The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1869-04-03
CUBA.


teraicine warfare. The present condition
of affairs invests everything connected with
our sea-girt neighbor with no little interest,
and few facts will not prove unacceptable
to the reader. Cuba lies at the outlet of the
Gulf of Mexico. Her greatest length is $50
miles, and width so miles. The area of the
! island Is about 1851 square maritime
leagues of 20 to the degree. This includes
the Isle of Pines, whose area is 90 leagues.
The principal feature of the topography of
Cuba Is range of broken mountains, ex
tending through the center from one end to
the other. From this backbone the streams
flow to the sea on either side Some Of the
mountains are eight thousand feet high.
The longest Cuban river Is the Cuata which
empties into the bay Of Buena Esperenza
on the south side. 1t is navigable for
schooners fifty miles above the mouth.
The coast on the west and south end Is
| skirted with mountains. In several places
the margin Of the island is formed by high
hills, but for most parts low tracts intervene
between the central elevations and the
shore on either side. la the wet season
these are inundated and rendered nearly
impossible by the depth of water and
| tenacity of the black mud From Jagua to
Point Subina on the South side, the country
is q continuous swamp for 40 leagues, as is
the case TO considerable extent on the North
side. The soil of these districts Is a rich
alluvial mould The mountains near San
| tiago de Cuba have been worked for ores at
different times since the seventh century.
| The ores, principally pyritons, are in quarts
veins in the metamorphie rocks. In 1850
the shipments amounted to about $4,000,
| tons averaging about sixteen per cent. Of
metal All the mines were profitable up to
| 1854, shares commanding small premium.
| OCher mines less productive have been
worked near Trinidad and elsewhere
| Near Villa Clara the copper ores proved
argentferous, seven and a half ounces
| being obtained from one hundred and fifty
| one and threequarter pounds OF ore. Lead
antimOny and chrome have been found near
| Holguin, but never worked. Magnetic
oxide of iron is an abundant ore Of excel
lent quality, but never worked. The early
! settlers exported gold in small quantities,
! and it has be en- met with in recent times in
! the deposits of the rivers HOlgun, Eseaw
! bray, ETC. but not enough to encourage fur
Their explorations. Coal is not r product of
the isle, but higly infammable substance
called chapGpdte, and sometimes bitumin-
! Gus coal Is found in masses of extraordinary
extent. Several chalybeate and tepid
| springs near Havana have acquired some
| celebrity for supposed medicinal effects
| Analysis shows sulphuretted hydrogen and
sometimes iron Common salt is among
the mineral products. About one hundred
| thousand pounds are annually obtained at
| Point Hicacos and Choco. The productions
| Of the Cuban forests are noted for their val
liable qualities and the beauty they impart
| to the scenery Few of the varieties are
| exported or known, except in the West
J India Islands. Ship timber Is quite abund-
ant Among the valuable woods are ignum
vitae, cocoa wood or cocus, the lance wood,
| largely exported for carriage shafts, survey
| Ors instruments and other uses Mahogany
is quite abundant and has always been a
| leading article of export. The Havana
cedar, much used in the United States fer
| the iusides of drawers and wardrobes, and
the material from which cigar boxes are
made, is abundant The forests contain no
large animals larger than wild dogs. More
than two hundred species Of birds are
known to the island The first are of great
variety and of singularly bright hue. The
| insect ge1uS Is numerous, the most fOrmld-
able being the tarantula and scorpion. Ly-
ing just within the torrid zone, Cuba en-
Joys throughout the year u warm climate,
which Is tempered during the summer
months by the cool northeastern trade
winds, which, indeed blow almost every day
in the year, from early in the forenoon to
rains which prevail from May to November.
| In the elevated districts the heat is seldom
oppressive, and for weeks in summer the
|, mercury rarely varies II or 80 from So.
The difference between the mean tempera-
ture of the hottest and coolest month IN
Havana is q &c, and II 10 in the interior
For three years at Havana the range was
between Go and $50 In the winter it has
been known to fall to 500, and ice has been
formed at night after three weeks of north
winds. Fires are not required for warmth
and young children are accustomed to so
unclad throughout the year. Sometimes
/ from unacelimatiOn, strangers from the
north suffer positive discomfort from the
cold In the summer bilious fevers of the
yellow fever type prevail, but are more par
ticularly virulent along the coast than IN
the interior From December to May the
climate is dry and salubriOus. The only
snow ever known to Cuba fell December
24-25, 1886, when the mercury In Havana
, descended to 49,, ice forming to the thick
ness of 4 dollar. Hail sometimes falls
in February and July. Great thun
, derstorms prevail from June to September
2 Earthquakes seldom occur in the western
r but are frequent in the eastern districts
The population of the island in 1S57-the
last computation-was about l, l0T, 49l
whites, 249, 674; free colored and black
, l748IO. slaves, 374 $40 TO this add fol-
9 emancipados and coolies l0,54S. Nearly
= all the native whites are defendants of The
Peninsuiar Spanish races. Until 1916
Spain commercially monopolized the island
7 The old SpaniardS hold all the Offices anC
f look down on the Creoles with contempt
The Afric IN race was introduced to serve
as slaves in 1924 Its increase has beer
less than that Of the other classes. Tn
: annual importations by the Illicit slave trad
are from 10000 to 10000. Productive IN
i dustry in Cuba is mainly devoted to agri
J. culture, with direct reference to the eXpOI
e tation Of the staples. Manufactures are 0
little importance, the people being general
disinclined to mechanical pursuits Tn
l. soil is remarkably fertile, and productio