Daily national Republican. (Washington City [D.C.]) 1870-1872, 1872-11-13

products. The singular fertility Of Cuba, even
in the higher mountain regions, also supplies
the struggling patriots with other food which
grows wild, especially farlnseoous roots, that
are fallen back upon when the stores run low
They likewise cat the tutla, q rodent, which
tastes very much like a hare, As this animal
abOunds everywhere, IL Is frequently used az
substitute for beef and pork, Tor since the out
break Of the inIurreotlon the hogs and cattle Of
the east have been other driven Oh or destroyed.
Instead Of bacon they use the fat cocoanut oil,
which IL easily procured from the thousands aud
Thousands Of eOoOanut palms within the district.
Tho white, sweet meat Of tho nut Ia made
Into a kind Of almond milk, which replaces
that OF the COW. As tho patriots control one
Of tho finest coffee regions In the world, they
have, naturally, all the coffee they want. They
prepare their own sugar by pressing II out thom.
selves from the cane on the different plantations
This Robinson. CTusOe mode OF lifo extends
svon to dress, for, as no clothing reaches them
from abroad, they avail themselves Of the leaves
Of tho yarey tree and tho bark Of the majAgua,
from which an available material Is manu-
featured while the tanned hides Of tho above.
mentioned tutiA furnish leather for the shoes. A
small.Arms factory and pcrcussIon.cap factory
give them at least part Of thelr weapons But
a. evon tho negroes appear to dislike tho old
musket, and decidedly prefer the brcoch.loaders
which they take from the Spanlards, II is pro.
posed to change tho smallRrms factory for 4
cartridge factory.
This IS tho condition OF affairs which the
writer saw a. tho headquarters OF General
PsrsE, or was told by him and tho officers Of
the Liberated Cuba
white and black are terribly in earnest for
the success Of their cause. Their motto Is lib
erty or DEATH They endure all the hArdships
and sutierings which such a savage warfare
necessarily imposes upon them without muir
| muir or a care that It leaves them ragged, bare
footed, and often half naked"
It would seem from this that the prospects
OF the Cubans arc by no means so desperate
as the Spanish authorities would have us be-
lIoVc. Flnt OF all VIC arc told that the col
orcd meu COMPOSE one third OF the Cuban
army; that both races arc united In their de-
termination To free Cuba from Spanish rule;
that they hold undisputcd possession OF n
certain section Of territory aud are not mere
rambling predatory bands In the Businesses Of
the mountains; that in addition TO fighting
the enemy they cultivate the soil and clcsI
the forests, aud control one Of the finest coffee
regions In the world.
The suncrlngs that these men have endured
during the last four years, since the insurroc
ton began, the world In all probability will
never know. During all that time they hayt
calamity rltlistood all the efforts Of Spain Il
subdue them; have held at bay the stoutos
Of her legions aud the ablcst of her generals
stubbornly disputing every inch of ground
There is every reason to believe that Spain
no nearer to the conquest OF Cuba to-da
than she was them that iu fact the dlsaffcC
ton to her rule has become greater, and tn
determination of the Cubans to achieve thoi
independence stronger than ever. How Ion
the struggle Is to go on unless some powe
should Interfere in the interest of Christian
ity Itself no one can tell. Spain ought Gel
tanly to be able to sec by this time that
conquer Cuba Is an impossibility.