The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1849-09-21
Cuba and it's Resources.

Cuba and it's Resources.
THIS beautiful island, one OF tie earliest
discoveries of the great admiral, has been
known 10 Europe since 1892, and has borne
successlyely the name Of Juana, Fernandins,
Santiago, and Ave Maria, and has found
refuge from this confusion Of u,les in the
aboriginal appelalicu. The most westerly
Of the Antilles, i; equal, 10 area tina, Of all
The other Yves, Indies together, and 10 one
Of the large islands which approaches near
sst the North American Continent, one
hundred and thirty Dlles oaly intervening,
from which an emuen, Cuban naturalist
maintains, by .orle great conyulslon Of IA
,ute at nc very remote day, il ha, been
separated. The length of The ISLAND which
extends nearly east and west, from the 74o
TO $50 west Of Greenwich, is about Elk hun
dred miles, end lie average breadth 10 q.
bou, one hundred between the ooh and
18th parallels of north latitude. It bless
ed With the prod gal fertility of trorical
climates, ohlle the elevation Of tie nous.
,s,us permits the productions OF colder eli.
] bitNSe w Nni1No' us sOtkJ mug VI
iains, extending from Cape San Antonio 10
the Punts de Maysi, divides the island into
two equal portions, and on its 6ecIlyites
and in rs valleys are regions az fertile and
healihlul as sny 10 the world. Rising 10
the ieight of $4,000 feet, it contains The
sources Of various streams which abound
With peculiar and delicious fish, and which
bring down no uncomfortable portion Of
cold DUST once esteemed Of importance J;
but which now is neglected because the
labor necessary TO colIec, il, if expended 10
the cultivation Of The SOIL would yield thrice
the return. The mountains also abound 10
other mineral wealth, among which are
copper, iron, end tbs magnetic stone. Sill.
yer is also found. The mos; valuable Of
these mines, however, are those of copper,
which, since the completion Of q portion OF
an elaborate system of railroads, one hun.
dred and ninety Ave mIes Of which are
now in operation, have proved most pro.
6tsbIe investments, Principally in the hands
Of foreign capitalists, they employ many
thousand miners, the wants Of whom pro.
vide, for The small planters, that greatest Of
all projections snd encouragements, home
market.
Marble and coal are also known to exist
IN nexhsustlble qualities, and the value Of
the latter is daily becoming more apparent
from the rapid consumption oil wood by the
immense G.ucGrlus or sugar estates OF the
island. THIS coal, esceedlngy biiumenous.
is evidently an out crop Of the great asphal.
tum beds which, 10 more than one of the
Antilles, evnce themselves in the lakes Of
mineral tar. |. is now employed in the
gas works Of the city Of Havannah, and has
been found Of great purity and good quality.
The island sbouuds IN magnificent har
bors one of which, that Of iabans- named,
tradition says, from an Indian goddess OF
that name, statue of whom is placed over
more than one Of the gates Of the city
probably the best in the world. With
narrow entrance, expanding into a mag
1ticent bay, 1t IS capable Of enclosing the
lavy Of the world, and from the earliest day
las been go carefully fortified as TO be con.
udered lmpregnable. Neither history nor
crulny sustain this idea, for, in the middle
# The eis hteeDth century, an expedition On. !
Ter the orders of the British admiral Yer. I
on, composed Of a small force Of royal ma. S
lnes aud few regiments of coonlal troops, I
,nied few miles below the city, oil the ?
eiences of which, including the Moro, it
arried without unusual difficulty. The u
ew art Of war, with lis immense batteries, P
cam aud rockets, wouldc ertalnly reduce u
lie place to necessity in very shor, time. Il
iaIanza,, Trinidad, SAINT lsgo, C'enfuegos,
nd Puerto Escond,do are also excellent
arbors, with great natural facilities for
improvements and Notifications. p'
The climate is, when we consider the IN
,lude, salubrous. the year being divided a
to d;y and a wet season. The warm CT
t portion Of the year is July and August, ca
hen the mean temperature Of each day 10 sa
'ou. 81 Fahrenheit. The coolest is in 81
ecember, when the mercury ranges abou, IN
deg, except when The wind known as g.
Norls blows, during which the ins,ru CT
ent shows rapid declension. 81
SO fertile a soil is not known to exist in
y other portion OF the globe. It has been
own 10 produce three crops year, and "
ordinary seasons two may be relied on. a
be pro!usiou of its fora, the variety ofi,s Of