New-York tribune., 1874-03-31
AFFAIRS IN CUBA.

HAyANA. March 3D-Carlo3 Garcia, formerly no.
tcrous highwayman, who afterward served as an
insu.gent leader, but was pardoned By Caballero de
ROdas, and Antonio Gonzales were discovered yes
terday by two gendarnes en- route from Santa Maria
del Rosario to Jesus del Monte, suburb OF havana.
The gendarmes followed them, and on reaching the
latter place. assisted by some policemen, attempted
to arrest Garcia He and his companion resisted
when shots were exchanged Gonzales received five
bullets in his body, causing his death. Garcia
escaped.
severe drouth prevails in most of the iurisdic-
tons Of the island, and animals arc suffering for
water.
THE WORK OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF
VALUABLE ANTATIoNs-INsURGEST SUCCESSES
FINANCIAL EMBARRAss'IENTs INCREASING.
rFRoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT THE TRrBUSE.l
HAVANA. March 25.-The incendiary torch is
making great havoc in the sugar plantations OF this
island. Every week have reports OF cane helds
and whole sections of fertile country laid waste
The Spaniards call the perpetrators robbers ana
highwaymen, and the Cubans say this Is the work
of the insurgents. Let the authors be who they
may the destruction of property is fearful and IN
the most fertile part of the growing country,
where hitherto insurgents were supposed to exist
On the afternoon of the 18th of March the village
of Jaguayabon. jurisdiction of Remedies, and the
whole surrounding country were illuminated Dy
the burning fields of the sugar plantation Hiarla
About 800 acres of sugar-cane were destroyed, 81
| acr,s of which had already been cut ready for
the mill. IL appears that four gnardla clvlles
and three volunteers had been lying in ambush on
part of the estate since morning, expecting an at
| tack when at p. they challenged band OF
| men numbering about 30. The answer to their
! challenge was discharge of musketry, which was
anon returned by the guardia cyes and volunteers,
and a lively fire was kept up for some time though
| nobody seems to have been hurt on either side. at
| last the band drew Oft. few moments afterward,
| however two or three columns of smoke were seen
rising from different parts of the cane fields and 1t
was not long before flames began to leap forth The
alarm was given, and in very short time over 3OO
men had assembled from the village and neighbor
| hood irving to control the fire, but in vain. How
ever by great exertions they succeeded in prevent
| ing the fire from crossing the railroad and laying
waste the houses Volunteers have been sent out in
| search of the band and several other detachments
have been distributed among the other estates for
their protection.
The British steamship Elder arrived here on Sun
| day morning and reports having seen very large
fire on Saturday night in the neighborbood OF Santa
| Cruz, between Matanzas and Havana. Private let
| ters from Villa Clara report numerous fires In that
Jurisdiction and it is said that body Of insurgents
| 400 strong succeeded in crossing the Trocha, and
| began the task of burning. TO these men are at
trbuted the numerous fires in that jurisdiction. In
the jurisdiction of Cienfuegos Is sugar plantations
| have been burned up to date On the Eastman
naptaton. the owner his son, and three others,
| killed, and the place burnt by negroes, formerly
slaves on the estate. An American gentleman, who
has lust arrived from Cienfuegos reports that he saw
fires along the whole coast, the captain of the
steamer informing him that these were all sugar
plantations that were burning.
| band of insurgents under Miguel Ramos is oper
ating in the neighborhood of Jibaco, and has
| had one or two encounters with Spanish column.
From the southern end of the island near Trinidad
and Cenfuegos the Volunteers and contra guerrilas
are having their hands full in searching for the
| enemy, but they never successful. The papers
report captures of horses, mules. Remington gum
| a machete one or two women and some children.
They return with their booty to the city, and remain
there until the next account of the capture of a
convoy or burningof estate takes them out again.
and invariably with the same result The Volunteers
| in that part of the country are paid by the sugar
planters for protecting their estates.
| The Voz de Cuba says that severe encounter has
! taken place at Quasmamocha, near Puerto Principe
| between the brigade of Brigadier Armilan and the
! insurgents commanded by Maximo Gomez. 1t ap-
| pears that as soon as the news was received In
| Puerto Principe Brigadier Bascones with two col
umns went ont to aid Armilan, and before arriving
| at the point where the action had taken place, he
| had two encounters with the enemy. No further
particulars have, as yet been published here. But
il is reported that the actions have been very severe
| and bloody that over four hundred spanlards have
| fallen among them being nearly thirty officers
There were also a great many w0undedj Sixty
| three of them arrived here on Monday even
| ing and were taken to the military hospital
or the fifty volunteers sent from Rega, a
small village across the bay, l3 have been killed.
The insurgents at one time i'll the action, had pos
session of the suburbs of Puerto Principe. and, be-
fore retiring were joined by 300 young men from
| that citv Gen. Portillo has armed everybody able
| 10 carry a musket The forces expected from San
| tiago de Cuba at ManzaDO had up to the 10Th Of
March not vet arrived, and the citizens We're becom-
| ing alarmed and began To pack up their wares and
household furniture, prior 10 embaGkng on some OF
the vessels III port. large body of insurgents was
nearing the place The cable between Batabano and
Santiago De CIbl has at last been repaired and is
now in go,d working order 20 thai direct communi-
| cation can be had between the latter city aud
! Havana.
! The financial situation is hourly growing worse,
and commctee is completely paralyzed. Yesterday
gold closed nominally at lIO per cent premium, an
advance Of 10 per cent in "A Loun and at these
G.cifes there were no sellers. Exchange has gone up
| IN propor;io- Tie sudden rise II attributed to the
! unfayorahie news from the eastern end of the
island and there cau bc doubt that the insurgents
have been victorious ia the ate encounters, the
G"v.rn,"."t has ..i,nwed nothing TO be Uubl,shed