Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-09-26
CUBA AND IT'S RESOURCES.

ries of the great admiral, has been known
To Europe since 1892, and borne success
sively the names Of Juana, Fernaudina.
Santiago, and Ave Maria. and has found
refuge from this confusion Of titles in the
aboriginal appelloion. The most wester-
ly Of The Antilles, it equals in area that Of
all the other West Indies together, and is
one of The large islands which approaches
nearest the North American continent. one
hundred and thirty miles, from which, an
eminen, Cuban naturalist maintains, by
some great convulsiun of nature, al no ve-
ry remote day, it has been separated.
The length of The island, which extends
east and west, from the "a deg. to 81 deg.
west Of Greenwich, is about six hundred
miles, and its average breadth is about one
acknowledgement The Goth and 25lh par.
alels Of north latitude. 1t is blessed with
the prodiGa fertility of tropical climates,
while the elevation Of its mountains per.
mi,s tie productions of colder climates TO
thrive. This lofty range of mountains,
extending from Cape San Antonio 10 the
Punlo de Maysi. divides the island into
TWO equal portions, and on its declivties
and in its valleys are regions as fertile and
as healthfui as any in the world. Rising
10 the height Of $500 feet, j; contains the
sources of various streams which abound
with peculiar and delicious fish, and bring
down no inconsidcrahIe portion of gold
dust. once esteemed Of importance, but
which now is neglected because the labor
necessary TO collect it, if expended in The
cultivation of The SOIL would yield thrice
the return. The mountains also abound
in other mineral wealth, among which are
copper, iron aud the magnetic stone. Sill
yer is also found. The most valuable. Of
these mines, however, are those of copper,
which, since llle completion Of portion
Of an elaborate system of railroads, one
hundred and ninety y-five miles of which are
now in operation, have proved most profi-
table investments. Principally in The hands
of foreign capitalists, they employ many
thousand miners, the wants of whom pro-
vide, for the small planters, ,ha, greatest
Of all projections and encoutagcmenls, a
home market.
Marble aud coal arc also known to es-
ist in incxhauslible quantities, and the
value of the latter is daily becoming more
apparent, from The rapid consumption Of
wood by the immense c>ucarias or sugar
estates of the Island. This coal, exceed.
tingIy bi,uminous, is.evideully ap, ~, :ssop
.tof The great asphalt1m beds which, IN
more than one fthe Antilles, cvince them
selves in The lakes Of mineral tar. II is
now employed in The gas works OF the
city of Havana, and has been found Of
great purity and good quality.
The Island abounds in magnificent har-
bors, one Of which, that of Habana-
named, tradition says, from an Indian god
dess. slaue Of whom is placed over
more than one of the gales Of the city, is
probably the best in the worlI: With a
narrow entrance, expanding into magni-
fcent bay, it is capable of enclosing the
navy of the world, and from the earliest
day has been so carefully fortified as to be
considered impregnablc: Neither history
nor scrutiny sustain this idea. for, in the
middle of The eighteenth century, an ex-
pediion, under the orders Of tho British
Admiral Vernon, composed of a small
force tf royal marines aud a few regiments
of colonial troops, landed few miles be-
low the city, all the defences Of which,
including the Moro. it carried without unu-
sual difficulty. The new art OF war, with
its immense batteries, steam and rockies,
would certainly reduce the place to ncces-
sity in a very short time. Ma,anzas, Trni.
dad, SAINT lago, Cienluegos, and Puerto
Escondido, are also excellent harbors, with
great natural facilities for improvements
and forifications.
The climate is, when we consider The
latitude, salubrous, The year being divided
into dry and n wet season. The warm
est portion of the year is July and August,
when the mean temperature Of each day
is about $40 Fahrenheit. The coolest is
in December, when the mercury ranges at
about 500, except when the wind, known
as eL nortc, blows, during which the inslru-
ment shows a rapid declonsiun.
So fertile a soil is not known to exist in
any other portion Of The globe. 1t has
been known to produce three crops year,
and in ordinary seasons Two may be relied
on. The prolusion Of its flora, the variety
Of lis forests, arc unsurpassed; while The
multitude Of its climbing shrubs give lux.
urous richness TO its scenery, which con-
tributes 10 make il one Of the most Cascina.
ting countries in the world. Nowhere is
life so easily supported, and is man so deli
cately nurlurcd. In addition to The plan
tain, the yuca, oGtwo varieties: The potato,
yam. Indian corn, rice, melons, chesnut,
cocoanut, pineapple, amana or cus,ard
apple, medlar, banana. orange, lemon,
shadock, and lime, abound. The growth
Of the forests comprise The mahogany tree.
cedar, lignumvila, various kinds of ebony,
the noble palm tree, and numerous woods
for building.
On this island, capable Of supporting in
opulencc a population equal to that Of
Spain, are strewn less than million and
a half of men, Of which six or sevon hun.
dred thousand are white, two hundred
thousand free negroes. mulaltoes and zam
hos, while the rest are slaves. IL is sup.
posed that but lwo,G(lhs of the island is
cultivated, the rest being wilderness, uuin-
habilcd and despoIed, by ruthless Spanish
| ovuricc of The glUl iuus fOi cst trees which