North Carolina standard., 1851-08-13
cuRA-A GLANCE AT THE ISLAND.

y
l9o 40 N. lat. In length it is ITO English mes-its
breadth varies from 25 80 miles, The greatest dis
tance one can get from the sea- is about AZ miles:
About two-thirds OF the Island are from 80 to oo
miles in BREADTH and il its surface about
1000 English square miles. The eastern part is
very mountainous, and some of the peaks are from ITO,
1000 5000 feet above the level Of the sea. Inc
vales in the eastern department are exceedingly PIC
turesque and fruitful. Cuba discovered oy Coi'
umbms the 9th October, l492. In l5l9' t1aVana
was founded. The cultivation of sugar cane was In,
troduced about $780, and slaves began 10 De
about four wears after. When first discovered, the
Island had an Indian population OF aoou' So1Voo.
The greater part perished under the haiashPs
imposed by the Europeans. Only lew nan 6reeds
remain in the Eastern Department In l755' the ex-
poration Of sugar from Havana in year, was COM
parativey inconsiderabIe The English took Havana
in 1859 and gave it up n-l7G3 in exchange for 9TH
or nossessions and advantages. During the siege,
GREAT numbers of the British fell victims to the ro-
TO- Many were also poisoned or assassnatd by the
| Cubans. .
The position of the island is admirable, being with
in few days sail of the Atlantic ports Of the United
States, and % days by steam from N. Orleans. Ine
soil is generally fertile producing the sugar cane IN
the highest perfection part OF the world Is more
favorable for the growth and indeed, the climate and
soil admit of the cultivation of all kinds of tropical
fruits and productions, which might be cultivated In
| quantity to reach ten times the present amount, as,
of "a millions acres comprising the surface Of the
island, only millions under cultivation, ABOUT
millions being in natural pasturage, 500 200 Ia ar
t6cia pasturage, ii millions in woodlands and the
Western Department about Que fourth OF the Iand is
barren, one fourth in woodlands, and the remaining
| two fouTths equally devoted TO cultivation and
pasture. In the Central Department about one third
is rren and and only 37ih part is under culti-
valion about llth pai in pasture, and more than
three 6fths woodlands. In the Eastern Depart
ment about l2lh is under cultivation, the balance
| being nearly all in wood lands.
! Supposng the Island to be divided into T2 parts
l3 would represent the size of the Western Depart
ment 81 the Central Department. and % the Eastern
~ LolF i, tho Nncf
Department. onesixth in the Central and two-sixlhs
in the Eastern Department. The principal agrcultur-
al productions are the sugar cane, coffee, moasses,
honey, rum, tobacco, wax, rice and cotton
! also produced, with many other minor articles.
In 1911, when the number of sugar estates on the
island amounted. TO ,239upon which were employed,
according 10 the census but lSS,TOl persons, CIV
ing average OF ll2 hands to each estate, the ex-
portation of sugar from all the ports of the island
amounted 10 about $4,000 boxes, according to the
Custom House returns, which woulG allow upon
average CSC boxes each estate six boxes to each
hand however, making allowance for the sugar not
entered at the Custom House, the article then paid
export duty OF 81 per box, and also taking into
consideration that which was consumed in the Island
the produce of each estate upon average might be
about 900 boxes, or 8 10 each hand nor does this
amount appear to be too great to allow, when the best
lands afford upwards of 5000 pounds of dry sugar,
to the acre. In Louisiana, where the best lands pro-
duce about 5000 pounds to the acre. the average pro-
duce of each hand is about 5000 pounds.
Besides the cultivation of the sugar cane, large
quantities of coffee produced however this arti-
Gle is not extensively cultivated it was some
ten -ears since, when upwards OF fifty millions
PoLnds weight was exported from the different ports
of the Island. Last year, the favorable during
the last few years, showed but export Of thirty
five million pounds of coffee. Brazil has been able
to furnish this product lower rate, and cCnse-
quently that of Brazil has taken the place of Cuba
coffee in the markets of the United States; there
fore, sugar is produced in many parts where cof
fee was once cultivated, the hands have been
turned over TO estates, in the fertile regions in
the neighborhood of Cardenas, &c.
The climate and soil Of Cuba ingencral, so
favorable for the cultivation of Coffee for the sugar
cane, tobacco and the other articles; however, the
Eastern District appears to be well suited to the pro-
ducion OF coffee, the crop there being more certain,
and the quality of the bean infinitely superior. A
most favorable to the tree.
The celebrated Mocha Coffee, which is indigo |
nous to Arabia and to that part of Africa the oppo
site side of the Red Sea, grows without cultivation
on the rocky sides of the mountains.
After coffee, tobacco is the article Of conse-
quence produced. There various kinds, which |
derive their different qualities from the pecHliartes
OF the soil in which they are cultivated.
The most esteemed is that which is produced in
the Vuelta Abaio about hundred miles west of Ha-
vana in the jurisdiction of New Filipino of this the
finest Havana segars made. It costs from 40 to
i2O dollars per bale according to the quality and the
crop. Some years the crop is very inferior, that
1t is impossible for manufacturer always to supply
the same quality of segars. The to the tobacco
of the Vuelta Abao is that called partido'' some
OF which is very good, and is used in making those
segars of which astonishing bargains very often
obtained. There is another kind of tobacco grown in
the Western Department, in which the two classes
mentioned are grown; it has a coarse leaf and is
called De Vuelta Arrba also the tobacco grown
In the Eastern Department goes by that name, of
which there two kinds, the Santiago de Cuba
bacco and the Yara. The Yala tobacco is some
times very fne and of this the best Principe segars
are made. Many persons have !he Vuelta de
Abajo seed in the States, but have they been
able to raise tobacco from it in any respect similar in
flavor to the original kind. The soil gives the
1avor and its cultivation be extended in
Cuba.
The other articles of consequence produced are
wax, honey and rice. The two first of these articles
are exported in very large quantities. the last
TONED article is produced to the amount of 1900
Ierces about 81 millions of pounds, but it is in
sufficient for the consumption of the Island that
large quantities of rice imported from Charleston,
Savannah, Spain, South America and latterly from
Manila however. that from Charleston is most es-
eemed and from that place the largest quantity is
imported. Wax is produced to the amount of about
100000 pounds, and honey to the amount of two
million gallons. Cotton is little cultivated, $50 bales
being about the amount produced.
The other vegetable articles are, all kinds of tropi
;a fruits, sweet potatoes, yams, arrow root cocoa,
indian corn, castor oil, and different kinds of woods,
such as cedar, mahogany, lance WOOD and other hard
woods used by turner's, etc.
Cattle to the number of about 100000 head are
owned in the island, and there about 100000
lorses, $4,000 mules, and large numbers of smaller
nmals.
The annual product of the vegetable and animal $
creation. moderate calculation, may be set down
It about $75,O0O,0OO. I
In minerals, the island is very rich; of Copper
H.