on and general prosperity, it takes the
first place. On the east, the Lesser Antilles extend in a curve toward
Trinidad, on the South American coast, inclosing on the westward the
Caribbean sea. A strait of seventy miles separates Porto Rico from Hayti
on the west, and the distances from San Juan, the capital, to other
points are 2,100 miles to the Cape Verde Islands, 1,050 miles to Key
West and 1,420 miles to Hampton Roads.

Porto Rico lies near enough to the Gulf of Mexico to receive the benefit
of the soft Gulf breezes and the very best and most desirable of the
trade winds.

The island is almost a rectangle in shape. Its length from east to west
is 108 miles and its breadth from north to south about 37 miles. Its
area, including its dependencies, the isles of Vieques, Culebra and Mona
is 3,530 square miles.

The coasts are generally regular, but there are a large number of bays
and inlets, and the north coast is full of navigable lagoons.

The principal capes are San Juan, Mala Pascua, Rojo and Bruquen.

Generally speaking, the conformation of the island is slightly
undulating, with the exception of a mountain range which traverses it
from east to west, running through nearly its whole length in a zig-zag
course, and on the average about twenty-five miles distant from the
north coast.

This range divides the island into two unequal portions. The largest is
on the north, and the rivers flowing through that section are much the
longer. A part of the main range is called Sierra Grande or Barros. The
northeast spur is known as the Sierra de Luquillo and the northwest as
the Sierra Larea. The general height of these mountains is about 1,500
feet above the sea, but there is one peak, Yunque, which reaches a
height of 3,678 feet. This can be seen seventy miles at sea, and would
be a magnificent place for a shore signal for the benefit of the ships
that sail the South Atlantic seas.

It is noticeable that there are no extensive lakes in the highlands of
the interior, but there are many interesting caves in the mountains, the
principal ones being those of Aguas Buenos and Ciales.

The elevated ridge which crosses the island intercepts the northeast
trade winds which blow from the Atlantic and deprives them of their
moisture. The consequence of this is that the rainfall in the northern
portion of the island is very copious. It also has the effect of
reducing the rain south of the mountains, so that there is a prevale