The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-09-03


rope since 1892, and has borne successfully the
names Of Juana, Fernandina, Santiago and Ave
Maria and has found refuge from this confusion Of
titles in he aboriginal appellatiOn The NEST west
ery of the Antilles it equals in area that Of all the
other West Indies together and IS the one Of the
large islands which approaches nearest the North
American continent, one hundred aud thirty mea
from which, an eminent Cuban naturalist tnain-
talns, by some great convuision of-nafuFe at no
very remote day. il has been separated. The length
of the island, which extends nearly east and west
from the 74o to $50 vest Of Greenwich, is about
QUO miles, and its average breadth is about 100
miles between the 10Th and 25Ih paraelsof north
latitude It's blessed with the prodigal fertility Of
tropical climates, while the elevation Of its noun
talns permits the productions Of colder climates 70
thfive. This lofty range Of mountains, extending
from Cape San Antonio to the Puraa de Maysi
divides the island into two equal portions, and on
It's decllvfties and Its valleys are regions As fertile
and as healthiul as any in the world. Rising TO
the height OF $500 feet it contains the sources Of
various streams which abound With peculiar and
delicious fish, and which bring down no inconsid-
cradle portion of gold dust, once esteemed Of i'm
pOrtance, but which now is neglected Fsrause HE
labor necessary to collect it. if expended in the cul
ilvation Of the soil, would yield thrice the retlIrR
The mountains also abOundin other mineral wealth
among which are "copper" which, since the compile
non OF portion OF an elaborate system Of railroads.
1875 miles of which are now in operation, have
proved most profitable investments. Principally in
the hands of foreign capitalists they employ many
thousand miners, the wants of whom pfOvide for
the small planters, that greatest Of ali projections
and eneonragemehts, a home market.
Marble and coal are also known TO exist in mex
haustible quantities, and the value of the latter is
daily becoming more apparent from the rapid con-
| sumption Of wood by the immense azucdTias OF
sugar estates Of the island. This COAL exceedingly
bInmlnous, is evidently an oui-crOp of the great
/ asphaltum beds which, in more than one Of the
Antilles, eyince themselves in the lakes of mineral
tar. L Is now employed in the gas-works of the
city OF Havana AMI has been found Of great purity
and good quality.
| The island abounds in magnificent harb0rs, one
! OF which, that Of Aforementioned, tradition says,
from an Indian goddess Of that name, statue OF
whom Is placed over more than one of the gaIes OF
| the eity-is probably the best in the world. With
a narrow entrance, expanding into magnificent
| bay, it Is capable of enclosing the navy OF the
world, and from the earliest day has been so care
| fully fortified as to be considered impregnable
Neither history nor scrutiny sustain this idea for
| IN the middle Of the eighteenth century, an expe
dition under the orders Of the British Admiral Yer
non, composed Of small force Of royal marines
/ and a lew regiments OF colonial troops, landed
few miles below the city, all the deenees Of which
including the Moro, it carried without unusual dill
ficultY. The new art Of war, with its immens
batteries, steam and rockets, would certainly ne
duce the place to necessity in a very short tins
Matanzas, Trinidad, ST. Jago, Cienfnegos, an
Puerto EscOndIdo are also excellent harbors, wit
great natural facilities for Improvements and fort
fieations.-
The climate is, when we consider the latitude
salubrious, the year being divided into dry and
! wet season. The WaTmsst portion Of the year i
July and August, when the mean temperature o
! each day is about $40 Fahrenheit. The coolest il
\ IN December, when the mercury ranges at abOu
l-5Oos except when the wind known as el mort
blows, during which the instrument shows a Iapi,
declension.
So fertile soil is not known TO exist IN any otbe
portion of the globe. Il has been known TO prOdne
three crops year, and in ordihaFy seasons tv
/ may be relied on. The pFofusion of lis fora IN
variety Of its forests are unsurpassed; while d
multitude of its climbing shrubs give a lnxurial
richness to Ifs scenery, which contributes 10 max
! It one of the most fascinating countries in ii
world. Nowhere is life SO easily supported, an
is man so delcately mlrtured. In addition to til
plalntaln, the yucca OF two varieties, the potato
yam, Indian corn, rice, melons, chestnut, cocOl
nut, pineapple, amana or custard-apple, medal
banana, orange, lemon, shad0ck, and lime abounC
The grOwthof the forests comprise the mahogan
tree, cedar, lignumvite, various kinds of ebony tn
noble palm tree, and numerous woods for building
On this island, capable of supporting in Opulenc
population equal to that of Spain, are stfewn es
than a million and half of men, of which six Q
seven hundred thousand are white, two hundre
thousand free negroes, muattOes, and zambO
while the rest are slaves. It is supposed that bJ
two-fiths of the island is cultivated, the rest beu
| wilderness, uninhabted, and desp6ed, bV Tutl
less Spanish Avarice, Of the glorious forest tTet
j. which,struck the early nayigators with so mus
amazement.
The chief riches Of the island result from its e.
ports, which consist of sugar, coffee, tobacco, wa
| cocoa, mOlasses, honey, rum, maize, &c. tt
first Of these is infinitely the most important, an
is probably the only one which is regularly il
creasing, in spite of the changeabe seasons, hnrr
I canes, and the Immense direct and Indirect taxi
ton to which the planters are subjected. TT
great increase may be estimated from the fact thi
in 1872, 6l7 ,646 boxes were exported and in 1874
LEASH. The exports for the last fiscal year EN-
ing with November were I,2l0,9l7. OF other ar
Giles, during the same time, were exported 709 g
arrObdS (26 4bs.) of coffee, 205 $50 hogsheads
nloasses, II, 500 pipes OF rum, 647 1877 pounds
tobacco, l4l ,2S9 boxes 0housahdsl of segars, a
{ and sol ,S26 quiHtals Of copper ore.
81 The cultivation of coffee has nearly been
shoyed. Nothing shows the great decline of
a trade more than the fact that, in 1887, g 1885,
+ arrobqs were exported, while in 184S there W,
i. only 708, 49l. The consequences is, that a gr,
d portion of the cafetGL are now abandoned and
= land appropriated to grazing sugar estates, or ri
a plantations. The tobacco crop rapidly increas
: and will as long as The passion for Havana a
p Principe segars shall last The plant is peculiar
e different from our own, maturing in less time, a
p the soil is able always to bring two crops per
mum. In 1912 the crop was ,9i2 1888 lbs; in Is
1t rose to more than 100000. That OF lS4SsW
= somewhat diminished by season unusually d
W prOpitious, and by hurricanes.
,Ij The following table shows that there has been
gradual increase Of exports for many years, and
IL consequent prosperity:
e. Heaty Of imports Increase in 3 Per cent
- and exports years. Of iaeTea
W 1929 to 1S32...., 5000 Ill 80.
Id 1888 to lS31..... % 40 per
1888 to iSl3.,.. 1908 6ib...s IL 1J9 6oy, ,zl5
d, 1913 to 1871 50l49 T97.,. 1915 ls2. -, al :,
II The number Of arrivals during l347, at its por
y was 3740 and The number of clearances 334
g The amount Of American tonnage employed
e trade with it is 476,779 tons.
le Such are the resources Of Cuba, and from the
q. it is customary to conclude that the island has
= oyed paternal government and enlightened ca
~ from the Crown Of SPAIN Such is not howeV
T. the case for, of all countries in the world, it
= probably the most and worst governed All pow
q in the hands Of two officers, the Captain Gener