more goods next to the United States. The exports exceed the imports at the ratio of two to one nearly. The imports consist largely of manufactured articles and food products.

In 1898 the total exports from the Hawaiian Islands amounted to $17,208,825, and the total imports amounted to $10,368,815. This is greater according to the Hawaiian official figures than has ever been reached before in the foreign trade of this country. The greater part of this extensive trade is with our own country.

In 1898, of the exports from Hawaii the United States received 99.44 per cent and of the total imports to Hawaii we contributed 75.97 per cent.

In 1896 taxes amounting to $706,541 were collected, the tax being $6.48 per capita. The revenue was $2,383,070 and the expenditure $2,137,103 for the year ending 1896. The debt of the islands then was $4,119,174.

A commercial, reciprocity treaty was concluded with the United States in 1875, so that unrefined sugar is admitted into this country free of duty. There are between 60 and 70 sugar estates and more are being planted. The principal difficulty is the want of labor. Sugar yields about 2 1-2 tons per acre. Some of the most fertile plantations have been known to yield seven tons.

Some districts are well suited to cattle raising. The wild horses on the mountains, a very inferior breed, descended from some left by Captain Vancouver. They are taken by a lasso or shot and the hides exported in large quantities. Eleven thousand were killed on one island in one year.

There is a species of birds on these islands called the Melithreptes Pacifica, which has under each wing a small tuft of feathers. of golden yellow color and about one inch in length. Kamehameha I. had a war cloak made of these rare feathers. It was four feet long and eleven and a half feet wide at the bottom, and its formation is said to have occupied nine successive reigns.

It is said these islands were known to the Spaniards more than a century before Captain Cook visited them. Hawaii was then called Mesa.

While the wealth or material advantage of these islands is not remarkable, their importance to the United States on account of the location is undisputed. We have come into possession of them without a struggle or the expenditure of a dollar, and we are sure they are worth keeping.

PORTO RICO

Columbus discovered Porto Rico in November, 1493, and the island has been a Spanish possession since. In 1595 the capital was sacked by Drake and again in 1598 by the Duke of Cumberland, but held only for a short time by the English. In 1615, Baldwin Heinrich, a Dutchman, lost his life in an attack on the Castello del Morro. The English attempted an attack in 1678 but were unsuccessful, and in 1797 Abercomby laid siege but retired after three days. In 1820 the natives were desirous of declaring themselves independent, but Spanish supremacy was established in 1823.

After the fall of Santiago, during the Spanish-American war, preparations were quickly made to invade Porto Rico. On July 21, General Miles, Commander-in-Chief of the army, who had been at Santiago since the 11th with American forces, sailed from Guantanamo Bay for Porto Rico with about 3,400 men, convoyed by the following ships: The Massachusetts, Cincinnati, Yale, Columbia, Dixie, Gloucester, Annapolis, Leyden and the Wasp. Two days later five transport ships carried the brigade of Brigadier General Theodore Schwan, U. S. V., from Tampa. A much stronger force was arranged to go to Porto Rico than there was at Santiago.

More reinforcements were sent to General Miles on the 28th. under the command of Major General John R. Brooke, U. S. A. It was planned to provide 30,000 men for this occupation, but it was found that a less number was necessary.

There was a small skirmish between the crew of the Gloucester and a few Spaniards. General Miles' force at Guanica, on the southern coast, fifteen miles west of Ponce, consisted of four light batteries of the Third and Fourth Artillery, Battery B. of the Fifth Artillery, the Sixth Illinois Infantry, the Sixth Massachusetts, 275 recruits from the Fifth Corps, 60 men of the Signal Corps and the Seventh Hospital Corps.

This force of men gradually proceeded inland and met with but very little resistance. A small skirmish occurred at Yauco. Ponce was blockaded by the Wasp, Gloucester, Annapolis and Dixie. A proclamation was issued by Gen. Miles insuring property rights to the people and security as well. He also suggested that the destiny of the island would be a part of the United States. Most of the people held no objections toward the invaders and treated the army well. In two days the army had the support of 2,000 natives who had offered their services.

During this time a large majority of the Spanish army was falling back toward San Juan, the capital and most important city of the island. This city had previously been bombarded by Admiral Sampson. General Miles conducted the invasion in three divisions and the port of Arroyo was taken by the ships. General Schwan, who was at Guanica, proceeded to San German with his regulars and then to Agnadilla, which was north. His objective point was Arecibo, which was on the northern coast. Brigadier General Roy Stone, U. S. A., took a more direct route north with his force and intended to meet General Schwan at Arecibo. Major General Wilson, U. S. V., and Brigadier General Oswald Ernst, U. S. V., were ordered by General Brooke to proceed to San Juan by way of Cayey. General Brooke had personal command of the Wilson expedition. General Miles had general command over all the expeditions. There was not time for any hostilities during this brief campaign as Spain gave evidence of a treaty of peace. It is likely that had not the Protocol intervened the Americans would easily have secured San Juan and likewise the whole island. The Spanish government began to see and realize its hopeless situation. Both from a humane point of view and the importance of business it was seen that the war must close. July 26 Spain opened negotiations of peace through the French Ambassador, M. Jules Cambon, at Washington.

President McKinley and his cabinet carefully considered the question and transmitted to Cambon the terms upon which peace would be accepted. August 3 the proposal was accepted by Spain and August 10 the Protocol was drawn up at Washington suspending the war. On the 12th Secretary Day and M. Cambon signed it. One of the important points of the document is that Porto Rico shall be ceded to the United States.

The treaty of peace declaring Porto Rico a part of the United States was concluded at Paris December 10, 1898. A temporary form of government exists at present in the island.

Until the 56th Congress arranged for a civil government to take the place of the military system, the military governor of the island was General George W. Davis. During the 1899-1900 session of the 56th Congress a law which provided a government for Porto Rico was passed. A resume of the same may be found on page 129 of this manual.

LOCATION.

Porto Rico, an island of the West Indies, acquired by the United States as a result of the Spanish-American war in 1898, has an area of about 3,668 square miles with an estimated population of about 900,000. It is one of the Greater Antilles and lies east of Hayti or San Domingo, the latitude of which is 17 deg. 55 min.

-18 deg. 32 min. north and longitude 65 deg. 38 min.-67 deg. 13 min. west. It is somewhat smaller than Jamaica, being about one hundred miles from east to west and forty miles from north to south. The shape closely resembles a rectangle or irregular parallelogram. From east to west it is traversed by a range of mountains so situated that the streams running in a northerly direction, are much longer than those flowing south. The average height of the mountains is fifteen hundred feet, but the highest peak is El Yunque, in the Sierra de Loquillo mountains near the northeast corner, and that is 3,670 feet above the sea. From the base of the mountains, rich fertile tracts of land extend to the sea and the numerous valleys are well wooded and well watered. As the hills intercept the northeast trade winds with their rainclouds, there is often an overabundance of moisture in the northern low lands, while in the south severe droughts occur and the land demands artificial irrigation. This is thus far carried out with very little system or co-operation. The soil is very fertile. The chief occupations are agriculture and lumbering. The island is well watered, there being thirteen hundred rivers, all enumerated, forty-seven of which are rivers of some size and the general appearance is beautiful.

Forests cover all the higher elevations and differ from those of the other islands of the West Indies mainly in the comparative absence of epiphytes. Among the noteworthy trees is the "ortegon," which grows extensively in some places, chiefly on the coast, and has immense purple spikes a yard long. There are also a great many tree ferns.

A journey across the hills can only be performed on horseback, and even along the coast route, traffic is frequently interrupted. The chief ports are San Juan, Ponce and Mayaguez. The principal city is San Juan, which is situated on an island off the northern coast with which it is connected by a bridge built over the sea which intervenes. The chief fortification, before the Spanish-American war was Morro Castle situated on a bluff at the end of this island, and commanded an entrance to the harbor. This is the best harbor in Porto Rico. The city is laid out in a regular manner in the form of squares, and is surrounded by a wall built over 250 years ago, and which is still in good condition. The houses are mostly two stories in height and are built very closely together. Before American occupation the sanitary conditions of the town were very poor, owing to the carelessness of the people and the lack of a good water and sewerage system. The introduction of American sanitary improvements have helped to better the condition of affairs. The population is estimated to be about 30,000. The industries of the city are not important. The

manufactures include soap, matches and brooms. In this city is a palace built by Ponce de Leon, a cathedral, a theatre, town building, etc. Ponce is next to San Juan in importance, having a population of about 15,000. The principal pursuits of the people are mercantile. It is connected with its port, Playa, by a good road. Playa has about 5,000 inhabitants. Ponce is about three miles inland from the south coast. The private houses are mostly built of wood, but the public buildings are mostly of brick or stone. The city contains a city hall in the main square, a hospital and an English Episcopal church.

The third city of importance is Mayaguez, which exports to quite an extent sugar, coffee, oranges, pineapples and cocoanuts. It is connected with Aguadilla by tramway. Mayagnez has a population of 27,000. It is on the west coast of the island, and is also several miles inland. The town has military barracks, gas works and clubs. The harbor is shallow and vessels drawing more than sixteen feet of water cannot gain access.

CLIMATE AND PRODUCTS.

Porto Rico is one of the coolest and most healthful places in the West Indies.

This island has been called a conservatory without glass. There are so many beautiful forms of vegetation, among which are the palms and tree ferns. The whole atmosphere is scented with perfume of orange blossoms. In the lowlands the sugar cane grows and on the upland regions we see the coffee tree growing at a height of a thousand feet, covered with snow-white blossoms and scarlet berries. There are many plantations of bananas yielding millions of clusters.

Everywhere do we see the fields of rice which form the food of the common laborer.

The climate of Porto Rico is much like that of Cuba. The annual rainfall is about 60 inches. On the plains large quantities of cattle are raised. A fine breed of horses is bred. Everywhere are found birds and insects of every description. There are very few wild animals and no poisonous snakes are found.

The principal crops are sugar, coffee, tobacco, cotton and maize, and among other fruits bananas and pineapples are raised in great abundance. The staple products are sugar and coffee. The cotton is remarkable for its long fibre, tenacity and whiteness. The rice, which is the principal food of the working class, grows on the fertile regions of the mountain sides.

In general Porto Rico is extremely fertile, and its exports more than double in value those of Jamaica.

The chief imports are cotton, woolen, linen goods, embroid