Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-06-22
, From the N. Y. Observer.
THE INTERIOR or CUBA.

r.iau iHt IN Ghl0R Of CUBA II
d When the Spanish began ts encroach
upon the Indians, who occupied the island
OF Cuba ut its discovery the red men be-
came alarmed, as they did many years
later, when the Puritans i6l Now England
gave evidence Of foIIlnoss for the SOIL
Bat the red men of Cuba did not resort
to the same tlcans to secure a portion Of
their hunting groHnd for ratrimcnial acres !;
for, instead ofnaking war ppon their new
neighbors, they sent five Of their best
men--who were chiefs among thenl--oyer
to the great King, who sat uron Il throne
in the city of'Aiatlrid; and they begged
Of him to confirm their right to the land
where they desired TO spend their days,
and where their children couIl have homes
50 long as they lived. Tne King ;c,9ded
to the request Of the five chiefs, and
granted to the tribe Of Jignalli-wlich
1 was the tribe who sent the chiets-the
right to occupy any land which might be
unoccupicd within the Jurisdiction OF coun-
| ty Of Jignani, uron condition Of their lay.
Il small tax annually. This tax all cunts
to four dollars and twenty-five cents for
each unit of land measure, about thirty
three acres '. .a r#.f" .-jI
/ This is the tenure which holds nearly
all the faruls Of that beautiful county Of
Jignuni at the present day. There is still
much of the land unoccupied, subject to
seizure under this cdict Of the King Of
Spain. The Indians have nearly disap-
pcarcl but as the law does not apply
especiallyto red mNn, any cue can take
tnorplac, and hold the land b. OCCUPANCY
an lth, pty.n1lt Of the tax.
There are those who think they should
have the land who can produce the great
est amount from it, or,what appears to us
less extravagant, that unoccupicd and un-
| cultivated land should be free to the first
conner who would use it. This is the case
in the jurisdiction of Jignan, and proha-
| by it is the cause Of there being both
less wealth and less poverty in that sec
ton than in any othet part Of the island
Nature has done her part in making
this little spot of land charming home
ior man. 1t lies upon the north side OF
the great Sierra Maestro range of Noun
tais, sometimes erroneosly called Sierrs
del Co5re, which name should be applied
only to small section of the great range.
From these mountains, fine streams OF
water flow through the county and empty
Into the great river Cantc, which is the
northern boundary. The stream along
the eastern border is the Coutre Maestro,
Il stream about 800 feet broad, and flow.
ing very swiftly until near its junction with
| the Canto the next stream is the Balre,
a branch of only 80 feet in width, but its
water is so saline that, except in times OF
heavy rains, it is not fit for use. The
next stream going westward is the Jigna-
nj, upon which stands the county seat OF
the same name, ana across this stream, at
the town, is stone bridge, the only one
in the county, Still westward five miles,
is the Cantillo, or little Canto, a stream
Of 100 feet width; this forms the western
boundary Of the county. Eet
| From the foot of the mountains to the
river Canto, a distance of twenty miles,
the county sea plain, broken BY one sin.
gle peak of basaltic rock, thrown up
about four hundred feet above tn: general
surface. ,iJei fea li uH. r.taiNUaJ J.t.
From this peak the view is grand the
great valley Of the 'Canto is vast sea OF
tree-tops, unbroken, except by little de.
pressions which mark the water-courses |;
the cultivated land, except in the imme-
diate vicinity of the peak, is so small i'll
amount, as to make no interruption in the
great sea of palm,4 mahogany, lignum vi
tae aud other trees which make up the
forests of Cuba. flH g89 tl
The spires Of Bayamo--25 miles dis
fanfare seen distinctly, hut no other
mark is there Of change since the coming
Of the white man. .a8u 5H
AT the Tenahel (lreland) petty ses-
| A. Il Ittt If