Slt 
The two principal towns are Saito Do- 
mingo, and Sant Yago. 
Santo Domingo is built upon a flat that 
rifes above the harbour and the road ; the 
climate is very temperate. 
Sant Yago is al{o fituated on a flat above 
the Yaqui. This town never had any 
inclofure. It has a large fquare; the 
fireets are ftrait, and the houfes moltly of 
fione or brick. It has feveral churches. 
The other fettlements are Neybe,. Azua, 
Bani, Seybo, Bayaguna, Monte Plate, 
Boya, Hyguey, Samana, Samana la Mar, 
Puerto Plata, Monte Chrifto, Le*Cotuy, 
La Vega, Laxavon, St. Raphael, Hincha, 
Banique, and St. Juan. Each of thefe 
fettlements has a church or chapel of 
eale. 
Notwithfanding that the Spaniards 
were the firft who cultivated the fugar- 
cane, indigo, rocoo, and ginger, and that 
they once had rich plantations, fill it 
may be truly faid, that in this part of-the 
ifland cultivation is yet in its infancy. 
There are in the whole colony but 24 
fugar plantations ; moft of which are“only 
tourniquets for the making of molaffes, 
either for prefent ule; or to be converted 
into Taffia. Abie 
The firft fugar-canes were brought 
hither by one Aquilon ; and their propa- 
gation, and the firft fugar-mill, were due 
to a furgeon named Vellofa. 
Coffee, which fucceeds every where, is 
but little cultivated. 
Cacao appears to be an indigenous plant 
here. After it had been difcovered, a 
great quantity was produced and exported 
to Europe. Its cultivation has diminithed, 
like that of every other f{pecies of pro- 
duce, and hardly enovgh is procured for 
the confumption of the colony ; the high 
winds that rage in the fouthern diftriéts, 
have poflibly cccafioned the difcontinuance 
of its culture ; but it might be reared in 
the plain of Savega, where the chain of 
mountains of Cibao and Monte Chrifto, 
would protect it from their blafis. 
Long fince, only a few traces remained 
of the cultivation of Rocoo and indigo ; 
the fame may be faid of that of ginger. 
Though tobacco might fucceed throughout 
the whole colony, ‘carcely is it cultivated 
any where but in the diftrifts of Sant 
Yago, Delavega, and Cotuy. It is gene- 
rally of a good quality, equal fometimes 
to the tobacco of the Havannah. The 
French have always preferred that which 
they call Andouilies, to that which comes 
from North America, > 
The Spaniards allo cultivate tice, which 
is fuperior to that of ‘the Carolinas, 
5 
Produce and Trade of St. Domings 
[ Nov. is 
maize, millet, and corn. This latter 
grows perfeétly well in the country about 
Sant Yago, and in the valley of Con- 
ftantia, ae ; 
There are pafture lands which are in 
common, and others, through particular 
grants, held as private preperty. Thefe 
palture lands confitt ef vaft fields in their 
natural ftate, almoft always furrounded 
with woods, and well-watered. When 
along drougtit has deprived the cattle of 
the means of fubfiftence, they repair to the 
woods, where they remain till after the 
rainy feafon. Such is the power of vege- 
tation here, that in confequence of a few 
days rain, a favanna dried up, recovers its 
former verdure. . . 
No ufe is made of the plough, though 
it might be employed to great advantage 
in the grounds intended for tobacco, In- 
dian corn, rice, potatees, and other pro= 
duétions of that fort. ) 
In the forefts, trees are found fit for all 
ufes. Among the moft valuable is the 
kutchew tree, plain and fpotted ; the for- 
mer is more abundant in the weft of the 
ifland than in any other part; the beft of 
the {potted kind are thofe of Azua; there 
is plenty of brazil-wood in the diftriéts of 
Azuaand Bani. Ore! - 
The oak, the walnut-tree, the gayac, 
the maple, the iron-wood, the favin, the 
green balfam-tree, the pine, the cedar, the 
ebony, the marble-wood, the acomat, 
adora every where the banks of the rivers, 
and the f{ummits of the mountains. For. 
merly, and at-this day, vefiels fail. out of 
the harbours of this colony, that have 
been conftructed with wood of its own 
growth, . ; 
Since the ceffion of the Spanifh part of 
the ifland to France ; feveral Frenchmen 
have begun to clear the woods in the proxi- 
mity of Puerto-Plata. | | 
The exhaufted ftate of our forefts, the 
wants of our harbours, and the advan- 
tages ariling from the employment of our 
funds on a foil which it is our intereft to 
fertilize, every motive, in fhort, lays be+ 
fore us the neceflity of drawing from this 
ifland fupplies tor our marine. Twenty 
navigable rivers will convey its naval 
fiores to the fea. : 
The rich nine forefts of Samana, and 
Neybe, may be rendered of peculiar utr- 
lity ; the pine-tree being reputed too 
juicy for immediate ufe, it might be 
drained of its: juice, and the rofia ex- 
traéted, and thus would become ferviceable 
for various purpofes. yh 
There is no climate where poultry 
thrives betrer than at St. Domingo: ~The’ 
Spaniards 
