A pineapple plantation, for the investor of limited means, ought to prove profitable and encouraging.  The first year of cultivation will produce a crop, at a final cost of 40 pesos an acre, including the land-rent.  The return is put down at 200 pesos, leaving a gorgeous net profit of 160 pesos.  It would seem perhaps that under such circumstances it is odd that there is not a more general raising of this fruit by the local planters; but the reason for an apparent neglect of a golden opportunity lies in the difficulties heretofore encountered in finding swift and adequate transportation from field to market.  With this handicap removed there is little doubt that pineapple-growing will become a tempting industry.

The vanilla bean, however, is king-pin of the list in the claim of profit to be derived from its culture.  It is said that the yearly cost of raising the crop will be 94 pesos an acre, chiefly for manure and irrigation.  And the annual return for every acre is figured at 652 pesos,—­a net profit that is fairly dazzling.

While all these details—­which I have digressed so many times to give—­do not properly form a part of the story of our campaign, yet it is by no means unusual for one who has put his hand into a grab-bag to look carefully and well at the prize withdrawn.  And that is what I have been doing.

The material result of General Schwan’s campaign may be briefly summarized thus:  He marched his command ninety-two miles in eight days; fought two successful engagements; expelled the Spanish forces from the entire western part of Puerto Rico; captured and occupied nine towns; and took 362 prisoners, including Colonel Villeneuve, a lieutenant-colonel, and four other regular officers.  In addition he seized 450 stands of arms, 145,000 rounds of ammunition, and ten thousand dollars in silver coin.  His loss was 1 killed and 16 wounded against a total of 20 killed and 50 wounded on the side of the enemy.

On August 27 the general issued a farewell order to his brigade, from which I briefly quote:—­

“On relinquishing his command to return to the United States, the brigadier-general commanding desires to congratulate, and to return his heartfelt thanks to, the officers and soldiers of the regular brigade for their achievements and excellent conduct during the last eighteen days....  Our troops have continued to hold their advanced positions and outposts until now, when, peace being assured, all but a small fraction have been brought to comparatively comfortable barracks near this city.  The hardships endured on the march and at these outposts have been great....  But these hardships have been cheerfully borne by officers and men.  Not a murmur has been heard, despite the fact that nearly one-fourth of the strength of most organizations is on sick-report, their ailments being directly caused by the exposure incident to this campaign.

“Less than three weeks have been occupied by the campaign, yet a bond of sympathy between officers and soldiers has been established that years of peace could not have engendered.”