The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-09-22

FL Marble and coal are also known to es
list in inexhaustible quantities. and the vau
of the latter is daily beeoming more appar
ent from the rapid consumption Of WOO,
by the immense azucarias or sugar estate
of the island. This coal, exceedingly btu
minous, is evidently an outcrop OF the grea
asPhaltum beds, which. in more than on,
OF the Antilles, evince themselves in th,
lakes Of mineral tar. Ii is now employees
in the gas-works Of the city Of Havana, ant
has been found Of great purity and gooo
quality.
The island abounds ia magnificent hsr
bofs. one Of which, that OF Havana-named
tradition gays, from an Indian goddess o.
that name, statute ofwhom is placed Owe
more than one OF the gates of the city.
probably the best in the word With ;
narrow entrance, expanding into a magni
hcent bay, it is capable OF enclosing the
navy Of the world, and from the earlies
day has been so carefully fortified as TO be
considered impregnabe. Neither history
nor scrutiny sustain this idea, for, in The
middle Of the eighteenth century, an expe
dition under the orderssf the BEiish Admi
raj Vernon, composed of a small force Of
royal marines and few regiments of Co.
lonial troops, landed a few miles below the
city, all the deiences OF which, including
the Moro; it carried without unusual diff.
Guilty. The new art Of war, with its i'm.
mense batteries, steam and rockets, would
certainly reduce the place to necessity in a
very short time. Matanzas, Trinidad, St.
Jago, Cienfuegos, and Puerto EscondidO
are also excellent harborS, with great natu-
raj facilities for Improvements and fortifica.
| tons.
The climate is, when We consider the
latitude, salubrious, the year being divided
into dry and a wet season. The VAIN.
est portion Of the year is July and August,
when the mean temperature OF each day is
S4' Fahrenheit The coolest in Decem.
Der, when the mercury ranges at about 5Oo,
except when the wind known as el norte
blows, during which the instrument shows
a rapid declension.
So fertile a soil is not known to exist in
any other portion Of the globe. Ii has been
known to produce three crops year, and
in ordinary seasons two may be relied on.
The profusion of its f1ora, the variety Of its
forests are unsurpassed; while the multi
tude Of its climbing shrubs give luxuriant
richness to its scenery which contributes 10
make il one of the most fascinating coun-
tries in the world. Nowhere is life so
easily supported, and is man 50 delicaIely
nuIlured. In addition TO the plantain, the
yucca Of two varieties, the potato, yam, In.
dian corn, rice, melons, chesnut cocoa
nut, pineapple. amana or custard.apple,
medlar, banana, orsnga, lemon shajock,
and lime abound. The growth Of the for.
est comprises the mahogany tree, cedar,
ignumvlts, various kinds of ebony, the
noble palm tree, and numerous woods for
buildings.
On this island, capable Of supporting in
opulence a population equal to that Of
Spain. are strewn less than million and
half OF men, OF which six or seven hundred
thousand are white, two hundred thousand
free negroes, mulattoes, and zambos, while
the rest are slaves. 1t is supposed that but
two-6fths Of the island is cultivated, the rest
being wilderness, uninhabited and despoiled
by ruthless Spanish avarice, Of the glorious
forest trees which struck the early nayiga.
tors with so much amazement.
The chief riches Of the island result from
its exports, which consist Of sugar, coffee,
tobacco, wax, cocoa, mols.sses, honey, rum,
maize, &c, The first OF these is infinitely
the most important, and is probably the
only one which is regularly increasing, in
spite Of the changeable seasons, hurricanes,
and the immense direct and indirect ia xa.
ton to which the planters are subected.
The great increase may be estimated from
the fact that in 1912, OH ,64S boxes were
exported and in lS47, 1,274,S11. The
exports for the last fiscal year ending with
November, were l,2lO,9l7. or other ar.
tcles, during the same time, were exported
70S, 941 arrobas &c h. OF coffee, 2O5 1853
hogsheads Of molasses, II 900 pipes OF rum,
4,647,737 pounds OF tobacco, Ia, 239
boxes (thousands) OF segars, and sol 1926
guintals of copper ore.
The cultivation of coffee has nearly been
destroyed. Nothing shows the great decline
Of the trade more than the fact, thatin 1887,
1913, 567, drrobds were exported, while in
164S there were only 70S, 491. The con.
sequence is that great portion Of the cafe
tai are now abandoned, and the land ap.
propriated to grazing, sugar estates, OF rice
plantations. The tobacco crop rapidly in
creases, and will as long as the passion foi
Havana and Principe segars shall last. The
plant is peculiarly different from cur own
maturing in less time, and the soil is able
always to bring two crops per annum. II
1912 the crop was 5,942, 1893 lbs. in 1S41
it rose to more than 5000, 900. That o
1S48 was somewhat diminished by q sea
son unusually unpropitious, and BY hurrl
canes.
The following table shows that there hal
been gradual increase Of exports for many
years, and OF consequent prosperity
YEARLY sv. ofim. Increase IN p. centas
ports & exports. five years. ofinorease
isas 10 iss1 ID, si $50 IS 800, 7is ii.9 per ei
ISIS to 1889 80 80 O7s 6i6 III 75e, $50
1913 to iSi7.... 90, i4s,'s...- 1,O76,lS2.... 81
The number of arrivals during 1s47, a
its ports, was 3,740. and the number o
clearances 1886. The amount OF AmeTl
can tonnage employed in trade with it j
476,7 73 tons.
Such are the resources OF Cuba, and from
them it is customary to conclude that tn