The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1873-12-18
Information about Cuba,


SthOre Il . good deal Of inquiry con-
cernIug tho Size, population, resources, 10.
Of Cuba BY those not fully posted 90 the
subject, the following points, obtained
from the lates! aud best authorities, will
be found Of more than passing Interest,"
Cuba, tbe largest and most westerly Of
the Antilles, and tho most important Of
thu transmariue possessions Of Spain, lies
between the Caribbean sea, Gulf Of Mex.
leo, Gulf Of Florida, and Bahama channel,
being nearly cquidistaut from the peniusu.
las Of Yucutan and Florida, and islands Of
Hayli and jamaica. It measures fully $50
miles in extreme length, aud about 40
miles 10 average breadth, with 40 area of
fully 4S,4S0, square miles, or little more
than twO.thirds that Of The State Of Mis-
souri,.
With the exceptions ofthe central range
Of mountains the country is more or less
level, its spreading plains and swelling val,
leys being iDterSpersed with lngooD' and
marshes. The cultivated portions Of the
lower tracts-a small part Of lhe whole
produce abundan'ly maize, rice, yamS,
bananas, sugar, coffee, tobacco, cotton. Co
Goa and indigo; while the unCutiVa'ed dis.
tricts Of tho same rear countless herds of
cattle. For wheat and -four which haze
no place in native husbandry, the colony
is Indebted to the mother country through
a monopoly, which moet unfaVorSbly Of.
fecrs both the prices ard the quality,
The elevated regions Of the Copper, noun
saius, besides toeming with the metal from
which they derive their name, and here
and there producing gold, silver, and iron
are covered with dense forests, in which,
besides ship building timber, palms, the
plautain, aud the mahogany are ConSpicn-
GUS. 10 addition to Havana, tho capital,
Cuba contains twenty-five cities and towns
with 2O4 villages and hawlets. Many Of
these places communicate With each other
by railways, Of which the eldest dates from
1888. 0fmost these works, Havana is
the common terminus, being joined even
with Batabeuo on the south or opposite
side ofthe island without tho aid Of q tun.
uel.
In 1869, interpolation numbered $780,
III whites, All, 8O5 free negroes aud mu.
lattcve, and 78O74O slaves, making to
tai population Of 2,1S2 1858, or one fourth
more than the population Of Missouri in
1870.
10 1858, the cultivated lands in Cuba
we're 1,72S,OOO acres. There were 1888
sugar estates, 1888 coffee plantations, AZ
$40 farms, aud 647 454 agricultural labor.
ers. The sugar and molasses product Of
1868 was $40, 900 tons, being Is, 900 tons
greater than that of 1867. OF this, up
wards Of 100000 tons were exported TO
the United States, and valued at nearly
S47 900. 900. In exchange, there were
exported from the United States, 10 1868,
lumber, s., l33, 1896; breadStuGs, 81, 7OO,-
900; gold and silver, $1,4iO,OOO; manu-
features Of iron aud steel, 100000; loco.
motives aud other machinery, SIO3,9l6;
provisions, 81, 100000, and various other
articles, making a total Of sl5, 1851 43,
four.ffth Of which was conveyed 90 Amer.
lean vessels. The exports to Great Brit
aiu from Cuba and Porto Rico in 1868,
we're valued at E3,Sl4,GSl, and for the
eleven months, ending November 80,
1869, G4.O95, 1888. The total exports Of
sugar from Havana and MatangnS in
1869, we're / 1868, l42 boxes and l2l 81
hogsheadS, aud l47,645 hOgsheads oFnO'
lasseS.