse of 300 years, has been revived since the rev- universally called it St Doiiuiigo 



