The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1849-09-28
Cub, and its ssc.ources.

since 1892, and has borne success
lively the names of JLana, Fernando
ma, Santiago, and Ava Maria, and
has found refuge from this confusion
oftitles, in the aboriginal appellation.
The most Westerly OF the Antilles, it
equals in area, that o! all the other
West Indies together, and is one of
the large islands which approaches
nearest the North American CONT
nent, one hundred and thirty mile 5,
from which an eminent Cuban natu-
ralist aintains, by some great con-
vulsion OF nature, at no very remote
day, it has been Separated. Tie
length Of the island, which extends
nearly east and west, from n de-
grees to IS degrees west of Green
witch, is about six hundred miles, and
its average breadth is about one hun
dred-between the Goth and 25th
parallels OF north latitude. Its bles-
sed with the proligal fertility oftrop-
ical climates, white the elevation Of
its mountainsperniis the productions
of colder climates to thrive. THIS
lofty range of mountains, extending
from cape San Antonio, to the Punta
de Maysi, divides the island into two
equal portions, and on its decliyitics
and in its valleys are regions as fer
tile, as healthful as any in the world.
Rising to the height Of $500 feet, il
contains the sources of various
streams which abound with peculiar
and delicious fish, and which bring
down no inconsidcrable portion OF
gold duSt, once esteemed of import
ance, but which is now neglected be-
cause the labor necessary to collect
it, if expended in the cultivation OF
the soil, would yield thrice the re-
turn. The mountains also abound
in other mineral wealth, among
which are copper, iron and the mag
nctic stone. Silver is also found.
The most valuabl, of these mines,
however, are those Of copper, hich
since the completion Of portion Of
an elaborate system Of railroads, one
hundred and ninety-iiyc miles OF
which are now in operation, have
proved most profitable investments.
Principally in the ha hel foreign
capitalists, they empl any thou
sand miners, tie wants HON pro-
vide, for tie small lers, that
greatest of all protes hs and en-
courasemeAts, 4 homGnarket.
Marble and Goa! are also known
to exist in iaexhausti5!o quantities,
and the value orthc latter is daily
becoming more apparent from the
rapid consumption of wood by The
immense a-ucarias or sugar estates
ofthe island. This coal, exceeding
ly bituminous, IS evidently an out
crop Of the great asphaltum beds
which, in more than one OF the An
titles, evince themselves in the lakes
OF mineral tar. 1t is now employed
in the gas works of the city Of lia-
wanna, and has been found Of great
purity and good quality.
The island abounds in magnificent
harbors, one of which, that OF Haba-
na-namcd, tradition says, from an
Indian goddess Of that name, stat
ne ofwhom is placed over more than
one OF the gates Of the city-is pro-
badly the best in the world. With a
narrow entrance, expanding into a
magnificent bay, it is capable Of en-
closing the navy of the world, cal
from the earliest day has been so
carefully fortified as to be consider
cd impregnab!e. Neither history nor
scrutiny sustain this idea for, in the
middle Of the nineteenth century, an
expedition, under the orders of the
British Admiral Vernon, composed
OF a small force Of royal marines AM
a few regiments of colonial troops,
landed few miles below the city,
all the defenccs of which, including
the Moro, it carried without unusual
difficulty. The new art OF war, with
its immense batteries, steam and
rockets, would certainly reduce the
place to necessity in very short
time. Matanzas, Trinidad, Santa
go, Cienfuegos, and Puerto E.condi-
do, are also excellent harbors, with
great natural facilities for improve
ments and Notifications.
Considering the latitude, the eli
mate is salubrious, the year being
divided into dry and wet season
July and August are the warmcsl
portion of the year, when tie mean
temperature of each day is about s.,
degrees Fahrenheit. December j.
the coolest, when the mercury ran.
ges at about 80 degrees, except wher
the wind known as el norie blows
during which the instrument show,
a rapid dcclnesion.
So fertile soil is not known [,
exist in any other norton of th,