Page:Our new possessions Cuba, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Philippines.djvu/22

14 donkey, bring them in barely enough to clothe them and keep them alive. It seems as if they were reverting to the primitive state of their forefathers, transplanted hither from Africa."

Much superior to these in energy and in their manner of living are the gibaros, or small landowners in the country districts. They are an interesting people, descended from old Spanish stock, with a considerable admixture of native Indian blood. The labor on the large plantations is mostly performed by them. The planters, traders, and wealthy stockraisers form a still higher class, many of them being of pure Spanish descent. They are proud of their descent, and are generally happy and prosperous. Besides these, there are numerous other people of European origin—Germans, Swedes, Danes, Russians, Frenchmen, descendants of Moorish Jews, and natives of the Canary Islands. The inhabitants of the island, considered as individuals of a great community have been described as "affable, generous, and hospitable to a fault. They are well proportioned and delicately organized; at the same time they lack vigor, are slow and indolent, possess vivid imaginations, are vain and inconstant, and ardent lovers of liberty."

Education.—There are 500 primary schools on the island, and yet but a small proportion of the children attend school, and education is regarded with but slight favor. There are in the cities a few secondary schools, and in San Juan two colleges. All these, except a few private schools, are under ecclesiastical control.

Cities.—San Juan Bautista, generally known as San Juan, or San Juan de Puerto Rico, is the capital. It is situated on the north coast at the western end of a small island which is connected with the mainland by bridges and a causeway. The harbor is one of the best in the West Indies. The western front of the island has a bold, precipitous shore, and here, commanding the entrance to the harbor, is the famous Morro Castle, long regarded as the strongest fortification in the West Indies. The city itself is surrounded by massive walls. The large public buildings and numerous churches give to the place an imposing appearance, especially when viewed from the harbor. The most noted buildings are the governor's palace, the Cuartal de Ballaja, used as quarters for the troops, the cathedral, and the city hall. Not half the houses are more than one story in height, and all are fiat-roofed and without chimneys. The more respectable people live on the upper floors, while the ground floors are occupied by negroes and the poorer class of whites. Most of the buildings are of brick ornamented with stucco and painted in