407 CHAPTER XXXIV.

GENERAL MILES'S EXPEDITION TO PUERTO RICO.

WHEN the Cubans laid down their arms in 1878, at the end of the Ten Years' War,theConvention of Zanjon,which gives some interesting notes on the character ol the country and the strength and distribution of the smallSpanish force that heldit. According to thisIntelligence Report,the populationof Puerto Ricoby the census of 1887 was 813,937, of whichmore than 300,000 were negroes. The climate is verymoist, varying greatlyaccording to the height above the sea level, and on the heights of the central Cordillera the temperature is healthy and agreeable. The air is so completely saturated with moisture that iron rusts very rapidly. Even bronze artillery has to be covered with a strong varnish to protect it from thedamp winds.

formed the treaty ofpeacebetween the islanders and theSpanish Government,contained aclause stipulating that henceforth Cuba was to be administeredonthe system thenprevailinginPuerto Rico. The government of the smaller islandwas taken as a type of what the Cubans wereready to accept. This alone shows that the people of Puerto Rico cannot have had any intolerable grievances to complain of. While Cuba was the scene of frequent disturbances,Puerto Rico was at peace. Its " liberation" formed no part of the American programme that preceded the outbreak of the war with Spain. But at a very early stage of the warit was decided to attempt its conquest. The advantage of possessing the harbour ofSan Juan as an advanced navalbase in the Atlantic wasinitselfsufficientinducement for adoptingthis policy.

The entire island is hilly and mountainous, theprincipal chain of mountainsdividingit into two parts. The whole interior is well wateretl with numerous rivers and small streams, those on the north coast being stocked with excellent fish.

Thecapital,San Juan,withits strongly-fortified harbour, would be the chief objective of the expedition. But a direct attack on the city would entail a serious naval operation, and it wasanticipated that the landing-place would be in one of the smaller unfortified harbours, of which there are several,especially on the south coast.

After the bombardment of San Juan by Admiral Sampson's fleet on May 12th, Puerto Rico was watched rather than effectively blockaded by some of the American cruisers. Plans were drawn up for a summer invasionof the island;for inPuertoRico the rainy season comes later than that ofCuba, and usually does not set in till August. The expedition, composed of volunteer troops, was to have sailed about the end of June, and either General Coppinger or General Fitzhugh Lee was to have commandedit. The necessity of sending an army to Eastern Cuba to reduceSantiago led to this minor operationbeing deferredtill after Toral's surrender. The command was then given to General Miles. Apparently with a view to prevent any idea of his superseding GeneralShafter, Miles was told whenhe started for Santiago that he could not remain manydays in Cuba, as he would be wanted almost immediately to proceed to Puerto Rico in commandof another army.

The military governor of the island was General Machias, who, with very slender re sources at his command, had been actively engaged in preparing for its defence. A table showing the strength of the Spanish military forces in the island included 2 general officers, 4 officers of the general staff; infantry, 214 officers, 5,000 men;cavalry, 2 officers, 80 men; artillery, 32 officers, 700 men ; engineers, II officers, 200 men;civil guard-, 34 officers, 740 men ; militarypolice, 9 officers,187 men;corps ofadministration,military justice, medical corps, veterinarycorps, auxiliarycorps and fortification guards, with assimilated rank as officers, 41; sanitary brigade, 1officer, 21 men and 7 chaplains, making the total military force in the island7,291. Late information was to the effect that this force had been increased to about 10,000 by the enlistment of 12,000 volunteers.

A summary of information about the island, drawn up by the American War Department for the use of the expedition,and issuedunder the title of "Military News on Puerto Rico,"