Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1850-06-29
TH E POL YIN ESIAN.
HONOLULU, SATURDAY, JUNE %

CUBA AND ITS REsoURcEs.-Thisb beautiful
Island, one Of the earliest discoveries of the
great admiral, has been known to Europe
SINCE 1892, and has borne successlvely the
names of Juana, Fernandna, Santiago. ant
Ave Maria. and has found refuge from thi:
confusion of titles in the aboriginal appella-
tion. The most westerly of the Antilles. Il
equals in area that of ali the other West In.
dies together, and is one of the largest islands
which approaches nearest the North Ameri-
can continent, one hundred and thirty miles,
from which, an eminent Cuban naturalist
maintains, by some great convulsions of na-
ture, at no very remote day, it had been Sc
lparated. The length Of the island, which
extends nearly east and west, from "A to SIS
west Of Greenwich, is about six hundred
miles, and its average breadth is about one
20 and 25 north latitude.
1t IS blessed with the prodigal fertility OF
tropical climates, while the elevation of its
mountains permits the productions Of colder
climates to thrive. This lofty range of noun
tains. extending from Cape San Antonio to
the Punta de Maysi, divides the island into
two equal portions, and on its declivities and
its valleys are regions as fertile and as health
ful as any in the world. Rising to the height
of $500 feet, it contains the sources of vari-
Gus streams, which abound with peculiar and
delicious fish, and which bring down no in
considerable portion of gold dust, once es-
teemed of importance; but which now is neg
lected, because the labor necessary to col
lect 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, and
the magnetic stone. Silver is also found
The most valuable of these mines however,
are those of copper, which, since the COM
pletion Of portion Of an elaborate system
Of railroads, one hundred and ninety-fve
miles of which are now in operation, have
proved most profitable investments. Princi-
pally in the hands of foreign capitalists, they
employ many thousand miners, the wants of
whom provide for the small planters, that
greatest of all projections and encourage
ments-a home market.
Marble and coal are also known to exist in
inexhaustible quantities, and the value of the
latter is daily becoming more apparent from
the rapid consumption of wood by the i'm
mense azucarias or sugar estates ofthe island.
This coal, exceedingly bituminous, is evident
ly an out crop of the great asphatum beds,
which in more than one ofthe Antilles, evince
themselves in the lakes of mineral tar. 1t is
now employed in the gas works ofthe city of
Havana, and has been found of great purity
and good quality.
The island abounds in magnificent harbors,
one of which, that of Habana-named, ira
dition says, from an Indian goddess of that
name, statue Of whom is placed over more
than one of the gates of the city-is probably
the best in the world. With narrow en-
trance, expanding into a 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 impregna-
ble Neither history nor scrutiny, sustains
this idea, for in the middle of the eighteenth
century, an expedition under the orders of
the British Admiral Vernon, composed of a
small force OF royal marines and few regi-
ments of colonial troops, landed few miles
below the city, all the defences of which, in
Guiding the Moro, it carried without unusual
difficulty The new art Of war, with It's I'M
mense batteries, steam and rockets, would
certainly reduce the place to necessity IN a
very short time. Matanzas, Trinidad, San
Iaeo. Cienfuegos, and Puerto Escondido, are
also excellent harbors, with great natural Ia
ciIities for improvements and Notifications.
The climate, when we consider the latitude,
is salubrious, the year being divided into q
dry and wet season. The EARNEST porlion
Of the year ::s July and August, when the
an temperature of each day is about 81
+ Fahrenheit. The coolest is in December,
when the mercury ranges at about %, ex-
cept when the wind known as ell norte blows,
during which the instrument shows rapid
declension.
So fertile soil is not known to exist in
any other portion of the globe. 1t has been
known to produce three crops in year, and
in ordinary seasons two may be relied on
The proiusion of its flora, the variety of its
forests, are unsurpassed; while the multitude
Of its climbing shrubs give a luxuran rich
ness to its scenery, which contributes to make
il one of the most fascinating countries in the
world No where is life so easily supported,
and is man so deicately n!rtured. In addition
TO the piantain, the yuca Of two varieties, the
potatOe, yam, corn, rice, melons, chesnut,
cocoa-nut, pineapple. amana or cusIard ap-
pie, medler, banana, orange, lemon, shadock,
and lime abound. The growth of the forests
comprise the mahogany-tree, CEDAR, Iignum-
vitae, various kinds of ebony, the noble palm
Iree, and numerous woods for building.
On this island, capable of supporting in OPP
nlence population equal TO that of Spain,
are strewn less than million and half of
men, of which six or seven hundred thou
sand are white, two hundred thousand free
negroes, mulattos, and zambos, while the
rest are slaves, 1t is supposed that but two
ifths Of the island is cultivated, the rest be-
ing wilderness, uninhabited and despoiled by
ruthless Spanish avarice, of the glorious for
est trees which struck the early navigators
with so much amazement.
The chief riches Of the island result from
It's exports, which consist ofsugar. coffee, to-
bacco, wax, cocoa, molasses, honey, maize,
rum. etc. The first of these is infinitely the
most important, and is probably the only one
which is regularly increasing, in spite OF the
seasons, hurricanes, and the I'M