THE UNIVERSITY CENSUS OF PORTO RICO. GEOGRAPHY. Porto Rico, the easternmost and smallest of the Greater Antilles, is within the Tropics, between latitudes 17° 50′ and 18° 30′ north, and longitudes 65° 30′ and 67° 15' west. It lies east of Haiti, being separated from it by Mona Passage. It is in shape rudely rectangular, its longest axis lying east and west. Its length is a trifle over 100 miles and its breadth about 36 miles. Its area is approximately 3,600 square miles, three-fourths the size of Connecticut and about the size of the province of Matanzas, Cuba. OROGRAPHY. The structure of the island is simple. Passing across it from east to west, a little south of the middle of its breadth, is a broken, irregular range of hills or low mountains, which toward the eastern end trends northeastward, and terminates near the northeastern corner of the island, where it culminates in the peak of El Yunque, 3,609 feet in altitude. Elsewhere it ranges in altitude from 2,000 to 3,000 feet, with occasional summits slightly above 3,000 feet and gaps slightly below 2,000 feet. This range is known in different parts of the island by various names, Cordillera Central, Sierra de Cayey, and in the northeast Sierra de Luquilla. From its crest the land slopes northward and southward in broad undulations, deeply cut by streams, giving most of the interior of the island a steep, hilly surface, gradually becoming more nearly level until near the coast it spreads into broad, level playas. This range forms the water divide of the island, and from it streams flow northward and southward, those flowing north having much the longer courses and gentler slopes. None of these streams are navigable, excepting for a very few miles near their mouths, where they are in effect estuaries. The largest are the Rios Loiza, Bayamon, Morovis, Arecibo, and Blanco, all on the north of the dividing ridge. On the south the dividing ridge descends steeply, with short spurs and a narrow coastal plain. Here the streams are short, with very steep descents. The coast is low and for the most part simple, with few good harbors, the best being that of San Juan, on the north coast. Ponce and Guanica are the only harbors on the south coast into which vessels of ordinary draft can enter, but the island of Vieques has several commodious ports where the largest ships can ride at anchor. The coast of Porto Rico, unlike that of Cuba, is not bordered by fringing reefs or islets. Means of internal transportation are scanty. There are altogether about 159 miles of railway in the island, but they are in disconnected pieces and closely parallel the coast, none extending into the interior. Of wagon roads there are all sorts. The Spanish Government has constructed about 285 miles of military road which is well built and kept in good repair. Of this sort is the road from San Juan to Ponce, with a branch from Cayey to Guayama. Most of the other roads of Porto Rico are almost impassable except for pack trains. Porto Rico is divided into seven departments, which correspond with the provinces of Cuba, and into 69 municipal districts. These in turn are divided into barrios, or wards, the plan of subdivision for governmental purposes being thus quite similar to that of Cuba. Besides the island of Porto Rico, the Government has jurisdiction over the islands of Vieques and Culebra, lying to the eastward, and Isla Mona to the west, in the Mona Passage, together with a few other islets in their neighborhood. Most of the area of Porto Rico is held as farms, and a large portion, more than one-fifth, is under cultivation. The forested areas are small and are almost entirely confined to the higher parts of the mountains. The largest of these tracts is on El Yunque, in the Sierra Luquilla. Here are found small tracts of primeval forest, composed of large trees of a variety of species, several of which are of great value, such as Spanish cedar, ebony, and sandalwood, besides many others as yet unknown to American markets. Timber is, however, very scarce, and most of that used in building is imported. CLIMATE. Lying in the Tropics, the island is within the region of the southwest trades, which blow with great regularity. The annual temperature at San Juan, on the north coast, ranges in different years from 78° to 82° F. The mean monthly temperature ranges from 75° in January to 82° in August. The maximum temperature on record is 99°, and the minimum 57°, indicating a very slight range and a uniform climate. The only difference of temperature to be observed throughout the island is due to altitude, the highlands of the interior having a mean annual temperature as low as 72° F. Serious storms occur, and occasional earthquakes, but the latter are not violent, doing but little damage. The annual rainfall at San Juan averages 60 inches, about the same as at New Orleans, and nearly two-thirds of this falls in the summer and autumn. The annual relative humidity at the capital is very high, averaging not far from 80 per cent. The annual rainfall increases eastward from San Juan, until near the northeast corner of the island it exceeds 100 inches. It increases also upon the highlands of the interior, reaching a maximum upon the dividing ridge of nearly 100 inches. The south slope of the island, on the other hand, is much drier, both rainfall and atmospheric moisture being less, so much so that in some regions irrigation is necessary for cultivation of crops. MINERALS, FLORA AND FAUNA. While many valuable minerals have been found in Porto Rico, and while good placers were long ago worked by Spaniards, no mining of any sort is at present carried on. Yet it is not at all improbable that a geological examination may develop valuable mineral resources not at present suspected. Owing to the fact that Porto Rico has for centuries maintained a dense population almost entirely supported by agriculture, a large portion of its surface is under cultivation, and only a trifling proportion remains in its natural condition. Hence little of its vegetation is indigenous. The native fauna of the island is, owing to the same cause, very limited. There are no large mammals except such as are domesticated. It is said that there are no noxious reptiles and few insect pests. The fisheries on the coast and in the rivers are very valuable, the fish being abundant everywhere and of valuable species. HISTORY. The history of Porto Rico presents but few points of interest as compared with Cuba or the other colonies of Spain in this hemisphere. The island was discovered by Columbus November 16, 1493, during his second voyage. He approached it from Santo Domingo and first sighted Cape Mala Pascua. From there he sailed along the south and east coast to Aguada, where he landed November 19. He took possession of the island in the name of the reigning sovereigns of Spain and named it San Juan Bautista, in honor of St. John the Baptist. Its Indian name was Borinquen. Columbus remained for several days and then returned to Santo Domingo. It does not appear that he ever visited the island again. During the next fourteen years numerous trading vessels stopped at the island, usually for water, but it remained unexplored and uninhabited by white men until 1508, when Nicolas de Ovando, Governor of Santo Domingo, having learned that the mountains and streams abounded in gold, sent Juan Ponce de Leon to explore the island. He embarked with a small party of Spaniards and a few Indian guides 502154 |