Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-08-18
so ethfug' About. Cuba-Its History
"a Ia 4 yimate-nss People.

somethiug' About. Cubs-Its Histor!
N La I vimate-nss People.
Under he .,bove caption Appletons
Journas eives the frst of what promise
to be timely se. -ies Of sketches relating
to Cuba. The one before usls plsasantl,
written, and full Of useful Information
We make two OF three extracts:
The Island of Cuba 10 size 10 nearly
eousl 10 England proper, without the
principslity Of Wales), being seven hun
bred and eighty miles in length and
| ahout fifty.two miles In medal breadth,
containing superficial ares Of forty
three thousand Eve hundred square miles,
being nearly equal in extent to all the
other West India Islands united. Colum-
bus supposed Cuba (st the time he visi-
ted the Isle of Pines, associated with
Cubs) to be q continent, and it was
40 regarded until circpmnavigated BY
Ocampo, in the year 1908. -
In the early times Of the settleuasnt' of
the West India Islands, San Domingo
was the most known and received the
largest share of attention. Cuba attracted
but little notice in Europe. until Cortez
made it q be Sc of operations in his con-
templated and contaminated attack on
Mexico. 1t will be perceived it's fret APP
probation was for its military command
Of the surrounding coasts. Subsequently,
in necessary imitation of Cortez, the
Prince de Joinville concentrated his feet
at Havana, preparatory to his attack on
Vera Cruz, and to Havana he returned
after capturing San Juan de Ulloa.
Its Importance, as the "key 10 the
gulf" will be still more perfectly under
stood when we recollect that Cuba 10
ninety-fvs miles from the nearest point
of Jamaica; fifty miles from Hayti one
hundred and twenty miles from the coast
of Tobasco and Yucatan, in Mexico; and
one hundred and fly miles from the
coast of Florida.
The Importance Of Cuba does not,
therefore, arise solely from It's productive
wealth, nor from the demand its inhsbi-
tants make upon the productions Of other
people, but il is largely founded upon its
admirable position in commanding the
ENTRANCE TO the MEXICAN Gull, Havana
being situated exactly where the carriers
of commercial enterprises must cross
each others paths in their intercourse
with Mexico and the Southern United
States Il 10 wonderful instance of the
ssgaeity and statssmsnship of Thomas
Jefferson that he should have written
nearly fifty years ago II candidly con-
fess thar | have ever looked upon Cuba
az the most interesting addition that can
be made to our system of States. the pos
session Of which with Florida Poin,
would give M control over the 6ulf OF
Mexico, and the countries and isthmns
bordering it. and would gil up the meas
ure Of our political wslI-being.sdspa
The atmosphere of Cuba, as everywhere
within the tropics, is 80 unpolluted, so
thin, 80 elastic, % seysne, and, cave by
experience,so inconeeiVably transparent,
that every star and planet in the heavens
seem 70 be boldly def ned you cap sae
AROUND and behind them they actually
stand ont in the clear hlpe, while the
heavenly CONSULTATIONS ere more bril-.
liant than In The temperate attitudes: In
this nightwsteh we asv the North Star
and the great Polar Bear skirting along
the horizon. And there we're censtella-
tons unknown To northern akies, with
the myriads of STARE forming the milky.
var, making not dim, just-perceiyed
light, bHt absolutely flaming through
eternal space, 1905 ]. 1as'i ffials1
We have sad "reminiscences of the
truthfulness Of the following sketch,
treating Of people who Internationally
rush into foreign chimes to recuperate an
already destroyed constitution. q ssl I.
here Ito perhaps necessary to say that
the saddest chapters Of suffering that
could be yritten would be the histories
Of pen6rRed ipyalids coming from the
Northern ststss, seeking health IN athe
bsImy cir Of these tropical eiimes." Ac-
oustonsd to the careful bookkeeping
and domestic arrangements Of their
Northern home, and sustained BY an
iuvigorating climate, they find them.
selves suddenly in Havana, deprived of
even comfortable retiring room, and
without the necessary convenience OF
even a bed to lie upon. Every dish, ex-
cept otherwise ordered, 10 reekingwith
red pepper, onions or garlic; the Ian
gpsgs ard habits of the common people
are. strange and repnlsiye; and, mean
time. the climate enerVsting and ex-
hausting TO the most vigorous coustitn
tions, completes the disaster, and the poor,
disappointed seeker of health learns,
when it is too late, the sad mistake that
has been made by the consumptive
searching warm latitude for health.
We saw ppe Of these vretched people
hoisted b. the aid Of mattress upon lae
deck Of our departing steamer. There
vas apparent death in the eye and in the
emacistsd frame. II yss desperate
effort to reach home and die among
friends and kindred. Presently the
steamer moved out Of the harbor, that
was literally as hot as an oven. The
cool ses-breeze famed the brow Of the
SINGING one the pure fresh air acted Is
an elixir; the eye brightened, the voice
returned, the hand had the power TO give
an affeciionate return for the friendly
grasp The cool night air set ia. and the
invalid. like one escaping from an ex-
hansted receiver, wept and sighed over
the suffering endured in the sad climate
and surroundings for inyalids, common
n q