cathedral,
remaining nearly a month in possession of the city.

"It was not until 1663, therefore, that the castle now known as the Morro
was rebuilt, by order of Philip I., and at the same time the fortresses of
Santa Catalina, La Punta, and La Estrella.

"In July and August, 1766, a large portion of the city was ruined by
earthquakes, more than one hundred persons being killed.

"The town has the honour of having for its first mayor, or 'alcalde,'
Hernando Cortes; and it is said that the remains of Diego Velasquez, the
first explorer and conqueror, were buried there in the old cathedral. It
is related in corroboration of this fact, that on the 26th of November,
1810, on digging in the cemetery of the new cathedral, the broken slab of
his tomb was found, seven and a half feet under ground, the inscription
upon which is illegible, with the exception of a few Latin words giving
name and date."

APPENDIX D.

PORTO RICO.

Porto Rico was discovered by Columbus in November, 1493. In 1510 Ponce de
Leon founded the town of Caparra, soon after abandoned, and now known as
Pureto Viejo, and in 1511, with more success, the city of San Juan
Bautista, or better known simply as San Juan. The native inhabitants were
soon subdued and swept away. In 1595 the capital was sacked by Drake, and
in 1598 by the Earl of Cumberland. In 1615 Baldwin Heinrich, a Dutchman,
lost his life in an attack on the Castello del Morro. The attempt of the
English, in 1678, was equally unsuccessful, and Abercrombie, in 1797, had
to retire after a three days' strife. In 1820 a movement was made toward
the declaration of independence on the part of the Porto Ricans, but
Spanish supremacy was completely reestablished by 1823. The last traces of
slavery were abolished in 1873.

San Juan is the ideal city and spot of the whole island, saving that it is
well fortified, for it is the coolest, the healthiest port, with
thirty-eight feet of water in the harbour, and twenty-eight feet of water
alongside the coal wharves. It is the only port on the island with
fortifications. There are barracks in a few of the larger towns, but
outside of the eight thousand or ten thousand troops there are very few
fighting men on the island.

The volunteers are not looked upon as a great factor in fighting by those
who know them, and are almost all Spaniards. The Guardia Civil is made up
of the best of the