The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-11-29

tuAotq ART nvNffcEt nunjcNs W oe41i}
epidemics, such as the gomiio, the yellow
fever and the cholera.
The mineral resources Of Cuba have
been but imperlectly developed, but the
mountains are said 70 contain gold, silver,
iron, lead, and especially copper of the
most superior quality There are likewise
found amianth, Maidstone, stone coal,
asphaltum, marble, alabasies, granite, jas
per, cornelian, agate, opal, rock crystal,
antimony, bismuth, kaolin, gypsum, slate,
serpentine, syenite and rock salt Wheth-
er the precious metals and stones men
toned in this list can be found in guam
titles sufficient to justify the working Of
mines is question which must be de-
termined BY future exploration. The
waters of the island contain more than
seven hundred kinds of fishes the turtle,
tortoise, the lobster, and diversity of
oysters and shell-6sh also abound. There
exists 10 the woods more chan two hun
bred and fifty kinds of birds, besides the
domestic fowls. The deer and the wild
boar abound, but there are no ferocious
animals nor vipers.
The products of the forest are especially
rich mahogany, ebony, cedar, rosewood,
fustic, the oak, pine, and multiplicity Of
other hard and beautifully-grained woods
growing abundantly on the mountains and
plains. The apple, the pear, the peach,
the grape, the fig, and other fruits of TEN.
perate climates, are produced in the
mountains and the variety Of medicinal
and aromatic plants which grow there is
innumerable. In the valleys the cultivated
grass grows to the height of six or eight
feet. The great agricultural products are
tobacco and sugar, in addition to which
there are produced excellent coffee, cocoa
cotton, indigo, vanilla, ginger, wheat, corn
rye, barley, gumelastic, and all the grains
fruits and vegetables common to the
tropics.
The commerce of the island, as might
be supposed from the nature and variety
Of its resources, is large and profitable
The exports include sugar, tobacco, bran
dy, coffee, copper, wax, honey, molasses
cotton, hides, cocoa oil, beautiful woods
and fruits; and imports -four, win es
liquors, jerked beef, rice, Goldfish, glass was
hardware, cooperage materials, pine and
resinous wood, slaves, etc. In 1865, three
years before the outbreak of the insurrec
ton, the total amount Of the annual income
and products Of Cuba was s259, 522 ,s11
OF this sum s67 GAL ,105 was derived from
sugars and s16,912,5O from tobacco.
Beeswax exported yielded 81. 794 1884, anC
honey 81 ,266, 966. The value of the ex
ports for 1868 was $50, 1877, the por
ton secured to the United States amount
ing to s36,115,279. The merchandise
sent to Cuba from this country in return
during the same year reached only SIS,
2sS, 553 in value.
Previous to the instruction the greater
part of the capital and industry Of the is.
land was of course directed to the produc-
ton Of sugar, and many branches of agri-
culture were, and are still, neglected,
which might be made very remuuerative
The natives are greatly wanting in industry
and enterprise, and the number of for
eigners engaged in cultivation of the soil
is very small. Many of the sugar estates
are managed with much system, but farm.
ing is generally done in a careless way and
on small scale. Living is high on al
parts Of the island. The commerce of the
country is mainly conducted by Spaniards
and foreigners, and is done in leisurely
easy-going way.
The population Of the island in 1872
was !, 399, 81, of which 23s, 927 were free
colored, and 1863, 2sS were slaves. The
Coolies and other Asiatics are put dowI
at 34,47O- Havana is the principal city
and in 1862 contained a population o
100000. Santiago de Cuba, the scene o.
the recent massacre, is the second city il
population and commerce. In 1862 i
contained 81 900 inhabitants. The othel
towns of Importance are Puerto Principe
Matanzas, Guanabacoa, Santo Espiritu
Cardenas, Guines, Clenfuegos, Trinidad
and Villa Clara.-Baltimore American.